روند تحولات رشته برنامه درسی به عنوان یک حوزه تخصصی در جهان امروز

The explication of the process of transformation in curriculum as a specialized field for grasping the underpinning the curriculum is the main task of article. To this end, the author first elaborates the notions of curriculum as a discipline as well as its branches including curriculum design and curriculum engieenring. The review of literature revealed two periods that characterized the procees of transformation in curriculum. These periods were classified under categories of informal and formal periods. The informal period begins with the history of human kind and continues upto the early twentieth century. In the process of this analysis, the method and content of education of primitive man, ancient civilizations including China, India, Iran, Greece, Rome and also before Renaissance, and from Renaissance to the early twentieth century is discussed. 
This is followed with an elaboration of formal period of curriculum which emerged in this century by appearing Franklin Bobbitt's book entitled. "The Curriculum" in 1918. Historically, Bobbitt is acknowledged as the first scholar to write a curriculum book in the field. The writer of article then reviews and analyzes the process of transformation in curriculum upto mid 199 3. The remainder of article is devoted to theories(Control, Hermenutic and Critical)and metatheories in curriculum.Finally, the new boundaries and dimensions of curriculum are classified under categories of f ormal, null and hidden curriculum. 
The article has been written by Dr.Nader Gholi Ghourchian, the Chief-Editor of this Journal and vice-president of the Institute for Research & Planning in Higher Education in Iran.