Discussions in German-speaking countries regarding school content, when to teach it, and how to teach it make use of the term ‘Lehrplan’, while English-speaking countries use the term ‘curriculum’ to address these matters. It is essential to note that Lehrplan carries specific meanings that are similar to but not synonymous with English terms curriculum, curriculum guideline, course instruction, or course study. Lehrplan refers to a theory of Bildung, and defines “[…] that which matters in teaching and instruction” (Künzli 2009, 134), and should, therefore, be understood as the “[…] specifications set by educational authorities concerning both lesson content and learning objectives” (ibid.). Curriculum, a fundamental concept in Anglo-American educational research that recognizes ideas about what is being taught or should be taught are neither self-evident or settled matters. Therefore, “[…] everything about curriculum, including its definition, is contested” (Walker, 2003, p. 11). As Horlacher (2018, p. 2) argues, “Lehrplan and curriculum are not merely two concepts indicating comparable subjects but imply also a whole belief system about schooling”. This paper seeks to explore the possibility of conducting comparative research in light of the close connection between language and concepts by focusing the Theory of Lehrplan by Georg Kerschensteiner (1854-1932) and his theory of Bildung, and Decker Walker’s (1942-) perspective on curriculum. For Walker (2003), curriculum is the organization of educational content and purposes, and curriculum theories “employ reason and evidence, but in the service of passion. Curriculum theories can be analytical as well as partisan. […] Curriculum theories make ideals explicit, clarify them, work out their consequences for curriculum practice, compare them to other ideals, and justify or criticize them” (p.60).

Horlacher, R., & De Vincenti, A. (2014). From rationalist autonomy to scientific empiricism: A history of curriculum in Switzerland. In W. F. Pinar (Ed.), International handbook of curriculum research (pp. 476–492). New York, NY: Routledge. Horlacher, R. (2018). The same but different: the German Lehrplan and curriculum. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 50(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2017.1307458 Kerschensteiner, G. (1899): Betrachtungen zur Theorie des Lehrplanes: mit eingehenden methodischen Bemerkungen und Erläuterungen zu dem beigefügten neuen Lehrplane der Weltkunde (Geographie, Geschichte, Naturkunde) für die siebenklassigen Volksschulen Münchens. Rohrbach: C. Gerber. Künzli, R. (2009). Curriculum und Lehrmittel. In: Andresen, S.; Casale, R.; Gabriel, T.; Horlacher, R.; Larcher Klee, S. & J. Oelkers (Eds.): Handwörterbuch Erziehungswissenschaft. Weinheim: Beltz, pp. 134-148. Walker, D. F. (2003). Fundamentals of curriculum: Passion and professionalism. Erlbaum Associates.