80 Book Re'IJieW8

D. K. Wheeler. Curriculum Process. London: University of London

Press, 1967. 314 pp. $8.
In his preface, Dr. Wheeler edge than the reviewer of sociol-
describes the purpose of his book ogical and education al condi-
as "an attempt to lay out guide- tions in these areas.
lines for a first approximation In his opening chapters,
to a rationale whereby curri- Wheeler examines first the
culum problems may be system- standard cyclic model of simple
atically considered." He suggests curriculum process, moving from
that the two major influences in aims, goals and objectives,
producing it were his contacts through selection of learning ex-
with Professor Hilda Taba dur- periences, selection of content
ing his 1956 research as Ful- and organization of learning ex-
bright Scholar, and the need periences to evaluation, which in
made clear du ring two years as turn leads to refinement of orig-
professor of Curriculum De- inal aims and objectives. He
velopment (at the Regional Cen- then presents and compares
tre for Advancec! Training of sorne of the broad schemata off-
Superior Educational Personnel ered as foundations for cur-
in Arab States) in Beirut "to ricular development, including
elucidate, across barriers of lan- Bloom's Taxonomy, Tykociner's
guage and culture, tentative zetetic principles, and Phenix's
principles and procedures which Realms of Meaning approach.
might be adopted by countries in The bulk of the book consists
the process of building up, en- of detailed development of each
larging or changing educational of the phases of the original cur-
systems" (p. 5). riculum process model. Chapter
Curriculum Process certainly Eight illustrates the develop-
presents a systematic analysis ment of one of these phases,
and sorne synthesis of major "Selection of Content." Forty-
theories and models of curricu- nine pages explore the relation-
lum building proposed by Amer- ship of behavioural goals to con-
ican and British workers in the tent, three suggested levels or
field over the last fifty years. stages in selection, and criteria
How far the "tentative princi- of selection. The discussion is
pIes" derived from these sources liberally illustrated with ap-
can "cross barri ers of language proaches and points of view
and culture," and might offer from curriculum theory and cur-
valid guidelines to areas such as rent practice, and the thesis is
the Arab States must be left to based heavily on Bloom and
a critic with a broader knowl- Taba. M. F. L. Horton