This updated third edition of Curriculum: From Theory to Practice provides an introduction to curriculum theory and how it relates to classroom practice. Wesley Null builds upon recent developments while at the same time continuing to provide a unique organization of the curriculum field into five traditions: systematic, existential, radical, pragmatic, and deliberative. Null discusses the philosophical foundations of curriculum as well as historical and contemporary figures who have shaped each curriculum tradition. To ensure breadth and scope, Null has expanded this second edition to include figures not present in the first. 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 educational institutions at all levels. 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 curriculum standards, the attempt to reform core curriculum within universities, and the complex practice of curriculum making. In the final chapter, Null offers a vision for the curriculum field that connects curriculum deliberation with recent developments in moral philosophy.
Wesley Null is vice provost for undergraduate education at Baylor University. He also serves as professor of curriculum & foundations of education in the School of Education and the Honors College. At Baylor, Null collaborates with all deans and vice provosts to maintain a common vision for undergraduate education, oversees undergraduate curriculum for the university, supervises staff who provide academic and advising support for all undergraduates, works closely to the Office of Student Life to supervise living-learning programs, and oversees institutional accreditation for the University. Null is the author of Peerless Educator: The Life and Work of Isaac Leon Kandel (2007) and A Disciplined Progressive Educator: The Life and Career of William Chandler Bagley (2004). He is co-editor, with Diane Ravitch, of Forgotten Heroes of American Education: The Great Tradition of Teaching Teachers (2006). He has co-edited several other books as well, including Readings in American Educational Thought: From Puritanism to Progressivism (2009) and The Pursuit of Curriculum: Schooling and the Public Interest (2006). Null also has served as president of the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum and Editor of the American Educational History Journal. He lives in Woodway, Texas with his wife, Dana, and their two children, Raegan and Corbin.
In an age when most public discourse lacks contemplative deliberation, Wesley Null reminds educators and policy makers of the necessity to think carefully, deeply, and together when framing curriculum. A text that surveys the many philosophical and theoretical traditions of curriculum-making in clear and balanced language would be a significant accomplishment on its own, but Null does this and more. He provides readers with practical guidance through case studies and dilemmas that encourage each new generation of educators to engage in these timeless and inspiring conversations. Wesley Null demonstrates that deliberative curriculum-making is the best path toward a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive curriculum for all students.--Andrew J. Milson, University of Texas-Arlington Just when the study of curriculum has all but vanished and those remaining have pursued other interests or jobs, along comes this elegant book, Curriculum: From Theory to Practice, which Wesley Null has significantly revised for its third edition. In an even-handed way, he presents the five curriculum traditions and illuminates where they potentially intersect. The linking of these traditions to liberal education--indeed, to democracy--makes this volume one that readers will cherish in the years to come.--Cheryl Craig, Texas A&M University As times evolve, Null continues to expand his exploration of curriculum--both past and present. His third edition incorporates the new challenges and realities that face education while providing historical context, various perspectives, and competing approaches to curriculum development.--Robert Williams, 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 Curriculum: From Theory to Practice, Third Edition is the perfect place for educators who are beginning to study curriculum-making. My students and I enjoy reading and discussing this text as part of our study of curriculum because the content is organized in a way that promotes further study of the topics presented.--Bethanie Pletcher, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Excellent text for a curriculum issuer course. It can be a stand-along text or supplemental.--James L. Moseley, Wayne State University I received the text Curriculum: From Theory to Practice, and I have not been able to put it down. Wesley Null truly offer 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 In the new, third edition of Curriculum, Wesley Null portrays curriculum theory as a salient guide to practice in schools. He shows how six curriculum theory postures (liberal, systematic, existentialist, radical, pragmatic, and deliberative) speak to both historical educational dilemmas and recent threats to democracy that plague the world. While Null sees valuable attributes in each tradition, he advocates for the deliberative as the most insightful and effective. Unlike many other curriculum scholars who hold that whole societies or cultures embody curricula, Null's focus is clearly addressed to those who pursue practical school improvement: curriculum leaders, policymakers, teachers, and teacher educators. He includes sections that enable them to address everyday dilemmas faced over standards, core curricula, teacher education, and matters of virtue vis-a-vis deliberative curriculum. The text is well-organized and well-expressed, and it will enable readers to reflect on and justify their work. I urge them to ponder Null's messages deeply.--William H. Schubert, Professor Emeritus of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Chicago; recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Curriculum Studies from AERA; co-editor (with Ming Fang He) of The Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Curriculum Studies (Schubert & He, 2022) and Curriculum: Perspective, Paradigm, and Possibility (Schubert, 1986/1997 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 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 Emeritus of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Chicago; recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Curriculum Studies from AERA; co-editor (with Ming Fang He) of The Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Curriculum Studies (Schubert & He, 2022) and Curriculum: Perspective, Paradigm, and Possibility (Schubert, 1986/1997
