Making the Child 'Curious': Historicizing a Psychological Object and Pedagogical Tool

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: The Making of Minds: Pedagogies, Literacy, and Progressions in a Changing Curriculum

Abstract

Curiosity is considered crucial to cultivate in children. Yet, its norms and values embody comparative logics that exclude. This study examines how curiosity became a ubiquitous psychological object and pedagogical tool at the turn of the 20th- century. By analyzing studies on human instincts, child development, learning theories, and primate comparative psychology, the study reveals how the 'curious child' emerged in opposition to categories like ‘animal,’ feminine,’ ‘disabled,’ and ‘primitive.' The study then traces how these early 20th century distinctions continue to inform educational interventions in children's attitudes and behaviors. Historicizing the curious child reveals the fears and anxieties that justify differentiating instruction, inviting a critical reevaluation of curiosity's deployment in education research.

Author

• Christopher M. Kirchgasler, University of Wisconsin - Madison