In this far-reaching discussion of curriculum and liberal education, William A. Reid compares curriculum making to the idea of “pursuit.” Like justice, Reid argues that curriculum is not something that we own or possess in a material sense; rather, it is an achievement that anyone involved in schooling must and should pursue. Drawing upon the acclaimed work of Joseph J. Schwab, Reid discusses four traditions within curriculum theory (the systematic, the radical, the existentialist, and the deliberative), and then makes his case that a deliberative perspective is the soundest, most long-lasting philosophical tradition for curriculum theorists to follow. Reid’s goal is to persuade readers to engage in the age-old practice of deliberation. Wesley Null introduces readers to Reid’s book with a new introduction and postscript that connect the Schwab-Reid tradition to the ancient roots upon which deliberative theory is based. Null also draws connections between Reid’s text and contemporary issues facing curriculum and education in 21st century America. In a world in which passion-driven arguments for extreme views on curriculum often dominate discussions, Reid’s book offers a balanced perspective that is rooted in reason, wisdom, and a deep-seated commitment to justice and the public good. This book speaks directly to teachers, school administrators, university faculty, and anyone else who is interested in thinking clearly about the question of what should be taught in America’s schools.

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsPromoting Quality in Learning: Does England Have the Answer? Findings from the QUEST Project. Patricia Broadfoot , Marilyn Osborn , Claire Planel , Keith Sharpe William A. ReidWilliam A. Reid Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Education Volume 108, Number 4Aug., 2000 Sponsored by the Penn State College of Education Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/444253 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright 2001 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

In an age when contributions to educational scholarship are expected to be published as self-contained propositions, demonstrations, or resumes, what one to make of a paper which represents just one piece in a vast mosaic, the pattern and reflection of a lifetime's activity of an intelligent, questing, and concerned mind? As the editors of a collection of Schwab's point out in their introduction, he is and always has been an engaged intellectual, writing for a particular occasion and purpose and using as his genre the essay, seeking by way of individual excursions into his problem area to create a tapestry which offers a single vision of one kind of education. ... There in his writing a complex back-and-forth between the particular and the more general so that grasp of any one essay requires appreciation by the reader of other essays, and of problems already discussed and closed (Westbury and Wilkof, 1978, p. 2). On one level, The Practical 4 makes an argument for a way of handling curriculum planning in schools (the deliberative process), proposes a form of organization for achieving this (a curriculum group headed by a curriculum chairman), and suggests how professors of curriculum could provide programs for the preparation of curriculum chairmen. Since it the culmination of a series of on the theme of deliberative planning' and recapitulates earlier material (this paper stands on its own ... by virtue of summaries, where necessary, of points made in the earlier papers [p. 239]), we are encouraged to read and interpret it on this unproblematic level. But the straightforward proposals conceal sig-

(1983). Curriculum design and moral judgment. Cambridge Journal of Education: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 3-7.

Educational TheoryVolume 29, Issue 4 p. 325-336 Schools, Teachers, and Curriculum Change: The Moral Dimension of Theory-Building† William A. Reid, William A. Reid Lecturer in Education at the University of Birmingham, England.Search for more papers by this author William A. Reid, William A. Reid Lecturer in Education at the University of Birmingham, England.Search for more papers by this author First published: October 1979 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-5446.1979.tb00863.xCitations: 6 † *Invited address, Conference on “Images of the Teacher and Issues in Curriculum Change,” Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, April. 1979. A previous version of this paper was presented to a seminar at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, March, 1979. I am grateful to Gail McCutcheon for helpful comments and criticisms. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume29, Issue4October 1979Pages 325-336 RelatedInformation

Foreword. Preface. 1 Stability and Change: The Public Schools of Gary, Indiana, 1940-70 W Lynn McKinney and Ian Westbury. 2 Negotiating Curriculum Change in a College of Education K E Shaw 3 Curriculum Development in an Art Project Decker F Walker 4 The Head Teacher as Innovator: A Study of an English School District N B Dickinson 5 Handling Innovation in the Classroom: Two Scottish Examples David Hamilton 6 The Diffusion of Keynesian Macroeconomics through American High School Textbooks, 1936-70 7 The Changing Curriculum: Theory and Practice William A Reid. Bibliography. Index.