Null curriculum
In *The Educational Imagination* (1979), Elliot Eisner argued that what schools do not teach — knowledge, values and modes of thinking left out — matters as much as what they teach. It differs from the explicit curriculum and the hidden curriculum (unintended learning). Examples include neglected artistic thinking or controversial social issues. It prompts reflection on what curriculum selection excludes.
Frequently asked questions
- Null vs hidden curriculum?
- Hidden: learned unintentionally; null: not taught at all.
- Who proposed it?
- Elliot Eisner (1979).
References
- Eisner, E. W. (1979). The educational imagination: On the design and evaluation of school programs. Macmillan.
- Flinders, D. J., Noddings, N., & Thornton, S. J. (1986). The null curriculum: Its theoretical basis and practical implications. Curriculum Inquiry, 16(1), 33–42.