A Study on the Construction of Null Curriculum from the Perspectives of Junior High School Students: Unlearned Curriculums

The study is based on Eisner’s theory of null curriculum and presents the “non-experienced” and “non-learned” curriculum from the perspective of students, depicting the null curriculum in the context of Taiwanese society from junior high school students’ perspectives. In this regard, the study, interviews ninth-grade students and teachers from a junior high school in the northern region. The results show that the null curriculum from the students’ perspective arises from factors such as teachers’ instruction, exams, students’ family, and their willingness to study. These factors can be categorized into two types: “school and teacher constructed” and “students and family constructed” null curriculum. Based on the research findings, this study proposes two explanations: first, curriculum is dynamic, operational, and evolving; second, it emphasizes the critical influence of after-school curriculum, shadow education, and students’ learning time. It is noted that shadow education is a primary key factor that leads to the dynamic and dialectical characteristics of the curriculum. The conclusion reflects on the issues of teaching, teaching to the test, and curriculum implementation, focusing on students’ actual learning experiences. Through a limited student perspective, the study identifies possible reasons and explanations for the null curriculum experienced by junior high school students in Taiwan, aiming to enable school education to fulfill its inherent value.