Many contemporary historians contend that the popularity of the social studies as a school subject represents the victory of educators over academicians. This view, however, overlooks the way the controversies over the social studies reflected questions about the nature of intellectual activities. From 1899, the American Historical Association…

A review of the scientific movement in education in the early twentieth century: its origins in the scientific management and industrial efficiency theories of Frederich Taylor; its effects on administrative organization and educational research; and the reactions of its critics, who favored the child-centered school. (SJL)