The “Why” and “What” of Curriculum Inquiry: Schwab’s The Practical Revisited

This article examines the “why” and “what” of curriculum inquiry from the perspective of the practical in Schwab’s (1969/1978a) paper. It critically scrutinizes the state of curriculum inquiry in China and in North America. The central argument is that curriculum inquiry is a practical undertaking centrally concerned with the practice or inner work of schooling within the societal, institutional and instructional contexts. It is a normative endeavor for its ultimate purpose is the advancement of schooling. Furthermore, this article addresses what makes curriculum inquiry curricular, and challenges contemporary curriculum theorizing (e.g., reconceptualist curriculum inquiry) as peripheral to or decoupled from the real-world practice of schooling.