Reading Schwab's the 'Practical' as an invitation to a curriculum enquiry

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In this retrospective essay reviewing the implications of Joseph Schwab's essay, 'The practical: A language for education' (2013 [1970]), 40 + years after its first publication, I identify two 'practicals'. The first is a comprehensive 'Practical 1.1' embracing ends, subject matter, problem source and methods. This 'practical' has radical implications for curriculum studies, and for educational theory and research more generally. However, these implications have not been recognized. On the other hand, Schwab's deliberation-centred interpretation of the 'practical', the 'Practical 1.2', has been widely discussed but has not captured the field of curriculum studies because it fails to map onto the structures of most school systems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)640-651
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Curriculum Studies
Volume45
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2013

Keywords

  • curriculum theory
  • school improvement
  • Schwab, Joseph
  • theory of curriculum-making

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Reading Schwab's the 'Practical' as an invitation to a curriculum enquiry'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this