Apparently, UK education also has its Ancel Keys!

[pdmjoker]

This BBC comedy Rob Newman’s Total Eclipse of Descartes says it all:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06llmtb

(Edit: Those outside UK should be able to listen on Comedy of the Week podcast:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/comedy-of-the-week/id412151541?mt=2&i=420318276 )

For those outside the UK who can't hear this programme: the UK education system is based on the work of three psychologists: Cyril Burt, Miss Margaret Howard and Miss Jane Conway.

Sir Cyril Lodowic Burt, FBA (3 March 1883 – 10 October 1971) an English educational psychologist and geneticist, was convinced that intelligence was the product of inheritance rather than depending on the child's environment. (ie: Nature vs Nurture.) He studied the intelligence of identical twins who were brought-up apart in diverse environments and published research papers supporting his theory. He worked with two other psychologists who also agreed with his ideas: Miss Margaret Howard and Miss Jane Conway.

In his three published studies, Burt reported the following identical coefficients: 1943: r = .771; 1955: r = .771; 1966: r= .771 for the intelligence of identical twins reared apart. Look fishy?

It certainly looks like he invented his data about separated identical twins having similar intelligence. Why not? He invented his research colleagues Miss Margaret Howard and Miss Jane Conway - no such psychologists could be found anywhere!

HOWEVER, the education system in this country is still based on the "findings" of these "three" people AND there are educational psychologists who support Burt and believe him to be unfairly maligned. Sound familiar?

 

[pdmjoker]

on the other hand, I have met Skinner's child as an adult......

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean...

 

[Dark Horse]

This BBC comedy Rob Newman’s Total Eclipse of Descartes says it all:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06llmtb

(Edit: Those outside UK should be able to listen on Comedy of the Week podcast:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/comedy-of-the-week/id412151541?mt=2&i=420318276 )

For those outside the UK who can't hear this programme: the UK education system is based on the work of three psychologists: Cyril Burt, Miss Margaret Howard and Miss Jane Conway.

Sir Cyril Lodowic Burt, FBA (3 March 1883 – 10 October 1971) an English educational psychologist and geneticist, was convinced that intelligence was the product of inheritance rather than depending on the child's environment. (ie: Nature vs Nurture.) He studied the intelligence of identical twins who were brought-up apart in diverse environments and published research papers supporting his theory. He worked with two other psychologists who also agreed with his ideas: Miss Margaret Howard and Miss Jane Conway.

In his three published studies, Burt reported the following identical coefficients: 1943: r = .771; 1955: r = .771; 1966: r= .771 for the intelligence of identical twins reared apart. Look fishy?

It certainly looks like he invented his data about separated identical twins having similar intelligence. Why not? He invented his research colleagues Miss Margaret Howard and Miss Jane Conway - no such psychologists could be found anywhere!

HOWEVER, the education system in this country is still based on the "findings" of these "three" people AND there are educational psychologists who support Burt and believe him to be unfairly maligned. Sound familiar?

In what way is the UK education system based on these findings?

 

[pdmjoker]

In what way is the UK education system based on these findings?

If I understood correctly, it was to do with an assumed affluence/intelligence relationship and an inbuilt bias towards the affluent to the neglect of those from lower classes. Also, that it denied the evidence that a child would flourish when placed in a better learning environment. I would have to listen again to give a better answer. Some of the quotes were quite shocking and showed arrogance and prejudice on behalf of policy makers/influencers...