Werrett Charters (1875-1952)

Functional Theory

functional theory

• In his first book, Methods of Teaching
• Charters believed in making information meaningful for students, so they had opportunities to make connections to their lives and the real world.
• Curriculum and instruction would follow student inquiry and their needs.
• Therefore, allowing students to make relevant connections with their learning experiences.
• Charters discussed student-centered approach where students should be able to construct their own knowledge and understandings.

1917-1928

• 1917–1928, Charters was a faculty member at four institutions:

• the University of Illinois

(using science in determining curriculum was growing)

• Carnegie Institute of Technology
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Chicago

Werrett's Approach to Curriculum

• behaviorist approach: meeting objectives with student needs
• Focused: teacher education programs
• Determine the ‘ideals’ of education
• Determine the ‘activities”
• Simplify the curriculum to working units outlined in a chart or graph
• Appreciation of literature, art, and music

Ohio State University

• At "The Ohio State University, Charters was responsible for research, for publication of the Educational Research Bulletin, and for the professional development and assistance of university and college faculties, including curricula preparation, course development, and instruction and testing" Kappa Delta Pi (2019).

Ohio State

• Director of the Bureau of Educational Research
• published Motion Pictures and Youth (1933)
• Created the Journal of Higher Education.

Lifetime Accomplishments

• An active member and leader of numerous organizations
• Charters was the founder and director of the Institute of Education by Radio, director of the National Society for the Study of Education, a Kappa Delta Pi Laureate, and the National Education Association

Strengths of Activity Analysis and Functional theory

Strengths

• meeting the objectives with student learning goals leads to effective assessment
• helps with scaffolding and breaking down a large project into smaller more manageable and successful tasks
• Utilitarian approach:
• Functional and practical approach for students to develop life skills
• Focused on developing curricula that prepared students for their future occupations or higher education. (Johnson, 1953)

Influences of the Charters Approach

Influences

• contributed to higher education through American Colleges and Universities have directly and indirectly used Charter's functional approach to learning in their curriculum or teaching philosophies (Johnson, 1952)
• " he participated in the selection and training of educators who have gone from Stephens College to administrative, teaching, and research positions in widely varied types of institutions of higher learning" (Johnson, 1953)

The Weakness of Charter's approach

Weaknesses

• this overemphasis on the role of teachers forgets the fact that teachers do not control their students. Teachers influence their students, but they do not control them.(Null. 1973,p.59)
• without careful measurement of what learners likely will do upon graduation, curriculum cannot be linked with their future roles.(Null. 1973,p.59)
• when students are primarily taught what they need to know, the foundations or basics of each subject may be lost

Types of Curriculum Design

o Subject-centered:

•  Not student-centered
• less concerned with individual learning styles.

o Learner centered:

•  based on students’ needs, interests and goals.
•  Empowers students through choice
•  Differentiated instruction plans

o Problem-centered:

•  Exposes children to real life issues through presenting them with a problem they need to solve
•  Encourages creativity, innovation and collaboration
•  Does not always consider individual learning styles

Egg Drop Challenge

- Egg Drop Challenge

* Make groups of 4 members

o Materials:

•  1 egg
• Construction paper
• Tape
• Scissors

o Goal: Get the egg from point A to B without it breaking.

o Refer to the Ontario Science Curriculum (Grade 7: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms: Form and Function, P. 129

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/scientec18currb.pdf

Egg Drop Challenge

How was the Challenge?

Questions and Reflections on the Activity

•  What is the function or purpose of the activity?
•  What are the real world implications?
•  How can students make connections to their own experiences?
•  How does this relate to vocational learning?
•  Is this economical? Or sustainable?

References

References

• Null, J. W., & Chara, H. B. (2005). TEACHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM: What, how, and why: 1]. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 7(1), 39-49. Retrieved from https://www-lib-uwo-ca.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/cgi-bin/ezpauthn.cgi?url=http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/docview/230423747?accountid=15115
• Null, W. (2011). Curriculum: From theory to practice. Lanham, Boulder, New York, Toronto, Plymouth, UK: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://daneshnamehicsa.ir/userfiles/file/Resources/Curriculum__From_Theory_to_Practice.pdf
• Ontario Ministry of Education. (2007). The ontario curriculum: Grades 1-8: Science and Technology. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/scientec18currb.pdf
• Russell, J. C. (1980). Werrett Wallace Charters, Sr. (1875-1952): His Life, Career and Influence upon Pharmaceutical Education (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://ecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=3114&context=luc_diss. (2115)
• StateUniversity. (2019). W. W. Charters (1875–1952). Retrieved from https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1821/Charters-W-W-1875-1952.html
• Stutt. (2018). Curriculum Development and the 3 models explained. Retrieved from https://tophat.com/blog/curriculum-development-models-design/
• Wallace, C. W. (1917). Teaching the common branches: a textbook for teachers of rural and graded schools. Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/teachingcommonbr00char/page/n11
• Wehling, L. J., & Charters, W. W. (1969). Dimensions of Teacher Beliefs about the Teaching Process. American Educational Research Journal, 6(1), 7–30. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312006001007