Trying to Understand Curriculum in a New Millenium

Abstract

This paper is focused on presenting curriculum as a core issue of any educational reform, and as a very controversial concept. Two core concepts are underlined within curriculum definitions: learning situation and learning experience and their complementary relation is analyzed. The pyramidal model of curriculum is explained as a new approach. All this presentation aims to present a point of view about the thorny issue of curriculum and it tries to synthetically put together different approaches of the topic in modern and post-modern society. The necessity to rethink and enlarge the competence concept represents a conclusion which could be the basis of a further more detailed analysis of the curriculum development.