ABSTRACT
The author believes in the needs of contemporary society for more personal and decision-making opportunities. His particular concern is with institutionally-based curriculum development, and the contribution that drama teachers may make by virtue of their specialized knowledge and skills in social interactive learning processes so necessary in implementing this.
He presents a critique of the widely used and accepted models of curriculum planning which are characterized by ‘an essential reliance on “cold”, objective analysis of objective needs and strategies’ and argues that it is divorced from the reality of the learning process which he regards as essentially exploratory, responsive and social. He suggests that the planning of teaching should be based not so much on an often diversive discussion of ‘aims’, but on the use of the more pragmatic device of viewing classroom action in terms of specific teacher intention in relation to observed practice. This kind of planning, so much an implicit part of the drama teacher’s work, would contain within it a consideration of both instructional and expressive objectives.
In focussing on the traditional divide between curriculum planners and those who teach the curriculum, Hogan’s chapter emphasizes the contribution that drama teachers may make both in school through their knowledge of group dyamics and negotiating strategies; and on behalf of schools as they debate with local and central government issues of the common core curriculum and assessment and performance and attempt to resist pressures for a firmer central control of the curriculum.
