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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2014) 000000
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International on!erence on "rrent #rends in $%#
Critical look at situation analysis of Jack. C. Richards: A post-modernist view
&ansoor 'ahim
a
(
&ohsen )a*ari
+
a
Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
b
Payam Nour University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
,ac- . .ichards in his +oo- entitled the curriculum development in language teaching (200!(
to"ches "pon the sit"ational anal/sis in the c"rric"l"m desi0n and development. &acalister( 1
)ation (2010) !"rther disc"ss environmental anal/sis( +"t it seems that their anal/sis is whether
too 0eneral or va0"e. 2hat this paper is loo-in0 !or is a criticism o! .ichards3 0eneral view on
sit"ation anal/sis and his overloo-in0 o! the critical aspect o! post-modern peda0o0/. &oreover(
this paper is 0oin0 to insert the post-modernists3 views on sit"ational anal/sis and ma-e an
improvement over .ichards3 (2001) proposal on sit"ational anal/sis. #he post-modernist
sit"ational anal/sis will !oc"s +e/ond method approaches (4"maravadivel"( 2005) as well as the
provision o! mo+ile assisted lan0"a0e learnin0 (&6%%)( or comp"ter assisted lan0"a0e learnin0
(6%%) and distance learnin0 in ed"cation( witho"t which the new millenni"m in #$'% ma-es
less sense.
7 2014 #he 6"thors.P"+lished +/ $lsevier %td.
Selection and peer-review "nder responsi+ilit/ o! 8rmia 8niversit/( Iran.
4e/ words9 sit"ational anal/sis: c"rric"l"m: postmodernist views
1;<<-042; 7 2014 #he 6"thors. P"+lished +/ $lsevier %td.
Selection and peer-review "nder responsi+ilit/ o! 8rmia 8niversit/( Iran.
2 Author name" Procedia # $ocial and %ehavioral $ciences 00 (20&! 000'000
1. Introduction
#his paper disc"sses the impacts o! some sit"ational !actors toward the c"rric"l"m
development +ased on chapter !o"r o! .ichards3s +oo- =(urriculum )evelopment in *anguage
Teaching+ (2000). "rric"l"m is chan0in0 in line with the challen0in0 o! contemporar/ era.
"rric"l"m as a set o! ed"cation which sho"ld +e prepared +/ considerin0 some !actors that
in!l"ence the c"rric"l"m itsel!. 'actors mentioned +/ .ichards are societal( pro>ect( instit"tional(
teacher( learner( and implementation ones. B/ re!errin0 to related re!erences( this article provides
comprehensi+le o"tloo- on the iss"es o! sit"ational !actors related to c"rric"l"m. 2e +rie!l/
s"mmari*e the !actors +/ .ichards and then e?ert the post-method sit"ation anal/sis and !actors
a!!ectin0 the c"rric"l"m !rom a post-method perspective.
. Review of the literature
#he !irst part o! the literat"re review deals with the ,ac- . .ichards sit"ational anal/sis.
#hen the second part tac-les the iss"e o! post-modernistic views on c"rric"l"m desi0n in the
classroom. #he !irst !actor a!!ectin0 a c"rric"l"m mentioned +/ .ichards is the societal one.
Since $n0lish +ecomes international lan0"a0e( $n0lish learnin0 has +een part o! ed"cation
c"rric"l"m in ever/ co"ntr/ in the world. $n0lish in some co"ntries has stat"s as second
lan0"a0e and some as !orei0n lan0"a0e. S"ch stat"s ma-es those co"ntries treat $n0lish learnin0
di!!erentl/ in terms o! the c"rric"l"m. Some o! societal !actors that a!!ect c"rric"l"m
development incl"de the policies o! lan0"a0e teachin0 which e?ist in the societ/ created +/ the
c"rric"l"m developers( the "nderl/in0 reasons !or the pro>ect and those who s"pport it( the
lan0"a0e teachin0 e?perience and traditions( the societ/3 views( the teachers3 views( the
Author name" Procedia # $ocial and %ehavioral $ciences
emplo/ers3 and +"siness comm"nit/3s views( the availa+le h"man reso"rces (teachers3 a+ilit/)(
nat"ral reso"rces and media.
#he second !actor +/ .ichards is the pro>ect ones. 6 c"rric"l"m development process is
also a!!ected +/ some !actors related to the pro>ect itsel! incl"din0 the h"man reso"rces( nat"ral
reso"rces( and !inancial reso"rces that a!!ect the plannin0 implementin0 the c"rric"l"m. .elated
to decisions( the developer sho"ld pa/ attention in determinin0 the settin0 aims and o+>ective o!
the c"rric"l"m( the content and the strate0ies in implementin0 the c"rric"l"m (&iller and Seller(
1@;A912).
Postmodern schoolin0 is a means o! connectin0 st"dents and teachers( space and time(
meanin0 and conte?t( the -nower and the -nown( h"manities and sciences( and especiall/ past(
present( and !"t"re (Slatter/( 200B( p. 2@5). Slatter/ in his +oo- on Post-modern c"rric"l"m has
deli+eratel/ to"ches "pon man/ cases o! the post modern world o! possi+ilities in c"rric"l"m
desi0n. Slatter/ tal-s a+o"t the postmodern $%# c"rric"l"m and s/lla+"s in terms o! the
!ollowin0 cases. Some more !actors are mentioned here which reall/ need attention +/ scholars
and c"rric"l"m developers.#he post-method c"rric"l"m sho"ld redirect schoolin0 to the
development o! a"to+io0raphical( aesthetic( and int"itive e?perience( and the socio-c"lt"ral and
socio-political relations emer0in0 !rom an "nderstandin0 o! the individ"al in relation to
-nowled0e( other learners( the world( and "ltimatel/ the sel! the !or0otten cases in .ichards3s
!actors. It sho"ld also +e noted that s"ch determination in post-modern c"rric"l"m is eas/-said
than done.
Breen (1@@@) disc"ssin0 the postmodern $%# c"rric"l"m and s/lla+"s( reiterates that the
c"rric"l"m desi0ner needs to have a wide view o! the peda0o0/ o! the lan0"a0e classroom which
& Author name" Procedia # $ocial and %ehavioral $ciences 00 (20&! 000'000
necessitates C"estionin0 a+sol"tes( welcomin0 am+i0"it/( acceptin0 "ncertainties( participatin0
in di!!erent and new disco"rses( e?plorin0 other identities( st"d/in0 local and other c"lt"res(
creatin0 and ne0otiatin0 and !inall/ s"r!in0 technolo0ical so"rces.
It is also important to interro0ate =historical( c"lt"ral( and lin0"istic ass"mptionsD into
ed"cation (."ssell( 2005( p. @A). Biases and ass"mptions and o"r interpretation re0ardin0 the
c"rric"l"m are important in developin0 the c"rric"l"m. E"r immediate vision is limited +/ o"r
own historical conditionin0 and the +elie! set we have on notions (Fraham( 1@@1). Goo-s +elieve
that we need to see o"rselves clearl/ as we reall/ are that =clarit/ is a so"rce o! o"r stren0thD
(Goo-s( 2002( p. 15@). 2e are in!l"enced +/ race( 0ender and class positionin0 (G"rren( 2005:
amp+ell 1Fre0or( 2002). amp+ell and Fre0or (2002) state that( we interact with the world in
which we inha+it and -now a+o"t (p. 25). Slatter/ states that the &"slim st"dents in the 8S
as-ed !or a one da/ holida/ !or the &onth o! .amadan cele+ration. 6lon0side all the view and
characteristics ar/ (200B) raises the iss"e o! a+normal varia+les pointin0 to some o! the
e?ceptionalities in a classroom conte?t and +elieves that the/ too are reC"ired to +e in a post-
modernist c"rric"l"m. #hese varia+les incl"de +odies o! those people related to ed"cation +ein0
considered deviant( or o"tside the norm. 6nother topic not !avo"red +/ the native spea-ers is the
he0emonic role o! $n0lish.
&c%aren (1@@;) states that he0emon/ re!ers to the maintenance o! the domination: It is
an ima0e in which the val"es and +elie!s o! the dominant class appear so correct that to re>ect
them wo"ld +e "nnat"ral( a violation o! common sense. #he same o+>ection is raised a0ainst
.ichards. )o one as-s a+o"t the he0emon/ o! $n0lish itsel!. '"rther to Ga+ermas( the pre>"dice
and he0emon/ are lin-ed to0ether. So as c"rric"l"m development in the postmodern era
Author name" Procedia # $ocial and %ehavioral $ciences
deconstr"cts pre>"dice and he0emon/+/ challen0in0 the dominance o! lo0ical positivism in the
st"d/ o! histor/ and other !ields where some are re0arded as saints or in!alli+le norms. In post
modern view o! c"rric"l"m +eside the talents( interests and a"to+io0raphical re!lections the
st"dents voice needs to +e heard (Ga+emas( 1@<0). &oreover related to the +ias and ass"mptions
is a0ain the histor/ and c"lt"re iss"e. Bahm"eller (1@@1) states that( the schools are !"ll o!
c"rric"l"m materials that promote critical thin-in0. St"d/in0 these materials reveals that histor/
and c"lt"re pla/ paramo"nt role in shapin0 s"ch thin-in0. #hese c"rric"l"m materials are
nothin0 +"t critical e?ercises( +eca"se the/ contain predetermined answers( narrow
methodolo0ies( and/or political a0endas desi0ned to assimilate st"dents into the he0emonic
socio-c"lt"ral worldview. )o one can e?cl"de the reli0ion !rom the histor/ or c"lt"re o! a
societ/. Gowever( it has +een s"00ested that c"rric"l"m development in the postmodern era m"st
incl"de s"ch a"to+io0raphical testimonies o! man/ people !rom all reli0ions( spirit"alities( and
c"lt"res to help "s "nderstand H not convert or condemn H the rich diversit/ o! o"r comm"nit/
(Slatter/( 200B). .ichards in his sit"ation anal/sis has no mention o! reli0ion. I thin- the reli0ion
role has 0reat conseC"ences when +ein0 tal-ed a+o"t as man/ people are +iased in their reli0ion.
6ll in all( I thin- we need to ma-e o"r school s/stem aware.
2e m"st ed"cate o"rselves and o"r st"dents a+o"t iss"es o! hopelessness( povert/( 0ender
and se?"al +ias( dislocation and e?ploitation o! wor-ers( environmental racism( corporate
scandal( violence( and ecolo0ical devastation that pla0"e the entire 0lo+al comm"nit/ and
contri+"te to the deca/ o! the social milie" o! schools. Besides we need to e?plore conscio"s and
"nconscio"s emotions s"ch as !ear( visceral loathin0( and dis0"st ($d0erton( 2001( p. 5).
6ttached to awareness iss"e on ever/ an0le o! the societ/ is the race and 0ender topic.
, Author name" Procedia # $ocial and %ehavioral $ciences 00 (20&! 000'000
#his iss"e in t"rn roots in the democratic ed"cation which deals with creatin0 a
democratic ed"cational vision that provides hope !or all teachers and st"dents and is central to
critical theor/. Some o! the speci!ic C"estions and concerns that are raised in the process o!
developin0 this vision incl"de the !ollowin09 Gow do st"dents acC"ire -nowled0e in schoolsI Is
-nowled0e reprod"ced in schools to s"pport the stat"s C"o s/stems o! ineC"it/I Gow can the
learners +e involved eC"all/ in c"rric"l"m as democratic citi*ensIIt has +een ca"tioned that the
realities o! a 0lo+al crisis( chan0es in political arena and social alternations necessitate re!orms in
the c"rric"l"m and ed"cation (6smah( 1@@2).
.1. Criticism on postmodernism
6ltho"0h this paper was intended as a criticism on the shortcomin0s o! .ichards3s
sit"ation anal/sis( it presents the criticism even on the post-modern anal/sis. &an/ criticisms
have +een leveled at postmodernism which can +e applied eC"all/ to the wor- o! 'o"ca"lt and
postmodern perspectives on the hidden c"rric"l"m. ritical theorists( especiall/ o! a &ar?ist
pers"asion( point to the lac- o! an adeC"ate anal/sis o! power in postmodern acco"nts. #he
postmodern view that power is pl"ralistic and can +e "sed +/ an/+od/( at an/ time and in an/
place( ta-es no acco"nt o! increasin0 state intervention in the ed"cational s/stem in the late
1@;0s (allinicos( 1@;@). &an/ !eminists have +een s"spicio"s o! postmodern writin0( seein0 it
as a wa/ in which disenchanted male academics can reassert themselves +/ presentin0 old ideas
in new !orms (Polan( 1@;;). 'inall/( the p"rpose o! postmodernism has +een C"estioned +/
critical theorists who can see no "ltimate o+>ective in post-modern acco"nts. 6part !rom a
pla/!"l deconstr"ction and emphasis o! the aesthetic mode o! presentation ('eatherstone( 1@;;)(
it has +een ar0"ed that most postmodern acco"nts are "ltimatel/ vac"o"s( and there!ore
Author name" Procedia # $ocial and %ehavioral $ciences
implicitl/ s"pportive o! social and political inaction( complacenc/ and "nhappiness (S-e00s(
1@@1).
!..."ethod
In this section the s"+>ects as well as the proced"re are +rie!l/ disc"ssed. It needs to +e
mentioned that this paper still needs m"ch detailed st"d/ on desi0nin0 a well-!ormatted
sit"ational anal/sis +ased on post-modernistic views on c"rric"l"m with re0ard to all the in-
depth in!ormation.
!.. #ub$ects and procedure
#he s"+>ects o! the st"d/ are A< Ph.d and master st"dents o! 6*ad and Pa/am )o"r
8niversities o! #ehran st"d/in0 #$'%( 2< male and 50 !emale( 4AJ o! them were "niversit/
pro!essors( and the others were school or private lan0"a0e teachers. #he/ were +etween 2A to 40
/ears old. #he/ were as-ed to comment on the !ollowin0 list o! postmodern criteria in
c"rric"l"m desi0n. #he/ were reC"ired to p"t a percenta0e ne?t to each case accordin0 to the
perceived importance in Iranian conte?t.
#a+le 1. #he post-modern sit"ation anal/sis
Postmodern sit"ation anal/sis in c"rric"l"m desi0n %
percentage
Biases and ass"mptions Gistorical
"lt"ral
lin0"istic
90
100
98
6+normal varia+les Pre0nant teens 20
drop-o"ts 67
children o! color 10
0a/ and les+ian 4
!emale >"venile o!!enders 25
charter schools 8
alien academics 5
hopelessness( 80
povert/( 86
.eli0ion environmental racism( 12
- Author name" Procedia # $ocial and %ehavioral $ciences 00 (20&! 000'000
6wareness violence( 36
ecolo0ical devastation 10
Kemocratic ed"cation 75
4nowled0e acC"isition 95
Stat"s C"o s/stems o! ineC"it/ 95
learners involved in democratic c"rric"l"m 75
.ace and 0ender 30
.. Results and discussion
6s the s"mmar/ o! the teachers perception reveals( the s"+>ects loo- at the sit"ational
anal/sis !rom a local view. 6+normal varia+les have no place in their perspective while
historical( democratic( -nowled0e received importance to them. #he/ all ac-nowled0ed the role
o! awareness +"t con!essed that +ased on the societies3 norms this awareness-raisin0 ma/ lead to
the inclination o! the societ/ to a+normalities since the 0ro"nds ma/ not +e read/. 'or e?ample
altho"0h the/ accepted that we ma/ enco"nter pre0nant teens( it ma/ ca"se !"rther ta+oos in the
schools. #his !ramewor- is not a prescriptive one. It can help people +ecome aware o! the man/
!actors e?istin0 and help them decide on which !actors to !oc"s "pon. #he important iss"e is the
sit"ational anal/sis o! the c"rric"l"mI #he !indin0s showed that most s"+>ects decide on the
c"rrent aspects o! the c"rric"l"m den/in0 its !"t"re e!!ects. Besides( the perceptions o! the
s"+>ects !rom di!!erent 0eo0raphical locations di!!ered enormo"sl/.
!. Conclusion
In s"mmar/( c"rric"l"m development in the postmodern era respects and cele+rates the
"niC"eness o! each individ"al person( te?t( event( c"lt"re( and ed"cative moment( +"t all within
the conte?t o! an interdependent cosmolo0ical view. 6ll occasions are important and d/namic
parts o! the !a+ric o! the whole. B/ i0norin0 race( 0ender( se?"al identit/( and ethnicit/ as
inte0ral to ed"cation( modern c"rric"l"m development models have act"all/ contri+"ted to the
Author name" Procedia # $ocial and %ehavioral $ciences
!r"stration( an0er( and violence that threaten to destro/ civili*ation. In man/ sit"ations( the
societal r"les !or o"r interactions with one another are "nspo-en.
Besides( +oth teacher and st"dent ma/ +e +iased towards each other. #his can certainl/
inter!ere with learnin0. &oral iss"es o! this nat"re need special attention. haracter ed"cation
sho"ld +e part o! the written c"rric"l"m. %earnin0 a+o"t other c"lt"res ma/ help in learnin0 to
respect each other. #eam wor- can pro+a+l/ help mem+ers o! di!!erent c"lt"res to +ecome +etter
acC"ainted.
&oreover( postmodern c"rric"l"m research also promotes other important elements o!
schoolin0( incl"din0 the search !or wisdom thro"0h theolo0ical e?periences( the creation o!
cooperative and ecolo0icall/ s"staina+le learnin0 environments( and the commitment to reverent(
democratic( and >"st comm"nit/ models o! schoolin0. Schoolin0 sho"ld not serve the interests o!
economic competition and corporate 0reed. )owada/s the role o! critical thin-in0 in c"rric"l"m
desi0n has +een the !oc"s !or lan0"a0e co"rse desi0ners (%eicester( 2010). #he iss"e o!
c"rric"l"m has 0one to sit"ations o! the modern area developed +ased on critical theor/ and the
st"d/ o! di!!erent !orms o! -nowled0e. 6nother important element o! critical theor/ is the st"d/
o! !orms o! -nowled0e.
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