Curriculum Wisdom: Educational Decisions in Democratic Societies

Written by two of the most-recognized names in the field. At the heart of the text are seven “modes of inquiry” that serve as guiding principles for designing curriculum that meets the needs of students, educators, parents, and the larger community. Coverage carefully balances theory and practicality, draws inspiration from a wide range of disciplines and contexts, and incorporates the wisdom of practicing curriculum designers from this country and others.

• A common presentation for the seven modes of inquiry introduced in Chapter 3—Including, for each, a definition based on theoretical literature and an illustration involving one or more specific curricular contexts.

  • Facilitates comparison among the seven modes of inquiry—helps illuminate the pros and cons of each and the educational settings most conducive to their use.

• Chapter 9, Three International Commentaries —Reflecting the thoughts of curriculum developers in Australia, sub-Saharan Africa, and India.

  • Broadens readers' perspective—helps them understand the effect of cultural differences on curriculum development and appreciate the insights of educators from other cultures.

• Three “practitioner commentaries” in Chapter 6—From a classroom teacher, a teacher educator, and a public school superintendent.

  • Offer readers insight into the value of inquiry for informing curriculum decisions—the commentaries represent answers these individuals gave when asked to comment specifically on the central concepts of this text.

• Narrative presentations from two teachers and two administrators—A kindergarten teacher, a college teacher, an elementary school principal, and a director of professional development.

  • Introduces readers to the first-person stories of four educational professionals—clarifies and elaborate on text principles and the applicability of the seven modes of inquiry to teaching, administering, and professional growth.

• Schematics and illustrations—Embedded in the narrative wherever appropriate.

  • Illustrates many of the text's more complex concepts—offers readers visual representations of text material to augment narratives.

• A concluding Afterword —Tied to the seven modes of inquiry presented in Chapter 3.

  • Focuses students' attention on getting started with the inquiry model—encourages future educators to ask themselves how to develop their fluency in inquiry and how to interpret current trends, such as standards and accountability, in light of these perspectives.

• A glossary of theoretical terms—At the end of the text.

  • Familiarizes students with the nomenclature of curriculum development—also introduces numerous terms from the study of philosophy, which thoroughly infuses the text.