DEFINING “CURRICULUM”

Source: Becoming a Teacher, pp. 294-297

Curriculum has been defined in many ways, including:

 a course of study
 course content; the information or knowledge students are to learn
 planned learning experiences
 intended learning outcomes ( the what?) as distinct from the learning
strategies ( the how?)
 all of the experiences students have while at school
 the experiences, both planned and unplanned, that enhance, and
sometimes impede, the education and growth of students

If we accept a broader definition of curriculum, to include all of the experiences,

both academic and social, that a student has at school, the following kinds of
curriculum become relevant:

1. The Explicit Curricula

 what the school intends to teach
 includes goals and aims, course, and specific knowledge, skills and
attitudes that students acquire
 represents the publicly announced expectations the school has for its
students
 takes the form of written plans or guides for the teachers’ use

2. The Hidden Curriculum

 culture of the school that is unintentionally transmitted
 includes the schools’ pedagogical, organizational, and social
environments, including the relationships
 what students observe and understand to be what matters

3. The Null Curriculum

 what schools do not teach ( but might reasonably be expected to
address)
 examples: creativity, filmmaking, philosophy
4. The Extra-Curricular/ Co-Curricular Programs
 school sponsored activities with important educational goals
 students identify these as high points in schooling lives
 research shows that the positive effects of involvement include:
- a positive influence on the decision to remain in school
- educational aspirations
- the occupation aspired to and eventually attained