Theoretical Underpinnings of Curriculum Change in Developing Economies: Is Complexity Theory the New Wine in Lewins’ Old Wineskin?

As the winds of change sweep across the globe, the developing countries are experiencing turbulence in their education systems necessitating major changes in curriculum. However, these changes will not be successfully implemented without a proper understanding of the concept of curriculum, status and implications of theories of curriculum change, and the main problems of curriculum change in developing economies. The authors adopted desktop research to conceptualize the fore listed areas of concern. The literature which spanned from 1940s to date revealed that in the face of change the concept of curriculum is acquiring new meanings; curriculum change takes various meanings- innovation (for new curricular), development or reforms (for general changes); there is a sharp division between theoretical and empirical knowledge on curriculum change; While Complexity Theory and Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change and are used in curriculum change, there are criticisms that where as the Theory of Planned Change is too rigid and unidirectional, Complexity Theory is too fluid and unpredictable; The debate on whether Complexity Theory is new wine in Lewin’s old wineskin is inconclusive; Complexity Theory seem to be suitable in understanding the multifaceted problems of change in developing economies which include insufficient diffusion and dissemination of information, lack of material and human resource, management issues, and the syndrome of copying and pasting innovations from developed countries.