课程论，教育学的一门分支学科。主要研究课程的设计、编制和课程改革问题。
现代影响较大的课程理论主要有三大类：

• 学科课程理论：强调以学术为中心。
• 人本主义课程理论：强调以学生发展为中心。
• 社会改造主义课程理论：强调以社会问题为中心。

Curriculum theory (CT) is an academic discipline devoted to examining and shaping educational curricula. There are many interpretations of CT, being as narrow as the dynamics of the learning process of one child in a classroom to the lifelong learning path an individual takes. CT can be approached from the educational, philosophical, psychological and sociological disciplines. James MacDonald states “one central concern of theorists is identifying the fundamental unit of curriculum with which to build conceptual systems. Whether this be rational decisions, action processes, language patterns, or any other potential unit has not been agreed upon by the theorists.” Curriculum theory is fundamentally concerned with values, the historical analysis of curriculum, ways of viewing current educational curriculum and policy decisions, and theorizing about the curricula of the future. Pinar defines the contemporary field of curriculum theory as “the effort to understand curriculum as symbolic representation”.