GED3802

Knowledge, education and the curriculum

Not offered in 1999

Lecturer-in-charge to be advised

12 points - 3 hours per week - Second semester - Clayton

Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should be aware of the main theories of knowledge that have been most influential in curriculum development and planning, and have an understanding of how these theories have influenced curriculum theory and practice.

Synopsis In this subject we examine the ways curriculum development and design reflect different assumptions about knowledge and learning. The first of these is that knowledge organised into disciplines provides structures which determine what and how we teach. The second involves a flexible conception of knowledge which is based on a view of curriculum influenced by cultural, social, developmental and political factors. We examine assumptions behind integrated, nondisciplinary and crossdisciplinary education; the implications of the ways children learn for curriculum development; how curriculum is influenced by moral, social and political views; what considerations about knowledge can help us decide what to teach and in what sequence; whether there is a difference in kind between historical, mathematical and scientific knowledge (including the social sciences). Consequences of these assumptions for current educational practices are explored and evaluated.

Assessment Two assignments (3000 words each): 100% - Seminar presentation

Recommended texts

Hargreaves A Schooling for change Falmer, 1996
Slattery P Curriculum development in the postmodern era Garland, 1995

Back to the 1999 Education Handbook