Curriculum Design: Objective vs. Hidden Lessons in Schools
This paper examines the dual nature of school curriculum — the formal, measurable objectives that guide academic instruction and the implicit, often unplanned lessons that shape students' values, behaviors, and social development. Drawing on curriculum theory, the paper distinguishes between objective and implied curriculum, then applies this framework to physical education and secondary school athletics. It argues that while formal PE instruction teaches rules and health, athletic programs frequently prioritize winning and community prestige over character development, teamwork, and sportsmanship. The paper concludes that explicit, holistic values must be deliberately integrated into both physical education and athletic programs to produce well-rounded students.
- Introduction: Curriculum in a Changing Society: Curriculum challenges in evolving modern educational contexts
- Objective and Implied Curriculum: Defining measurable versus implicit learning experiences
- Physical Education and the Dual Curriculum: PE's formal goals versus unstated character lessons
- Secondary School Athletics and the Implied Curriculum: How athletic programs function beyond formal PE
- The Message of Athletic Programs: Winning culture overshadowing sportsmanship and character
- Conclusion: Toward Holistic Curriculum Values: Call for explicit values in athletic and PE programs
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What makes this paper effective
- Clearly establishes and distinguishes two core concepts — objective and implied curriculum — and sustains this distinction throughout the argument.
- Uses a concrete, relatable case study (secondary school athletics) to ground abstract curriculum theory in a familiar institutional context.
- Builds to a normative conclusion by first describing a problem (athletic programs favoring winning over character) and then proposing a remedy (explicit holistic values).
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective conceptual scaffolding: it defines its two central terms early, applies them to progressively more specific contexts (from general schooling to PE, then to interscholastic athletics), and uses each application to sharpen the contrast between what schools intend to teach and what they actually communicate. This layered approach gives the argument cumulative force without requiring lengthy evidence sections.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a broad societal framing of curriculum challenges, then narrows to define objective versus implied curriculum. It applies both concepts to physical education before zooming further into competitive athletics, where the implied curriculum is most problematic. The final section calls for deliberate integration of holistic values, providing a clear policy-oriented conclusion. References are formatted in APA style.
Introduction: Curriculum in a Changing Society
Within the modern cultural experience, classroom curriculum takes on a greater role than ever. As society continues to evolve, so must the classroom, in order to maintain the framework necessary to educate and prepare students for the challenges of the modern world. There remains a set of challenges, though, for educators, parents, and students alike. With so much new information available, how does the modern school add important new subjects to the curriculum without crowding out the basics and diminishing the foundational tools each student needs? The political, social, and cultural changes that have occurred since 1970 — in particular — are in direct conflict with sustained progress in reading, math, and science, all of which show an uncomfortable stagnation in America's school systems (Erwin, 2004).
Objective and Implied Curriculum
In many ways, the set of learning objectives planned or guided by a school board — in other words, the curriculum — has both objective and subjective value for the modern learner. Most define curriculum as the holistic or total learning experience provided by the school: the cultural norms, methods, strategies, experiences, and, of course, the content of lessons. However, since nothing in school exists in a vacuum, there is both an objective curriculum and an implied, or subjective, curriculum.
The objective curriculum is easy to define; it focuses on the structures and materials that require mastery over the course of the educational experience. This is often measured through quantitative means — tests, exams, standardized scoring, and similar assessments. The implied or subjective curriculum, by contrast, may or may not be as clearly articulated. It focuses on culture, values, emotions, and the preparation of young people to be valuable citizens within society (Kelly, 2009).
In the objective curriculum, committees plan, purchase, and implement standards. In the implied curriculum — which may affect the learner as much as, if not more than, the objective curriculum — teachers may not consciously plan the implicit transmission of values, norms, and cultural behaviors, since each teacher is a unique individual with their own set of values and norms. While a school may direct teachers to "teach learners to be good citizens," the interpretation of that directive may fall well beyond any individual instructor's ability to standardize. As one scholar noted, "whether teachers intend to or not, they teach values" and other subtle messages about psychology, behavior, and culture (Parkay et al., 2010, p. 43).
Physical Education and the Dual Curriculum
A prime example of the disconnect between the objective and implied curriculum emerges when one examines physical education and athletic programs at the secondary level. The express or objective curriculum of physical education is typically a structured approach to teaching students the rules of sports — particularly lifetime sports — along with the importance of exercise and health, and the mechanics of many games. This is designed so that students can enjoy sports, participate as amateurs, and contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
The implied curriculum, however, is somewhat different. Physical education also teaches teamwork, rule-following, sharing, empathy, and strategy, as well as personality traits such as perseverance, tenacity, reasoning, the psychology of winning, and overcoming stress in the pursuit of a greater goal (Kelly and Melograno, 2004).
Conclusion: Toward Holistic Curriculum Values
Both the objective and the implied curriculum shape who students become. When athletic programs send the implicit message that winning is paramount above all other values, schools risk undermining the broader educational mission they are formally committed to. Curriculum development must account for what is taught intentionally and what is communicated incidentally. Integrating explicit, holistic values into physical education and competitive athletics — values such as sportsmanship, character development, and lifelong wellness — would better align the implied curriculum with the stated educational goals that schools and communities profess to hold.
References
Erwin, J. (2004). The Classroom of Choice: Giving Students What They Need and Getting What You Want. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
George, J. (2009). Classical curriculum design. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 8(2), 160–179.
Kelly, A. (2009). The Curriculum. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kelly, L., and Melograno, V. (2004). Developing the Physical Education Curriculum. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Press.
Parkay, F., et al. (2010). Curriculum Leadership: Readings for Developing Quality Educational Programs. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Physical Education and Sports. (2011). HubPages.
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