How is the hidden curriculum defined, and what norms does it transmit?

• A. The hidden curriculum comprises explicit lessons about conformity, obedience, competition, gender roles, and acceptance of hierarchy learned through school routines.
• B. The hidden curriculum consists of the main subjects taught in class like math and science.
• C. The hidden curriculum is a formal policy about discipline.
• D. The hidden curriculum refers to extracurricular activities.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is that schooling teaches not only through what is taught in lessons but also through the everyday life of the school. The hidden curriculum involves norms and expectations that students absorb implicitly by participating in routines, discipline, and the social structure of the school. It transmits ideas about conformity, obedience to authority, competition, gender roles, and accepting hierarchical relationships, all learned through how the school day is organized, how rewards and punishments are used, and how students are treated and expected to behave. This makes it the best choice because it focuses on those subtle, unspoken lessons that shape behavior, rather than on explicit subject content or formal policies. The other options describe what is formally taught or organized as separate parts of schooling, which are not what the hidden curriculum refers to.