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Knowledge and ways of knowing

Written by: Peter Boyd
9 min read
The recent development of ‘truth decay’, the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public discourse, makes the turn towards a knowledge-rich National Curriculum seem particularly welcome and well-timed in England. The National Curriculum in 2014 gave a steer towards knowledge but the current development of a revised school inspection framework is really focusing minds because of its opportunities and threats. I propose a framework of ‘knowledge and ways of knowing’ that may be helpful to colleagues in schools as they review and develop their curriculum to produce a convincing rationale when challenged by school inspectors. This framework is offered as part of a critique of the concept of ‘powerful knowledge’ (Young, 2013, 2014). The power struggle over the curriculum needs to be understood within the broader aims of education, and Gert Biesta (2011) identifies three overlapping purposes: qualification (knowledge), socialisation (including family and citizenship as we

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This article was published in May 2019 and reflects the terminology and understanding of research and evidence in use at the time. Some terms and conclusions may no longer align with current standards. We encourage readers to approach the content with an understanding of this context.

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      From this issue

      Issue 6: Broad and Balanced Curriculum

      Summer 2019

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