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PAPERS

Coming of age of human biology: a study of the birth and growth of a subject in the school curriculum

Pages 215-221 | Published online: 13 Dec 2010
 

Abstract

Although school human biology now enjoys the status of a fully fledged academic O- and A-level subject its academic and scientific credentials are being challenged by the Establishment. This lofty academic position was attained not without sacrifices to the subject's utilitarian and pedagogic traditions. With particular reference to the role played by London University, the present paper attempts to interpret the above observations in terms of the subject's relatively short history.

The origin of human biology in the school curriculum can be attributed to initiatives of the nursing and teaching professions at the time of the introduction of the General Certificate of Education examination. Analysis of the various changes both in the content and in the objectives of syllabuses over the years reveals a subtle shift in the function of human biology in the curriculum: emphasis on ‘education through the subject’ is increasing at the expense of ‘education in the subject’. Concomitantly, scholars in human biology are replacing the nurses and teachers as forces behind the selection of subject matter and of objectives for syllabuses.

Looking ahead it is speculated whether the concurrent trends of ‘biologicization of human biology’ and ‘humanization of biology’ will result ultimately in a union.

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