The document discusses the concept of hidden curriculum, which refers to the unstated lessons, values, and perspectives that students learn in school. It is defined as the informal and often unintended lessons learned from factors like social structures, teacher behavior, rules, and cultural expectations in the school environment. Some key aspects that contribute to the hidden curriculum are peer pressure, cultural values promoted by the school, curricular topics, teaching strategies, and institutional rules. The hidden curriculum can positively or negatively influence students' development depending on the messages communicated.

1. Hidden curriculum
Dr.M.Deivam
Assistant Professor
Department of Education
The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University),
Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu – 624 302

2. Concept of Hidden curriculum
• Hidden concepts that describe the often
unarticulated and unacknowledged things
students are taught in schools and that may
affect their learning experiences. There are often
unspoken and implied lessons unrelated to the
academic courses. Students perceive certain
aspects just being in school
• The term ‘hidden curriculum’ is attributed to
Phillip W. Jackson.

3. Meaning of Hidden Curriculum
• Unofficial expectations, implicit but expected
messages;
• Unintended learning outcomes;
• Implicit messages arising from the structure of
schooling; and
• Created by students.

4. Definition
• Hidden curriculum can be defined as the lessons
that are taught informally and usually
unintentionally in a school system. These include
behaviours, perspectives, and attitudes that
students pick up while they are at school. This is
contrasted with the formal curriculum such as
course and activities and students’ participation

5. Characteristics of Hidden Curriculum
• Consists of unspoken or implicit academic social and
cultural messages that are communicated to students
while they are in school;
• Coping with continuous evaluation; and dealing with
unequal power share.
• Has scope for undemocratic teacher behaviour and
practices; for high control for student behaviour; for
isolation of students from teacher; for valuing content
over process; for valuing convergent thinking over
divergent thinking; for valuing answering questions
than asking questions; for Social comparison.

6. Key Features of Hidden Curriculum
• Non-academic focus on teaching values and skills
apart from official curriculum; consciously or
unconsciously hidden at least for a group of
students; not written and not explicitly
acknowledged; and has potential to lead to positive
and negative influences on individuals.

7. Aspects of learning contributing for the
success/failure of the hidden curriculum.
• Social structures of classroom and environment of
the school give rise to hidden curriculum.
• Teacher’s exercise of authority;
• Rules governing the relationship between teachers
and students;
• Standard learning activities;
• Teacher’s use of language, textbooks, and audio-
visual aids;
• Furnishing, architecture, and disciplinary measures;

8. Cont.,
• Time tables, tracking systems, and priorities to
curricular activities;
• The physical school environment can be a component
of hidden curriculum because it can impact learning.
• Peer pressure-Child is ridiculed, teased, and made to
feel inferior by peers.
• Cultural expectations- The academic, social and
behavioural expectations
• established by schools and educators communicate
messages to students. Low academic expectations,
which may lead to negative effects on student’s
academic achievement or feeling of self-worth.

9. Cont.,
• Cultural values- The values promoted by schools,
educators, and peer groups may also convey
hidden messages. For example, some schools may
expect and reward conformity, while punishing
non-conformity, whereas other schools might
celebrate and even celebrate non-conformity.
• Cultural perspectives- How school integrates
diversity and multicultural perspective may convey
both intentional and unintentional messages.

10. Cont.,
• Curricular topics- The subject that teacher chooses
for courses and lesson may convey different
ideological, cultural, and ethical messages.
• Teaching strategies- the way that schools and
teachers choose to educate students can convey
both intentional and unintentional messages.
• School structures-The school programme organised
can convey messages to students. For example,
non-English speaking students are largely separated
from their peers for most of the school day, which
effects students’ sense of cultural belonging.

11. Cont.,
• Institutional rules- May communicate a wide variety of
intentional and unintentional messages to students.
• For example, some school require students to wear
school uniforms. Some ban certain types of attire (short
shirts, etc.), and others have very liberal clothing
policies. The strict dress code policies communicate
that students will be judged on appearances of inside
and outside of school, while looser policies might
communicate that they will be judged on other
qualities.

12. Reference
• KNOWLEDGE AND CURRICULUM, Self-learning
Material for B.Ed. Degree Programme (Open and
Distance Learning) of First Year, Published by
MANGALORE UNIVERSITY, Mangalagangothri - 574
199