Mutual expectations of the Education System and the Academic Community of Curriculum Studies: A Discussion on the Improvement of the Professional Status of Curriculum Studies Graduates in Iran

Abstract: The crisis of identity has been coupled with the field of curriculum studies. Despite the considerable quantitative expansion that the field has experienced in recent decade the academic borders are not yet clear and concise. Such indeterminacy, although is uncomforting at times, but it can be made into an opportunity providing the bedrock for creative suggestion of new accounts and pluralism with respect to identity. In this article the behavior of the administrators of the education system with reference to the deployment of curriculum knowledge in setting the stage for proper decision making has been made subject to criticism. The author emphasizes that such treatment is not justified even at the time of such identity crisis and that the graduates can offer worthwhile contributions to policymakers. What follows, then, is an explanation of the expectation that administrators could have from the scholars and specialists of the field. This expectation is expressed within the fundamental responsibility of the academic community to renew the educational programs defined for preparing future specialists. The point is that by attending to such professional responsibility, the crises of identity could be resolved (or ameliorated) and specialists with a more pronounce professional identity could be made available to policymakers. At the end, what is referred to as the map for plural identity has been suggested which identifies the spectrum of identity options available to curriculum specialists. An exemplary framework for a doctoral program consistent with the map is also attached to the article.