Cite this article: Jong, H.-M. (2025). H. L. Caswell’s Contribution to the Professionalization of Curriculum Studies. Bulletin of Educational Research, 71(3), 83-122. https://doi.org/10.6910/BER.202509_71(3).0001
This research aims to examine Caswell’s contribution to the professionalization of curriculum studies.
An academic research field typically undergoes a formative period, from its inception to being recognized by other academic areas as a professional studies field. This process includes the accumulation of a body of professional knowledge, which should be distinct from that of other professional areas and constitute the uniqueness of its professional knowledge. Moreover, universities should play a crucial role as academic palaces of professional knowledge. Whether relevant institutes can be established in universities is another important indicator of whether this research field is accepted as a professional field since a field of knowledge will only be recognized by other established academic fields when it is professional enough to constitute a professional academic field. Internally, professional organizations should be established to gather the cohesion of professionals and become a forum for sharing professional knowledge; externally, professional consultation and services can be provided through professional organizations.
Through historical research methods, this research explores Caswell’s contribution to the professionalization of curriculum as an academic field. The historical materials studied include direct historical materials such as Caswell’s academic works on curriculum and his witness and evaluation of the process of curriculum development towards professionalization, as well as indirect historical materials such as recent analysis of his academic career and contributions to the curriculum field and the evaluation about him by his students. In addition, related works on the establishment and development process of curriculum professional organizations and the process of Columbia University establishing curriculum-related department were also examined. Since the authors of these papers have personally experienced the development process of these organizations and institutions, the content described should be quite consistent with historical facts and therefore should be valuable for historical reference.
In terms of professional knowledge, Curriculum Development written by Caswell and Campbell was the first synoptic work in curriculum. This work made a significant contribution to the popularization of the term curriculum development and also contributed to the accumulation of curriculum professional knowledge. Caswell was able to head the first curriculum-related department, namely the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University due to his outstanding performance in participating in the curriculum revision project after graduation, and the strong recommendation of teachers at his alma mater. His administrative constructions for this department was a model adopted by other schools. Furthermore, the current curriculum professional organization, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) in the United States, was formed from the merger of the Society for Curriculum Study and the Department of Supervisors and Directors of Instruction. Before its establishment, Caswell was an important member of both organizations. He overcame any opposition and advocated that the two organizations should be merged. Significantly, the establishment of the ASCD represents the functional integration of the two organizations, and therefore curriculum development should be combined with supervision work to effectively improve the effectiveness of curriculum implementation.
In the United States, curriculum studies experienced a formative period before being regarded as a professional field of study. In Taiwan, by contrast, curriculum research has gradually received more attention after the lifting of martial law. Over a relatively short period, many universities have established curriculum-related institutes; the professional organization Association for Curriculum and Instruction, Taiwan, R.O.C. was also established in 1996. Curriculum professional knowledge has laid a solid foundation under the efforts of the first generation of curriculum scholars, including Huang Zhen-Jie and others. Later, with the efforts of the second generation of curriculum scholars, curriculum knowledge has been continuously increased. It is recommended that latter curriculum scholars should advance theory and practice simultaneously and strengthen domestic curriculum research.
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