American Association for Teaching and Curriculum

The American Association for Teaching and Curriculum (AATC) was founded October 1, 1993, as a national learned society for the scholarly field of teaching and curriculum. Although many universities had established departments of teaching and curriculum before the end of the 19th century, the scholarly field of curriculum and instruction was not represented in the transformation of U.S. scholarship that began during that same period. [Page 27]Thus, AATC founders John A. Laska and O. L. Davis Jr., both professors at the University of Texas at Austin at the time, sought to create a professional organization to promote the idea of the scholarly study of instruction and curriculum development at all levels of education.

AATC promotes scholarship in teaching and curriculum through its conference and journal, Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, published yearly by Information Age Publishing. The editorial advisory board of the journal is composed of Michael Apple, Jean Clandinin, William Reid, Thomas Barone, Elliot Eisner, and Steve Selden.

Both venues encourage the use of all analytical and interpretive approaches appropriate for the scholarly study of teaching and curriculum.

Since 2002, AATC has recognized the contributions of young scholars with annual distinguished dissertation awards in teaching or curriculum. Past recipients of the award in curriculum include Wesley Null, Stacey Elsasser, Donna Spirka, Stephanie Soliven, Michelle Sharpswain, Shijing Xu, and Steven Fleet. Recipients of the award in teaching include April Luehmann, Sarah Ramsey, Sandra Musanti, Mark Seaman, and Sherri Colby.

AATC annual conferences have featured keynote addresses by internationally recognized scholars such as Michael Apple, William Ayers, C. A. Bowers, D. Jean Clandinin, Renee Clift, Michael Connelly, O. L. Davis Jr., Robert Donmoyer, Eleanor Duckworth, Elliot Eisner, Geneva Gay, Carl Glickman, Maxine Greene, Madeleine Grumet, Burga Jung, Wilma Longstreet, Nel Noddings, William Pinar, William Reid, William Schubert, Steve Selden, and Suzanne Wilson.

John A. Laska served as the first secretary-treasurer of the organization. The position of executive secretary was then created, and Marcella L. Kysilka, University of Central Florida, served in that position from 1998 to 2008. Presently, Lynne Bailey, American Public University System, serves as executive secretary.

Susan C. Brown, Portland State University and University of Central Florida, and Barbara Slater Stern, James Madison University, served as first editor and associate editor, respectively, of Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue from 1999 to 2005. Currently, Slater Stern serves as editor, and James Moore, Cleveland State University, serves as associate editor.

Presidents of AATC have included the those listed at the top of the page.