Hidden Curriculum

The Hidden Curriculum

There is plenty of evidence available to show that the hidden curriculum, in some shape or form, does exist within schools. There is also a range of evidence to show that its effect can be quite marked in terms of how it affects the achievement levels of different social classes, genders and ethnic groups. However, because the concept is so general (it can be related to a huge range of different effects) we can restrict ourselves to looking at a few examples of the way the hidden curriculum can be related to differential achievement.

In this respect, concepts such as teacher labelling and stereotypes, streaming, banding and setting, and sexual / racial forms of discrimination are dealt with in more detail in the appropriate areas of the evidence section.

For the moment, therefore, we can set the scene for this evidence by looking in more general terms at the overall concept of a hidden curriculum and, in particular, we can examine some of the general principles involved in the interpretation of this concept.

To help us do this, we can look briefly at how writers such as Pat McNeill, and Phillip Jackson (to name but two - the contributions of writers such as David Hargreaves and Howard Becker are discussed in the "class discrimination" section) in have applied the concept of a hidden curriculum to a general understanding of various aspects of the schooling process.