Portfolio Artifact: Curriculum Theory Part I

Scholar Academic Ideology

Aims: The aim of this ideology is to preserve the existence of it disciplines by
passing on knowledge to students, which helps carry on traditions and future
development. Further, it is important to develop literacy among the general
population so that members benefit from knowledge discovered.

Child: Great concern is placed on transmitting curriculum to children.

Children are sponges and start at the bottom of the academic hierarchy. Like a
blank sheet of paper, they start with nothing but can learn and absorb different
ways of thinking. The child is seen as a creature of intellect.

Learning: Learning is based on the intentional actions of a teacher, which are

directly aimed at the student. Teachers are transmitters and students are
receivers. Students will learn if they are properly engaged by the teacher.

Teaching: Teaching is what allows students to learn. Teachers should

understand the discipline, curriculum, and pedagogical knowledge. They are
considered mini-scholars who dedicate themselves to transmitting a discipline
to student versus creating new knowledge.

Knowledge: Knowledge is what enables people to understand their world and

serves as “that which is known” and “the way in which something is known”.
Further, knowledge can be transmitted from human to human, and receivers
can maintain knowledge and use it. Knowledge represents reality but is not
actual reality.

Evaluation: Scholar Academics believe in giving exams and collecting data to

evaluate if teachers, children, schools, or pieces of curriculum are adequate.
Additionally, collecting data and comparing performance serves as a
competitive tool to improve schools.
 Social Efficiency Ideology
Aims: Social Efficiency educators believe in carrying out tasks in the most
efficient way possible. They design and implement educational programs, and
they are not as concerned about content as they are the design and
implementation of the curriculum. It is not about how much is achieved but
how well something is achieved.

Child: Little concern is directed toward the child. It is the behavior of an

individual that matters. Children have meaning in this ideology; however, it is
because they can develop into adults, which later will fulfill the needs of society.
Children are the workers in school and understand what they need to
accomplish based on teachers who supervise them.

Learning: Learning is based on the ability to perform detailed activities,

specifically when given a situational stimulus. Further, learners learn by
doing.

Teaching: Teachers serve as managers of curriculum and experiences. They

prepare a student’s environment, and they are responsible for managing,
directing, and supervising students throughout their learning. Additionally,
teachers motivate and assess students while adjusting based on individual
student needs.

Knowledge: Being informed is not the focus; instead, the ability to act is
important to Social Efficiency educators. Having knowledge matters, but
taking learned information and acting in the appropriate manner is what Social
Efficiency educators call knowledge.

Evaluation: It is important to assess students, teachers, and curricula in this

ideology; further, assessment is necessary to ensure students do not move on
before mastery of certain objectives. Evaluation is important because it serves
as feedback to students so they can change their behavior.
 Over time, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has deployed accountability programs to

monitor academic achievement across the state. The Texas Accountability Ratings System (A-

F), which is based on multiple measures, was established to monitor the progress of students,

schools, and school districts. Additionally, this system resembles the Scholar Academic

Ideology and Social Efficiency Ideology.

The rating system sets clear performance standards and requires districts to provide data

from state exams to determine if students are learning and growing and if schools are performing

adequately. Scholar Academic educators believe in giving exams and collecting data to

determine the adequacy of multiple stakeholders. Further, Scholar Academic educators believe

comparing performance serves as a competitive tool to improve schools, and an analysis of the

rating system shows pressure placed on schools to avoid low performance results in students

achieving at higher levels.

The Social Efficiency Ideology also focuses on the evaluation of students. Social

Efficiency educators believe assessing students is important because it provides feedback to

change future behavior, and assessments determine if students are ready to move on to the next

level. The accountability system set forth by TEA uses data from districts to provide feedback

so changes can be made for future learning experiences and growth within schools.

The TEKS, or Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, also resemble pieces of both the

Scholar Academic Ideology and Social Efficiency Ideology. When looking at the specific

standards outlined for English I, one of the sentences in the general requirements section states

the strand focuses on academic oracy, authentic reading, and reflective writing to ensure a

literate Texas. An aim of Scholar Academic educators is to develop literacy among the general
population, which aligns with the standards of English I. It is about improving an entire

population.

The standards for English I also support the ideology of Social Efficiency educators; for

example, in English I, students are expected to give a presentation using informal, formal, and

technical language effectively, and they are required to demonstrate appropriate eye contact and

purposeful gestures during this activity. The standards require students to use what they have

learned and behave in a certain manner, which aligns with the Social Efficiency Ideology. Social

Efficiency educators believe students learn by doing and performing detailed activities is

important in the learning process. The TEKS also serve as a guide to educators, and teachers are

responsible for serving as managers by setting up the learning environment for students, which is

another example of the Social Efficiency Ideology.

Both the accountability system and TEKS set forth by the Texas Education Agency are

designed to help students, teachers, schools, and school districts improve academic achievement

of all students. Curriculum ideologies play an influential role in the creation of such systems,

and it is evident the Scholar Academic Ideology and Social Efficiency Ideology appear

throughout the systems of education in Texas.