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The Hidden Curriculum of Our Public Junior High Schools

Lessons within our public schools are based on routine and schedule. Students follow this schedule, or curriculum, on a daily basis or risk punishment from teachers and administration. The school curriculum governs such things as what classes are offered, how much time is spent on each subject, and how many classes each student needs to move on to the next level. This academic curriculum is for the most part standard, statewide and nationally, in America's public schools, and usually generates the most attention and discussion. But is it the more important curriculum? What do students learn from their public education experience beyond the academics?

There is a less formal curriculum that has always been present within schools. This second, or hidden, curriculum has just as much impact on a child as the first, maybe even more. According to Wren, in School Culture: Exploring the Hidden Curriculum, students experience an "unwritten curriculum" characterized by informality and lack of conscious planning. This hidden curriculum is composed of the basic attitudes and abilities valued by society and have changed through time to keep pace with the changes in our society. It is just as necessary as the first curriculum since, "all students must internalize a specific program of social norms for training in order to function effectively as members of a smaller society, the school, and later on as productive citizens of the larger American society" (Wren, 1993, p.3).

So what is the hidden curriculum of junior high schools within the U.S. In my dissertation I will try to reveal and uncover the hidden curriculum of public junior high schools in this country and discuss the negative aspects of this implicit curriculum. What do the students learn from the hidden curriculum of the classroom of these schools? What do students learn outside of the classroom, in places such as the corridors, playground, library, and bathrooms? What about during extracurricular activities? How important or dangerous are the lessons students learn from this hidden curriculum? Finally, to what extend do headmasters and teachers agree or differ of the hidden curriculum of these schools? A questionnaire directed to public school headmasters and teachers will be used to uncover the hidden curriculum and answer the above sub-questions.

What do students learn from the hidden curriculum of the classroom of these schools? A historical overview shows us that originally it was simple to unite both curriculums within the classroom from colonial times thru the late 19th century. Hirsch (1987) found an almost total meshing of values within American schools during this time period. Beginning in the late 19th century major changes are found in the education system. Progressive educators such as John Dewey, William Kilpatrick, and Harold Rugg had a broad influence. It was during this time that religious teachings were removed from schools (Ryan, 1987). Vallence, (1973), concluded that this progressivism caused teachers to become uncomfortable with their traditional role of transferring values to students and began to rely on the school environment to be the socializing agent for student development.

Teachers' and administrators' interactions with students do help shape attitudes and ideals, (Henry, 1955). This is why it is important for instructors to be aware of the powerful and almost indiscernible influence of institutional culture and climate (Wren, 1993). We can answer the question of what students learn in the classroom by discerning the teachers' knowledge of this culture and climate. The questionnaire will include questions posed to distinctly determine the headmasters' and teachers' knowledge of the culture and climate of their junior high school and, also, if they use that knowledge to encourage or discourage traits valuable to our society today.

What do the students learn outside the classroom? Students interact with teachers and other students outside of the classrooms. Places such as the corridors, the playground, the library, lavatories, and the cafeteria are hotspots for social interaction. It is important for educators to be present in these areas, as they are the spots where most social interaction between students takes place. If educators remain separate, how can they know what values students are learning? The questionnaire should include questions that determine how much time headmasters and teachers spend in the corridors, on the playground, in the library, checking in the lavatories, and in the cafeteria. Also, what behavior do they observe? Is there a general pattern of cohesiveness, or is the student population more independent and self-reliant? What methods of communication do students use? The answers to these questions can be used to determine if the hidden curriculum is up-to-date with our society. By taking note of student interaction during "free times" how well students are absorbing attributes needed in American society today can be judged.

What do students learn during extracurricular activities? This question is similar to the above question, but even more important. During extracurricular activities, students are involved in a focused activity that likely holds a strong interest for them. Students may have a particular function to perform, such as designing a stage set, acting as treasurer, or fulfilling an important team role as in sports. A student's personal ethics and mindset will stand out during these activities. The same questions used to answer the previous question can be applied here, altered slightly. How often are headmasters and teachers present during these activities and what is the level of their involvement and interaction with the students? How do the student's themselves communicate with one another during these activities? What methods are used to acquire the needed knowledge to perform tasks? Additional questions more specific to extracurricular activities can be used here. Which activities are the headmasters and teachers involved in? In the headmasters and teachers opinions, what values are meant to be learned from these extracurricular activities? In observing the students behavior, what values are actually learned?

How important or dangerous are the lessons students learn from this hidden curriculum? This question can only be answered by observations of the students' behaviors. Because the headmasters' and teachers' own ethics and values will come into play in determining whether a behavior is dangerous, it may be best to ask here about the headmasters' and teachers' value set. What values do the headmasters' and teachers' themselves view to be most important in our society today? What do the headmasters' and teachers' view as dangerous behavior? Negative aspects resulting from the hidden curriculum could include discipline problems that occur for students who have difficulty following and internalizing classroom rules and daily routines (Jackson, 1968), or an increase in student reluctance to challenge teachers on educational topics. For example, Sadker and Sadker (1985) discovered that boys received more of their teachers' time and attention. Girls were often more passive and less prone to call attention to themselves. To determine answers to this aspect of the hidden curriculum, questions could be asked such as who answers most in the class, boys or girls? Do the students ask questions that challenge the teachers' statements? Do questions asked in the classroom display thinking that is congruent with society's norms? Are the actions displayed by students congruent with society's norms? Does the school have policies regarding homework, discipline, and safety? Are these policies known to both faculty and students and consistently enforced? Are these policies similar to policies found in America's workforce? The answers to these questions can be used to determine if the hidden curriculum is teaching students dangerous values.