Most students enter school with pre-existing knowledge, habits, and skills. As educators, it is our obligation to facilitate learning by tailoring our curriculum and instruction so that each student can succeed to the best of their abilities. The focus of this chapter is on the institution that teaches young people the fundamental skills they will need to function as productive members of society, which this essay defines as school. Therefore, in order to fully assess the validity of this claim, we must first determine if taking a students’ interests into account when planning the curriculum would be beneficial to the school environment

While some of the benefits of taking students’ interests into account seem obvious, others are more subtle, and depending on the individual student, some may outweigh the others. Some classes would be better suited to certain students than others, and students may be better able to learn material relevant to their interests than material that is tangentially related. For example, a student interested in film may be more interested in taking a film studies class than a student interested in economics. Also, students may already have friends, co-workers, or family members with whom they share similar interests, and providing them with the opportunity to study and interact with these people during school hours can increase their interest and motivation for the subject. In addition, students may learn better when they feel positively about the material being taught, so classes that interest them are more likely to motivate students. Furthermore, learning material relevant to students’ interests can help them to develop more effective study habits. Students may be more likely to remember information that they are interested in or apply concepts to their daily lives than they will material that is distant from their personal interests

While students could develop more effective study habits if they were permitted to select their own curriculum, there are drawbacks to this. Allowing students to select their classes could exacerbate the disparities in access to knowledge and opportunities that exist between students. For example, wealthy students may have access to tutors and educational programs that are not available to other students. Furthermore, when students select their own classes, they may select classes that are not relevant to their future aspirations or dismiss classes that are highly relevant to their future plans. Also, students could select classes that interest them but that are not well-suited to their skill level or may be too difficult for their level of experience. Therefore, when students are given the freedom to select their own classes, they should be given guidance to ensure that they select classes that are appropriate. On the other hand, many schools have department-wide course offerings, and students may apply to take classes that are outside of their area of study. For example, a student interested in film may study art history in their free time, and during their school years, they may have taken several art history classes. While students may not learn material that is entirely relevant to their interests, they are likely to retain concepts from these classes and apply them to films that they study in their own time

The following section will discuss some specific circumstances in which students’ interests should be considered when planning the curriculum

The oldest and broadest category that students fall into is based on their geographical location. For example, there are students who come from city neighborhoods, suburban neighborhoods, and rural areas. These students may learn different skills, have different life experiences, and have different aspirations. Taking students’ geographical locations into account could ensure a more equitable distribution of resources, such as classrooms and textbooks. For example, a teacher may use a more hands-on approach to teaching an urban student, who is likely to grow up in a more diverse population than a rural student. Also, urban students are more likely to have contact with adults who are actively involved in their communities, and this contact could inspire them to become involved themselves. Therefore, when planning the curriculum, teachers should take students’ geographical locations into account

The following section will discuss specific circumstances when students’ interests should be considered when planning the curriculum

While students’ interests should be considered when planning the curriculum, it is important to recognize that students’ interests are not always universal. For example, there are students who may have no interest in learning a second language or art. In addition, there are students who may be more interested in topics that are not considered particularly useful for preparing them for the workforce. For example, some students may be interested in taking classes in philosophy or religion, but these courses are unlikely to help them to earn a living. Therefore, students’ interests should be considered when planning the curriculum, but teachers should exercise caution when implementing them because the curriculum should not be rigidly tailored to fit student interests.