This article provides an analysis, synthesis and interpretation of notions of Bildung in curriculum studies in educational research. The study is based on a systematic research review of 43 research articles published between 1990 and 2020. It addresses two central research questions: the identification of the main themes in the 43 texts through a bottom-up approach and the contributions of Bildung to the discussion of curriculum studies through a top-down approach according to an educational theoretical framework based on the Didaktik tradition and curriculum ideologies. Five main themes are identified as central findings, focusing on an understanding of Bildung as a renewal of education, a lost dimension of education, an alternative to competence and learning, cast in a comparative perspective between Didaktik and curriculum traditions, and as teachers' knowledge to enact curriculum. Key findings are interpreted to capture three central curriculum studies' aspects, namely, curriculum theory, policy, and implementation, each of which is underpinned by three corresponding notions of Bildung as renewal, resistance, and reflection, deemed central in advancing individual freedoms and peaceful democratic societies. It is concluded that Bildung, as an educational concept embedded in the Bildung-oriented Didaktik tradition, continues to enrich discussions in curriculum studies.
This paper examines the controversy over data science courses in public California secondary schools, focusing on the University of California Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools' (BOARS) and its reversal in 2023 of a nearly decade-long practice of allowing data science to substitute for Algebra II as part of the University of California/California State University criteria for admissions eligibility. The dispute became a flashpoint. Drawing on BOARS minutes, California policy documents, public commentary, and curriculum scholarship, the paper argues that the controversy revealed the power of university admissions requirements to shape secondary curriculum and define which forms of mathematical knowledge count as legitimate. Algebra II functions not only as part of the traditional college-preparatory sequence, but also as a political selection device through which admissions systems preserve status and student distinction. Data science proponents, by contrast, advanced a competing conception of rigour grounded in statistical reasoning, computational thinking, modelling, and engagement with real-world data. The paper situates this debate within California's role as a global technology centre, concluding that 'Data Science for All' requires more than approving new courses; it requires public deliberation over admissions policy, curricular authority, and multiple rigorous mathematical pathways for civic, academic, and occupational life.
This paper critically analyses the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, a Government of India (GOI) initiative aimed at creating an equitable and inclusive educational ecosystem in the country through the theoretical lens of Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital. Our study explores how NEP 2020, through its curriculum reform, deals with different forms of cultural capital which often facilitate students' academic growth. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a topic modelling tool, was employed to identify recurring topics in this policy text. The topics were then grouped into meaningful and interpretable themes. Following this process, the themes were further analysed using critical discourse analysis (CDA). The findings suggest that, although the NEP 2020 is framed as a transformative effort aiming to promote equity and inclusion, the policy may contribute to the continuation of structural inequalities rather than their elimination. Our study contributes to debates on education policy by demonstrating how discourse and hidden power relations shape policies as well as highlighting the need for reforms that address unequal access to capital, so that education can function as a tool of empowerment rather than social exclusion.
