Paper Topic:

Role of parents in Curriculum

Role of parents in Curriculum

Who are the participants and referent groups in curriculum development What role , competencies , and types of responses should be expected from the public ? To what extent should parents be directly involved in determining content , instructional materials , and programming ? What degrees of responsibility can be expected from parents in to avoid irresponsibility ? What factors must influence decisions on curriculum-planning and on priorities with curriculum-planning ? This is addressed to these questions

Participants in curriculum development are those who have a direct share in determining content , instructional materials

, and programming at some level . Referent groups are those who should be consulted about curriculum development but have more indirect relationships , interests and concerns . A number of have identified publics ' that should participate and interact in determining content , instructional materials , and programming (Haggerson 67 . These include students teachers , curriculum specialists , and administrators of elementary and secondary schools parents school board members members of state education departments and other governmental agencies related to education university professors of education and professional staff members of regional laboratories , research and development centers , and commercial developers of curriculum materials and methods (Apple 78

With accountability comes responsibility by all parties involved Parents ' participation is needed at three levels : societal institutional , and instructional . At all these levels parents can be involved in goal setting , in finding alternative learning opportunities and in evaluation . Emphasis at the societal level may be on legislation At the institutional level it may be on the goals of education in relation to a changing culture and technology . At the instructional level it may be on a shift from failure orientation to success orientation for children in the schools . These responsibilities are not discrete . There is a need for parents ' involvement at all three levels and across levels , and involvement may be initiated at any level

Responsibilities of parents , then , must include recognition and respect for the roles of other groups . The concept of respect for human dignity underlies the role of parents in keeping the policymakers `honest (Haggerson 89 . To accomplish the task is not easy and requires much time and attention . Parents ' participation that influences curriculum development and respects the value of rational consent may be in town meetings or in elections to school boards and state and federal government offices (Apple 89 . Although parents and other citizens are not generally as well prepared for selecting representatives as are teachers and students , they have the right to be represented meaningfully and the responsibility to become informed and actively involved

References

Apple , Michael W (2004 . Ideology and Curriculum . RoutledgeFalmer : New York

Haggerson , Nelson L (2000 . Expanding Curriculum Research and Understanding : A Mytho-Poetic Perspective . Peter Lang : New York

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