Critical Theory Versus Curriculum Theory: Reconsidering the Dialogue on Dewey

"Extracting Sun-Beams out of Cucumbers": The Retreat from Practice in Reconceptualized Curriculum Studies

“…(p. 76, italics in original) Clearly, the reconceptualist exaltation of theory over practice is a far cry from Dewey's commitment to the application of theory and research to the resolution of practical problems in a continuous problem-solving scenario. Hlebowitsh (1992) suggested that recent reconceptualist efforts to embrace Dewey should lead logically to a return to the practical in the curriculum field. Whether Dewey's imperative for practical application can be reconciled with the reconceptualized notion of curriculum theory distanced from curriculum practice remains to be seen.9…”

“…While some distance from professional practice certainly is useful to enable focusing on matters otherwise close at hand, the distance that Pinar advocates is unreasonably vast for a professional field. Other scholars have voiced concern over the theorypractice gap promulgated in reconceptualized curriculum theorizing (Ayers, 1992;Hlebowitsh, 1992;Klein, 1992;McCutcheon, 1985).7 The reconceptualist conception of theory-practice is usefully evaluated against Dewey's educational theory, obligations of professional schools to practicing professionals, and the ideal of the land-grant university.8 Academic Elitism, Science, and Dewey's Theory of Curriculum Improvement Throughout their text, Pinar et al (1995) depicted Dewey's thought as largely consistent with, if not foundational to, the reconceptualists (e.g., pp. 131, 570, 593; cf.…”

Social Class Analysis in the Early Progressive Tradition

“…This is an especially glaring difficulty when one considers the fact that the articulation of a practical curriculum theory, which was an essential component of Dewey's pragDownloaded by [University of California, San Diego] at 08:04 24 June 2016 matism, is the very evil that critical curriculum theorists have rejected as the contrivance of an instrumental rationality. Such disjunctures cannot be ignored because they reveal a treatment of Dewey (and of the wider curriculum literature) that circumvents Dewey's pragmatism (Hlebowitsh 1992).…”

L’approche critique en éducation relative à l’environnement : origines théoriques et applications à la formation des enseignants

“…John Dewey a été l'un des premiers penseurs critiques en éducation (Hlebowitsh, 1992). L'analyse de l'oeuvre du brésilien Paulo Freire, dont l'influence est évidente chez plusieurs auteurs en éducation relative à l'environnement (particulièrement en Amérique du Sud), permet également de rattacher cette dernière au courant critique.…”