ED4106 - Designing Curriculum and Assessment for the Contemporary Classroom Lecture 1: Curriculum: History, understanding & context

ED4106 - Designing Curriculum and Assessment for the Contemporary Classroom Lecture 1: Curriculum: History, Understanding & Context

Learning Outcomes

  • By the end of this lecture, you should be able to:

    • Understand the pathway for the module.

    • Identify the main themes of the module.

    • Explain how the module connects to your development as a teacher.

    • Explore different sources regarding curriculum in Ireland, gaining knowledge of key legislation.

    • Summarise the main legislative and policy frameworks shaping curriculum and assessment.

    • Locate and interpret key sources on curriculum in Ireland.

    • Reflect on one’s own understanding of curriculum and assessment.

    • Articulate your current/evolving beliefs and assumptions about curriculum and assessment.

    • Compare your perspectives with key concepts introduced in the module.

Lecture Outline

  • Introduction

  • Framing curriculum and assessment

  • History, meaning, and context

  • Assessment as a personal space: Understanding relationships between assessment and identity

  • Curriculum Frameworks: A brief overview of Early childhood and primary education curricula.

  • Introduction to the Junior Cycle curriculum.

  • Assessment as a public space: Junior and Senior Cycle assessment policy and practice

  • Curriculum Frameworks: Junior Cycle and Transition Year – exploring competencies, principles, key skills, statements of learning, and learning outcomes

  • Assessment as teacher practice: AOL (Assessment of Learning) and AFL (Assessment for Learning) Module Themes

  • Curriculum Frameworks: Senior Cycle and Senior Cycle Reform

  • Assessment as classroom dialogue: Negotiating learning with learners through assessment

  • From policy to practice: Communicating the curriculum in the post-primary classroom

  • Assessment as a problem space: Questions and challenges for teaching and learning

  • The role of digital technologies in curriculum and assessment

  • Reflecting - thinking about the assignment and sharing examples from practice

Curriculum Definitions

  • Curriculum: Originates from the Latin word meaning a race or racetrack, indicating that a curriculum should be followed and completed (Gleeson, 2022).

  • Irish Language Equivalent: The equivalent in the Irish language according to De Bhaldraithe’s dictionary is cúrsa léinn (course of study), which was replaced by curaclam around 1962.

  • 1980 White Paper Definition: Curriculum is defined as ‘the totality of learning experiences to which the pupil is exposed’ (Department of Education, 1980, p.43).

Expanding Curriculum Definitions

  • Curriculum breathes life into a school's or teacher's philosophy of education; it is purpose enacted. Different philosophies of education place different emphasis on aspects of curriculum design (Wiliam, 2013).

  • A curriculum is compared to a musician's folio or a chef's recipe; it combines elements of creativity and structure – both aesthetic quality and imagination (Stenhouse, 1975).

  • It encompasses not only a course of study but also a person's life experiences and the journey of learning (Connelly and Clandinin, 1988).

  • Comprehensive definitions incorporate learning experiences in school and in society at large (Bilbao et al., 2008; Bintz and Dillard, 2007).

  • Curriculum can be viewed as the total environment in which education occurs, involving the child, teacher, content, and context (Fafumera, 2019).

Traditional vs. Modern Views of Curriculum

  • Prescriptive View: Curriculum as a documented plan of action prepared by educators, detailing subjects and courses to be taught (Beauchamp, 1982).

  • Descriptive View: Curriculum includes all experiences children undergo under teacher guidance, involving classroom interactions (Bilbao et al., 2008).

Progressivism in Curriculum

  • The term Progressivism signifies change and improvement, emphasizing individuality, progress, and active learning.

  • Teachers are viewed as facilitators who create enriching experiences for students to actualize their learning (Alvior, 2014).

Key Quotes on Progressivism

  • Progressivism stresses the necessity for teachers to facilitate experiences that help students connect learning to real-life applications and needs (Alvior, 2014).

Legal and Policy Frameworks

  • Curriculum requirements enforce the principle of placing the child at the center of teaching and learning.

  • The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) outlines specific rights related to education, emphasizing compulsory primary education and various forms of secondary education (Article 28).

  • The Irish Constitution (Article 42) establishes parents as primary educators, allowing them to choose educational forms according to their beliefs.

  • The Education Act (1998) mandates the Minister for Education to prescribe the curriculum, including subjects offered and syllabi, considering the educational needs of students.

The Role of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)

  • Founded in 2001 as a statutory body under the Department of Education, NCCA advises on curriculum and assessment policies from early childhood to post-primary education.

  • NCCA engages with stakeholders for research and evaluation to improve educational standards (Education Act, 1998).

Cultural Dynamics in Education

  • The concept of hidden curriculum refers to the implicit lessons learned in schools about social norms and power dynamics (Jackson, 1968).

  • Organisational culture within schools impacts curriculum delivery, shaping values and beliefs that define the institution (Schein, 1985).

  • Changes in society and student demographics significantly influence school culture and educational practices.

Types of Educational Patrons and Schools in Ireland

  • Patrons: Bodies that establish and manage schools, hold responsibility for the school's ethos, and appoint the Board of Management (1998 Education Act).

  • Types of Schools:

    • Voluntary Secondary Schools: Managed by religious or private bodies, often under specific educational philosophies.

    • Community Colleges: Established by ETBs, fostering multi-denominational environments.

    • Fee-Paying Schools: Operate without state funding, having their financial structures independent of public grants.

    • DEIS Schools: Focus on equality and support for disadvantaged communities.

Future Curriculum Development

  • The success of educational reform is often recognized as more challenging than policy change itself, emphasizing the need for institutional and cultural transformation rather than just systematic changes (Eisner, 1992; Fullan, 2016).

  • Teachers and school leaders are increasingly seen as curriculum makers within modern frameworks, allowing for more customized educational experiences (Priestley, Biesta, and Robinson, 2015).

References

  • Alvior, M. G. (2014). The Meaning and Importance of curriculum development, SimplyEducate, Me.

  • Beauchamp, G. (1982). Curriculum theory: Meaning, development and use. New York, Routledge.

  • Bilbao, P., Lucido, P., Iringan, T., and Javier, R. (2008). Curriculum Development, Quezon City, Philippines, Lorimar.

  • Department of Education (1980). White Paper on Educational Development, Dublin: Stationery Office.

  • Eisner, E. (1992). Educational Reform and the Ecology of Schooling. Teachers College Record 93 (4), pp. 610–627.

  • Fullan, M. (2016). The New Meaning of Educational Change, New York: Teachers College Press.

  • Gleeson, J. (2010). Curriculum in Context: Partnership, Power and Praxis in Ireland, Oxford: PeterLang.

  • Gleeson, J. (2022). Evolution of Irish curriculum culture: understandings, policy, reform, and change, Irish Educational Studies, 41 (4), pp. 713-733.

  • Kirk, P. (2018). Junior Cycle Reform Five Years In, Where Are We Now? Ireland’s Yearbook of Education, pp.26–29.

  • Syomwene, A. (2020). Curriculum Theory: Characteristics and Functions, European Journal of Education Studies, 7 (1), pp. 326-327.

  • Teachers’ Union of Ireland, Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, Department of Education and Skills (2015). Junior Cycle Reform Joint Statement on Principles and Implementation. Dublin: Authors.

  • UNCRC (1989). United Nations Treaty Series, Treaty No. 27531, pp. 3-178.