Education Studies Concentration

Chair(s):

Deborah Michaels 

Faculty:

Education Studies draws on research methods and theories from across the disciplines to investigate the ideologies, institutions, and practices behind learning inside and outside of formal schooling. Education Studies concentrators interrogate their own learning and the formal schooling that we generally take for granted as a mandatory and “natural” dimension of youth. Concentrators will engage with questions as wide-ranging as: What does it mean to be educated? What are the purposes of schooling? By what economic, cultural, and ideological means are educational resources and opportunities afforded particular social groups to the exclusion of others? How are diverse and intersectional identities celebrated or silenced by teaching practices and the institutional structures of schooling? To what degree do schools simply mirror or have the power to transform historical, political, and socio-economic trends? What motivates individuals to learn? What can we learn from schooling across international and historical contexts to improve educational equity for underserved students? How can we educate for environmental stewardship in an age of climate change?

The curriculum for the concentration requires the completion of: EDU 101 Educational Principles in a Pluralistic Society , a class with a school practicum component, additional education electives, coursework exploring social identities and power, and a capstone experience at the 300-level or above that culminates in a major research project grounded in Education Studies.