In the "World Library of Educationalists," international experts themselves compile career-long collections of what they judge to be their finest pieces - extracts from books, key articles, salient research findings, major theoretical and/practical contributions - so the world can read them in a single manageable volume. Readers will be able to follow themes and strands of their work and see their contribution to the development of a field, as well as the development of the field itself.
Jerome S. Bruner is one of the most distinguished and influential psychologists of his generation. His theories about cognitive development dominate psychology around the world today, but it is the field of education that his influence has been especially felt. In this two volume collection, Bruner has selected and assembled his most important writing about education. Volume 1 spans the 20 years from 1957 to 1978. Volume 2 takes us from 1979 to 2006.
Each volume starts with a speciallywritten Introduction by Bruner, in which he gives us an overview of his career and contextualizes his selection of papers. The articles and chapters that follow reveal the thinking, the concepts, and the empirical research that have made Bruner one of the most respected and cited educational authorities of our time. Through chapters from his best-selling books, his autobiography, and original journal articles, the reader can follow Bruner's thinking on questions such as, How do human beings presume to educate their young, we, the only species on earth that does so? Do our ways of "educating" conform to what we have been learning about learning during these past centuries? How can we adapt what we know in generalabout the nature of learning processes to fit modern conditions such as poverty, race discrimination, and urban life?
Professor Bruner writes about these matters with the grace and passion for which he has become world famous. He discusses the scientific issues alongside the political, and "administrative" ones, and draws on his research findings and his active participation in projects on improving schooling in America, the UK, and Europe. This two-volume set is the ultimate guide to Jerome Bruner's most important and influential work, and is ideal for students and academics who want to be able to follow the development of his thinking over his incredible 70-year career.