Curriculum Navigator: Aspiring towards a comprehensive package for curriculum planning

Background: Insightful frameworks for curriculum development were described in the literature. There is a need, however, to outline the approach we prefer, sometime unconsciously, in curriculum planning. Aims: This article describes a novel conceptual framework called Curriculum Navigator, to explore our attitudes towards the current curriculum, focus of interest, perception of rules and resources, flexibility to reform, style of communication and pattern of decision-making in curriculum-related issues. Methods: The Curriculum Navigator integrates well-known approaches with 13 new ones into a comprehensive conceptual framework to explore the curriculum planning process and provides an original framework to plan and direct the route of curriculum development. This article provides a manual to use the inventory and further explains how to integrate Curriculum Navigator with other well-established frameworks to aspire towards a comprehensive package for curriculum development. Results: The Curriculum Navigator analyses our approach to curriculum planning and design in 10 dimensions. Each dimension is represented in a four-point continuum between two styles: lawyer/detective, bird's eye/ant's eye, non-human/human resources, bureaucratic/activist, dogmatic/fashionable, authoritative/collaborative decision-making, spy/salesman, magician/mentor, shopping/crafting and public relations/quality assurance. Conclusion: This article draws a visual portray of curriculum planning, design, management and reform in a particular school in one illustration.