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Lesson 2: Concepts of Curriculum

Types of Curriculum

Posner (2003) distinguishes types of curriculum:

  • Official curriculum: The curriculum described in formal documents.
  • Operational curriculum: The curriculum embodied in actual teaching practices and tests.
  • Hidden curriculum: Institutional norms and values not openly acknowledged by teachers or school officials.
  • Null curriculum: The subject matters not taught.
  • Extra curriculum: The planned experiences outside the formal curriculum.

A relational diagram of the the 5 types of Curriculum: Formal, Operational, Hidden, Null and Extra.


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