Cleverpens

By: Fatima Winniclare Jayme

Rhetorical curricula are products of the discourse about and attempts to change education. The curriculum we employ is different from the official curriculum, as we put more focus on the subjects delivered. Students learn from the education they receive. The hidden curriculum is what pupils learn at school from their experiences.

There are numerous methods of teaching. Explicit curriculum resources are textbooks and curriculum manuals. The government develops the overt curriculum, which includes textbooks and curriculum standards. Society’s curriculum is about how people learn via media and informal social interactions. The hidden curriculum teaches students social norms and expectations in surprising ways and alters their behavior and mental processes. The “null curriculum” is what is omitted from the lessons and reveals what is considered unimportant. The phantom curriculum is derived from the teachings of the media. The contemporaneous curriculum is derived from the lessons of the family.

Electronic education also covers courses available on the internet and social media. The ‘supported curriculum’ means teaching resources, and the ‘assessed curriculum’ means lesson plans that have been assessed. The term ‘phantom curriculum’ is uncommon in mainstream education literature, while ‘contemporaneous curriculum’ is a rare or non-standard term. It’s a concealed curriculum, although it’s not usually called that.

The teaching resources are part of the supported curriculum. The lesson plans that have been considered are the assessed curriculum. Finally, extracurricular activities, which are not a part of regular classes, contribute to the fun of learning.

Pinar’s Four-Step Reflective Curriculum Theory

The word “curriculum” comes from the Latin verb “currere,” meaning “to run,” literally a “race course.” In modern curriculum theory, educator William Pinar has reconceived the currere as an active, autobiographical process of education, rather than as a predetermined syllabus. This educational reflection approach contains four steps:

1. Retrogressive (thinking about what happened previously),

2. Progressive (looking forward to what could happen)

3. Analytical (making sense of what has happened), and

4. Synthetical (acting in the present in light of what has transpired).

This perspective views education as a lived experience, emphasizing personal growth and understanding throughout the process.

Hidden and Unwritten Curriculum

“Hidden curriculum” and “unwritten curriculum” are two phrases used in education to describe what students learn beyond the lesson plans, although they have different meanings. The “hidden curriculum” refers to the implicit social/cultural lessons, beliefs, and laws in the educational setting.

The ‘hidden curriculum’ refers to the social and cultural lessons transmitted via the school environment, consisting of unspoken social and cultural lessons communicated through that environment. It considers the undesirable ones, like the gender norms and social order.

The term “hidden curriculum” was invented by Philip Jackson in 1968; however, there is no clear evidence that it gained popularity after sociological investigations. Jackson is confirmed to be the source, but the date of general recognition is not proven. But the unwritten curriculum consists of skills and behavioral norms that are taught but not formally written down, such as how to study properly and how to speak professionally. These are the talents teachers tell pupils to learn as part of their education.

Feature	Hidden Curriculum	Unwritten Curriculum
Primary Goal	Socialization and cultural transmission	Practical and functional skill development
Intent	Unintended / Implicit	Intended / Explicit practice
Nature	Values, beliefs, and attitudes	Soft skills, routines, and expectations
Awareness	Rarely acknowledged by anyone	Acknowledged in practice (e.g., “we expect you to know how to share”)

Examples of the ‘Hidden Curriculum’ in Everyday Life

Gender roles: girls are usually the ones asked to organize the bookshelves, and boys are always the ones asked to carry the big boxes. Students don’t know it, but they are told that males are powerful and women are organized.

Compliance over Critical Thinking: Giving high ratings for following directions, sitting motionless, and copying down notes instead of questioning what you are told. But there is evidence that compliance can be rewarded in traditional grading, and many schools are moving toward critical thinking and mastery-based grading. Practices vary widely, and there is no single approach that works for everyone.

Students are forced to obey directions rather than think critically. Kids who are “advanced” receive more resources or field trips because they are in high-stakes tracking systems. But studies indicate that tracking systems do not always provide advanced pupils with additional resources or field trips. Tracking does affect resource allocation; that’s true, but field trips aren’t just for “advanced” pupils. Resource allocation corresponds with academic success but varies widely by district and is impacted by socioeconomic and ethnic characteristics and tracking methods. The different research investigations argue for direct causality.

Students are taught that their worth and the resources they have access to are based on their academic success.

Examples of the “unwritten curriculum” (soft skills) in real life

Time management: Helping students break a month-long study project into weekly pieces, but not giving them a step-by-step schedule.

Professional Communication: You’re surprised that high school students write to a teacher with a formal welcome and a clear subject line instead of using texting lingo, even though you never attended an email workshop.

Group Collaboration: Give students a group assignment and allow them to work out their problems, divide tasks equally, and manage interactions with people of different personalities themselves.

Until next time,

Cleverpens | Fatywines

DISCLAIMER

The information makes no claim to prove any definitive facts other than those that have been publicly published or independently confirmed, and it does not seek to predict the outcome of any investigation, legal proceeding, or administrative review. Readers are asked to distinguish between facts, interpretation, ethical considerations, and hypothetical analyses.

© 2026 Cleverpens

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