Curriculum Theory by Elliot Eisner - Coursework Example

This paper is based on curriculum theory by Elliot Eisner who argued that education was involved artistry and developing criticism. The first easy briefly discusses the three curriculums that all schools teach giving several examples based on the catholic school. It then discusses the major implications of Eisner’s theory on religious education in a catholic school. The second essay is a report based on religious education to all involved in Catholic education in the diocese. This year’s report has the theme: “Understanding the place of Jesus in Religious Education Curriculum”. It generally explains the process of preparing the curriculum, the stakeholders involved and issues that may arise in the classroom during the implementation of this program. Key words: religion, curriculum, Eisner’s theory Essay one Human beings spend the larger part of their childhood in school mostly interacting with books, their peers as well as teachers. According to Eisner (2005) learning is a culture, a way of life that has an enormous effect on all parties involved in the entire schooling process. Learning is not only planned but it is also guided to avoid confusion and to instill a systematic way of doing things in the students. It is therefore of pivotal importance that the knowledge students should acquire should be determined beforehand and the syllabus properly arranged to ease learning, make it more convenient and to give the students stability brought about by the routine (Eisner, 2004). Curriculums are therefore the sure way to incorporate all the above factors to enable students to acquire a systematic way of doing things. Ancient Greeks took the word curriculum to literally mean a course but its meaning has diverged and become more detailed over the years. Although there are different approaches to curriculums, this essay shall look specifically into Eisner’s theory on the same, his definition and understanding of schooling in general. Eisner’s theories are empathetic on the artistic bit of the curriculum. According to him, education goes far beyond the confines of the classroom and involves many aspects of the society. He further implied that teaching is a natural artistic talent that cannot be forcefully instilled in any individual. Suite 101 (2010) compares curriculum as a path whose end one is unsure of, unraveling the mysteries as they unfold. He described curriculum as three fold; the null curriculum, explicit curriculum and implicit curriculum. These three curriculums are what makes up the entire syllabus taught in schools and even in what is not taught. Generally, the three curriculums determine the skills and knowledge the students graduate from the school having acquired and those they miss out on. The explicit curriculum is the actual material that is delivered to the students. This material is found in the textbooks used, the timetables to be followed, the course outlines and all that makes up the actual knowledge that is supposed to be passed on to the students. The explicit curriculum can in a nutshell be described as the content of what the teacher teaches. Teacher’s mind resources (2010) states that what is considered the official curriculum make up the explicit curriculum. The list of laws, definitions, principles and rules that a student is supposed to have grasped at the end of the learning process constitute the explicit curriculum. Hence, this curriculum is usually confined to written material that is formally reviewed and designated by administrators, directors as well as the teachers themselves. This curriculum is sometimes referred to as overt or written due to its nature. Although most people assume that all learnt in school is what they are taught by their teachers or what they are examined on, this is a big misunderstanding. A great deal is learnt in catholic schools outside the four walls of the classroom. Punctuality is instilled in all students especially so as to avoid punishments from their teachers. Students also learn how to do activities which will end up bringing about long term satisfaction, a good example being homework (Eisner, 2005). Responsibility, diligence, accountability, obedience and hard work are just some of the other acquired virtues at school not because they are part of the syllabus but because they cannot be avoided. Implicit curriculum is emphasized by the school itself, including factors such as the reward system used, the organizational structure employed and even the actual surroundings of the school (NAEA, 2010). This curriculum is in contrast with the explicit curriculum in that it looks beyond the rigid class schedules, lesson plans and the set of rules to be followed into other virtues gained outside of these. The null curriculum is probably the most controversial of all the three curriculums as defined by Elliot Eisner (2004). This curriculum suggested that what schools do not teach is as important as what they actually teach. Since educators are of the belief that they do not have time to cover everything, they intentionally leave out what they consider as the least important concepts of the official curriculum. Sometimes, they just choose these topics on the basis that they enjoy them and they think that the students too will find them enjoyable. Generally, educators avoid big ideas that will broaden a student’s range of thinking since it has too many perspectives. Instead, they choose to specialize in the small ideas which everyone must learn since they are relatively easy to grasp (Flinders & Thornton, 2004). When it comes to law, procedures and rules, students are forced to cram them without questioning how and why they came into being. In the long run this demeans the thinking of any student because the process is usually more important than the product. It is for this reason therefore that the null curriculum is considered the most important curriculum although this might be strange. Religious education is relevant in all schools but especially a school run by a church is of huge importance. Having already looked into the three types of curriculum that are there, it is relatively easy to incorporate them into the school system. Cornbleth (2000) describes the explicit curriculum is in the Bible inclusive of the Biblical books, the commandments and the teachings as brought out by Jesus Himself. The implicit curriculum is the values one acquires in the church oriented school that are different from other schools. Such virtues would include humility, kindness and generosity as the fruits of the Holy Spirit are in the Bible. Students from this school will be expected to carry themselves with dignity and respect just like Jesus Himself did. Peace, unity and above all love will be expected of them since they follow their Savior Jesus Christ. However, the Bible was set in the olden times and does not include how to deal with modern day situations. The contemporary world is full of sins and worldly ways, a fact that educators at the catholic school are bound to ignore. This is what will be considered as the null curriculum that will not be taught in the schools. Practical application of Biblical teachings will then be hard for them once they come out of the institution (Betts, 2007). Essay two The Diocese takes into account that although religious education in all catholic schools is compulsory and has been going on for years, the place of Jesus and His teachings are hugely misunderstood. The leaders of this diocese understand now that teaching in these schools is quite rigid and mechanical, hardly ever emphasizing on the actual content of Jesus’ preaching (Broadbent & Brown, 2002). The teaching in the present curriculum is religious and gives more attention to the methodology of Christianity as compared to the actual relevance of the matters that Jesus preached. This essay is therefore concerned with the new curriculum, the foundational principles involved in the construction of the curriculum as well as the practical application of this curriculum and the issues that may arise from this. The two most important lessons that Jesus emphasized on were love for God and love for each other (Grace, 2007). These two were according to Him the most relevant summary of His teachings based on the parables. Thus, in the curriculum to be followed in the diocese, this will be the stepping stone to all other lessons taught. Students will be encouraged to interact with each other and will be prompted to communicate with each other more regularly. Students will have hours to interact with each other and depending on their age they will have various activities ranging from games to discussions on various issues. Moorcroft (2004) encourages giving back to the society as a way of showing love to humanity. They will visit children’s homes, prisons and homes for the aged and spend time with the less privileged in the society. Students will also be encouraged to develop and maintain a close relationship with God at a personal level. The school chapels will be open to the students at all times of the day in order to motivate the students to personally go and pray. Within the classrooms, several activities shall take place as regards the entire learning process with the help of their teachers and under their supervision. The students shall be encouraged to know their Bibles well by reading continuously and dedicating their time to their religious studies as they would other lessons. Groome and Horell (2003) insist that Christian Religious Education be apportioned an equal amount of time as other students and the teachers will be expected to give assignments, occasionally giving out exams in order to keep abreast with the syllabus and any changes there may be. Teachers will also be encouraged to help their students apply the knowledge gained in class in real life situations. Although emphasis will be laid on grasping Biblical teachings, equal attention will be given to application of these teachings just like Jesus Himself did. This will be to avoid following religion blindly without a clear and concise understanding of what the religion is all about. The curriculum is influenced by several key stakeholders who make decisions on what should be included in the syllabus and what should not. Amongst those include the priests in the diocese, who lead the flock of Christ, they take part in the religious bit of the curriculum. Head teachers as well as senior religion teachers also take part in preparing the curriculum. They take care of the technical aspects, upon which the curriculum is based because religious education is like any other subject studied in school. The teachers and the religious leaders sit down together and analyze the students appropriately especially their age and level of understanding (Sullivan, 2001). Based on this, they carefully set up a curriculum that will be conducive for the students. All units covered in this curriculum should be practical and applicable to the students’ lives, the concepts easy to grasp and it should be generally enjoyable for them. The curriculum is reviewed by professional educators who edit it in order for it to be perfect. Teaching religion is bound to be accompanied by several pitfalls (Religious Education Association, 2009). Although this is a catholic school, some students will feel as if the religion is being imposed on them against their own free will. These students will oppose the teachings and will most likely be quite argumentative as well as defensive on religious subjects. Some may completely refuse to attend the lessons and others may even opt to get out of the school. However, teachers need to help the students through this journey of acceptance in the sense that learning about a religion does not necessarily mean that one confesses it. Imber (2005) states that students, even those who are Christian and in particular catholic may take religious studies for granted since it is not an examinable subject or because they do not wish to base their careers on the same. Teachers will be encouraged to set their own mini exams to sharpen the students’ skills and make them be more serious about the subject. After careful consideration, the religious curriculum for the catholic schools in the diocese is necessary if the church is to continue growing. As Christians, the general role of the members of the diocese, in whatever capacity is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Students too need to learn about the Gospel in their classrooms as this is the one place they spend most of their time. Teachers need to be supportive of this mission and make the complete learning experience quite enjoyable for all. In spite of teaching what is actually in the curriculum, teachers should also ensure the students practice the core virtues that Jesus talked about in the New Testament. This way learning is more enjoyable yet beneficial and practical to the students. References Betts, G. H. (2007). The curriculum of religious education. Kessinger Publishing. Broadbent, L. & Brown, A. (2002). Issues in religious education. Routledge Publishers. Cornbleth, C. (2000). Curriculum politics, policy, practice: cases in comparative context. SUNY Press. Eisner, E. W. (2005). Reimagining schools: The selected works of Elliot W. Eisner. Taylor & Francis publishers. Eisner, E. W. (2004). The arts and the creation of mind. Yale University Press. Flinders, D. J. & Thornton, S. J. (2004). The curriculum studies reader. (2 Ed.). Routledge Publisher. Grace, R., G. (2007). International handbook of Catholic education: Challenges for school systems in the 21st century. Springer Japan KK publishers. Groome, T. H. & Horell, H. D. (2003). Horizons & hopes: the future of religious education. Paulist Press. Imber, M. & Geel, V. T. (2005). A teachers guide to education law. (3 Ed.). Routledge Publishers. Moorcroft, C. (2004). Religious education. Folens Limited Publishers. National Art Education Association (NAEA). (2010). Elliot Eisner. Retrieved October 5, 2010, from http://www.naea-reston.org/learning/learning-in-a-visual-age/summit participants/elliot-eisner Religious Education Association. (2009). Religious education, 78. Books Publisher LLC. Suite101 (2010). Elliot Eisners 10 Lessons why the arts are important to the wider curriculum. Retrieved October 5, 2010, http://www.suite101.com/content/elliot-eisner-s-10-lessons a7145 Sullivan, J. (2001). Catholic education: Distinctive and inclusive. Springer Publishers. Teacher’s mind resources. (2010). Explicit, implicit and null curricula. Retrieved October 5, 2010, from http://www.teachersmind.com/eisner.htm Read More