Dr.Santhosh- Areekkuzhiyil
2015-10-30 11:49:37 UTC
*SCHOOL SUBJECT AND ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE*
*1. School Subject*
Dewey viewed subject matter as a distinctive and specialized domain of
experience for learners. Subject matter consists of a body of facts,
concepts, values, and techniques that are selected, organized, and
sequenced in a way that centers upon the predetermined objectives.
According to Zongyi Deng, (2013) School subject refers to *âan area of
learning within the school curriculum that constitutes an institutionally
defined field of knowledge and practice for teaching and learningâ*. A
school subject is a distinctive purpose-built enterprise, constructed in
response to social, cultural, and political demands and challenges toward
educative ends.
School subjects can be traditional academic subjects such as mathematics,
history, and geography that could have direct affiliations with their
parent academic disciplines. They can also be unconventional ones such as
tourism and hospitality that have no or minimal connections with academic
disciplines.
*1.2. Features of School Subjects*
Grossman and Stodolsky (1995) defined three features of school subjects:
Statue, perceived sequentiality and scope.
(i) School subjects differ in the status they have in the school and larger
community.
(ii) Sequentiality is perceived as important in school subjects, where
certain knowledge and skills have to be known before proceeding to a new
learning. For example in mathematics, learners should have number concept
and the concept of place value before proceeding to addition, subtraction
etc.
(iii) The scope of the subject refers to the different disciplinary areas
included in the subjects, which can be broad or restricted. An example of
broad based subject is social studies, which draws on discipline like
history, political science, economics, geography etc.
*2. Academic Discipline*
The term âdisciplineâ originates from the Latin words *discipulus*, which
means pupil, and *disciplina*, which means teaching. Discipline is defined
by the *Oxford English Dictionary* as âa branch of learning or scholarly
instruction.â A discipline is a branch of learning or domain of knowledge
that is characterised by distinct objects, concepts, principles, theories,
skills, tools and applications.
An academic discipline as a branch of knowledge incorporates expertise,
people, projects, communities, challenges, studies, inquiry, and research
areas that are strongly associated with a given academic discipline. For
example, the branches of science are commonly referred to as the scientific
disciplines, e.g. physics, mathematics, computer science.
---------
2.1. *Characteristics of Discipline*
1) Disciplines have a particular object of research (e.g. law, society,
politics), though the object of research may be shared with another
discipline;
2) Disciplines have a body of accumulated specialist knowledge referring to
their object of research, which is specific to them and not generally
shared with another discipline;
3) Disciplines have theories and concepts that can organize the accumulated
specialist knowledge effectively;
4) Disciplines use specific terminologies or a specific technical language
adjusted to their research object;
5) Disciplines have developed specific research methods according to their
specific research requirements; and maybe most crucially
6) Disciplines must have some institutional manifestation in the form of
subjects taught at universities or colleges, respective academic
departments and professional associations connected to it.
Not all disciplines have all of the aforementioned six characteristics.
*2.2. Typology of Discipline*
*Anthony Biglan* (1973) based on empirical research drew distinction
between discipline based on three dimensions. First he found difference in
the degree to which one paradigm exists in a discipline (hard-soft). For
discipline with one important paradigm there is more consensus about method
of study and content (E.g: physics) than in discipline without a single
paradigm (E.g: humanities). Secondly Biglan distinguished discipline based
on their degree of concern with application (pure â applied). Disciplines
like education and engineering is more concerned with application to
practice. Finally a distinction was drawn between disciplines concerning
biological or social areas and those that are concerned with inanimate
objects (life- non life).
Becher (1989) modified Biglanâs typology based on first two dimensions,
which resulted in four types of disciplines: Hard pure, Hard Applied, Soft
Pure, and Soft Applied.
2.3. *Strengths and weaknesses of disciplines*
*3. **The relationships between academic disciplines and school subjects*
School subjects can have different and variable relationships to academic
disciplines, depending on their aims, contents, and developmental phases. Stengel
(1997) identifies five possible relationships between academic disciplines
and school subjects.
(1) Academic disciplines and school subjects are essentially *continuous*;
(2) Academic disciplines and school subjects are basically *discontinuous*;
(3) Academic disciplines and school subjects are *different but related *in
one of the three ways:
(3a) academic discipline precedes school subject,
(3b) school subject precedes academic discipline, or
(3c) the relation between the two is dialectic.
She argues further that each of the relationships implies a curricular
position, reflecting particular political and moral interests.
*4. Distinction between academic disciplines and school subjects*
(i) Subjects are not, in fact, drawn directly or readily
from their parent studies, and parent studies are not all disciplines.
(ii) The disciplines are arranged for the expedient
advancement of investigations and researches, but the school subjects are
organized for the facilitation of learning and teaching in particular
contexts.
(iii) The formation of school subjects is driven by social and
political needs.
(iv) The school subject is a âtransformedâ version of the
academic discipline.
(v) The academic discipline, not the school subject, is
providing the frame of reference for defining and delineating what
classroom teachers need to know about the subject matter they are supposed
to teach.
(vi) School subjects come first and academic disciplines later
in oneâs learning journey from school to university.
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*1. School Subject*
Dewey viewed subject matter as a distinctive and specialized domain of
experience for learners. Subject matter consists of a body of facts,
concepts, values, and techniques that are selected, organized, and
sequenced in a way that centers upon the predetermined objectives.
According to Zongyi Deng, (2013) School subject refers to *âan area of
learning within the school curriculum that constitutes an institutionally
defined field of knowledge and practice for teaching and learningâ*. A
school subject is a distinctive purpose-built enterprise, constructed in
response to social, cultural, and political demands and challenges toward
educative ends.
School subjects can be traditional academic subjects such as mathematics,
history, and geography that could have direct affiliations with their
parent academic disciplines. They can also be unconventional ones such as
tourism and hospitality that have no or minimal connections with academic
disciplines.
*1.2. Features of School Subjects*
Grossman and Stodolsky (1995) defined three features of school subjects:
Statue, perceived sequentiality and scope.
(i) School subjects differ in the status they have in the school and larger
community.
(ii) Sequentiality is perceived as important in school subjects, where
certain knowledge and skills have to be known before proceeding to a new
learning. For example in mathematics, learners should have number concept
and the concept of place value before proceeding to addition, subtraction
etc.
(iii) The scope of the subject refers to the different disciplinary areas
included in the subjects, which can be broad or restricted. An example of
broad based subject is social studies, which draws on discipline like
history, political science, economics, geography etc.
*2. Academic Discipline*
The term âdisciplineâ originates from the Latin words *discipulus*, which
means pupil, and *disciplina*, which means teaching. Discipline is defined
by the *Oxford English Dictionary* as âa branch of learning or scholarly
instruction.â A discipline is a branch of learning or domain of knowledge
that is characterised by distinct objects, concepts, principles, theories,
skills, tools and applications.
An academic discipline as a branch of knowledge incorporates expertise,
people, projects, communities, challenges, studies, inquiry, and research
areas that are strongly associated with a given academic discipline. For
example, the branches of science are commonly referred to as the scientific
disciplines, e.g. physics, mathematics, computer science.
---------
2.1. *Characteristics of Discipline*
1) Disciplines have a particular object of research (e.g. law, society,
politics), though the object of research may be shared with another
discipline;
2) Disciplines have a body of accumulated specialist knowledge referring to
their object of research, which is specific to them and not generally
shared with another discipline;
3) Disciplines have theories and concepts that can organize the accumulated
specialist knowledge effectively;
4) Disciplines use specific terminologies or a specific technical language
adjusted to their research object;
5) Disciplines have developed specific research methods according to their
specific research requirements; and maybe most crucially
6) Disciplines must have some institutional manifestation in the form of
subjects taught at universities or colleges, respective academic
departments and professional associations connected to it.
Not all disciplines have all of the aforementioned six characteristics.
*2.2. Typology of Discipline*
*Anthony Biglan* (1973) based on empirical research drew distinction
between discipline based on three dimensions. First he found difference in
the degree to which one paradigm exists in a discipline (hard-soft). For
discipline with one important paradigm there is more consensus about method
of study and content (E.g: physics) than in discipline without a single
paradigm (E.g: humanities). Secondly Biglan distinguished discipline based
on their degree of concern with application (pure â applied). Disciplines
like education and engineering is more concerned with application to
practice. Finally a distinction was drawn between disciplines concerning
biological or social areas and those that are concerned with inanimate
objects (life- non life).
Becher (1989) modified Biglanâs typology based on first two dimensions,
which resulted in four types of disciplines: Hard pure, Hard Applied, Soft
Pure, and Soft Applied.
2.3. *Strengths and weaknesses of disciplines*
*3. **The relationships between academic disciplines and school subjects*
School subjects can have different and variable relationships to academic
disciplines, depending on their aims, contents, and developmental phases. Stengel
(1997) identifies five possible relationships between academic disciplines
and school subjects.
(1) Academic disciplines and school subjects are essentially *continuous*;
(2) Academic disciplines and school subjects are basically *discontinuous*;
(3) Academic disciplines and school subjects are *different but related *in
one of the three ways:
(3a) academic discipline precedes school subject,
(3b) school subject precedes academic discipline, or
(3c) the relation between the two is dialectic.
She argues further that each of the relationships implies a curricular
position, reflecting particular political and moral interests.
*4. Distinction between academic disciplines and school subjects*
(i) Subjects are not, in fact, drawn directly or readily
from their parent studies, and parent studies are not all disciplines.
(ii) The disciplines are arranged for the expedient
advancement of investigations and researches, but the school subjects are
organized for the facilitation of learning and teaching in particular
contexts.
(iii) The formation of school subjects is driven by social and
political needs.
(iv) The school subject is a âtransformedâ version of the
academic discipline.
(v) The academic discipline, not the school subject, is
providing the frame of reference for defining and delineating what
classroom teachers need to know about the subject matter they are supposed
to teach.
(vi) School subjects come first and academic disciplines later
in oneâs learning journey from school to university.
--
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "WikiEducator" group.
To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org
To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator
To post to this group, send email to ***@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
wikieducator+***@googlegroups.com
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To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wikieducator+***@googlegroups.com.
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