Reading response - week 3
Conflicting Conceptions of Curriculum edited by Elliot W Eisner
and Elizebath Vallance
In the introductory chapter of the book, the authors have described the salient features of
various form in which curriculum is conceptualized. It talks about the effect of this educational
discourse that has emerged from various papers, professional debates, PTAs and school boards
meetings. The author emphasizes on the conflicting conceptions of curriculum and how it’s
important for the students and educator both to be able to identify the orientation that emerge
from diverse alternative prescriptions for deciding on the goals and content of the curriculum.
It explains in detail, five orientation to curriculum that can be distinguished as they can be
categorized with regards to answering the question” What can and should be taught to whom,
when and how”. The following orientation are very well explained in the chapter .
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The development of cognitive processes
Curriculum as technology
Self-Actualization
Academic rationalism
Social reconstruction relevance
The understanding I have drove after reading this chapter is that the curriculum approaches can
be broken down into broad categories—the product oriented and the process
orientated, Student orientated and the society oriented , subject orientated and the
problem orientated and also unitary or universal. In my opinion all the orientation of
curriculum explained in the book has its own significance which can benefit the learning
in its own way. None of the single approach can fulfil the learning needs and cannot
offer supportive asseverations of it being holistic. Each approach has its assets and
liabilities.
By providing the inferences of critique within each approach the author has helped the reader
elucidate that a single approach cannot stand independent in its quest to ensure
learning that is deterministic.
The conflicting nature of these approaches are comprehensively explained by writer while
encompassing them into three fallacies that are formalism, content and universalism. I
personally support the perennials approach to some extend as I believe its proven,
universal and holds a legacy for future. There is less risk in compare to formalism as it
might take directions that are not intended. Humans are social animals and possess a
natural instinct to live and operate in groups. Individualism and formalism can
disconnect groups and acceptance of each other as a society . As I see and believe , past
communities have flourished working on common goals and with unified thought
process that had lead mankind towards advancements and developments. However, if
we compare it to the contemporary discourses emerging from formalism and
individualism such as feminism, racism etc. has brought chaos in the society.
To conclude, I want to emphasize that school and institutions must adopt a balance approach
towards these conceptions while deciding on the structure and content of the
curriculum.