Understanding Curriculum Perspectives: A lesson in frustration

Authors

Molly Mee

DOI

10.58809/ETPM4937

Abstract

During a heated discussion in my master-level Curriculum Theory and Development class on whether or not a given curriculum borrows more from the experientialist or the constructivist perspective, Suzy, a 45-year old veteran math teacher interrupts the discussion and in an agitated tone asks, “Professor will you please just tell us the answer?” This is typical of the responses I receive when my students read about curriculum perspectives to interpret them in light of their own teaching. Anticipating frustrations like Suzy’s I open my first class session with a lesson on Posner’s notion of reflective eclecticism which is an overarching and recurring theme of the course. “Reflective eclecticism is based on the assumption that…there is no panacea in education. People who are looking for ‘the answer’ to our education problems are looking in vain.” The key to deconstructing a curriculum is to understand that an effective curriculum is one that reflects a myriad of alternatives rather than prescribing to just one.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

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Recommended Citation

Mee, Molly (2010) "Understanding Curriculum Perspectives: A lesson in frustration," Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012): Vol. 8: Iss. 4, Article 79.
DOI: 10.58809/ETPM4937
Available at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/alj/vol8/iss4/79