Exploratory Curriculum

Middle school curriculum consists of both core and exploratory courses. While some middle schools have incorporated an exploratory curriculum into all of the core courses, most middle schools offer exploratory courses separately. Core courses include mathematics, social studies, science, and language arts. Exploratory courses can include the arts, foreign language and culture, life skills, and technology. While both core and exploratory courses are important for young adolescent development, the exploratory courses allow for students to expand upon their knowledge and skills within an academic area that motivates them.

Exploratory learning stems from the seminal works of many famous educational theorists including: Dewey, Vygotsky, Piaget, and Rogoff. For example, John Dewey (1915) believed that learning should center on children by providing activities and direction, and Piaget (1964) stated that children learn through hands-on experiences within the constructivist approach. Rogoff (1990) believes in guided participation, or that children actively learn with the guidance of a more skilled partner. Thus, exploratory curriculum has long been considered to be a vital component of education and middle school students’ learning. It was described in 1947 as students’ “specialized interests, aptitudes, and abilities as a basis for decisions regarding educational opportunities” (Gruhn & Douglass, 1947, pp. 31–32).