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The call for ‘bringing knowledge back in’, epitomized by the concept of powerful knowledge coined notably by Michael Young and Johan Muller, has significantly influenced the ‘knowledge turn’ in global educational landscapes. However, the way of thinking and theorizing about knowledge and the curriculum that underpins the project of ‘bringing knowledge back in’ has not received adequate attention in the literature. Using Muller’s article ‘The palimpsests of knowledge’ (this issue) as a starting point and referencing several key works by Young and Muller, this article examines the social realist approach to thinking and theorizing about knowledge and the curriculum, including its promises and limitations. Invoking Pädagogik and Didaktik, the article proposes an alternative approach that addresses these limitations and provides a foundation for articulating a model of a future-oriented, knowledge-rich curriculum—a model particularly pertinent to the ‘knowledge turn’ in the National Curriculum in England. The article concludes by calling for greater engagement with continental traditions of educational theory and theorizing.
Zongyi Deng (Thu,) studied this question.