Who Should Develop School Curriculum: Parents, Teachers & Community

Introduction

One of the first things to leap out at the reader of John Dewey's description of schools in Utopia is the fact that he gives primacy of place to parents — meaning that only those married people who have had children of their own are allowed to hold positions of authority in the "schools," or assemblies where children learn from their elders. Dewey (1933) begins the section with the subtitle "Parenthood Required" and proceeds to state that "the adults who are most actively concerned with the young have, of course, to meet a certain requirement, and the first thing that struck me as a visitor to Utopia was that they must all be married persons and, except in exceptional cases, must have had children of their own." In short, Dewey holds that parents should occupy a special place in the education of children: they have been there with their own; they know what children go through and what they need. Parents, moreover, represent the authority in the home; they represent the family, and no school can exist without families.

Thus, when it comes to the central question of who should help schools develop curriculum, there can be no better answer than parents, as Dewey (1933) points out, first and foremost. When it comes to stakeholders in education, there are communities, businesses, educators, policy-makers, and more — but at the top of that list there are students and there are parents.

Background: From Expert-Driven to Participatory Curriculum

The historical approach to curriculum development was driven by experts — curriculum specialists, educational researchers, and policy-makers — who were seen as having the knowledge and expertise to design a curriculum that would best serve the needs of students. However, this approach was criticized for its lack of consideration for the needs and interests of the students, teachers, and communities who would be affected by the curriculum (Kliebard, 2004). A key criticism of the expert-driven approach is that it can lead to a top-down model of education that undermines the autonomy and creativity of teachers. Teachers are often treated as mere implementers of the curriculum, rather than as active participants in its development (Alnefaie, 2016). This can create a disconnect between what is taught in the classroom and the actual needs and interests of students.

As a result, there has been a shift toward more democratic and participatory approaches to curriculum development. This approach recognizes that students, teachers, and community members possess valuable knowledge and expertise that can contribute to the design of a meaningful and effective curriculum (Kliebard, 2004).

For example, participatory action research (PAR) is a collaborative approach to curriculum development that involves students, teachers, and community members in the process of identifying and addressing educational issues (MacDonald, 2012). PAR is based on the idea that the people most affected by a problem are best equipped to solve it. By involving all stakeholders in the curriculum development process, PAR can produce a curriculum that reflects the needs and interests of students, teachers, and community members alike.

Another example of a democratic approach is the community-based curriculum (Kliebard, 2004). This approach involves collaborating with local community members to design a curriculum that is relevant to students' cultural and social contexts. Community members can share their knowledge and expertise to create a curriculum that reflects the history, culture, and values of the community.

Dewey's Theory and Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is at the heart of Dewey's vision of education in a utopian society — that is why he sees experienced adults as the main directors and shapers of a child's education. Experiential learning is based on the idea that a young learner can grow through direct interaction with others who have knowledge and skills (Kolb, 2014). This ties in with the concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), introduced by Lev Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist and philosopher, to describe the range of tasks that a child can perform with assistance when interacting with or observing others who are older, more skilled, or more developed. According to Vygotsky, a child's development is shaped by the interactions they have with more knowledgeable individuals, such as parents or teachers, who can provide guidance and support in completing challenging tasks. Dewey's vision of utopian schools aligns with the concept of ZPD and experiential learning, so long as that experience is directed by adults who are married — a sign of commitment and consistency — and who have had children of their own, a sign of experience and understanding.

The ZPD refers to the gap between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with assistance. This zone is seen as the optimal range for learning, as it allows children to stretch their abilities and develop new skills with the guidance of a more knowledgeable other. This gap is best filled by parents in a director-role within Dewey's vision. In this view, parents play a primary role in curriculum development, providing input to educators, administrators, policy-makers, business leaders, and others. Parents are the ultimate guides and guardians of students. However, at some point they must recognize that they cannot do it all on their own. They must rely on other instructors for aid and support — which is why Dewey admits as much in his own vision, while insisting that instructors demonstrate basic virtues and possess genuine experience with children. As Vygotsky argued, by providing appropriate support, a child can gradually internalize the strategies and knowledge needed to perform tasks independently — and this is the ultimate goal of education.

The theory of playful learning connects here as well, building on Vygotsky's ideas about the importance of social interaction in learning. Playful learning is a teaching approach that uses play as a means of promoting learning and development (Rice, 2009). It is based on the idea that play is a natural and engaging activity for children and can be used to support their learning across a range of subject areas.

Playful learning typically involves activities that are open-ended and child-directed, allowing children to explore and experiment with ideas and concepts at their own pace. It can also involve collaborative play, in which children work together to solve problems and achieve shared goals. According to the theory of playful learning, play can provide a context that is motivating, engaging, and meaningful for children (Rice, 2009). Playful learning activities can help children develop a range of skills — including problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking — as well as social and emotional competencies such as communication, collaboration, and empathy. Playful learning therefore offers an important complement to parent- and teacher-directed activities. A well-rounded vision of schooling does not want to see learning that is entirely top-down; learners also need the opportunity to pursue paths that are most appealing to them. Every child has natural gifts and talents, and these talents need room to grow. That can happen through a combination of parent-and-teacher direction and child-directed learning. The two should work together, and curriculum development should reflect both sets of needs.

Conclusion

The development of curriculum is not a simple process but rather a highly personal and moral one. It inevitably involves a range of stakeholders, including educators, policy-makers, parents, students, and community members. In recent years, the push for standardization has been accompanied by a simultaneous shift toward more participatory and democratic approaches to curriculum development, which recognize the importance of engaging diverse perspectives and experiences.

This paper explored different perspectives on who should play a part in developing curriculum for schools and why. Although opinions on this topic vary, a collaborative approach that includes parents, teachers, students, and community leaders can lead to a curriculum that is relevant, effective, and responsive to the diverse needs of individual students. Parents play a critical role in guiding and supporting their children's education, but the expertise and knowledge of other stakeholders must be recognized and integrated as well.

The paper also discussed the importance of incorporating character education into the curriculum. Character education helps cultivate ethical and moral values in students, preparing them for success not only academically but also in their personal and professional lives. It is an essential component of curriculum development because it promotes the growth of responsible, ethical, and compassionate individuals who are equipped to navigate complex social and ethical issues, contribute positively to society, and lead fulfilling and meaningful lives. By emphasizing values and behaviors that promote social and emotional well-being, character education creates a supportive and inclusive learning environment that sustains both academic achievement and personal growth.

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