The Tyler Rationale
Attending K-12 from 1998-2011 the Tyler rationale, in addition to the curriculum-as-syllabus model, dictated most if not all of my schooling experiences. When I started to attend a few classes in University that operate on a discussion format, I was taken aback and didn’t know how to cope with such a starkly different form of education. One strong example of the Tyler rationale in my schooling that stands out to me is spelling tests. Our teachers transmitted the information to us, told us we needed to memorize the information, and we were subsequently tested on our ability to do so.
The greatest limitation of the Tyler rationale, in my opinion, is it’s unbending nature. I certainly see the appeal of a “teacher proof” curriculum, however in my experience a massive amount of learning occurs through offshoot discussions and individual connections and reflections. The Tyler rationale teaches students what to think and tells them what is important rather than teaching them how to think and how to discover what holds importance on their own. It removes the interest, pursuit of discovery, and frankly the pleasure from schooling.
Some benefits of the Tyler rationale include: the standardization of education which ensures students across the country to have equally rich educations and allows students to move between schools without great impairments, assessments which can point to individuals needing particular attention, and the ability of those assessments to discover possible weaknesses within the curriculum itself.
Source:
Smith, M.K. (1996, 2000). Curriculum theory and practice: the encyclopaedia of informal education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/biblio/b-curric.htm.
It seems like you have a great understanding of the Tyler Rationale. Would you implement this into your own classroom or what are your thoughts?
I think like many other rationales it has it’s place. I don’t think the Tyler rationale nor any other is capable of summating an entire classroom and curriculum. So yes, I believe I will implement it at times, but only when it truly seems like the most fitting course of action for a given topic.
I agree that the Tyler Rationale is very limiting. It is sad to think of how much creativity is lost because of this practice. What would happen if more curriculum was focused on creativity rather than data? I believe if creativity was more of a focus students would find more enjoyment in learning.
Absolutely! There’s no such thing as a person who drives change without creativity driving them!
You make a very good point when connecting the Tyler rationale with spelling tests. I was also thinking about how spelling tests are ways where you do the assignment/test and are assessed on how well you can do the test at that time. The point you made about how some learning occurs when it really isn’t planned can make it hard when the rationale wants to “teacher proof” the curriculum. Some of the best learning experiences and opportunities occur unplanned and when the relationships are built with students and teachers. The Tyler rationale is good for standardization of education but unfortunately not every student is a standard student.
This makes me think of a quote by Loris Malaguzzi.
“School is not at all like billiards. When you play billiards you push the ball with a certain force and it hits the table and bounces off; there’s a definite way the ball will go, depending on force and direction. Children are not at all like this, predictable. But sometimes schools function as if the were; these are schools with no joy.”
I think spelling tests are a great example of the Tyler rationale. This is a well written response and I was glad to see the talk about both limitations and positives. I think it’s important to keep in mind that there’s a time and place for this approach, such as for spelling tests. Good job!