Information about the article

The journal is written by Asher Shkedi from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The title of
the journal is Can the Curriculum Guide both Emancipate and Educate Teachers. This journal
is published by The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 1998.

Opinions/comments regarding the contents of the article in relation to this course

The article talks about the possibility of having a curriculum guide that is potential to educate
and emancipate teachers. The author introduces three different set of curriculums to 83 Bible
teachers through interviews. After thoroughly reading the article I agree with the authors idea
which is combining both pedagogical approach and autonomy in a curriculum.
Carrying out a designed curriculum in the classrooms is not easy at it seems on paper. There
are many other aspects that should be taken into consideration when designing a curriculum.
As a future teacher, I believe that teachers should be included as curriculum developers. This
is because teachers should know better than anyone else what works and vice versa because
they have the first-hand experience carrying out the curriculum in classrooms. Apart from that
Olson (1983) also states that curriculum developers do not successfully transmit their ideas in
the curriculum they designed to teachers because teachers have difficulty to understand their
ideas. This can be seen clearly from the article too when some of the teachers are unable to
grasp the exact idea of the curriculum author introduces to them. Due to this I think that it is
highly appropriate to include teachers in designing curriculum.
What I liked about this article is that the author mentions the possibility to have a curriculum
combining both pedagogical approach as well as some autonomy to the teachers. I truly think
that a curriculum with both pedagogical approach and autonomy to the teachers would have
been the most ideal curriculum. What makes curriculum tricky is that at times curriculum can
be too rigid, inhibiting teachers creativity. At the same time, giving too much freedom to
teachers in the classroom also might not be a good idea either. The most important thing is to
have a proper balance with autonomy given to teachers and pedagogical approach in a
curriculum. Curriculum should not make teachers feel like they are restricted. Teachers should
not be treated like parrot, in which they are expecting to follow everything directed to them.
Furthermore, having some autonomy in class is beneficial for both teachers and students.
Teachers can explore their creativity and try something new with their students. It can avoid
them from being too monotonous and predictable in the classrooms. However, allowing some
autonomy to teachers does not mean that teachers are free to do whatever they want in class.
Teachers need to know to what extent they can exercise their autonomy. This is where
curriculum developers need to be clear with their ideas so that teachers can comprehend them
easily.