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Philosophical foundations for curriculum decision: a reflective analysis

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Abstract

Curriculum is a term often used in educational contexts. However, it may be difficult to determine precisely what it is referring to. In this study, we discussed curriculum experiences under different philosophical foundations. We applied autoethnography as a method to conceptualize philosophical foundations based on theoretical and experiential anecdotes. The praxeological experiences of the authors as students and teachers/educators within the context of tension between traditional goal-oriented curricula and backward design from goals to action-oriented curricula portray the landscape of their curriculum images under different circumstances and practices. The reflective analyses outline the various images of the curriculum, portray the static-to-dynamic nature of the curriculum, and provide personal reflections on different isms and curricular experiences. We generated concepts from the reflections of each co-author and discussed them in early curricular experiences and observations, a moment of shift in curricular perspective, and contemporary curriculum experiences and observations.

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This work is solely based on literature and authors’ reflections. Therefore, there is no data available for this review-based study.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Journal Editorial and Anonymous Reviewers for their constructive role in improving and publishing this manuscript. We would like to acknowledge that this manuscript bridges our curriculum experiences across the nations (e.g., Nepal, Thailand, Palestine, United Arab Emirates, and United States of America) and doctoral education experiences from 2010 to 2022. 

Funding

There was no funding support for this study from any institution.

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Authors

Contributions

All authors contributed to this manuscript in a significant way. SB drafted the first outline of the manuscript and approved the final version. BS revised the theoretical aspect of curriculum images and added a reflection. BPP contributed in philosophical aspects and added a reflection. BK contributed to the criticalism of the curriculum and added a reflection. RKP contributed to colonialism and added a reflection. WK contributed to decolonialism and added a reflection. NKA contributed to the discussion and conclusion and added a reflection. All co-authors revised the final version and approved it for submission and publication.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shashidhar Belbase.

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The authors declare that no potential conflict of interest exists in publishing this article.

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This work is based on literature/document analysis and authors’ personal reflections, and no human subject was involved. It is a substantially revised version of a preprint in ERIC (ED524740). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED524740.pdf

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Belbase, S., Sharma, B., Pant, B.P. et al. Philosophical foundations for curriculum decision: a reflective analysis. SN Soc Sci 2, 39 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-022-00344-5

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