TITLE : A JOURNAL REVIEW ON "CURRICULUM LEADERSHIP"

SUBJECT : Ed. M. 607 (Management of Curriculum and Instruction)

NAME : NELSON E. DEAN

COURSE : Ph. D. Ed. M. I

PROFESSOR : DR. TERESITA V. DELA CRUZ

CURRICULUM LEADERSHIP: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TEACHERS AND

ADMINISTRATORS?

The terms “curriculum” and “leadership” are so broad and encompassing that their meanings are

inevitably subject to a wide variety of interpretations among educators. To define curriculum leadership,

one should first have a working definition of curriculum. According to Marsh and Willis (2007),

curriculum is usually regarded to mean a program of instruction at a school including both the planned

and unplanned events in the classroom. Curriculum has three basic focal points: the nature of the

individual, the nature society, and the nature of a subject. Looking at these definitions, one could come up

with several different meanings for curriculum leadership. A curriculum leader could be the principal at a

school who guides the teaching and learning at his or her school or could be the department head that

plans the course of study for a subject. A curriculum leader could be the curriculum director in a district

who guides the teaching and learning within a school district by defining the district’s educational goals,

learning objectives and curriculum taught to students. Curriculum leaders provide the vision for the

teaching and learning that takes place within a

school. As shown in Figure 1, teachers’ primary

responsibilities are their students and the subject(s)

they teach. Therefore, teachers tend to entertain a

more “micro” perspective of curriculum, seeing it

in terms of their student learning in the classroom.

Figure 1
the Curriculum Focus of the Classroom Teacher
 Developing a change plan was important in determining if a curriculum leader (principal) will

provide the organization the necessary skills, tools, services and knowledge to promote academic success.

The role of the principal in schools has been in a constant state of change since its emergence. The issue has

been mostly around whether the principal is a manager of the building or a leader of the school.

Additionally, there has been discrepancy in the expectations of the principal in regard to curriculum and

instruction. Using Hall and Hord (2006) stages of concern, newly hired curriculum leader (principal) has

to use a different way of thinking about the employees’ (teachers) morale and the perception about change,

as well as Hall and Hord (2006) level of use, management exhibited from the employees (teachers) some

different behaviors, when a new change was implemented. Principals have the power to influence the

teacher morale in their school by the actions or daily practices they exhibit (Hunter-Boykin & Evans, 1995).

Morale is not an observable trait; rather it is an internal feeling or set of thoughts. Often teachers feel they

are not treated as professionals, are not appreciated, or are overworked, thus causing low teacher moral

which are Hall and Hord (2006) stages of concern. On the other hand, some teachers with a high moral

level may say their principal is very supportive or that they are able to teach instead of having to perform an

abundance of clerical tasks. In addition, to the many roles of the position, principals must also understand

they have a tremendous influence on the moral of the teachers.

Teachers’ and principals’ ideas about leadership parallel their ideas about curriculum, again,

mainly because of different experiential bases. While most principals have been teachers, most teachers

have never been principals, so there is often a lack of shared understanding of the nature of the work in

administration. This lack of shared background can sometimes create an oppositional stance, with teachers

observing that principals “have forgotten what it’s like to be in the classroom” and principals saying that

teachers don’t understand what is required of administrators who have to consider the needs of everyone–

students, teachers, parents, and classified staff–in the school community.

This difference in perspectives establishes a paradox for principals as curricular leaders: it creates a

communication gap that makes their task more complex and difficult, while at the same time making it

more important than ever that they, with their breadth and depth of experience, take the initiative to bridge

those communication gaps. Principals must bring teachers together to develop a curriculum that meets the

state’s requirements, fits the school community, and supports the school’s vision and its mission.
WHAT PRINCIPALS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CURRICULUM CONTENT AND PROCESS

Curriculum experts generally identify five concepts of curriculum that are present within most

schools. These concepts are:

1. The Official curriculum, which is documented.

2. The Operational curriculum, which is implemented in classrooms.

3. The Hidden curriculum, which includes the unwritten norms and expectations of the school, both

social and academic.

4. The Null curriculum, which consists of subjects that are consciously omitted from the school’s

Official and/or Operational curriculum.

5. The Co-curriculum, which includes all of the experiences engaged in by students and teachers,

before, during, and after the regular school day.

Principals are a little bit like orchestra conductors as they coordinate curriculum in their schools.

They must know the score–the official curriculum–as well as the teachers (the musicians). In addition, they

must know how the pieces of music for each instrument–grade levels, subject areas–blend and complement

one another to create the overall effect of the symphony. Finally, although the musicians are professionals

with expert knowledge of their instruments and music, the conductor helps them interpret and refine their

performances, as does a principal in supporting teachers’ professional development in curriculum and

teaching.

As this monograph suggests, the task of curricular leadership is complex and challenging .

Principals need to possess a wide array of technical knowledge related to curriculum concepts, processes,

and content. Equally important, however, they must understand the school culture and be able to work with

the entire school community–teachers, parents, students, and support staff–in leading and supporting

curriculum implementation. Furthermore, principals must be proactive in obtaining resources to support

curriculum development, they must ensure that teachers receive the time and staff development

opportunities to implement curriculum change, and they must keep a constant eye on the “bottom line” of

positive student outcomes.

References:

A. Books

Cornbleth, C. (1990). Curriculum in context. New York: The Falmer Press.

Maehr, M. L. (1991). The “psychological environment” of the school: A focus for

school leadership. In Thurston, P. W. & Zodhiates, P. P. (Eds.) Advances in
educational administration, Volume 2: School Leadership. (pp. 51-81). Greenwich,
Connecticut: JAI Press, Inc.

Posner, G. (1995). Analyzing the curriculum. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

Tyler, R. W. (2004). Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. In D. J. Flinders

and S. J. Thornton (Eds.), Curriculum studies reader 2nd ed. (pp. 51—59). New
York

B. On-Line References

http://www.informaworld.com

http://en.wikipedia.org