Toward a Grammar of Curriculum Practice: Embracing New Conceptions of Curriculum and Curriculum Planning

By: Edmund C. Short

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Synopsis: Curriculum planning can be conceptualized in various ways, and curriculum planners necessarily must adopt a particular approach in order to facilitate their thinking and decision-making. However, the history of curriculum planning suggests that existing conceptualizations are sometimes confusing, imprecise, or not as helpful as they might be. There is a need for a new conceptualization that overcomes the limitations of these earlier conceptions. Through conceptual analysis and concept development, the author presents curriculum planning as a form of educational practice distinct from other practices such as teaching, administration, and policy making. Short's "grammar of curriculum practice" describes a set of key concepts and the meaningful relationships among them that define the essential elements of curriculum and of curriculum planning.