Early in the 20th century, the value of automation had been demonstrated in business and industry, and education moved toward more regimentation in the form of more regimented curricula and statistically designed tests to measure the achievement of large groups of students (Moore, 1997). As this grew into an era emphasizing formal goals and objectives, it became easier to overlook the covert messages being taught along with the stated curricula.
Some of the beliefs that have been held in the past and that now are either rejected or question include the idea that people naturally group themselves according to such things as intelligence and social skills. This unspoken belief encouraged beliefs that separating special needs students or using tracking or ability grouping were inherently good ideas not in need of question or examination (Beyer, 2001).
Another assumption was that competition was natural and positive. This has encouraged all sorts of activities-based to a greater or lesser extent on competition that might or might not contribute to the curriculum and/or the developing needs of students (Beyer, 2001). Yet another is reflect in such statements as "That's how it's always been, and it worked OK." Sometimes people accept and adjust to situations that need to be changed because they have not fully evaluated the beliefs that support the situation (Beyer, 2001).
The same sorts of higher-level thinking that allow us to infer from events around us and incorporate them into our beliefs and actions without cognitive consideration can also be used to analyze what...
Beyer (2001) uses the example of a kindergarten class in an affluent community that encouraged children to bring in small amounts of money that were then added to each child's savings account (Beyer, 2001). This was an active choice to incorporate widely-held community values into the classroom curriculum. This choice made positive use of a community value to demonstrate, over time, a mathematical principle -- the growth of interest. The lesson reflects the community in which it occurs.
Teachers must take care, however, to be aware of the parts of their curriculum that remain hidden -- not only to their students but to them. If a teacher, for instance, believes that no student with a learning disability can achieve well, he or she may subtly discourage such students in subtly negative ways without ever being aware of it.
Bibliography
Beyer, Landon E. 2001. "The Value of Critical Perspectives in Teacher Education." Journal of Teacher Education 52:2, p. 151.
Moore, Robert L. 1997. "From Personal to Professional Values: Conversations about Conflicts." Journal of Teacher Education 48: 4, p. 301+.
Tappan, Mark B. 1998. "Sociocultural Psychology and Caring Pedagogy: Exploring Vygotsky's 'Hidden Curriculum.'"
Educational Psychologist 33:1, p. 23.
Wren, David J. 1999. "School Culture: Exploring…
