Article Curriculum and Theory Practice

What ways have I experienced Tyler’s rationale in my own schooling?

I took the time to think back to my entire school experience K-12. It’s actually crazy how similar my experiences were to Tyler’s rationale. Every day as a student we were to sit in our desk and do as the teacher asked. I always remember in my Elementary experience we would take away our art classes to catch up on work in other classes like Math, Science, English and Social. These four classes were always a priority and often our creativity was forgotten about. I remember throughout my school experience students realized getting the right answers on test meant you were able to move to the next grade. I found myself trying to memorize all of the material being taught. It was easier to memorize the content so when it came to test time I could easily pass.

What are some major limitations of the Tyler rationale? What makes it possible?

It should not be surprising to future teachers that each student learns differently. If schools were to follow Tyler’s rationale, majority of students would not be able to learn to content being taught. The unfairness that this causes could lead to students dropping out of high school and this is where inclusive education has a huge flaw. Every student has their own favourite subject. Students generally base their career around their favourite subject. For those students whose favourite subject is art it is very hard for those students to succeed in those areas because of Tyler’s rationale. Tyler’s rationale strips creativity and students individuality. Everyone learns the same and does the same: memorize the content, write the test and hopes to pass.

What are some potential benefits?

I found this question very hard to answer, as I am not for Tyler’s rationale. Although I was able to come up with a few benefits with Tyler’s rationale. The curriculum and the guidelines within Tyler’s rationale makes it so all students in all schools are learning the same thing. Although I do not believe students knowledge should be based around tests. With that being said, this is a great way for students to prepare for tests that they may come across in life. Mainly tests will prepare those students who plan to attend university, as university is strictly based on exams.