Michael Young

Michael Young (b. 1939)

Key Contribution / Core Idea
Advocate of Powerful Knowledge — curriculum should give all pupils access to the best that has been thought and known.

Background / Context
British sociologist of education; once a curriculum progressive, later argued for structured, knowledge-rich schooling.

Main Theories / Methods

• Knowledge is socially produced but not arbitrary.

• Schools should provide access to disciplinary knowledge beyond everyday experience.

• Curriculum coherence and progression are moral as well as educational goals.

Relevance to Modern KS3/4 Teaching
Frames why subject knowledge matters — particularly in science and maths, where cumulative understanding is essential.

How His Ideas Link to Others
Connects to Counsell’s and Christodoulou’s work on curriculum sequencing and to Ausubel’s ideas on conceptual structure.

Strengths and Appeal
Provides an intellectual defence of subject expertise and structured curricula.

Criticisms and Limitations
Sometimes caricatured as elitist or content-heavy if misunderstood.

Legacy / Lasting Influence
Key thinker behind England’s “knowledge curriculum” and the 2014 National Curriculum reforms.

Further Reading
Young, M. (2008) Bringing Knowledge Back In.