Educational philosophy: grounding the tourism curriculum

This research note seeks to outline fundamental thinking in the philosophy of education which might inform further analysis of tourism and hospitality curriculum design. There is not a single compelling meaning for the term curriculum. It has been variously defined as a set of educational plans, learners’ experiences, a field of study, and subject matter/content (Cooper, 2002, Ratcliff, 1997). In all of these accounts, the underlying view is that curriculum strongly affects students, educators, and members of society (Ornstein and Hunkins, 2009, Zais, 1976). Tribe (2015) contends that curriculum decision making is based on what he called 12Ps such as power, pals, precedent, pragmatism and parochialism to name just a few factors, thus, "curriculum can at worst be accidental, path-dependent, ill-informed and merely adequate" (p. 18). Despite the extensive points raised in this list, it can be maintained that the contribution of philosophical enquiry remains underutilized, even overlooked in curriculum design (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2009). Our discussion positions philosophical concerns at the heart of curriculum development. Philosophical considerations provide frameworks for an institution’s aims and goals, subjects to be taught, teaching and learning experiences, and assessment methods (Ornstein and Hunkins, 2009, Tribe, 2015).

Annals of Tourism Research

Annals of Tourism Research

57

1873-7722

N/A

N/A

4