My study has a dual purpose; 1. To examine the explanatory power of educational theory as a means of illuminating a particular educational practice. 2. To examine the potential for practice to provide a critique of educational theory and thus contribute towards the generation of new theoretical perspectives. I do this by focusing on the possible failure of a particular opposition movement, to wit the progressive movement in Victorian secondary schools 1966-1976. I investigate the limits and possibilities of such a movement with reference to ideal conditions. There are 3 phases to this investigation: 1. a descriptive account of the progressive movement which attempts to establish its status as an oppositional movement and its context. 2. an internal analysis of its themes, intentions and practices according to the criteria of consistency and coherence . 3. an external analysis which takes up the inconsistencies or contradictions as problems in need of interpretation. Selected educational theories and studies, such as those developed by Bowles and Gintis, Sharp, Willis and Hinkson will be examined both for their power to account for the particular contradictions that emerged and their ability to illuminate broader processes of constraint which work both in and through schooling. The purpose of such an analysis is to heighten our understanding of contemporary educational theory and practice through a sharper perspective of the immediate past, drawing on, and learning from, both the mistakes and insights of the past. I offer in conclusion, some provisional remarks for use in similar situations in the future. This paper is not an empirical study or a case study, but a form of conceptual analysis using texts and theoretical perspectives.

What were Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton’s contributions to the progressive education movement and the Indian arts and crafts movement in the Southwestern United States at a time when the region was still very remote? Artist, author, amateur ethnographer, educator, and curator; these were but a few of the talents of Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, co-founder of the Museum of Northern Arizona and early art advocate on the Colorado Plateau. This study investigates how Colton contributed to the progressive education movement and the Indian arts and crafts movement through the work that she did at the museum. There, she labored to increase public awareness of the importance of art education and to revive Native American arts on the Colorado Plateau. Using an extensive collection of archival material in the Colton Collection at the Museum of Northern Arizona, as well as oral history interviews, this historical study provides a nuanced analysis of Colton’s life as an educator. Colton’s influence is not well known today, but her professional contributions merit recognition, giving her a place in the history of American education. This study reveals how Colton’s efforts fit within the context of the work of her contemporaries in Santa Fe and Taos, and within the progressive education movement, from the then relatively remote outpost of Flagstaff. Much can be learned from Colton’s work that is relevant to the field of education today. Her ideals and writings about art education will resonate with opponents of No Child Left Behind. Colton’s work as one of northern Arizona’s earliest art educators contributed to a better understanding of the culture of the various peoples of the Colorado Plateau and to the preservation of Navajo and Hopi traditions through education. Colton made notable contributions to the Indian arts and crafts movement, museum education, and the progressive education movement. A woman of firm convictions and ideals, Colton was strong-willed, and complex, a multi-faceted person with a broad range of interests which she pursued with passion and commitment. This study crosses the boundaries of several disciplines, including educational history, museum studies, women’s studies, educational biography, Native American studies, and art education.