On the Selection of Goals: A Note on Grotelueschen and Gooler

In a recent issue of CTN, Grotelueschen and Gooler (1971/72; hereinafter referred to as G & G) propose an approach to the selection and definition of intended outcomes (i.e., goals) of instruction, as a necessary preliminary to curriculum evaluation. Their approach is similar to one hinted at by Popham (1971/72) in the same issue. Both approaches seem to contain hidden assumptions about the nature of goals 4s things among which persons may reasonably choose, or about the behavior of personal preferences, or both. It is the purpose of this note to make some of those assumptions explicit, to inquire whether they are compatible with human behavior patterns, and to suggest the beginnings of a method of examining whether human behavior does conform to them. Necessarily, more questions will be raised than answered: the purpose of this note is not to attempt a definitive solution, but to sharpen the reader's awareness that difficulties may arise from the hidden assumptions underlying the procedures proposed for dealing with certain problems.