Curriculum of the New School — Research Challenge for School Pedagogues

Sekulić Majurec, Ana. (2005). Curriculum of the New School — Research Challenge for School Pedagogues. Pedagogijska istraživanja, 2(2). pp. 267-277. ISSN 1334-7888

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Abstract

Numerous activities of educational authorities do not lead to quintessential changes of school; changes which should make that school the basis of the new society. According to some new viewpoints on the teacher’s role (action researcher and reflexive practitioner); curriculum (co-constructed curriculum), school (learning community); etc., the new opportunities arise for establishing the new curriculum „from within”. All these considerably change the role of administrative and professional services in school. The fact that curriculum reflects the conception of school, and not only the one determined by documents of educational policy, but also the conception as the specific image that each school creates for itself, opens a broad area of research for school pedagogues. This paper starts from considering the extent in which a school’s curriculum reflects the basic features of society and qualifies young people for life in that society. Next, we discuss the possibilities of examining the extent in which the curriculum of a specific school takes into account new knowledge and means of its acquisition. Some other interesting possibilities in the research of various issues concerning the school curriculum are mentioned. The following issues are specifically elaborate: How do various participants in the educational process understand and interpret the curriculum, and what is the presence of values promoted by the new socio-political system?; How do these participants feel in school and what can be done for all of them to feel better?; What do we teach children besides the things that are designated to be taught?; Does the school represent an environment which is as much emotionally protected for all relevant participants as it is intellectually stimulative?; etc. The conclusion is that school pedagogues must acknowledge these and numerous similar questions as a serious research challenge and, by answering them, significantly contribute to the establishment of their schools’ curricula, based on the universally accepted values of Croatian society and relevant scientific conceptions.

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