ANYON, Part I
Affluent Professional School
What Personnel Said About School Knowledge
"The principal said that the students should not just "regurgitate" facts, but should "immerse themselves in ideas." He said that "creativity and personal development" are important goals for the children in his school." (Anyon, 1981, pg. 18)
What Students Said About School Knowledge
Evidence from the Curriculum and the Curriculum-in-Use
Dominant Theme: Narcissism
Don't agree that "narcissism' is the right word.
"Knowledge has individualistic goals, but it also may be a resource for social good. It is analytical and more realistic about society than knowledge in the middle-class and working-class schools. The children are also getting a good dose of two dominant social ideologies: that the system itself will be made more humane by expressions of concern for the less fortunate, and that individuals, not groups, make history" (anyon, 1981, pg. 23)
Working-Class Schools
What School Personnel said About School Knowledge
“The male fifth-grade teacher in this school said, "You can't teach these kids anything. Their parents don't take care about them, and they're not interested. "” (Anyon, 1981, p. 7)
“Most spoke of school knowledge in terms of facts and simple skills. One fifth grade teacher said, for example, "What these children need is the basics." When I asked her what the basics were, she said, "The three R’s-simple skills." When I asked why, she responded, "They're lazy. I hate to categorize them, but they're lazy."” (Anyon, 1981, p. 7)
What Students Said About Knowledge
“Three children mentioned there might not be enough jobs. It should be noted that most responses to these last questions suggest that many of these children already "know" that what it take to get ahead is being smart, and that they themselves, are not smart.” (Anyon, 1981, p.11)
Evidence from the Curriculum and the Curriculum- in- Use
“At this point, one student said that she had a faster way to do it and the teacher said, "No, you don't; you don't even know what I'm making yet. Do it this way, or it's wrong.''” (Anyon, 1981, p. 8)
Dominant Theme : Resistance
“The children also engaged in a good deal of resistance that was more passive. They often resisted by withholding their enthusiasm or attention on occasions when the teacher attempted to do something special.” (Anyon, 1981, p. 11)
Middle-Class Schools
What School Personnel Said About School Knowledge
“"It's a little hard for them. It's on a sixth-grade level. But my goal is understanding. I try to help them understand what they read. I think that's more important than the skills, although they're important, too. But if they don't understand what they read, they won't know anything."” (Anyon, 1981, p. 13)
What Students Said About School Knowledge
"It should be noted that these responses have to do mostly with knowledge being "out there," existing in books and libraries, not resulting from one's own activity." (Anyon, 1981, p. 16)
Dominant Theme : "Possibility"
click to edit
Evidence from the Curriculum and the Curriculum-in-Use
“Classroom activity rarely involved sustained inquiry into a topic. The fifth-grade social studies teacher said she did not use the text's "Using the Main Idea" activities very often. She said she didn't have time. She said that she has "enough to do to get them to understand the generalizations."” (Anyon, 1981, p. 15)