Business concepts in language curriculum design

Abstract

Language curriculum design is currently no more immune to the effects of business management theories, concepts, and principles, than is curriculum design in general. This study sets out to identify how business management theories, concepts, and underlying principles have affected language curriculum design. The historical links between curriculum design in general and business management theories are examined first. A broad review of curriculum design is undertaken with reference to the following twentieth century management theories: scientific management theory, management by objectives (MBO), systems theory, accountability theory, and total quality management (TQM). This review enables the identification of possible links between management theories and curriculum design, and in particular language curriculum design which includes both first and second language curriculum design. The effects of recent government policies upon curriculum design are also discussed and analysed in order to illustrate links between government policy, management theories and curriculum design. Following the extensive literature review which places business management theories within an educational context, the thesis then focuses on analysing data from the recently developed English in the New Zealand Curriculum (ENZC), (1994) document. The purpose of the document analysis is to identify how the links identified and discussed in the historical analysis may have affected language curriculum design. The analysis further examines the ensuing contradictions that have resulted between business and pedagogical theories within core components of language curriculum design.