Anti-Authoritarian Curriculum Practice

Powerful Theories for Teachers

Daniel J. Castner, James G. Henderson, Jennifer L. Schneider

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English

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
18 September 2025

Curriculum planning & development

The pervasive politicization of education in the United States makes teachers’ work extraordinarily challenging. Decades of bi-partisan accountability-based reform policies and top-down instructional management have conceived of teachers as mere technicians who consume and implement prefabricated curricular plans. Such views fail to recognize the intimate relationship between curriculum and teaching and minimize educators’ professional authority.

Anti-Authoritarian Curriculum Practice is for teachers exasperated by contemporary education’s politicized conditions. Instead of identifying specific authoritarian figures or ideologies, this book critiques authoritarian practices—actions that undermine accountability for how power is exercised. It advocates for anti-authoritarian curriculum practices, emphasizing the intellectual and moral responsibilities of professional curricular decision-making. Appreciating that significant decisions are made at school, district, and policy levels without teachers’ meaningful involvement, the authors utilize practical curriculum theorizing to examine commonly overlooked elements of curriculum practice, emphasizing teachers’ direct roles in shaping what is experienced in their classrooms. Readers are introduced to the HI-STAR process, a three-part framework that invites educators to holistically imagine curricular visions (HI), engage in study and teaching activities (ST), and assess student outcomes while reflecting on their practices (AR).

By: Daniel J. Castner, James G. Henderson, Jennifer L. Schneider
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Country of Publication: United States [Currently unable to ship to USA: see Shipping Info]
Dimensions: Height: 228mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 14mm
Weight: 300g
ISBN: 9781538193983
ISBN 10: 1538193981
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 18 September 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface Chapter 1: Introduction Section 1: Foundations of Curriculum Practice Chapter 2: Engaging in Curriculum Work Chapter 3: (Il)liberal, democratic, and authoritarian practices Section 2: The HI-STAR Process Chapter 4: Holistically Imagining Anti-Authoritarian Curriculum Practices Chapter 5: Study, Teaching, Assessment, and Reflection (STAR) Section 3: HI-STAR as an Intergenerational Conversation Chapter 6: A Curriculum Legacy Chapter 7: Building on and Extending a Curriculum Legacy

Dr. Daniel Castner is an assistant professor of early childhood education and curriculum studies at Indiana University Bloomington. Prior to his transition to higher education, he was a public-school kindergarten teacher for 15 years in Northeast Ohio. His research describes how curriculum leadership operates in early childhood settings and examines how dedicated teachers with strong personal and professional commitments experience and negotiate the social, political, and cultural tensions within their institutions of practice. Dr. Jennifer Schneider is an assistant professor of Curriculum Studies at Oklahoma State University (OSU) who is deeply influenced by a background studying and teaching in the arts and humanities. Her dissertation was awarded the American Association for Curriculum and Teaching’s (AATC’s) 2020 John Laska Dissertation Award. Challenging the longstanding dehumanizing heritage present in curriculum and teaching while working towards regenerative possibilities. Her scholarly and creativ

Reviews for Anti-Authoritarian Curriculum Practice: Powerful Theories for Teachers

Drawing broadly on historical and contemporary curriculum theory, the authors persuasively describe a framework of concepts and questions for teachers to do their own meaningful curriculum work toward the purpose of complex, eclectic, and authentic practices to counter authoritarianism and promote the common good. -- Nancy File * professor emerita, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee * In this insightful and important book, Anti-Authoritarian Curriculum Practice: Powerful Theories for Teachers, Daniel J. Castner, Jennifer L. Schneider, and James G. Henderson provide an intergenerational analysis and reflection on curriculum studies, theory-grounded education, and democracy. Drawing on their analysis, the authors offer a three-part HI-STAR process that invites teachers to engage curriculum against authoritarianism and to foster the realization of a democratic ideal that uplifts, nurtures, and transforms in precarious times. This book will appeal to curriculum leaders of all kinds. -- Rose Ylimaki * professor and Del & Jewell Lewis Endowed Chair in Education and Leadership, Northern Arizona University *