Teacher Conceptions, Curriculum Ideologies, and Adaptations to Linear Change in River School District

Abstract

Curriculum ideologies are educational theories applied in everyday pedagogical practice. In this study, to better meet the learning needs of their students, four middle school teachers used a variety of ideologies as a professional toolbox. When confronted with school district standardization, these teachers adapted; however, as predicted by earlier studies, adjustments required the loss of previously successful curriculum. As predicted by Feldhusen, these losses affected teachers of high-level students (honors and gifted and talented) the most. In this district, two such teachers opposed standardization; nevertheless, even with resistance, they lost ideological-based curriculum choices. What are teachers of high-level students to do? Any standardization program will threaten and/or change eclectic ideological praxes. With such a dichotomy, a split is revealed between teacher beliefs and practices. In this study, an honors teacher could not bear the split and decided to stop teaching rather than give up her curricular eclecticism.