Curriculum studies or curriculum sciences is a concentration in the different types of curriculum and instruction concerned with understanding curricula as an active force influenced by human educational experiences. Its proponents investigate the relationship between curriculum theory and educational practice in addition to the relationship between school programs, the contours of the society, and the culture in which schools are located.

There are key questions related to curriculum studies:

Curriculum studies was created in 1930 and known as the first subdivision of the American Educational Research Association. It was originally created to be able to manage "the transition of the American secondary school from an elite preparatory school to a mass terminal secondary school" until the 1950s when "a preparation for college" became a larger concern. In 1970 the focus of curriculum studies shifted again due to the belief of young activist. These individuals wanted to begin incorporating social and cultural aspects. This shift from developing and evaluating curriculum to understanding curriculum became known as the "Reconceptualization" of the curriculum field.

A type of curriculum that focuses on how society transmits culture from generation to generation has been tagged with the term "hidden curriculum" For instance, one of the 19th century founders of the discipline of sociology, Émile Durkheim, observed that more is taught and learned in schools than specified in the established curriculum of textbooks and teacher manuals. This curriculum has "non-academic functions and effects" In Moral Education Durkheim wrote:

In fact, there is a whole system of rules in the school that predetermine the child's conduct. He must come to class regularly; he must arrive at a specified time and with an appropriate bearing and attitude. He must not disrupt things in class. He must have learned his lessons, done his homework, and have done so reasonably well, etc. There are, therefore, a host of obligations that the child is required to shoulder. Together they constitute the discipline of the school. It is through the practice of school discipline that we can inculcate the spirit of discipline in the child. (1961 [1925]). Moral Education. New York, The Free Press. p . 148)

It teaches children life skills like learning to "wait quietly", exercising restraint, putting forth your best effort, completing work, keeping busy, cooperating, "showing allegiance to both teachers and peers", being neat and punctual, so on and so forth.

Common core is a type of curriculum that heavily focuses on building "literacy skills and understandings required for college and career readiness in multiple disciplines" is the curriculum aligned to common core. The main goal of Common core is to encourage critical thinking by utilizing the questioning strategy. Students gain a more advanced understanding of a topic as they have to elaborate on their thoughts. Memorization is no longer key. This type of curriculum requires instructors to ask the right kind of questions, depending on one's content area, for it to be effective.

To achieve Common core's primary goal of critical thinking, educators often utilize active learning methodologies. Active learning puts students into the role of active participate through collaborative problem-solving and hands-on learning. Research published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that these methods can reduce the achievement gap in STEM scores by 33% and narrow passing rate gaps by 45%. PNAS also found active learning makes complex technical content more accessible to underrepresented groups.