Seymour Sarason
Encyclopedia
Seymour Bernard Sarason (January 12, 1919, Brownsville, Brooklyn
, New York
– January 28, 2010, New Haven, Connecticut
) was Professor of Psychology
Emeritus at Yale University
, where he taught from 1945 to 1989. He is the author of over forty books and is considered to be one of the most significant researchers in education and educational psychology
in the United States
. The primary focus of his work was on education reform
in the United States
. In the 1950s he and George Mandler initiated the research on test anxiety.He founded the Yale Psycho-Educational Clinic in 1961 and was one of the principal leaders in the community psychology movement. He is the brother of psychologist Irwin Sarason.
He believed that schooling needed fundamental changes. Further, he often stated that it was inconceivable to think that an ingrained human social system such as public schooling was easily reformed. The preparation and training of teachers was a good place to begin reform, according to Dr. Sarason.
Sarason, S.B. (2006). Letter to a Serious Education President. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sarason, S.B. (1996 and 1971). Revisiting the Culture of School and the Problem of Change. New York: Teachers College Press.
Sarason, S.B. (1990). The Predictable Failure of Educational Reform: Can We Change Course Before It's Too Late? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Brownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
– January 28, 2010, New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
) was Professor of Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
Emeritus at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he taught from 1945 to 1989. He is the author of over forty books and is considered to be one of the most significant researchers in education and educational psychology
Educational psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The primary focus of his work was on education reform
Education reform
Education reform is the process of improving public education. Small improvements in education theoretically have large social returns, in health, wealth and well-being. Historically, reforms have taken different forms because the motivations of reformers have differed.A continuing motivation has...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In the 1950s he and George Mandler initiated the research on test anxiety.He founded the Yale Psycho-Educational Clinic in 1961 and was one of the principal leaders in the community psychology movement. He is the brother of psychologist Irwin Sarason.
Early Life
Dr. Seymour Sarason was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn New York on January 12, 1919. He grew up in Newark, New Jersey. He died on January 28, 2010 in Hamden, Connecticut. He married Esther Kroop in 1943, and had one daughter, Julie. He received a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in 1939, a master's from Clark University and his Ph.D. from Clark University in 1942.School Reform Prediction
Dr. Sarason was world renowned as an expert in school reform. In 1965 he predicted that all attempts to reform schools would fail. His prediction still has an accuracy of 100%.He believed that schooling needed fundamental changes. Further, he often stated that it was inconceivable to think that an ingrained human social system such as public schooling was easily reformed. The preparation and training of teachers was a good place to begin reform, according to Dr. Sarason.
Key Writings in School Reform
Glazek, S.D. and Sarason, S.B. (2007). Productive Learning: Science, Art, and Einstein's Relativity in Educational Reform. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.Sarason, S.B. (2006). Letter to a Serious Education President. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sarason, S.B. (1996 and 1971). Revisiting the Culture of School and the Problem of Change. New York: Teachers College Press.
Sarason, S.B. (1990). The Predictable Failure of Educational Reform: Can We Change Course Before It's Too Late? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.