Educational Foundations Program

It is the belief of the Educational Foundations Program that the curricula, pedagogical and educational policy decisions of teachers, school administrators and other related professionals should be founded on the disciplines of philosophy, history, psychology, sociology, anthropology and political science. For it is through these disciplines that educational professionals and others engaged in the educational enterprise are able to ask the right questions about the nature of students and their world, and make the most appropriate decisions with regards to the education of these students.

Additionally, the Educational Foundations Program seeks to challenge teachers, school administrators and other related professionals to develop an understanding of the theoretical, conceptual and policy related underpinnings of the educational enterprise and its various curriculum and instructional approaches. Teachers, school administrators and other related professionals are challenged to these ends through the Educational Foundations undergraduate and graduate course sequence in philosophy and history, development and individual difference, and educational psychology, and the Educational Studies minor. In an attempt to realize the aforementioned beliefs and propositions the Educational Foundations Program aspires to meet the follow College of Education goals for teacher candidates and other related professionals:

To acquire an extensive knowledge base and seek out opportunities to develop, demonstrate and apply that knowledge to various academic and professional settings.
To link theory and practice in order to promote effective decision-making, critical analysis and synthesis.
To engage in critical reflective thinking.
To value human diversity and respect varied talents and perspectives.
To develop a professional philosophy that exemplifies individual identity and integrity.
To value and promote lifelong learning.
To develop and employ meta-cognitive strategies to various academic and professional settings.