Null Curriculum Research Articles

Colour-evasive racial ideologies underpinning the hidden curriculum of a majority-minority occupational therapy school in London, England: an analysis of minoritised undergraduate students’ experiences

ABSTRACT The concept of ethnoracial ‘majority-minority’ was introduced to describe changing population demographics where racial or ethnic groups traditionally in the majority have become a numerical minority. Despite their increase in recent years, very little is known of how hidden curricula manifests in these settings. Hence, this study sought to interrogate the hidden curriculum of race at an Occupational Therapy school with a majority-minority student-educator population in London, England. We conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data from a larger action research project. The main data source was derived from two group interviews involving 11 racially minoritised student participants, and thematically analysed through a hidden curriculum lens. Trustworthiness of the analysis was enforced through crystallisation. The hidden curriculum of race was identified as embedded within (1) formal learning, (2) the null curriculum, (3) the informal curriculum, and (4) administrative structure and functioning. It is underpinned by pervasive colour-evasive racial ideologies which perpetuate health and workforce inequities. This paper concludes that majority-minority population demographics are insufficient to mitigate the impact of wider societal norms of oppression on hidden curricula. Thus, concerted and collective efforts involving all professional stakeholders are needed to embed intersectional, critical race-conscious approaches throughout formal learning across the academic curriculum.

Null Curriculum in Institute of Education: Perspectives of the Graduate Student

The present study adopts a mixed-methods approach, utilizing both questionnaire surveys and focus group interviews to explore the perspectives of graduate students within Chinese Taiwan's Institute of Education regarding the null curriculum. This research aims to identify significant but overlooked elements within the curriculum. The results underscore the students recognition of essential yet absent components, highlighting the necessity for experiential and action-oriented courses such as educational practice and field visits, foundational educational methodologies, examination of challenges within the educational sphere, skill-oriented approaches, and anticipation of forthcoming educational trends. As a result, the implications of this study contribute to thought-provoking discussions within the field.

Literature review on Curriculum Development

Background: Curriculum development in medical education is vital at all educational levels, from undergraduate to postgraduate and professional education focused on patient care. Understanding the systematic approach to curriculum development and evaluation is essential for maximizing the potential of medical education initiatives. Objective: The objective of this review was to explore and synthesize the existing literature on curriculum development in medical education, focusing on the processes and outcomes, and to provide recommendations for effective curriculum design and implementation. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The search terms included "curriculum development," "medical education," "learning outcomes," "educational strategies," "assessment tools," "curriculum implementation," and "curriculum evaluation." Articles published in peer-reviewed journals were included based on relevance and methodological rigor. Data were synthesized using a narrative approach. Results: The review identified three types of curricula: explicit, implicit, and null. The explicit curriculum is structured and publicly available with clear learning objectives. The implicit curriculum is influenced by geographical, political, and socioeconomic contexts. The null curriculum refers to aspects not covered despite being planned. Key steps in curriculum development included needs assessment, content determination, goal and objective setting, selection of educational strategies, implementation, and evaluation. Educational strategies varied, including lecture-based learning, hands-on skill delivery, flipped classroom, and case-based learning. Continuous evaluation, both formative and summative, was essential for curriculum adaptation and improvement. Conclusion: A systematic approach to curriculum development in medical education ensures comprehensive and adaptive educational programs. This process addresses the diverse and evolving needs of learners and society, ultimately enhancing the quality of medical education. Effective curricula prepare healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for high-quality patient care and adaptability to changing healthcare environments.

Investigating the Inclusion of Human Rights Education in Pakistani Elite Schools: A Qualitative Content Analysis of History Textbooks

Pakistani educational system is broadly divided into public and private sectors. Due to specific financial and administrative issues, the public sector has failed to produce social capital that could serve as an advocate of human rights. However, elite schools in the private sector are better equipped to educate their students on human rights. Through qualitative content analysis, the present study explores the status of human rights in history textbooks taught in elite schools from grade 6 to O-levels and the International Baccalaureate (I.B.) Middle Years Programme (MYP). It was observed that the human rights issues in Pakistan remained part of the null curriculum in the books published for Pakistani students. In the I.B. books, human rights issues were discussed at the global level, leaving elite students ignorant and oblivious to the state of human rights in Pakistan. It is suggested that human rights should be transformed from abstract and generalized statements to absolute and concrete reality, first stemming from local society and then advancing to a global community.

Misleading Mandates: The Null Curriculum of Genocide Education

This content analysis examines the ways that genocide is included in the high school world history content standards of eleven states with legislative mandates requiring genocide education, as well as if the content standards in those states differ from those of states without mandated genocide education. The null curriculum theorizes that the content that is not taught may be as important as what is taught; this lens allows for a nuanced analysis of the ways that genocide is included and excluded in state standards. The findings suggest that states with legislative mandates requiring genocide education do not necessarily have high school world history content standards that require genocide education. The content standards in states with legislative mandates often omit acts of genocide, refrain from using the term “genocide,” and frame genocides as less important than the Holocaust, perpetuating the null curriculum of genocides.

새록 대안학교 교육과정에 대한 졸업생 경험 이해

Objectives This study tries to understand and interpret graduates' experience about Saerok Alternative school curriculum.
 Methods It is a case study of the Saerok school curriculum. Among the graduates who graduated for more than 20 years, a total of 21 people were interviewed. From data collection to coding, description, analysis, and interpretation were all carried out in a narrative manner.
 Results Compared to the school's development, the curriculum was constructed of general and alternative subjects with different contents and formats, after-school activities centered on clubs, various autonomous activities, and dormitory life. Each identity and school image formed in the process had an important influence on career choice. Many of the participants went to college and some participated in society, but they had to experience a career plus curriculum in which they tried on their own, suffering from a gap from reality.
 Conclusions The Saerok Alternative school curriculum can be understood as a text for life led by students and compared to general schools, it can be understood as a null curriculum. The graduate's career path was based on their experiences at school. On the other hand, there were many trials and errors in the process of finding a career path because it was far from the stereotyped norms and values of society.

An Exploratory Study on the Null Curriculum in the Basic Education System in Ghana

An Exploratory Study on the Null Curriculum in the Basic Education System in Ghana

TIC ET Sexualite Dans L’espace Curriculaire A L’enseignement Secondaire General Au Benin (ICT and Sexuality in Benin’s Secondary School General Curricular Space)

This paper explores the curriculum space in secondary general education in the Republic of Benin, in reference to information and communication technologies(ICT) and sexuality. Taking the curriculum space, as described in O’Hair, Mc Laughlin and Reitzug (2000), as the theoretical framework, this study relies on both qualitative and quantitative data from 137 high school graduates who have enrolled in teacher training at ENS in Porto-Novo in 2019. The main concern in this research is to track their learning processes of the knowledge and skills in ICT and sexuality, domains in which Benin secondary general education has remained almost silent until recently. The findings reveal that the large majority of participants (72%) have acquired diverse knowlegde and skills in ICT and 32% in sexuality, often in the margin of the official school programmes. Thus, the two domains belong to the null curriculum, and curriculum leadership suggests that teachers take lessons from these experiences to inform their practices in the official domain.

“To Be or Not To Be Neglected”: Latent Profile Analysis of Null Curriculum Concerning 21st-Century Skills in Teacher Education

“To Be or Not To Be Neglected”: Latent Profile Analysis of Null Curriculum Concerning 21st-Century Skills in Teacher Education

Education Stakeholders’ Views on Controversial Issues in Terms of Null Curriculum

This study aims to identify the controversial issues in Turkey based on the views of some education stakeholders and analyze the experiences of teachers in terms of those controversial issues. This study was designed in a qualitative research design. The participants of the study are 250 academicians from the departments of educational sciences, maths and science, Turkish and social sciences, primary education, foreign languages and fine arts of universities; 26 form tutors, religious culture and ethics, Turkish, science, maths and English teachers employed in public schools in Eskişehir; and the representatives of 5 teacher unions. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with teachers and open ended questionnaires with academicians and the representatives of teacher unions. Inductive analysis method was used to analyse all the data. The study revealed that the controversial issues which were identified by the help of education stakeholders were mostly not covered in elementary education curriculum and in teachers' practice; in other words, it was null curriculum.

“I do have to represent the faith:” An Account of an Ecclesiological Problem When Teaching Philosophy in Ontario’s Catholic High Schools

The Canadian province of Ontario introduced philosophy as a secondary school subject in 1995 (Pinto, McDonough, & Boyd, 2009). Since publicly-funded Catholic schools teach approximately 32% of all students in Ontario (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2022), the question arises regarding how teachers in those schools coordinate philosophy and Catholic teachings. This study employs a secondary analysis of interviews with six teachers from Ontario’s Catholic schools, and employs two of Avery Dulles’ (2002) conceptions of church (institution and mystical communion) to determine how they consider the choices available within their own tradition that could answer this question. Rather than looking only at the shortcomings of treating magisterial teaching as philosophy, this paper argues that there are also conceptual problems that these courses must address in order to improve their ecclesiological adequacy, and illustrates how an apparent null curriculum privileges the institutional ecclesiology. Keywords: Catholic education, Catholic school, philosophy, ecclesiology, null curriculum, high school philosophy

The Analysis of Primary and Secondary Education Curricula in Terms of Null Curriculum

This study aims to examine primary and secondary education curricula in terms of controversial issues such as human rights, terrorism, sexuality, etc. determined by the participation of teachers, academicians and education union representatives beforehand. This study was designed as a document analysis which is one of the qualitative research methods. In this study, the curricula of the compulsory courses (N=16) of primary and secondary education were examined through content analysis. The curricula were analyzed in terms of controversial issues through a descriptive analysis form which was prepared by the researcher. The document analysis form was based on the controversial themes and sub-themes determined by the participation of teachers, academicians and education union representatives beforehand. The study revealed that controversial issues addressed by the education stakeholders were mostly not covered in the curricula of compulsory courses in primary and secondary education; in other words, it was the null curriculum. Furthermore, it was found that there was no relation between the general objectives and acquisitions of some curricula in terms of controversial issues.

Christian Religious Education, Null Curriculum, Learning Strategies, and Inclusiveness in Indonesia

Based on this research, this paper sought to showcase the work of the zero curriculum in light of the rapid curriculum changes in Indonesia. Christian education has not been an exception to the curriculum changes over time. The curriculum and learning strategies for Christian Religious Education remain at the stage of compartmentalizing the curriculum for children, youth, adults, and the elderly. According to researcher, Null Curriculum becomes a counterweight when the null curriculum becomes implicit in homes, churches and schools. It attempts to be honest with the existence, culture, religion, customs of each learner and the locality of school, church and home. Null curriculum represents something of paradox in the midst of the onslaught of curriculum shifts. Curriculum paradoxes become crucial by incorporating procedures such as critical analysis, art and drama as interludes in the formal curriculum, such as the current curriculum development in Indonesia known as the independent curriculum. Research conducted in this study is categorized as qualitative research through a literature review, using secondary sources from a variety of recent journals that bring together Christian religious education, null curriculum, learning strategies and the dialectics of curriculum in Indonesia. Results showed that null curriculum at home, school and church levels ought to be reconsidered by curriculum users and beneficiaries as part of null curriculum participation in terms of content, flow of change and inclusiveness. Null curriculum as an ongoing curriculum through curriculum transformation in the midst of ignoring the urgency of the dimensions of Christian orthodoxy as finalities that get responses, responses and criticisms when encountering learning strategies in learning spaces.

A tale of two countries: how Whiteness shaped two women’s educations on race

ABSTRACT This paper examines how Whiteness has shaped two women’s education on race. Taken from a larger case study on the experiences of a group of Evangelicals in a Bible study that used a multicultural education curriculum, the narratives of Ellen, a White woman in her 70s, and Rose, a Colombian woman in her 20s, are discussed. Despite having vastly different upbringings in different time periods and different countries, the influence of the American Dream, White innocence, and White normativity had similar effects on their beliefs about race. The impact of the null curriculum in their educations is also discussed.

Assessment of safety attitudes, professionalism and exploration of medical students\u2019 experiences

BackgroundThe present study was conducted to examine the interns’ perceptions of safety attitude and professionalism and to explore their experiences about adherence to the principles during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodThe present study was a mixed-method that was performed in two quantitative and qualitative stages. The medical interns at X University (n = 140) were entered. In the quantitative phase, the assessment of the interns’ Safety Attitudes and Professionalism was conducted by a survey. In the qualitative phase, data were gathered by semi-structured interviews. The experiences of participants were analyzed by the inductive content analysis approach of Graneheim and Lundman.ResultsParticipants’ perception scores on safety attitude and professionalism were 98.02 (14.78). The results were explained in a theme of “weakness in systemic accountability in compliance with professionalism and safety”. The theme included three categories: ‘support system inadequacy’, and ‘null curriculum in safety and professionalism education’.ConclusionThe present results showed participants’ perception scores on safety attitude and professionalism were below the moderate level. The systemic issues were explored as influencing factors in the occurrence of unsafe and unprofessional behaviors. They reported the weakness of the support system (individual, teamwork, mental health, well-being, management, and culture), and the null curriculum in education of professional, and safety principles effective on unprofessional and unsafe behaviors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is recommended to create mechanisms to support the development of professionalism of healthcare workers, especially, novice providers and students, and pay attention to the safety and professionalism in formal and informal educational programs.

In the Midst of Madness: Mental Health Literacy as Null to Explicit Curriculum in Public Spaces

In the wake of school closings due to COVID-19, public agencies and media have been increasingly relegated to the role of educator across publics. The promotion of mental health literacy has moved from null curriculum to explicit, as public agencies have pushed the narrative of an unprecedented mental health crisis, despite the crisis having been evident pre-pandemic. This text questions the motivations of increased mental health literacy campaigns across agencies and publics, recognizing that those with vested interests in keeping the neoliberal system intact lend little help to the most vulnerable populations.

Considering the Hidden and Null Curricula in Music Education: Becoming Vigilantly Aware

Curriculum is a representation of the ideas that drive music teachers’ decisions in their planning and instruction. Yet some components of curriculum are never written down but are prevalent in a music teacher’s instruction; these components are often called the null or hidden curricula. This article considers what these curricula are, how they play out in the classroom, and what the implications are for students if they go unchecked. Specific teaching examples highlight vignettes of the impact of these curricula for both educators and students. Finally, music educators are invited to consider ways to become aware of these curricula and take steps toward creating more equitable and inclusive spaces.

Rola lekcji filozofii wobec programu nieoficjalnego w szkole

The Role of Philosophy Lessons in Context of Non-Official Curriculum in School Bohdan Chwedeńczuk has asked provocatively: what is the purpose of doing philosophy? We can treat this question as a philosophical one. Nevertheless in this article I would like to treat it as a question concerning education. Polish philosophical community basically agrees that providing philosophy lessons would be a valuable supplement for general education in Poland. However there is no agreement in case of how and what exactly we should teach in philosophy class. I argue that philosophy lessons are beneficial for students. My argumentation is based on critical theory in educational research, in which key theme is educational curriculum’s inquiry. I separate three kind of educational curriculum: hidden curriculum, null curriculum and informal curriculum. I’m going to argue that philosophy lessons are not only beneficial for future students’ lives, but also helpful for coping with school routine.

The body in group exercise for older persons: implications of the explicit, implicit and null curricula

ABSTRACT Bodywork describes the work people perform on their own and other people's bodies. Often, this work is performed in an effort to meet cultural, symbolic body norms. The aims of bodywork in fitness for older exercisers are said to serve as a means of controlling and resisting the aging process. Given the popularity of group exercise for older exercisers, this paper focused on three forms of bodywork undertaken by/performed on older exercisers in group classes: assessing, monitoring and directing clients’ bodies. Using an Institutional Ethnography approach, I explicate how instructor training is connected to the bodywork practices that take place in group exercise classes. Methods consisted of a textual analysis of 8 Canadian and American instructor training curricula; observations and interviews with 22 group fitness instructors; and go-alongs and interviews with 14 older exercisers. Findings revealed that some topics included in the explicit curricula taught to fitness instructors lie outside their scope of practice. The hidden curricula uphold ageist sociocultural norms, as well as conflate (older) age, (greater) weight/(larger) size and bodily (dis)function, which are then materially codified in what is considered (age) appropriate fitness apparel. Finally, the null curriculum, or what is left out of the training, has the potential to cause harm, marginalize and stigmatize older exercisers. To conclude, I argue that group exercise instructors and the organizations that develop fitness curricula, could benefit from engaging in a reflective practice that investigates: (1) how some of the sociocultural and discursive representations of older bodies in training curricula might be problematic and stigmatize older people; and (2) how the null curricula might cause harm to exercisers, especially exercisers like older persons who are already marginalized.

Disability Studies in Education and Justice-Oriented Teacher Preparation: Understanding the Barriers and Possibilities of Integrating Critical Visions of Disability

ABSTRACT Our self-study examines our integration of concepts from the field of Disability Studies in Education (DSE) into our introductory special education and educational foundations courses in two different accredited teacher preparation programs. Using narratives and shared dialogues about our curricular deliberations, we explored the barriers and possibilities of bringing critical visions of disability into the dominant teacher education curriculum. While barriers such as our positioning as contingent faculty and graduate students hindered our adaptation of the “official” curriculum of our programs, we found that such changes afforded important possibilities for justice-oriented teacher preparation. We discuss our realization of DSE as the “null curriculum” in our programs and the need to break away from the curricular status quo in our courses. Our conclusions explore how the integration of DSE informed concepts generated unique opportunities for exploring social justice concepts with the next generation of teachers.