Participatory Curriculum Planning: Students’ Perceptions

The purpose of this case study was to understand students’ perceptions of their participation in planning the course curriculum. The data collection sources included interviews of six volunteer graduate students, class observations, recording of class meetings, students’ coursework, and course syllabus. This study revealed that involving graduate students in planning the course curriculum based on their perceived goals motivated these students to learn, enhanced their sense of ownership of learning, and gave them a sense of empowerment. Although the participants believed in the importance of student input and involvement in what they would study, they also believed in the importance of instructor input regarding course objectives. This study also found that students’ familiarity with authoritative teaching hindered their full involvement in determining course content based on their real needs and interests. Results have implications for teaching graduate students as adult learners.