Why knowledge matters for the schools of the 21st century?

Authors

  • Michael F. D. Young Professor da University College London Institute of Education – UCL –, Londres, Reino Unido

Keywords:

Knowledge, School Curriculum, Curriculum Theory, England

Abstract

In this paper I document the trend in both educational policy and thought in England. Instead of seeing knowledge as a source of freedom as the great philosopher of the Enlightenment would have argued, there is a worrying tendency to trust experience and see knowledge as something to be “freed from”. I will explore an alternative to this “fear of knowledge” with the idea that the curriculum of schools should represent all a student or pupil’s entitlement to what I will refer to as “powerful knowledge”. This requires a clarification of both concepts, “power” and “knowledge”. To do this I shall make reference to the concept of “powerful knowledge” as a curriculum principle, the idea that all pupils are “entitled to access to powerful knowledge” and that it is important to distinguish between a national curriculum and a school curriculum and the concepts of curriculum and pedagogy. 

 

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Published

2016-04-07

How to Cite

Young, M. F. D. (2016). Why knowledge matters for the schools of the 21st century?. Cadernos De Pesquisa, 46(159), 18–37. Retrieved from https://publicacoes.fcc.org.br/cp/article/view/3533

Issue

Vol. 46 No. 159: jan./mar.2016

Section

Tema em Destaque - Estudos sobre o conhecimento escolar: tendências e perspectivas

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