Exploring Unplanned Curriculum Drift.

BACKGROUND

This study explored the opportunities for quality enhancement in teaching and learning by examining unplanned curriculum drift in an undergraduate nursing course. Curriculum drift is defined here as a process whereby the learning experiences associated with a curriculum do not match the specific syllabus, vision, or intentions associated with attaining desired outcomes for nursing students.

METHOD

Staff involved in the implementation of a new innovative Bachelor of Nursing curriculum at an Australian regional university were surveyed to explore their perceptions and knowledge of key philosophical and pedagogical concepts associated with a planned curriculum. A constructivist case study approach was used to explore curriculum drift.

RESULTS

Survey responses revealed that staff actions were inconsistent with their interpretations of concepts underlying the proposed curriculum.

CONCLUSION

It is proposed that the discrepancy is a contributing factor in curricular drift, where the potential to achieve desired learning outcomes associated with innovative curricula is compromised by a drift to preinnovative or unplanned states.