DEFINITIONS

• Hidden Curriculum. This refers to various skills, knowledge, and attitudes that students learn in
school as a result of their interaction with other students, staff, and faculty members. Although
the hidden curriculum is not actually taught in formal classroom learning, it is also true that the
hidden curriculum can be a product of the students' schooling. The hidden curriculum is very
powerful in developing the school culture (Print, 1993).

• The concept of the hidden curriculum was first introduced by researcher Phillip Jackson in
1968.1 The hidden curriculum is what educators teach students without even realizing it,
through their interactions, modeling, and school or classroom culture; it consist of unspoken
values, beliefs, norms and culture. The hidden curriculum is arguably the most important in the
field; because it usually leaves the lasting impact educators hope for when joining the
profession. Therefore, something to consider is, how can the hidden curriculum be made into
something more intentional, given its great significant for developing youth.

• Hidden curriculum refers to the unwritten, implicit lessons and values that are learned through
the culture, environment, and social interactions within an educational setting. While formal
curriculum encompasses the planned subjects and content taught in schools, hidden curriculum
encompasses the subtle messages, behaviors, and norms that are indirectly communicated to
students. These can include attitudes towards authority, social norms, cultural expectations, and
even political or ideological perspectives.

• Hidden curriculum is often unintentional, arising from the way teachers interact with students,
the materials chosen, and the overall atmosphere of the school. It can perpetuate societal
norms and reinforce existing power dynamics. For instance, a school that prioritizes competition
might inadvertently teach students that individual success is more important than cooperation.

• The hidden curriculum is all the things that student pick up throughout their academic career
that is not explicitly taught as part of the formal curriculum. They can include social lessons,
work habits, values and perceptions.

• The hidden-curriculum concept is based on the recognition that students absorb lessons in
school that may or may not be part of the formal course of study—for example, how they
should interact with peers, teachers, and other adults; how they should perceive different races,
groups, or classes of people; or what ideas.
Instances/ Explanation in real life situation

Educators praise students for good behavior or remind them when they need to consider their actions.
Simple responses such as, “thank you for waiting your turn” or “please show respect and listen to the
speaker” demonstrate how educators unintentionally teach values or virtues. When resolving conflict,
educators guide students in discussion to listen, empathize, and use discernment and kindness. Conflict
resolution also aids students in understanding humanity.

Students typically try to please their teachers, which creates relationships and trust with authority and
citizenship in figures with a higher power role. By enforcing procedures and routines in the classroom,
teacher help students learn how to be socially appropriate, collaborate and communicate with others,
and act as contributing citizens of a community. The cultivation of prosocial behaviors occurs without
thought. What is also unintentionally occurring is the development of character in children.

Hidden Curriculum: Character Education and Values

Character includes the positive personal strengths and assets that make up an individual and shape their
moral decision making. Character is how people are described — who they are — and character is
formed through the hidden curriculum. Students are learning what respect, kindness, honesty and other
virtues are through the behaviors modeling by the educators around them, as well as other students,
their families and the community. How youths will be as adults is largely influenced by their character
formation, which occurs both intentionally (taught to them) and unintentionally (caught by the
modeling of others).

Implication of Hidden Curriculum

Understanding hidden curriculum is crucial to creating more equitable and inclusive educational
environments, as it allows educators to identify and address unintentional biases or messages that
might impact students' personal and social development.

Educators and leaders have many roles in the classroom and school community. Teaching the curriculum
and furnishing academic results is currently a focus in society and the primary role of educators. One
role that is not highlighted enough, but is often the reason for teachers getting into education in the first
place, is the “hidden curriculum."

Thus, there is a societal need for educators to recognize their role in shaping youth by means other than
academics. Students are learning from educators in every communication, interaction, discussion and
experience. If educators hold so much significance in the character development of their students
through this hidden curriculum, then educators should also take into consideration, how can the hidden
curriculum be made into something more intentional, given its great significance for developing youth?
Intentional Hidden Curriculum

While the hidden curriculum includes modeling values, virtues, good decision making, and being a good
person, this can be an intentional action. Educators may just see themselves as a moral exemplar, but
what if the students do not understand the intentionality behind the actions?

Educators can be intentional about how they model specific behaviors. There may be moments of
opportunity to model a specific behavior or character virtue in order for students to witness a moral
action or doing the “good” thing in a situation.

Educators can intentionally demonstrate positive assets they wish to cultivate in their students.

In the same respect, educators can intentionally alter their behavior so as not to model negative
emotions or action regardless of their personal situations or beliefs.

These small intentional actions in choosing how to model norms, values, decision making and character
could drastically impact the formation of character in the student body.

Intentional Character Education and Values

Similarly, the intentional choice of which values or virtues to highlight with students may shape the
direction of character formation in students. This intentional choice encompasses the focus of the
school or classroom culture.

In developing relationships and a community of culture ask yourself, “Who do you want the students to
be? How do you want them to understand virtues or values?”

Within the classroom, through enforcing appropriate procedures and praising their students, the
educator can be intentional about recognizing positive virtues, such as respect and empathy.

Additionally, through discussions in lessons or literature, the teacher can intentionally emphasize values
and how the individuals or characters demonstrate those. Students should partake in such discussions
and share ideas to enhance their understanding of virtues, or even challenge the ideas of others.

With the intentionality, the lessons are not changing; students are still learning; there is no assimilation
occurring; rather, the educator is taking time to intentionally address the hidden curriculum — the
shaping of students’ character.

Hidden Curriculum. This refers to various skills, knowledge, and attitudes that students learn in school as
a result of their interaction with other students, staff, and faculty members. Although the hidden
curriculum is not actually taught in formal classroom learning, it is also true that the hidden curriculum
can be a product of the students' schooling. The hidden curriculum is very powerful in developing the
school culture (Print, 1993).
Source : Book

THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

A Guide to Curriculum Development Practice

Greg Tabios Pawilen

Betkowski, A. (2023). What is the hidden curriculum in education? . GCU. Retrieved August 25, 2023
from. https://www.gcu.edu/blog/teaching-school-administration/what-hidden-curriculum-education