Procedural democracy: Perceptions of the latest curriculum revision in British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

In a historical review of curriculum revisions carried out in British Columbia, Canada, the author argued that these revisions were undemocratic in the sense that the revisions were carried out by a small selection of individuals associated with the Ministry/Department of Education. This article begins with a brief review of previous findings along with a discussion of how democracy, and in particular, procedural democracy, are understood. Procedural democracy is argued to relate to the public’s knowledge about government-initiated changes, ability to provide feedback, and how this feedback is attended to by those in government. This article then discusses the research methods and findings of a study carried out with British Columbian teachers and curriculum developers at a time when a major curriculum revision is occurring. The survey was designed based on the theoretical model of procedural model of democracy described. The findings focus on looking at the perceptions of teachers and curriculum developers regarding the process of curriculum reform carried out in British Columbia.