Comparing the Shadow Curriculum with the Hidden Curriculum
The purpose of the current research was to compare the shadow curriculum with hidden curriculum. For this purpose, the concepts of shadow curriculum and hidden curriculum were examined using a qualitative approach and speculative essay method. The analysis of the literature revealed that at the three levels of policy making of education system, school and classroom, hidden curriculum has no visible place, and stakeholders might not be aware of it, as opposed to the shadow curriculum that its existence is visible at all three levels and could stand against formal curriculum. However, the decision makers use the potential of hidden curriculum for different educational purposes. On the other hand, students and teachers might be aware of the existence of the shadow curriculum and even defend it. Another difference is that the shadow curriculum mostly appears in the form of experience, action, plan and social behavior, as opposed to the hidden curriculum that exists implicitly within the formal curriculum.