Curriculum and Learning

Synonyms

Course of study; Plan for learning

Definitions

Stemming from the Latin verb “currere,” meaning to run, the noun curriculum verbally translates as “racecourse.” Historically, the word curriculum has been used to describe the subjects taught during the classical period of Greek civilization. Today, numerous definitions exist for the word curriculum. Hilda Taba in 1962 defines a curriculum as a plan for learning. Her definition permits further elaborations and can be accepted as a brief and foundational interpretation of a curriculum.

Theoretical Background

Introduction

Learning, in the definition of this encyclopedia, takes places in numerous settings. Many of those settings are informal and others are formal. Formal education settings are, for example, primary and secondary schooling, tertiary education, but also some kind of professional development and off-the-job training activities. In formal settings, the provision of learning is usually steered by a plan.

In the...