The curriculum-as-plan as the refrain

Abstract

Though classroom teachers learn about inquiry-based teaching and learning and the project-based approach in their teacher education programs, they must often negotiate a lived curriculum amidst pressure to use a prescribed curriculum that has been adopted at the school or district level. We consider eight student teachers’ experiences with and interpretations of the prescribed curriculum during their practicum semester. Drawing on Aoki’s conceptualization of the curriculum-as-plan and Deleuze and Guattari’s notion of the refrain, we consider student teachers’ articulated beliefs about curriculum, focus group meetings, and individual interviews to inquire about how the student teachers experienced and made sense of the curriculum-as-plan and what they believed it to have produced in their early childhood classrooms. We describe how student teachers perceived powerful expectations to comply to the curriculum-as-plan through the establishment of curricular rhythms and routines and how, despite these expectations, they were also willing to create openings in the prescribed curriculum that would enable their teaching to be more aligned with their beliefs. To conclude, we offer suggestions for teacher educators to help preservice teachers negotiate practicing their beliefs while acknowledging existing expectations of compliance to the prescribed curriculum.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 All participants’ names are pseudonyms.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kortney Sherbine

Kortney Sherbine is an Assistant Professor of Literacy in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University. Her research examines children's literacy encounters with popular culture in early childhood and elementary classrooms. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy and Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, among other journals and edited volumes. She is a former elementary grades teacher.

May Hara

May Hara is an Associate Professor of Education at Framingham State University. Her research explores pre-service and practicing teacher policy engagement and advocacy. Her work has appeared in the Peabody Journal of Education, Policy Futures in Education, and Urban Society, among other journals and edited volumes. She is a former middle school English as a Second Language teacher.