Teachers' Role in Curriculum Development: An Alternative Approach

Abstract

This paper discusses an approach to curriculum development that relates to the double role of teachers as developers and as autonomous implementers. The proposed approach is demonstrated in a case study curriculum project.' Teachers' role in the curriculum enterprise have been widely discussed. Based on his review of the literature, Connelly (I972) concludes that teachers are highly autonomous agents with respect to externally developed curriculum materials. There is no evidence to support the view that this autonomy may be circumvented by increased control of teachers or by the attempts to construct teacher-proof curricula. Moreover, McLaughlin and Marsh (1978), reporting on the Rand Change Agent Study, describe the process by which an innovation, such as a novel curriculum, comes to be used in a local setting as adaptive and heuristic. The Rand Study confirms a view that teachers are competent professionals *This article is based on a curriculum development seminar presented by the author at