American Psychology and Schools: A Critique

by Sarason, Seymour Bernard

• ISBN13: 9780807740873
• ISBN10: 080774087X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: Teachers College Pr

Summary

Dr. Sarason pulls no punches in this searing critique of American psychology and its current and historical disinterest in our schools. This book explains why psychology's continued aloofness impoverishes the field and prevents it from capitalizing upon its potential to serve the public welfare. He describes how, after World War II, American psychology took steps to respond to societal needs but rebuffed efforts to include the improvement of schools. Bringing his discussion completely up-to-date, Dr. Sarason includes two extended chapters about the Columbine incident#x14;why psychologists offered few conclusions concerning what those killings signified about schools in general and high schools in particular. He also criticizes test developers for their failure to seek and prevent school personnel from interpreting and using tests in ways that negatively affect students. As readers might expect, Dr. Sarason gets right to the heart of the matter in this powerful depiction of all that psychology can but declines to do for our schools.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
The Aim and Plan of the Book	1	(15)
Basic and Applied Psychology: A Non-Symbiotic Relationship	16	(16)
The Boulder Conference: American Psychology at a Choice Point	32	(24)
American Psychology, the Man from Mars, and Columbine High School	56	(22)
Columbine High School and Contexts of Productive Learning	78	(25)
Contexts of Testing and Contexts of Learning	103	(28)
Standards, Tests, and the Current School Scene	131	(14)
Schools, and the Values and Culture of Higher Education	145	(19)
G. Stanley Hall, Lightner Witmer, William James, and John Dewey	164	(15)
An Imaginary Course in Religion	179	(16)
References	195	(4)
About the Author	199