Hidden and Null Curriculum

Eugene F. Provenzo Jr.

The hidden curriculum is an important concept for those interested in the schools as socializing agents and as agents of cultural reproduction. Closely related to the idea of the hidden curriculum is the concept of the null curriculum, which focuses on what schools don't teach. The hidden and null curricula, as they manifest themselves in various ways in the schools, represent subtle and deeply influential forces in the shaping of attitudes and beliefs. Because they are not immediately evident, as is the case with the formal curriculum, does not mean that they can be disregarded. Both hidden and null curricula are described in this entry. The concept of the hidden curriculum was first developed by Phillip Jackson in his 1968 book Life in Classrooms . According to Jackson, there are three factors embedded in schools: (1) crowds, (2) praise, and (3) power. The hidden curriculum as defined by Jackson must ...

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