Curriculum: From Theory to Practice was released by Rowman & Littlefield on March 16, 2011. For more, follow these links:
Curriculum: From Theory to Practice introduces readers to curriculum theory and how it relates to classroom practice. Wesley Null provides a unique organization of the curriculum field into five traditions: systematic, existential, radical, pragmatic, and deliberative. He discusses the philosophical foundations of curriculum as well as historical and contemporary figures who have shaped each curriculum tradition. Additionally, after a chapter on each of the five perspectives, Null presents case studies that describe realistic and specific curriculum problems that commonly arise within elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and universities. Scholars and practitioners alike are given opportunities to practice resolving curriculum problems through deliberation. Each case study focuses on a critical issue such as the implementation of state curriculum standards, the attempt to reform core curriculum within universities, and the complex practice of curriculum making.
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“I received the text Curriculum: From Theory to Practice, and I have not been able to put it down. Wesley Null truly offers a balanced and refreshing view of curricular history and theory, while also presenting a very practical approach for in-service educators. I plan on adopting it for my curriculum courses in the fall.”
—Doug Feldmann, Northern Kentucky University
“Wesley Null provides a synoptic curriculum text with historical perspective, theoretical depth, and contextual breadth, while sustaining practical purport—an unusual accomplishment, indeed. This book reveals a faith in educators to move beyond oppressive curriculum mandates of political pundits to recognize the capacity of teachers, educational leaders, and policy makers. It is a call to deliberate carefully on diverse curriculum traditions and to imagine liberating possibilities in the face of dilemmas faced in schools today.”—William H. Schubert, professor and director of Graduate Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago
“Wesley Null combines in this work the deft hand of an educational historian with the knowledge and skill of a curriculum scholar. His analysis of the deliberative curriculum—and its attendant synthesis through the work of past and present curriculum thinkers—is both original and imaginative. Not only is the theory of curriculum examined, but the foundation is provided for students and practitioners to make meaning of the field in all its processes and outcomes. Null’s commitment to balance in curricular theory and practice is exemplary. This well-crafted and thoughtful book is a noteworthy contribution to the arena of curriculum studies.”
—John A. Beineke, Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership and Currriculum, Arkansas State University
“Curriculum: From Theory to Practice gives its readers a powerful framework that embraces both classical and contemporary theorists for the mapping of traditions in education, curricula, and curriculum-making. At the same time, it makes a case for the importance of a deliberative tradition of educational thought that can embrace the theory and the practice of the book’s title as well as the moral and the practical. I look forward to introducing students to the curriculum field by way of this book.”
—Ian Westbury, Professor Emeritus of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; general editor emeritus, Journal of Curriculum Studies