ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses two interrelated aspects of curriculum reform, which are essential to changing the quality of education girls receive. The first aspect concerns the nature of the curriculum itself and in particular, the debate over 'inclusive curriculum'. The second aspect concerns the psychological factors associated with learning which, have to date largely been overlooked in Australian curriculum reform. The psychological dimension refers to student-related aspects of educational psychology underlying participation in the learning process including motivation, self-concept and self-esteem and identity formation. The Women's Bureau of the United States Department of Labor has produced a curriculum guide for schools which, in encouraging girls into non-traditional occupations, incorporates some of the psychological aspects of curriculum. Some research even indicates that an unbiased career education curriculum is not enough to break down the stereotypes.
