Supra Curriculum

The supra level usually refers to international debates or agreements on aims and quality of
education, sometimes fuelled by outcomes of internationally comparative studies (cf. PISA or
TIMSS1). Curriculum development at the supra level is usually of a ‘generic’ nature, while ‘site-
specific’ approaches are more applicable for the levels closer to school and classroom practice.
Moreover, the process of curriculum development can be seen as narrow (developing a specific
curricular product) or broad (a long term, ongoing process of curriculum improvement, often
including many related aspects of educational change, e.g teacher education, school development,
testing and examinations). In order to understand problems of curriculum decision-making and
enactment, a broader description of curriculum development is often most appropriate: usually a
long and cyclic process with many stakeholders and participants; in which motives and needs for
changing the curriculum are formulated; ideas are specified in programs and materials; and efforts
are made to realize the intended changes in practice.

The creation of a supra curriculum involves regional transnational organizations such as the
European Union, as well as bilateral agreements or bodies between certain countries and
international networks of academics and policy makers or activist organizations (eg on Child Rights,
Human Rights, Environmental Issues).

Macro curriculum

The term “macro-level” is generally associated with national-level policy-making, for example to
develop a policy framework, but we argue that this is not always the case.

schools and training institutions need to carry out their practice in accordance with various laws and
regulations. Devolved countries or territories have their own educational policies that training
institutions must follow. Examples include the need to follow a set of requirements to provide a
standardized and officially recognized qualification, or in the case of a public university to receive
funding (Lauder 2011). macro-level actors tend to deal with legal and financial rules and regulations,
the overall education system that exists in a delegated country or region, and the socio-political
ideology of that country or region.

Meso curriculum

Meso curriculum development is absolutely related to supporting schools. many curriculum-level

models are relatively silent on social practices that cater to this type of activity. Meso activities will
include the creation of guidelines and materials to support curriculum development in schools. This
would also include providing leadership for curriculum creation, implementing programs to develop
curriculum in schools, and, in the spirit of Stenhouse's (1975) famous adage that there is no
curriculum development without teacher development, providing teacher development programs
related to curriculum creation.

The learning process can take place in a variety of settings, including nurseries, schools, colleges,
universities and the workplace. Education and training institutions also need to be located close to
students and their parents with good transportation accessibility. They are also more likely to gain
the trust of learners if they present a strong vision and actually provide the best learning
opportunities they can.
Micro curriculum

Micro curriculum creation takes place in schools, and is outside (albeit connected) to the classroom.
Parents, children, young adults and adult learners are the key players at the micro level in education
because they are the ones who appear in the participation statistics, they are the most relevant
actors in the policy discourse supported by benchmarks and indicators, and they are expected to
acquire knowledge and high-level skills to operate in a global economy (Boeren 2016). This
understanding of the benefits of education can be a stimulus for parents to invest in their children's
education. This helps them develop positive attitudes towards education, and this potential future
benefit boosts motivation to excel both in school and in other educational and training contexts. In
summary, micro-level attributes in educational research usually refer to socio-demographic and
socio-economic factors, people's attitudes, self-confidence, interests, and motivation to learn.

Nano curriculum

In this case, we are referring to activities that occur when teachers and students interact. Essentially,
it is about the transactions that occur minute by minute in the classroom, with a focus on how
teachers and students negotiate the often conflicting demands created by the intersection of official
goals, teacher lesson plans, student biographies, and the possibilities of everyday classroom life.
Work on curriculum creation, which demonstrates the possibility of teachers creating curricula in
and through their own life experiences and those of their students in the classroom, resonates with
nano curriculum creation as proposed here (eg Clandinin & Connelly, 1992).