Teaching Beyond the Curriculum

Abstract

In his seminal work *Pedagogy of the Oppressed*, Paolo Freire criticized the conventional banking model of education, in which educators deposit knowledge into students like a passive repository. This approach is ineffective as it primarily emphasizes external incentives. Can educators harness curiosity to transform external incentives into intrinsic attitudes and behaviors ? This paper delves into instructional techniques in design education that help nurture students’ curiosity. This paper establishes a theoretical framework by introducing foundational concepts of curiosity. Combining Berlyne’s research on the motivations and behaviors underpinning curiosity with Plutchik’s model of emotions identifies conditions necessary for curiosity to manifest. Building upon the insights of Berlyne and Plutchik, the paper then constructs an Inviting Curiosity framework that utilizes an invitation-response-reward pattern to cultivate exploration. This framework serves as the blueprint for generating moments of curiosity in an educational context. Integrating Self-Determination Theory, with its core pillars of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, into the Inviting curiosity framework surfaces factors that make curiosity more durable inside the classroom. The paper concludes with practical strategies to enhance student engagement and provides actionable tips for implementation in the design classroom. These strategies can empower educators and foster a culture of curiosity and active student learning.