‘There is no book that covers the same territory around curricula and teaching as Knowledge, Content, Curriculum and Didaktik. Deng draws on a wide variety of contemporary and classical English-language resources as well as less well-knownn the English-speaking world — but very important German-language resources. I believe Deng’s book constitutes a fundamental resource for discussions of both practical curriculum-making and teaching and educational and curriculum theory. Knowledge, Content, Curriculum and Didaktik will be a basic text wherever curricula and teaching are thought about and studied.’ - Ian Westbury, Emeritus Professor of Curriculum Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
‘This is a welcome and ambitious book which challenges those who work in the field of curriculum studies, as well as the sociologists of education who have tried to reform it. The author’s advice to the former is that not only are there lessons to be learned from the sociologists concerning the neglect by mainstream curriculum studies of the question of knowledge and its acquisition, but that they need to extend their over-parochial focus and learn lessons from Europe and beyond, especially the German Didaktic tradition. The author’s recommendations for the sociologists is that they too have to look beyond their discipline if they are to have the influence that they seek on what happens in classrooms.’ - Michael Young, Professor of Sociology of Curriculum, UCL Institute of Education, London, UK
‘Some school leaders appear to see teaching as merely an instrumental ‘factor’ contributing to school performance, with the curriculum crisis being fixable by the provision of scripted lessons. This book comes as a relief therefore. Deng not only rebalances curriculum thought towards a meaningful focus on knowledge questions but roams lucidly over related fields with a truly international perspective. This book is weighty, thorough and very stimulating in its analysis. It should provide a foundation and reference point for those interested in the quality of education for years to come. It is forward facing and provides theoretical heft to the vision offered by the creation of Future 3 curriculum scenarios as an alternative to ‘twenty-first century competence’. In the broader context of ‘post truth’, alternative facts and the existential challenges of the Anthropocene, society requires a serious educational response. This book contributes to that.’ - David Lambert, Emeritus Professor of Geography Education, UCL Institute of Education, London, UK
‘There is no book that covers the same territory around curricula and teaching as Knowledge, Content, Curriculum and Didaktik. Deng draws on a wide variety of contemporary and classical English-language resources as well as less well-knownn the English-speaking world — but very important German-language resources. I believe Deng’s book constitutes a fundamental resource for discussions of both practical curriculum-making and teaching and educational and curriculum theory. Knowledge, Content, Curriculum and Didaktik will be a basic text wherever curricula and teaching are thought about and studied.’ - Ian Westbury, Emeritus Professor of Curriculum Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
'This book’s primary argument that questions of knowledge are central to curriculum is ancient but mostly ignored, even denigrated, in contemporary English-speaking literature. The originality of Deng’s take on these questions flows from his global experience and ability to cross-cultural lines to draw out the best in different traditions. He was educated in mainland China, studied in the USA, worked in Singapore and Hong Kong, and currently teaches in England. He knows and understands Asian, European and North American curricular traditions and has studied the best offered by each. There is no other book on curriculum with this rich intellectual history.' - Mick Connelly, Emeritus Professor of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada
‘This is a welcome and ambitious book which challenges those who work in the field of curriculum studies, as well as the sociologists of education who have tried to reform it. The author’s advice to the former is that not only are there lessons to be learned from the sociologists concerning the neglect by mainstream curriculum studies of the question of knowledge and its acquisition, but that they need to extend their over-parochial focus and learn lessons from Europe and beyond, especially the German Didaktic tradition. The author’s recommendations for the sociologists is that they too have to look beyond their discipline if they are to have the influence that they seek on what happens in classrooms.’ - Michael Young, Professor of Sociology of Curriculum, UCL Institute of Education, London, UK
‘Some school leaders appear to see teaching as merely an instrumental ‘factor’ contributing to school performance, with the curriculum crisis being fixable by the provision of scripted lessons. This book comes as a relief therefore. Deng not only rebalances curriculum thought towards a meaningful focus on knowledge questions but roams lucidly over related fields with a truly international perspective. This book is weighty, thorough and very stimulating in its analysis. It should provide a foundation and reference point for those interested in the quality of education for years to come. It is forward facing and provides theoretical heft to the vision offered by the creation of Future 3 curriculum scenarios as an alternative to ‘twenty-first century competence’. In the broader context of ‘post truth’, alternative facts and the existential challenges of the Anthropocene, society requires a serious educational response. This book contributes to that.’ - David Lambert, Emeritus Professor of Geography Education, UCL Institute of Education, London, UK
