The Hidden Curriculum

The Hidden Curriculum

Sourced From: Sociology Factsheet www.curriculum-press.co.uk

In school, we learn the norms and values and culture of a society through both the hidden curriculum and the formal curriculum. The formal curriculum is learning subjects such as English and History and the hidden curriculum is a set of values, attitudes and principles transmitted to pupils in school but not as a part of the formal curriculum of timetabled subjects.

It is important to distinguish between the hidden curriculum and the formal curriculum.

The Formal Curriculum                   The Hidden Curriculum

Mathematics                                       Queuing

English                                               Wearing school uniform

Sciences                                             Competitive sports

History                                                Respect to teachers

Geography                                         Time keeping

Design and Technology                      Rewards (e.g. merit badges)

Jackson (1968) ‘Life in Classrooms’

Jackson used the term hidden curriculum to describe the unofficial 3Rs - rules, routines and regulations. These 3Rs have to be learned by students to survive comfortably in classrooms.

Perspectives on the Hidden Curriculum

1. Functionalists, such as Durkheim and Parsons, focus on the linksbetween education and other social institutions such…