Running Head: My Curriculum Ideology 1

My Curriculum Ideology and its Influence on my Approaches to Teaching

Stacie Ryan
University of Lethbridge
My Curriculum Ideology 2

As a teacher, I believe that ideologies can have an enormous impact on the way that
information is presented to students and the way that they learn. Teachers will tailor their lessons
to reflect their view and beliefs, which can persuade their students to share those same views and
ideas. My idea can be confirmed in Wilson Cooper (2003)s article, where she tells us that Most
practitioners and scholars agree that a teachers ability to help students succeed is linked to his or
her own knowledge and use of pedagogical practices that promote student achievement.
(p.101). I could also notice this when I was in High school, where I was taught history from a
social reconstruction ideological view. My teacher would present us information and then have
us analyze how we can avoid making the same mistakes in the future. This heavily influence my
perspective today about the way history should be taught.
According to Schiro (2013), The Social Efficiency ideology, the Scholar Academic
ideology, the Learner Centered ideology, and the Social Reconstruction ideology are the names
given to the curriculum ideologies [] (p.4). When I thought about which ideology I would
most identify with, I found it difficult to focus on just one. I believe that each ideology contains
key aspects of how curriculum should be taught. When looking at the Scholar Academic
Ideology, I believe that it is important for students to learn and understand the knowledge within
the curriculum. If we do not learn the base of this knowledge we will not be able to build or
expand on it, which leads into the Social Reconstruction Ideology. Once we acquire our cultures
knowledge, we must be able to examine it and determine what may need to change so that we are
able to create a better future for ourselves. I also feel as though we need to teach our youth how
to effectively function in society and be able apply what they learn in school to the real world,
which aligns with the Social Efficiency Ideology. Finally, I believe that the students individual
needs should be considered when presenting them this information. As teachers, we should take
in to account that there are different learning styles and more than one way of showing
knowledge. Assessments should give all types of learners the opportunity to show what they
know.
This mixture of ideologies will affect the way that I present curriculum to my students. In
my lessons, I plan to incorporate different learning styles into my lessons. For example, when I
My Curriculum Ideology 3

was teaching English as a second language, I had my students give me English songs that they
liked so that we could translate them in to French. This held their attention and allowed them to
get a better grasp on the language. I also plan to use real world situations to teach concepts, such
as incorporating currency in math problems. Finally, I will present the curriculum to my students
and encourage critical thinking in my classroom. I want students to be able to analyze the
information they learn and think about how they can improve society with it.
I modelled this combination of ideas in my Ed 2500 practicum placement. I created a
lesson that had my students dive into the idea of protecting the environment. I started the lesson
by presenting them facts about what items we can recycle and what we should throw in the
garbage. This part of the lesson ties in with the Scholarly Academic Ideology. I then had my
students participate in an activity where they took items and sorted according to whether they
should go in the garbage or the recycling. Next we discussed why it is important to protect our
environment and ways to do so. These models both the Social Reconstruction Ideology (bettering
the future of the planet) and the Social Efficiency Ideology (being able to put waste in the
appropriate place). Finally, the students completed a practice worksheet that reflected the in-class
activity that we did. In my lesson, I also presented the information to my students in several
different ways so that I can reach out to all types of learning styles (Learner Centered Ideology).
I plan to use this type of approach in future lessons.
My Curriculum Ideology 4

References
Schiro, Michael Stephen. Curriculum Theory. 2013, pp. 113.,
moodle.uleth.ca/201703/pluginfile.php/120909/mod_resource/content/1/Schiro%
20%282013%29%20Curriculum%20Theory%20Chapter%201.pdf.
Wilson Cooper, Camille. The Detrimental Impact of Teacher Bias: Lessons Learned from the
Standpoint of African American Mothers. Teaching Education Quarterly, Spring 2003,
2003, pp. 101116., files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ852360.pdf.