Downgraded curriculum? An analysis of knowledge in new curricula in Scotland and New Zealand

The development, since 2000, of new National Curricula across the Anglophone world signals a number of policy trends, including: a move from the explicit specification of content towards a more generic, skills-based approach; a greater emphasis on the centrality of the learner; and [ostensibly] greater autonomy for teachers in developing the curriculum in school. These policy shifts have attracted some criticism, especially from social realist writers, who claim that the new curricula downgrade knowledge. This paper offers a contribution to this debate; an empirically-based analysis of two new curricula, New Zealand’s Curriculum Framework and Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence. We conclude that, while these curricula continue to accord considerable importance to knowledge in their statements of policy intent, the social realist critique is at least partially justified, since both curricula are characterised by a lack of coherence and mixed messages about the place of knowledge

Research with schools on the early implementation of Curriculum for Wales: Wave 1 report

This report presents research conducted with schools on the early implementation of Curriculum for Wales. The research aims to undertake two waves of qualitative research during academic year 2022/23 to understand how the curriculum and assessment reforms are working for practitioners and learners in schools and settings, and the barriers and facilitators to successful implementation. The research informs the support that the Welsh Government and its partners are putting in place to maximise success. This report contains the findings of the first wave of qualitative research with 64 senior leaders in schools and Pupil Referral Units carried out on behalf of the Welsh Government between November 2022 to January 2023. A report detailing findings of a second wave of interviews with senior leaders, as well as fieldwork with learners, will be published later in 2023

Research on the early implementation of Curriculum for Wales: Wave 2 report

This report presents findings of the second wave (Wave 2) of qualitative research with 62 senior leaders in schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) carried out by Arad Research and the Open University in Wales. The aim of this research was to undertake two waves of qualitative research during academic year 2022/23 to understand how the curriculum and assessment reforms were working for practitioners and learners in schools and settings, and the barriers and facilitators to successful implementation. This report follows on from the Wave 1 report, which presented findings of the first round of interviews with senior leaders. In addition to presenting findings from follow-up interviews with senior leaders, it also presents evidence from fieldwork with groups of learners in primary and secondary schools, outlining their experiences of curriculum delivery during the academic year 2022/23

Sinnema, Claire, Learning for and Realizing Curriculum Aspirations through Schools as Learning Orgaizations, European Journal of Education, 55(1, 2020), 9-23.

Proposes a model of realizing a new national curriculum through addressing and challenging four learning demands and seven steps for schools as learning organizations

The Power of School Conditions: Individual, Relational, and Organizational Influences on Educator Wellbeing.

Wellbeing in schools is often focused at the individual level, exploring students' or teachers' individual traits, habits, or actions that influence wellbeing. However, studies rarely take a whole-school approach that includes staff wellbeing, and frequently ignore relational and organizational level variables. We take a systems informed positive psychology approach and argue that it is essential to build greater understanding about organizational and relational influences on wellbeing in order for schools to support educator wellbeing. Our study evaluated the relative contributions of individual, relational, and organizational factors to educator wellbeing. Our measure of wellbeing focused on the life satisfaction and flourishing of 559 educators in 12 New Zealand schools. We used a social network analysis approach to capture educators' relational ties, and demographic data and psychometric scales to capture individual and organizational level variables. Results of hierarchical blockwise regressions showed that individual, relational, and organizational factors were all significantly associated with educator wellbeing; however, it was educators' perceptions of trusting and collaborative school conditions that were most strongly associated with their wellbeing. The number of relational ties educators had explained the least amount of variance in wellbeing. Educators were more likely to experience high levels of support when their close contacts also experienced high levels of support. However, for many educators, there was a negative association between their most frequent relational ties and their reported levels of support. Our results suggest that attending to the organizational factors that influence wellbeing, through creating trusting and collaborative school conditions, may be one of the most influential approaches to enhancing educator wellbeing. We call for whole-school approaches to wellbeing that not only consider how to support and enhance the wellbeing of school staff as well as students, but also view the conditions created within a school as a key driver of wellbeing within schools

Qualitative Research with Practitioners on Preparations for Curriculum and Assessment Reforms 2022: final report

The findings of qualitative research with 48 senior leaders and practitioners in schools and Pupil Referral Units in Wales examine preparations for the roll out of the Curriculum for Wales

Practitioner survey on preparations for Curriculum and Assessment Reforms 2022: final report

The findings of school survey responses collected in June and July 2021 that examined the preparations for the roll-out of the Curriculum for Wales. Detail is offered to inform policy and support schools

Scoping study for the evaluation of the curriculum and assessment reforms in Wales: final report

This report presents findings of a scoping study relating to the evaluation of the curriculum and assessment reforms in Wales. The Curriculum for Wales is the cornerstone of the Welsh Government’s efforts to reform education in Wales and build an education system that raises educational standards and enjoys public confidence. Under the reforms each school is developing its own curriculum, supported by national guidance. The aim of the scoping study is to articulate the theory, assumptions, evidence and readiness underpinning the curriculum and assessment reforms and to use this information to develop recommendations for a robust monitoring and evaluation programme