Dissertation Abstract

Networking in Curriculum Planning: The Development and Application of a Model.

The purpose of this study was to create an analytic and programmatic model of networking for application to an existing educational setting. The model created was designed to bring social studies teachers together along with community people for the purpose of informal curriculum planning.

A model was created which used the settings models of Sarason and Brubaker as guides for the basic structure of the final product. Theory and practice were joined together in the model in terms of using settings theory within the context of traditional teacher attitudes toward involvement in curriculum planning. In creating the model, the aspects of the before-the-beginning history of the setting, emergence of leadership, formation of a core group, goal setting and articulation of network concerns, and resource exchange were utilized.

The model was applied to a group of social studies teachers in western North Carolina. The network which resulted from the application of the model was successful in helping teachers transcend the traditional mindset of reluctance to engage actively in curriculum planning. The network was able to sustain itself and was expanding at the end of the phase used as a case study for evaluative purposes. The members of the network were able to experience meaningful participation in curriculum planning and implementation of the network's materials in their classrooms. Community members also experienced satisfaction through their contact with teachers in the network. The two major goals of the network setting, (1) attainment of a sense of personal worth and (2) attainment of a psychological sense of community, were reached by the network members.

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