Hidden curriculum versus transition from onsite to online: A review following COVID-19 pandemic outbreak

Abstract

Curriculum is pivotal in any learning environment and experience. While much focus is placed on the designed curriculum, for learners, some learnings are hinged on hidden curriculum. Following the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the transition from onsite to online learning, hidden curriculum seems to have been hampered. Hence, issues revolving around hidden curriculum during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic are explored. Review method was adopted for the study. The findings of the study suggest that hidden curriculum is likely to be ineffective as learners are not exposed to their educators in face-to-face learning context where they are able to easily pick and imbibe certain character traits as envisaged in the traditional teaching and learning exercise. The study therefore recommends amongst others the need for minimal time to be scheduled for face-to-face contact sections. Also, educators should be admonished, trained and guided to be intentional about the issue of learners imbibing certain character traits from them during the minimal time scheduled for the face-to-face contact sections.