Nuffield Curriculum Centre

Humanities

Organiser
Lawrence Stenhouse

A controversial approach
The Humanities Curriculum Project was a big and interesting venture launched jointly with the Schools Council in 1966. Lawrence Stenhouse and his team set out to teach children about controversial contemporary issues in a neutral way, aiming to help them consider different viewpoints and learn the importance of evidence.

The challenge for teachers
The project was very stimulating for participating teachers, but the materials turned out to be hard for others to use. The pack about race and racial prejudice led to a major political row.

Continuing research and evaluation
The Humanities project team soon moved to the Centre for Applied Research in Education at the University of East Anglia. There they continued to be very influential through their research and programmes of professional development.