Rethinking the Definition and Value of the Curriculum Concept: The Zimbabwe Experience

This paper interrogates the multifarious perceptions of the word curriculum from an educational viewpoint. In considering questions of curriculum one must go beyond the confines of the school to look at society. The study considers the values, traditions and beliefs of the whole culture of society. Curriculum decisions are not just about content and organising teaching/learning of subject matter but careful considerations of philosophical, psychological and sociological issues. Research shows that without a thorough consideration of these fundamental principles, the designed curriculum may fail to address the needs of the society. Using a desktop approach, this study explored and discussed some sociological principles and how these have been considered and represented in the Zimbabwean school curriculum as a case in point. Sociological principles are social forces that govern one’s behaviour in a given society. The paper concludes by showing that sociological principles have been considered in the formulation and implementation of most school curriculum studies. The study implores curriculum planners to design curriculum studies that take cognisance of key sociological principles if society is to move forward by using education as a vehicle for development.