1. Social Reconstructionism
1.1. Purpose of Schooling: Students should question their society and way of life in order to make it more fair for everyone. One should not just accept things/institutions but instead analyze and critique whether they can be improved to benefit and change society.
1.1.1. Nature of the learner: Having the "right" teacher can help bring about the student that advocates for social change. Students are the critical piece to changing society.
1.1.1.1. Curriculum: An emphasis is given to students developing the skill of critical thinking through critical theory and critical literacy. With this they would focus on topics that affect our society, for example, poverty and racism, to name a few subjects. The student would then question how our institutions can either help change or cause/influence these subjects.
1.1.1.1.1. Instructional Methods: Very hands on experience. While learning about poverty and racism in the classroom. The great difference is made by learning about it in the real world. Reading about certain subjects in a book is interesting, but nothing makes you understand it more than experiencing it or at least seeing it happen first-hand.
2. References:
2.1. Webb, L. D., & Metha, A. (2016). Foundations of American Education (8th Edition). Pearson Education (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780134027524
3. Postmodernism
3.1. Purpose of Schooling: Students need to be aware of the social constructs of society and ask how they affect these and where they lie within society. They must also understand that they must observe that the institutions that are put in place, including schools, holds biases and their teachings must be analyzed.
3.1.1. Nature of the learner: Students should question the institutions put in place and their purpose. They must also understand that humans are responsible for how society is functioning.
3.1.1.1. Curriculum: Question the social structure and understand that curriculum is biased. Marginalized communities have been shut out of curriculum and their stories are silenced. One's perspective should lean more towards a multicultural view in order to not extend the norm of Eurocentric ideals.
3.1.1.1.1. Instructional Methods: Students in the classroom would learn various methods to arrive at critical questions. Hegemony is a topic that is touched upon, letting the student analyze whether society is giving some sort of control to the dominant culture.