The Curriculum Studies Reader

Grounded in historical essays, this volume provides context for the growing field of curriculum studies, reflecting on dominant trends in the field & sampling the best of current scholarship.

Grounded in historical essays, this volume provides context for the growing field of curriculum studies, reflecting on dominant trends in the field and sampling the best of current scholarship.

Grounded in historical essays, this volume provides context for the growing field of curriculum studies, reflecting on dominant trends in the field & sampling the best of current scholarship.

This book brings readers into classrooms and communities to explore critical curriculum issues in the United States throughout the twentieth century by focusing in on the voices of teachers, administrators, students, and families. Framed by an enduring question about curriculum, each chapter begins with an essay briefly reviewing the history of topics such as student resistance, sociopolitical and culturally-centered curricula, curriculum choice, the place and space of curriculum, linguistic policies for sustaining cultural heritages, and grading and assessment. Multiple archival sources follow each essay, which allow readers to directly engage with educators and others in the past. This promotes an in-depth historical analysis of contemporary issues on teaching for social justice in the fields of curriculum studies and curriculum history. As such, this book considers educators in the past—their struggles, successes, and daily work—to help current teachers develop more historically conscious practices in formal and informal education settings.

Originally published in 1979 with a second edition in 1985. A basic text for students of education and teachers who are coming to terms for the first time with the nature of the curriculum. It introduces the reader to the professional field that is of concern to all engaged in the practical enterprise of education in a way which provides a ‘feel’ for the preoccupations of the area and a ‘sense’ of its complexities. With annotated further reading included, the book reflects developments in all the major areas in curriculum design and evaluation and in effecting curriculum change, plus research and theory.

A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2012! Critical Curriculum Studies offers a novel framework for thinking about how curriculum relates to students’ understanding of the world around them. Wayne Au brings together curriculum theory, critical educational studies, and feminist standpoint theory with practical examples of teaching for social justice to argue for a transformative curriculum that challenges existing inequity in social, educational, and economic relations. Making use of the work of important scholars such as Freire, Vygotsky, Hartsock, Harding, and others, Critical Curriculum Studies, argues that we must understand the relationship between the curriculum and the types of consciousness we carry out into the world.

The Second Edition of Curriculum Theory: Conflicting Visions and Enduring Concerns by Michael Stephen Schiro presents a clear, unbiased, and rigorous description of the major curriculum philosophies that have influenced educators and schooling over the last century. The author analyzes four educational visions—Scholar Academic, Social Efficiency, Learner Centered, and Social Reconstruction—to enable readers to reflect on their own educational beliefs and more productively interact with educators who might hold different beliefs.

′This book will be of interest to educational practitioners, and many other professionals concerned with the education and development of the young′ - ESCalate `A very well-respected book [and a] Curriculum classic...[which offers] balance to current official publications...One of its strengths is the coherent argument that runs throughout. It is very much a product of the wide knowledge and experience of the author.′ - Jenny Houssart, Senior Lecturer, Department of Learning, Curriculum & Communication, Institute of Education, University of London, UK Praise for previous editions: `I use this book as an essential course text for a module on curriculum theory. It is an excellent text for the whole course′ `Vic Kelly′s writing is always concise and informative, but also at times challenging′ `A most comprehensive text that takes the reader beyond content/balance issues values, beliefs and assumptions on the curriculum′ This is the sixth edition of a book that has been regularly revised and updated since it was first published in the mid-1970s. A V Kelly′s now classic work focuses on the philosophical and political dimensions of curriculum, and especially on the implications for schools and societies of various forms of curriculum. The book outlines what form a curriculum should take if it is concerned to promote a genuine form of education for a genuinely democratic society. Kelly summarises and explains the main aspects of curriculum theory, and shows how these can and should be translated into practice, in order to create an educational and democratic curriculum for all schools at all levels. The book also seeks to show that the politicization of the school curriculum has led to the establishment of policies and practices which demonstrate a failure to understand these principles of curriculum theory and practice. As a result, policies and practices have been implemented which fall short of being adequate. In view of the rapid pace of educational change imposed by various governments over the last 35 years, including New Labour, this book is more relevant than ever.