Book excerpt: Originally published in 1979 with a second edition in 1985. A basic text for students of education and teachers who are coming to terms for the first time with the nature of the curriculum. It introduces the reader to the professional field that is of concern to all engaged in the practical enterprise of education in a way which provides a ‘feel’ for the preoccupations of the area and a ‘sense’ of its complexities. With annotated further reading included, the book reflects developments in all the major areas in curriculum design and evaluation and in effecting curriculum change, plus research and theory.