Curriculum Making: General

BOBBITT (3 ) 1 wrote the first modern general work on the curriculum. He pointed out the necessity for principles of curriculum making, suggested a number, and indicated their application to various subjects. Bonser (7) presented a more detailed analysis of principles, described in detail projects and content in the different subjects for each grade and suggested a method of organizing school systems for curriculum study. Bobbin (4) gave an account of his work in Los Angeles, 1921-22, stating the form of local organization and the technics employed in setting up objectives for each secondary school subject. Later (5) he presented a more detailed statement and analysis of his general technics. Neither of these books covers the range of topics presented in his earlier work and both are inferior to Bonser on that item. Charters (9) gave a very comprehensive discussion of the ideals and methods of activity analysis, but placed only slight emphasis upon the selection, organization, and grade placement of materials. He included a summary of selected studies classified under subjects, a new and valuable contribution. Rugg, (24 and 25) as chairman of a committee of the National Society for the Study of Education, presented two volumes, one on the history of curriculum making and the other on the agreements and disagreements of committee members upon theoretical issues, irrespective of their practical application. All books written up to 1928 were too long on theory and too short on its application in practice. Harap (13) made the first real attempt to bridge this gap. He combines theory and practice into a series of steps to be followed by the curriculum maker in relating educational aims to the construction of units of instruction. The most comprehensive general treatment is found in Hopkins (14) who presents underlying curriculum principles, and a detailed plan for utilizing them in practice. During the past decade, curriculum making in city school systems began in 1921 in Los Angeles (4) . The real impetus to the movement was given in Denver in 1922-1925 (26) and was followed up by St. Louis in 19251926 (29). The Department of Superintendence lent its support through the yearbooks of the Commission on the Curriculum (19, 20, 21, 22, 23) . At the present time curriculum revision is regarded as an important phase of city school administration.