Abstract

Curriculum theory explores what and how we teach. Given its definition, it seems appropriate that teachers understand curriculum theory; however, this is not the case for all teachers. The purpose of the following qualitative analysis is to make curriculum theory more accessible and understandable to teachers through literature. Using a document analysis approach, J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series was analyzed in accordance with five curriculum theories, those of: John Dewey, Ralph Tyler, William Pinar, Elliot Eisner, and Ted Aoki. Through this analysis, I demonstrate how Harry Potter becomes an educational research tool that practicing teachers can use to better understand curriculum theory and how it applies to their classroom. This endorses Barone’s (1988, 2007) argument that works of fiction can serve as valuable education documents that teachers can use to better understand curriculum. Aspects of the theories were explained using characters, events, teaching practices, and symbols from the books. For example, the flawed objectives of Harry’s many Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers compared to his own objectives, illustrate Tyler’s insistence on the importance of clear, educational goals. Moreover, Aoki’s stance that teachers dwell in a tense zone between curriculum obligations and students’ individual needs is embodied through the complex character, Severus Snape.