School Subjects and the Curriculum

Abstract

The specific subjects taught in secondary education need to be considered holistically in order that the secondary educational journey fulfils the goals of releasing learner potential, preparing learners for life after school and equipping learners to make a contribution throughout life. This chapter summarises some of the key research that reveals the potential contribution that generic subject groups can make in achieving these goals. The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men. John Dewey