Faculty Conceptualizations of ‘Curriculum’ in Canadian Polytechnics

Beres, James and Ashwin, Paul (2026) Faculty Conceptualizations of ‘Curriculum’ in Canadian Polytechnics. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

In higher education, ‘curriculum’ is a term that is as ambiguous in meaning as it is ubiquitous in use. However, few educational researchers have sought to trouble these differences in conceptions held by those working in higher education institutions, and even fewer have examined these differences amongst those working most closely with curriculum: the instructional faculty. This thesis examines the various conceptions held by teaching faculty, the implications of these differences, and the influence that academic background and teaching experience have on these conceptions. Applying phenomenographic methods, this study analyzed 18 interviews conducted with faculty across four polytechnic institutions in Alberta, Canada. Phenomenographic analysis of these interviews yielded a hierarchically structured and inclusive outcome space composed of five qualitatively different categories of conception. Further qualitative analysis revealed no apparent relationship between the academic background or teaching experience of individual faculty members and the degree of complexity or sophistication of the conceptions that most closely aligned with their expressed statements. An unexpected outcome was identified during analysis, as it was found that faculty statements were more complex and sophisticated when describing their teaching experiences than when making prescriptive statements about what curriculum should be. This study identifies not only the qualitatively different ways faculty conceive of curriculum, but also that they are unaware of the breadth and complexity of curriculum, as demonstrated by the simplified and limited prescriptions they express when asked directly about curriculum. Institutional curriculum language, codified through curriculum policies and processes, is proposed as the primary factor influencing faculty conceptualizations of curriculum within their instructional context. By demonstrating that faculty have varying conceptualizations and understandings of curriculum, this study highlights the need for further research in this area within other Canadian and international higher education contexts.