According to Levin, in the article, Curriculum Policy And The Politics Of What Should Be Learned In Schools, there are a few elements that play a role in curricula development and implementation. These elements are 1) “actors” which are the people that are involved, 2) “processes” which explains how curriculum policy decisions are made, and 3) “influences” which tackles the idea of what shapes decisions (Levin, 2008). First, there are a number of people involved in developing and implementing curricula. “Education governance typically involves some combination of national, local, and school participation; and in federal systems, education governance will have a fourth (and often pri-mary) level at the state or province” (Levin, 2008). According to Levin, post secondary institutions, business groups and the wider society also play important roles in curricula development and implementation. Post secondary institutions play a great role because they set the entrance requirements for secondary students to their institutions (Levin, 2008). As for business groups, “various industries will try to promote subjects and programs that support their labor market needs. Within the government, other departments may put pressure on the education ministry for their favorite causes—such as innovation units promoting the use of technology or culture ministries promoting the arts” (Levin, 2008). On another note, the wider society wants particular issues and perspectives such as language, history, and literature of various minorities and indigenous peoples, arts and religious views reflected in the curriculum (Levin, 2008). School curricula are developed and implemented through policy making by curriculum experts and the government with the influence of the wider society.
This article brought a new perspective on what influences curriculum decisions. Levin states that when making curriculum decisions, “political leadership will take account of expert opinion, but will inevitably take much more interest in public opinion” (2008). This is new information to me because I have always thought that curriculum was solely decided by experts. One thing that concerns me is how Levin suggests that “one danger in curriculum development then is the production of curricula that are not readily usable by ordinary teachers” (Levin, 2008). As a future educator, I would like to trust the higher curriculum experts to set and plan out curricula that are appropriate and easy for us teachers to follow and practice in our classrooms. However, I understand that on my part, there is also action needed. I need to strive to grow in my professional development seeking resources, and being open to guidance given by co-teachers and school administrators. As an educator, I would like to give my students the best learning experience while making sure that they are learning everything that they need to learn in order to be successful.
Reference: Levin, B. (2008). Curriculum Policy And The Politics Of What Should Be Learned In Schools. 7-24.