470,314 research outputs found

    The role of professional development and learning in the early adoption of the New Zealand curriculum by schools.

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    This paper is set in the context of Phase One of the Ministry of Education Curriculum Implementation Exploratory Studies (CIES) project. The schools selected for this study were considered early adopters of the revised New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) (Ministry of Education, 2007). The paper provides theoretical insights and research evidence related to the role of professional development and learning in the early stages of implementation of the revised curriculum. A key finding common to most schools was the progressive development of a professional learning culture led by the principal that focused on pedagogy and student achievement prior to the introduction of the curriculum. The establishment of this culture involved processes that were task-oriented, reflective, consultative and collaborative. While there are strong parallels between the experiences of primary and secondary schools in the study, some important differences have also been noted

    Student Experiences of a Culturally Sensitive Curriculum: Ethnic Identity Development amid Conflicting Stories to Live By

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    This study examines ways in which students’ experiences of a culturally sensitive curriculum may contribute to their developing sense of ethnic identity. It uses a narrative inquiry approach to explore students’ experiences of the interaction of culture and curriculum in a Canadian inner-city, middle-school context. It considers ways in which the curriculum may be interpreted as the intersection of the students’ home and school cultures. Teachers, administrators, and other members of the school community made efforts to be accepting of the diverse ethnic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds that students brought to the school. However, examination of students’ experiences of school curriculum events and activities revealed ways in which balancing affiliation to their home cultures while at the same time abiding by expectations of their teachers and peers in their school context could be difficult. The stories highlight ways in which curriculum activities and events may contribute to shaping the ethnic identity of students in ways not anticipated by teachers, administrators, and policy-makers

    Stepping out of the "ivory tower": an initial teacher educator's experience of returning to the classroom.

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    In this article I want to discuss my attempts to make sense of my role and practice as a teacher educator who helps student teachers implement the curriculum in schools and my experiences of engaging in a process of personal professional development. I will demonstrate how a six week experience as a teacher in a primary school challenged my understandings and practices of the what it means to be a teacher in this context, and what the learning experience meant for me as a teacher educator. It is work that explores what it takes to be a teacher of teaching for students who are working towards teaching in primary schools. I report that linking teacher education curriculum with the realities of primary schools has particular challenges

    History teachers’ experiences of the implementation of the Eswatini (Swaziland) general certificate of secondary education (SGCSE) history curriculum.

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    Doctoral Degree, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This study is a qualitative interpretive multiple case study. It aimed to investigate history teachers’ experiences of the implementation of the SGCSE history curriculum in eight senior secondary schools in the Manzini region in Eswatini. It further sought to understand why history teachers experienced the implementation of this curriculum the way they experienced it. Purposive sampling was used to select participants who helped generate data. The participants were selected based on their location and their involvement in the implementation of the SGCSE history curriculum as well as on the type of school in which they taught. Data was collected through the use of semi-structured interviews, group interviews and document analysis. Pinar’s (2004) curriculum theory and Gross, Giacquinta and Bernstein’s (1971) theory on implementation of educational change were used to theorise that since curriculum is a social construction, curriculum implementation should be a product of teacher reflection on his work. Teachers’ constant interaction with the learners positions teachers well in coming up with informed decisions on the best learning experiences and implementation strategies that can constitute the curriculum since they are familiar with both the learner and the school context. The findings revealed that the school context was not considered before rolling out the new curriculum. Schools were presumed to be the same yet they are not. It emerged from the data that some history teachers still had negative experiences of the implementation of this curriculum despite receiving training before the implementation process because of inadequate training and the lack of congruence between the teachers’ contextual factors and the reform. It also emerged that the country was severely constrained financially to change the school context. It also became clear from the study that history teachers need to be entrusted with the work of developing learning experiences and the means of transmitting these experiences to learners as they are better placed to do that since such an exercise would be informed by their knowledge of the learner and their contextual realities

    Working toward a socially just curriculum in South Africa: a collaborative autobiographical narrative inquiry

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    In this article we foreground the lived experiences of a group of post-graduate education students at the University of the Free State as they explore issues of social justice in the curriculum. Our contextual and local experiences are situated within a call for decolonisation of the curriculum. Within this context we view curriculum as an autobiographical, lived and storied practice (Pinar 2012). Through our creative collaborative narrative, we focus on teacher identity and experience as this has been shown to have a major impact on the curriculum (Clandinin & Connelly 2000). We believe that, “[s]ocial justice practices at their best should also awaken our senses and the ability to imagine alternatives that can sustain the collective work necessary to challenge entrenched patterns and institutions and build a different world” (Bell & Desai 2011, p.287). Therefore, we use Kumashiro’s (2002) conceptualisation of anti-oppressive education to highlight the messiness and discomfort of our experiences as we re-learn and unlearn and trouble oppressive knowledge in order to imagine alternatives. As such, our article contributes to an existing body of work that use collaborative and narrative methods to research issues of social justice. However, as much of the international literature on social justice education and curriculum is written in contexts far removed from our everyday experiences we wish to make a unique contribution that is rooted in our local context and highlight the unique experiences of South African teachers in relation to issues of social justice in the curriculum

    Academic staff on their engagement with curriculum internationalisation:an organisational change perspective

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    Studies about curriculum internationalisation in higher education frequently report poor academic staff engagement hindering implementation in practice. However, such research does not consider the organisational context in which academics operate. This research applies an organisational change perspective to explore how the context affects the process of engagement and implementation and what to change (content). In a comparative case study of four disciplinary contexts in a West-European university from 2012 to 2020, we disclose the perceptions and experiences of twenty-nine academic staff through in-depth interviews. The academics explain how multiple contextual tensions and inadequate resource management complicate their engagement with curriculum internationalisation. Still, they also reveal evidence of many achievements and strong individual drivers with curriculum internationalisation. Our findings show how disciplinary contextual influences and dynamics create specific perceptions and experiences of curriculum internationalisation in each study programme. This article presents a comprehensive framework of organisational change to explain and facilitate academic staff engagement with curriculum internationalisation in disciplinary communities.</p

    Pursuing HPE Outcomes Through Sport Education and School Sport

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    For many people, sport is assumed to be a 'natural' central facet of a Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum in schools, and sustained participation in sport is proclaimed as a key curriculum aim. Experience of HPE is unquestionably linked to students participating in sport, during the curriculum and beyond it. For many people outside of schools but also many children themselves, sport is the defining characteristic of HPE. This chapter questions and explores the HPE-sport linkage. Specifically, it considers what sport has to offer as an educational vehicle in the context of Australian primary schools. What role should we be looking for sport to play in our pursuit of HPE outcomes in primary schools? How can we best utilise it as a context and medium for teaching and learning? What HPE outcomes can be effectively addressed in and through structured, focused experiences of sport? What might those experiences look like

    A Phenomenological Study of Computer Science Lecturers: Lived Experiences of Curriculum Design

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    This hermeneutic phenomenological study presents a description of computer science lecturers’ experiences of curriculum design of degree programmes during a time of transition in curriculum design policy, specifically in the context of Technological University Dublin (DIT). It examines the lived experiences of computer science lecturers to highlight the issues and problems relating to lecturers’ lived experiences of curriculum design, and it describes how it is to be a computer science lecturer in a time of policy change for curriculum design. The findings are that lecturers have been, and are, struggling to cope with the transition from year-long to semesterised courses, that they feel pressured and overworked, but continue to try to adapt from feelings of professionalism and concern to provide curricula that suit the courses. They feel resentful about the lack of preparation and information that might have been given to them prior to, and during, the change. The literature has suggested that further investigation into the effects of institutional policy change on lecturers ought to be carried out. There have been recommendations for the design of degree programmes in Irish institutes, including DIT and its School of Computing. These recommendations form the basis for the quality assurance of the educational programmes to which they are applied. It follows that any divergence between recommended best practice and the experiences of those designing the curricula has serious implications for the assurance on offer. This study has two parts, conducted using hermeneutic phenomenological assumptions and methodology to collect, analyse and interpret data from semi-structured interview transcripts. The preliminary study involved twelve computer science lecturers. The findings of this work served the context to a more in-depth study of the same participants’ experiences. This second study led to findings that describe the computer science lecturers’ lived experiences as curriculum designers. Findings relate to conditions and issues of curriculum design, and lead to the identification of implications for groups and individuals associated with third-level education. This research encourages readers to thoughtfully reflect on what is it like for these computer science lecturers as curriculum designers, and become better informed about what happens during the process of curriculum and module design. The full significance of such reflection will ideally promote further questioning and inquiry, in keeping with the provisional nature of phenomenological inquiry

    The integration of computer use in education

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    There is an increasing awareness that disappointing experiences with the introduction of computers in education are a consequence of insufficiently taking into account factors that are crucial when introducing change in educational settings. Many of the problems in the literature show great similarity with the kind of problems often experienced in curriculum implementation. In this context the endeavors to make computer use an integrated part of classroom activities are analyzed. Emphasis will be laid on the interaction between teachers and courseware; elements for a more effective strategy for the integration of computer use in educational practice will be presented, with special attention to the design of support materials as an essential part of courseware
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