ESSAY

Book review
Title:
Curriculum: Theory and practice

Student
Luis Santos (31163005)
PhD. Student of Nanjing Normal University

April, 2017
 BOOK REPORT/REVIEW
TITLE: Curriculum: theory and practice
Author: Kelly
Edition: 5th.
Year:2004

General overview:
This book tackles the different conceptions of Curriculum, its development and implementation,
by reference to the real experience of its process in The United Kingdom, during three decades
(from 1970s to 1990s). The central theme of this book is the right and essential role of the
teacher, not as a mere technician, but as a professional able to make professional judgements
regarding Curriculum Development.

The author presents this topic focusing on conceptions and theoretical discrepancies about
Curriculum Development. This is, the answers to the question, what is a real or Educational
Curriculum? rather than on methodological focuses referred to the question, how to plan the
curriculum? Nevertheless, the extensive and sophisticated theory presented and explained
provides very clear guidance to develop a practical Curriculum planning process in terms of
principles and criteria.

In the debate and practice about Curriculum, very often there are many misused concepts
regarding to this matter that the author attempts to clarify. Those conceptions are referred to
the concept of Education vs. Indoctrination, teaching vs. instruction, Objectives vs. targets,
principles, process, schooling focus vs. vocational focus, learning, developing and so forth.

The author emphasizes that the concept of Curriculum should include a Justifiable focus. This is,
it should offer justifications and descriptions about the purposes, intentions and effects of the
curriculum regarding its content and its impact on the students and society. This is important to
avoid a Curriculum that seeks for indoctrination rather than education, motivated by political
interests and biases that affect the development of a Democratic Curriculum and Society.

Finally, the author expresses concerns about Curriculum with totalitarian and anti-democratic
views, which actually is widely applied in many current societies as well as in UK until the 1990s.

Books chapters and content:

This book contains eight chapters. A general overview of each is presented below.

Chapter 1: The curriculum and the Study of Curriculum

In this chapter, the author develops the answers to the questions, what should be? and what is
the Curriculum? Clarification of the concepts of Curriculum and Education are presented. The
references presented are, the wide dimension of curriculum, its justifiable character, the total
curriculum, its real purposes. A descriptive rather than prescriptive character of curriculum is
emphasized.

References about the seek for liberty, freedom, democracy, respect for others are mentioned
as part of the purpose of the Curriculum. Furthermore, the misconception of Curriculum as a
Syllabus is clarified. Also, the multiple dimensions of curriculum are explained by reference to
moral, values, aesthetic and other aspects of a comprehensive Curriculum.

An especial reference to the centrality and the importance of the teacher is also given.

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A description of key aspects of Curriculum studies is presented, among them, the strategies for
curriculum change and control, assessment, evaluation and accountability, the Politicization of
curriculum, Curriculum planning, Ideologies and Curriculum planning, and Human Knowledge.

Chapter 2: Knowledge and the Curriculum

This chapter discusses about the problem of Human Knowledge. The author tries to develop the
answers to the questions, what is the real knowledge? What is the true knowledge? Is there an
Absolut knowledge? She presents the different views and ideologies of knowledge that are
involved in Education and Curriculum studies from the philosophical point of view of knowledge.

This chapter also explains the implications of knowledge ideologies in the Curriculum and how
certain philosophies can affect the curriculum planning and developmental process; especially
its effects in the society.

The knowledge philosophies discussed in this chapter are those regarding to Rationalism,
Empiricism, Pragmatism, Existentialism, Post-modernism and the political uses that those
philosophies can have towards Dogmatic, Totalitarian, anti-democratic or Democratic systems.

The recommendations about the view of knowledge are towards not absolutist and dogmatic
conceptions, and in favor of hypothetical-tentative, not universal character of knowledge.

Chapter 3: Curriculum as Content and Product

This chapter discusses about the major ideologies of curriculum and presents three types of
Curriculums. Nevertheless, the two first are further described, meanwhile the third is part of the
next chapter. The three ideologies of Curriculum are: Curriculum as content and education as
transmission, Curriculum as product and education as instrumental, Curriculum as process and
education as development.

Problems of content selection and weak planning process are involved in the Curriculum as
content and Education as transmission model.

The approaches of Curriculum based on Content and Objectives have been used by and for
political interests linked to utilitarian, instrumental and industrial purposes, and therefore, a
seek for Democracy has been disregarded.

The Objective-based Curriculum model has largely contributed to planning process and precision,
this view is objected by those who think that this focus can lead the Curriculum Development
process to dismiss a sophisticated, multi-dimension, moral and artistic character of Education.
Furthermore, concerns of the flaws of behaviorism and indoctrination are linked to this model
according to the author, in spite of the attempt to combine the Content and Objectives models
as a solution to the shortcomings of a pure Content-based model. Problems of objectives
prescription, are part of the discussion of this model.

Chapter 4: Curriculum as Process and Development

This chapter describes the features of what is thought a good Curriculum model by reference to
ideologies, ideas, and concepts such as, Educational Curriculum, comprehensive curriculum,
Democratic curriculum, participation, principles for guiding a curriculum process.

The author highlights the principles and process focus on the Curriculum Development, as well
as the importance of Justifications and Descriptions of the purposes of Curriculum.

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It is mentioned that the foundation of this model is the Developmental theory, the Human and
Child Development theory. This model is called Child-centered.

Other features of this model presented are: the focus on the individual or the individualities
rather than on the society as a whole, the seek for students, teachers, citizens autonomy, the
inclusion of the importance of the Human potentialities and the concept of Competence rather
than performance or acquired knowledge, the empowerment for democracy, the moral,
aesthetic and affective search, the seek for free-of-political, instrumental, commercial view of
curriculum and education, as well as conceptions of Education and teaching free from
indoctrination, instruction conceptions, those deemed as simple views of Education.

Chapter 5: Curriculum and Development, change and Control

This chapter takes us to an exploration of the strategies of curriculum planning (strategies for
change and innovation). The strategies mentioned are: The Dissemination of Innovation, School-
based development and Action Research.

There is an especial emphasis on an appropriate Dissemination process to avoid Central-

periphery model of dissemination. Besides, in this chapter there is a reference about the Control
exercised by the political power to favor its interests. Testing, evaluation and accountability
processes are generally used as means of political control over the curriculum and education
system.

Among the strategies suggested in the Curriculum innovation and change are: the seek for local
initiatives and teachers cooperation, Action Research, teachers training and empowerment,
appropriate communication among teachers and other actors, as well as their involvement,
reduction of political interference, and social and organization barriers. It is, to constitute a
healthy social and organizational climate.

Chapter 6: Assessment, Evaluation, Appraisal and Accountability

This chapter tackles the implications and conceptions of Educational assessment, evaluation,
appraisal and accountability. It is said that those processes can be used for good or for ill.

The author offers a detailed explanation about how accountability and testing process are used
for mere political or centralized control and not for Educational and Curriculum development,
in a direct or indirect manner, under the rhetorical justification of educations quality
promotion. Generation of statistics has been the motivation of political groups for their self-
promotion.

Other important topics referred in this chapter are, the concepts and practices of summative
and formative evaluation, and implications referred to standards setting, and effectiveness in
the evaluation process.

The author emphasizes that the essence of a right evaluation and accountability process and its
results, is the provision of feedback to improve students education.

Research is equal to Evaluation and Development, thus, an essential part of Curriculum linked
to teachers self-evaluation and the idea of Action Research in which teachers play a crucial role.
Besides, there is a positive accountability model that contributes to the Curriculum and
Education development. This is an Intrinsic, Democratic and professional model of
accountability.

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The evaluation based on principles and process is deemed more appropriate, rather than based
on a list of prescribed objectives.

Chapter 7: The Politicization of the Curriculum

Political implications in the Curriculum are widely explained in this chapter. Since, politics has
strong influence in Education and Curriculum, most of it with negative implications, there is a
vast number of topics referring to its means of influence and effects in the education system.
The author expresses the close link between Education and politics by noting that Education is
essentially a political activity, therefore, is not possible to discuss about curriculum without
political references.

External examination and testing system is one mean of indirect political influence and control.
Direct political interventions have been performed in form of inhibition teachers autonomy,
creation of agencies of control and accountability, and direct dictation of curriculum focus, such
as the performance focus rather than the competence focus, through policies and regulations.

Based on the experience of UK that the author narrates, political influence has had economical
and instrumental tendencies, as well as, an interest for keep a political and social status-quo.

It is also said that the Curriculum is a battleground of competing ideologies. Instrumental,

commercial vs. Democratic/idealistic ideologies fight to prevail and guide the Curriculum
Development process.

Chapter 8: Democratic and Educational National Curriculum

This chapter discusses the problem about the tensions between two views of Curriculum that
claim to seek for a Democratic Curriculum. One is focused on the individualities of students or
individual needs, and the other is focused on the idea of Equality of Educational opportunity.

Based on the experience in UK, there have been pressures for external control and requirements
of internal development in favor of a Universal National Curriculum, which embraces and
proposes an individual diet for everyone. The arguments that this curriculum focus presents to
support its Democratic claim are based on the theory of Rationalist Nature of knowledge that
tends to a universal, objective character of knowledge. Also, presents a Social or Sociological
argument by reference to equality of education opportunity for all. Another argument is based
on the idea of Balance, by reference to a set of educational experiences for all pupils; and the
last argument is referred to a Political-Economical view, that claims the need of achieving certain
necessary standards by pupils for a productive life. Regardless these arguments that claim a
Democratic view of Education and Curriculum, the arguments against are by reference to a
Dogmatic view of knowledge and problems related to content selection.

On the other hand, the author asserts that the Curriculum as process and Education as
Development model is seen as the solution to the theoretical dilemma, since it proposes
common areas of experience and principles based on the Child development theory that guide
the education process towards the construction of Democracy and autonomous people, and the
idea of an individualized Curriculum in terms of Teachers Autonomy, that pays attention to the
particularities of each reality, school and pupils. A National Curriculum in these terms is what
the author deems plausible. This is a Democratic National Curriculum.

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Conclusion

This book answers the questions regarding to what is a real Educational Curriculum? or What
should be a Democratic Curriculum? By implication, it refers the misconceptions and flaws in
the practice of Curriculum Development and implementation, by reference to the Curriculum
process in England and Wales throughout three decades.

The author ends this book by stating that an appropriate curriculum for a democratic society
allows continuing development of knowledge, provides opportunities for young people to
develop their powers of autonomous thinking, provides teachers with autonomy to make
professional judgments, is developed in a democratic system of accountability, is framed in
terms of guidelines and principles, is planned with the participation of key actors, among them
professionals, academics, policy-makers and others.

Finally, this book Invites to develop further research on questions such as, the exploration of
the role of the professional teacher in a democratic society, how democratic in the context in
which the teacher performs his work?, the practical procedural principles based on the Human
Development theory for a National Curriculum or Curriculum Development, the dimensions of
the concept of education left behind in current National curriculums, the features of a National
Curriculum that promote or block the development of students autonomy for a democratic
society.