Description of what, why, how and how well students should learn in a systematic and intentional way. This definition refers to what is written during curriculum design and development, but through misunderstanding, disagreement or lack of resources, school-level implementation and enactment may diverge from original intentions. For instance:
- Experienced curriculum refers to learning as students experience it, including the knowledge and perspectives learners bring, their ability to learn and their interaction with the curriculum.
- Hidden curriculum refers to student experiences of school beyond the formal curriculum structure, such as messages communicated by the school or education system concerning values, beliefs, behaviours and attitudes, which may complement or undermine the curriculum as intended and implemented (UNESCO, 2020a, p. 419).