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hidden curriculum

Definition of Hidden Curriculum

(noun) Informal, unintended, and unwritten non-academic knowledge gained from peers.

Hidden Curriculum Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: hid·den cur·ric·u·lum

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /hId-n kuhr-rIk-yuh-luhm/
  • British English – /hIdn kuh-rIk-yu-luhm/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈhɪdən kəˈrɪkjələm/
  • British English – /ˈhɪdn kəˈrɪkjʊləm/

Usage Note

Related Quotation

  • “Second to the family, the school acts as a powerful agent of socialization. It is the first formal agency charged with the task of socializing children and represents the first link to the wider world. In school, children must learn not only basic skills needed in the society but also the hidden curriculum of how to cope successfully in a competitive environment. American schools have often been hotbeds of controversy (school prayer, standards, teacher performance, common core, etc.), probably because they are recognized as being such important socializing agents. Schools are also used as socialization agents for the labor market. In that function, they are expected to teach manners, respect for authority, and the development of basic social skills. At the same time, schools manage to stress certain cultural values (such as competition) and disseminate the idea that the society of which students are a part is superior to others. This is the hidden curriculum that schools impart above and beyond basic skills” (Perry and Perry 2016:92–93).

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Reference

Perry, John A., and Erna K. Perry. 2016. Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Social Science. New York: Routledge.

Works Consulted

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Cite the Definition of Hidden Curriculum

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “hidden curriculum.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved November 8, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/hidden-curriculum/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

hidden curriculum. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/hidden-curriculum/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “hidden curriculum.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed November 8, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/hidden-curriculum/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“hidden curriculum.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/hidden-curriculum/>.