Running head: Effects of Student Involvement in Classroom Curriculum 1

Effects of Student Involvement in Classroom Curriculum

Prepared for
Dr. Naomi Nichols
Assistant Professor
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec

Prepared by
Jennifer Dumont
Masters of Art in Teaching and Learning
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec

July 25, 2016

Effects of Student Involvement in Classroom Curriculum 2

I will explore the impacts of allowing students to be more involved in the creation of a class

curriculum. I will be analyzing this in the context of Dewey's theory of growth, Noddings' ideas of

standards, accountability, and testing, as well as the applicability among different subjects. Students

being more involved in the creation of a class curriculum could mean a wide range of concepts. In the

broad sense, changes to the entire secondary education system could be made to cater to students'

individual interests but I will be analyzing the impacts in a more narrow sense. I will explore what can

be done in the current classroom setting.

Dewey discusses the purpose of education as growth. Noddings comments on Dewey's notion

of growth by stating ... he insisted that experience is educative only if it produces growth if, that is,

students leave the experience more capable or interested in engaging in new experience. (2016, p. 26).

I regard this statement to be true because I believe too many students are focused on the importance of

tests and grades rather than learning and growth which is not educative. Detachment with the

curriculum can allow memorization to take precedence over learning for the purpose of passing tests

and graduating. Allowing students to have more input and freedom when planning activities and

projects in class can further engross them in their own learning experience. Therefore, this practice

could further contribute to individual growth. Growth does not necessarily have to be in relation to the

subject material; it can be of the form of excitement for learning, increased participation in class,

improved social skills, or developing a new passion or perspective.

Students are individuals and school is an establishment that should foster the growth of

individuality. We cannot expect all students to engage with material that is presented with only one

method. Noddings writes ... if we respect all healthy talents and interests, we should not force students

to compete for success on uniform material. (2016, p. 202). But to what extent can we implement this

notion in our own classroom? How can we abandon our expectations for students to learn and succeed

on the same material, that is presented in the same manner, and encourage individuality and growth?
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There are standards that our students must meet which pose a challenge to teachers that wish to give

more freedom to students. Restructuring the overall curriculum and its goal could address this issue,

but how can we currently do this as teachers in our own classrooms?

There is certainly a set of standards of knowledge that must be learned. A student cannot simply

ignore a particular discipline, such as Mathematics or English. Nor can they ignore a subset of a

discipline, such as algebra or geometry, because the subject matter does not interest them. Noddings

describes Dewey's position on subjects by stating Dewey did not recommend abandoning the

traditional subjects of the curriculum, but he wanted them to be taught in a way that makes them

genuine subject matter. They should be presented so that students can use them in purposefully working

through some problematic situations. (2016, p. 38). Tailoring subjects to our students' interests is one

way to make the material we teach genuine to our students and applicable to their lives while still

covering the requisite knowledge. The education system cannot be transformed overnight but there are

changes, as teachers, that we can make that allow our students to be more involved in the class

curriculum while teaching required material in a way that is meaningful.

A primary component that allows students to be more involved in their curriculum is to

determine the interests and learning styles of each student. There are a variety of learning styles, such

as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, that provide different ways material can be presented. Self-directed

projects can allow students to utilize their preferred learning style and incorporate their own interests

into the subject matter. For example, in a science class, a project on global warming could be given

with a non-restrictive set of guidelines that allows students to submit a video, paper, play, or art to

present the topic. This creative freedom could allow students to utilize their talents in a way that helps

them to better engage with the material and goal of the lesson. But are self-directed projects enough?

Integrating the interests of students may not easily be applicable to all subjects. In an English

class, it is easier to incorporate many topics in a way that provides more variety than solely having self-
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directed projects. Debates and papers could provide an opportunity for students to incorporate their

own interests in an assignment. Also, students could be given the freedom to choose books, movies, or

musical theatre which could be integrated into the lesson. There are many methods that can be done to

collectively involve all members of the classroom in a way that interests them. Students can help build

the lesson plan and make decisions on what they want to read or write about while remaining within

certain guidelines. But what about Mathematics? How can this feasibly be done in a class where the

guidelines are more strict and variety is not as easily incorporated as it is in English?

As teachers, we set objectives and plans for our students on a daily basis. But why do we not

more readily involve our students in this process? Noddings states Dewey insisted that not only

teachers must have aims for their chosen activities, students must be involved in setting objectives for

their own learning. (2016, p. 28). This is of great importance to ensure that students not only

participate in learning but also in the creation of what and how they will learn. Allowing students to set

objectives for their own learning can help them grow more of an attachment to their learning process,

which can leave them feeling more accountable for how well they do. They become more accountable

for their success since they tailored it, within reason, to their liking. Having a teacher care about the

interests of the students can also foster a caring relationship amongst the teacher and the students. It

shows that the teacher is taking a vested interest in the students beyond the realms of what the teacher

is required to do. Investing time to help your students connect their interests to the material creates an

environment that builds the students' sense of trust and security and improves their ability to learn.

Noddings also highlights the benefits of student-involved curriculum by stating The massive

amount of material that might be mastered encourages students to structure what they learn and, it has

been argued, the cognitive power of such structuring far outlasts the impressions of specific tidbits of

information in long term memory. (2016, p. 202). She also mentions the benefit to creative teachers

who are willing and excited to adapt and consistently update the curriculum to ensure that it caters to
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the individuality of each student (2016, p. 202). These benefits are not only for the students but also the

teacher. Students can have a sense of pride from developing their own curriculum in a class and

participate in real learning, rather than memorization. Teachers can have more creative freedom to

change what is learned and how it is learned in a way that can make their job more meaningful.

Tests are an issue that arise when trying to provide more freedom to the structure of a

classroom. Learning and understanding are gauged by tests. Standardized tests have become more of an

issue for learning because both teachers and students want success on these tests but sometimes at the

cost of engaged learning for rote memorization. These tests require students to have a very specific set

of knowledge which can conflict with the ideal of catering curriculum to each individual's interests.

Noddings discusses the idea of accountability and standards in regards to testing by stating

Accountability demands equality of outcomes on every test. And standards define both the curriculum

and what appears on the test. (2016, p. 204). Teachers and students are both accountable for the

outcomes of these tests. Teachers have to make sure students have an understanding of the material that

will be presented on these tests and strive for equal outcomes from students. Also, students have to do

well enough to move forward with their education. Standardized tests restrict the freedom we can give

to our students as they provide standards and guidelines on what must be taught and restrict the amount

of time that can be allocated to more interest-based learning. We must make sure that while catering to

the individuality of students that we do not forget to thoroughly teach the material that will be

presented on these tests.

There are clearly benefits to allowing students to be more involved in their classroom

curriculum. Students can better contribute to their own growth by engaging more thoroughly with

learning by combining their interests and the subject material. However, allowing students to become

involved in their own learning cannot always be easily applied to all subjects. In what ways can

Mathematics more readily involve student interests and contribution to the curriculum? Also, a teacher
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showing more concern for the interests of their students can create a stronger relationship between the

two. But can catering to individual student interests lead to teacher burnout? Unfortunately, tests and

accountability pose a problem. There is only a limited amount of time to cover material that is required

on standardized tests and in the course which students and teachers are accountable for. Can this type of

learning environment get in the way of certain material and success on standardized tests? There is not

always a clear way to involve students in the curriculum. However, student involvement in classroom

curriculum is clearly beneficial to student learning, growth, and their relationship with their teachers

and the education system.

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References

Noddings, N. (2016). Philosophy of education (4th ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.