The Evolution of Social Science Instruction, 1900-86: A Cross-National Study

The evolution of science instruction in the context of an international modern school curriculum is examined through the analysis of cross-national policies on curricula that have been institutionalized and reorganized since the turn of this century. Drawing on universally shared ideas about the value of national progress and the legitimating power of education to reinforce the image of the state, countries have frequently adapted exemplary science curricula independent of local conditions. The result is an overwhelming homogeneity of curricula over time and national boundaries that incorporate a significant transformation in the instruction of individual science subjects: a dramatic shift after World War II from traditional subjects, such as history and geography, to a new integrated subject category, social studies. The development of science curricula in the Philippines and Nigeria is presented to illustrate the central role that curriculum plays in the emergence of a modern, integrated society. If universal primary education in Westem