ABSTRACT
Ie notion of curriculum as enveloping patterns of norms, endeavors, and values seems particularly lacking in these times, both within public discourse and in schools. Interest in curriculum too often involves narrow discussions about specific programs, outcomes, and effectiveness, as procedural perspectives of educational outcomes dominate curriculum development. Public debates about curriculum appear as politically motivated diatribes calling forth simplistic notions of what is wrong with schools or what sure-fire curriculum will save them. Few educators participate in public deliberation with vigorous discourse about purposes and practices of education. We seldom hear teachers,
curriculum specialists, and administrators reflect on, question, and challenge curricular aims and actions by examining dominant patterns of curricular beliefs and their immediate or unforeseeable influences upon schooling.
