Introduction
In the Introduction to the module on Managing the Curriculum and Resources, an apt definition of the term “curriculum” is given. This definition embraces the planned programme, all extra-curricular activities, pupils’ learning, and the quality of the school ethos. It is necessary to observe and emphasize that the effective curriculum refers to the whole school.
In this unit we consider the meaning of the term curriculum and some of the basic things we need to know about it, including the importance of adapting it to your local contexts and to the needs and abilities of your pupils. Each school Head must know how to manage the curriculum: to follow national guidelines, to develop a school life in a way which will enhance the hidden curriculum which mainly affects pupils’ attitudes, maturity, growth and behaviour.
In Guyana, schools are provided with a National Curriculum but it is essential that Headteachers understand the process of curriculum design and how to adapt it to meet their own local needs.
Individual Study time: 2 hours.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
¨ explain the need for you to manage the establishment, adaptation and development of the school curriculum
¨ identify key factors which need to be taken into account in curriculum design
¨ produce a school curriculum which is compatible with the guidelines laid down by the Guyana Ministry of Education.
Principles and constraints of curriculum design
Activity 1.1
Explain in your own words the meaning of the term curriculum and identify some constraints which would make it quite difficult to design a good curriculum.
Comments
The curriculum has been defined as all the experiences provided by a school to educate the pupils. It also involves helping teachers provide the best information on subject matter, taking into account the interests of pupils and contemporary social needs. A curriculum is a course of subjects and extra-curricular activities that must be covered by the pupils, but it should also aim at developing them intellectually, physically and morally, and at embracing the hidden curriculum which includes behaviour patterns and attitudes of the pupils and staff and the general tone and ethos of the school. The curriculum should be dynamic and be evolving all the time. It is the job of the head to manage this process in the school.
Although it is recognised that in Guyana the Ministry of Education will provide a National Curriculum, it is important to understand some of the basic principles which should be taken into account in designing a school curriculum. These include:
¨ It should embrace all children whatever their gender, race, ethnic group or ability
¨ It should satisfy the philosophy and educational purposes of the school and the nation.
¨ It should be developed from 'grassroots' level and include parent and community contributions.
¨ It should make allowance for the special education needs of pupils.
¨ It should take into consideration the culture, customs and traditions, both of the country and the region.
¨ It should provide practical educational experiences.
Constraints
Some of the constraints in developing your curriculum might have included the following:-
¨ It is not a task with which everyone in schools is familiar.
¨ It is unlikely that the curriculum can take into account every local tradition.
¨ The curriculum you would like to offer may well be constrained by a lack of physical resources.
¨ There may be problems in selecting a language of instruction which suits the needs of every pupil.
¨ Some teachers believe that they have to follow the official curriculum exactly.
¨ No procedures have been developed in our school or time allowed for curriculum development work.
Using local resources
Activity 1.2
Subjects where local studies and interpretation should be encouraged include Art and Craft, Geography, History, Agriculture and Science. For each of these subjects indicate some possible ways in which the local environment can be used to enrich the curriculum.
Comments
In Guyana where the curriculum is designed and decided centrally, it may appear as though teachers have little or no input. But by indirectly interpreting and implementing the curriculum, successful innovative ideas can ultimately lead to curriculum modification at the national level. You probably thought of many ways in which you already use local resources, for example:
¨ Art and Craft: local designs in cloth, pottery and architecture
¨ Geography: the relationships between the way people live and their environment
¨ History: learning from oral traditions of the people
¨ Agriculture: applying the lessons from local progressive farmers and modern agricultural methods to practice in other local farms and agricultural work that may be done in the school.
Factors governing the curriculum
Consider for a moment the basic factors which need to be considered in curriculum development.
Comments
You could also have considered:
¨ the age of the pupils;
¨ the range of ability levels of the pupils;
¨ inter‑relationships between subjects;
¨ the time available for teaching and learning
¨ the availability of funds to provide both specialist facilities, such as science and Information Technology laboratories, consumable resources and books
¨ the level of training and experience of the average teacher
¨ employment opportunities - the type of work and its availability open to those pupils completing school.
¨ In schools with 6th forms, further and higher education specialization and possibilities
The Hidden Curriculum
A school curriculum consists of a number of subjects which give pupils a body of knowledge and skills, co‑curricular activities which create and develop their interests, and the 'hidden curriculum' which mainly affects pupil attitudes, maturity, growth and behaviour. In effect, this is about the personal, social and health education of the child.
Think for as moment about why such issues as the attendance and punctuality of teachers, the way teachers interact with each other, the cleanliness of the school compound, the personality of the school head and the choice of subjects by pupils might be regarded as part of the hidden curriculum.
Comments
Although we may reveal some aspects of the hidden curriculum, in fact there will always be many influences on the way pupils behave, on what they learn and on the interests they develop, which we can never plan for in the curriculum or the extra‑curricular programme, or, indeed, ever find out about.
Perhaps one of the most important factors which influences the behaviour of children is the way their role models behave, both students and teachers / parents. Such behaviour is learnt and copied. If teachers do not attend or arrive late, if they do not show respect for each other and their students, if the school compound is not cared for and the headteacher behaves in an unbecoming way, children will learn this behaviour.
It is your responsibility, as Headteacher, to ensure that all of the influences on children whilst they are in school are positive ones. If you allow your staff and pupils to behave in this way, you are failing in your duty to the children. There is a lot we can do to try to influence what happens and your answers to the items above should have illustrated this.
The Hidden Curriculum - Support for students
The section immediately above signals the importance of the “hidden curriculum” which affects in the main, pupils’ attitudes, maturity, growth and behaviour. These features of the pupils’ learning can be considered desirable for young people with regard to their life-long education and development.
In this context, the Ministry of Education has initiated studies within the core curriculum areas such as managing social and sensitive issues and health and family life education. These programmes are a societal intervention aimed at preparing young people for the challenges of adolescence and adulthood.
These have been identified as essential components of meaningful involvement and interventions, improving the quality of pupils’ learning in a better educational environment.
Heads of Schools can employ various strategies in dealing with some of the following issues:
¨ Training for diversity
¨ Social and peer pressures on young people
¨ Physical punishment in schools
¨ Awareness of Special Educational Needs
¨ Awareness of disability
¨ Stress-reduction and relaxation
¨ Health education and social issues.
Consider for a moment whether you actively deal with the above issues in school either through a recognized Ministry of Education programme or your own intervention and whether you leave such issues to chance. Do you think what you do is successful?
Comments
You should have evaluated the level of intervention in your own school. Hopefully you will be satisfied with what you do and the results. If there is little happening in your school in this area, it is essential that you initiate a programme as soon as possible.
Creating a total curriculum
In Guyana the concepts of democracy, self‑reliance and national identity are deliberately included in the daily activities and general running of each school.
Activity 1.3
Which of the statements below is describing something which supports either the Core Curriculum, the Hidden Curriculum or is part of extra-curricular activities?
Identifying the total curriculum
Statements
Place each of the following curricular activities into one of the three categories below:-
Core Curriculum
Hidden Curriculum
Extra Curricular Activities
CURRICULUM
1. Discuss moral issues at the school assembly.
2. Ensure that the school library is stocked with relevant, up‑to‑date texts.
3. Organize internal school and staff development workshops for teachers.
4. Encourage pupil participation in running the school through a prefect system.
5. Request and ensure adequate and appropriate facilities and supplies.
6. Allow teachers to participate in curriculum panels.
7. Check the effect of curriculum on the attitudes and behaviour of pupils.
8. Encourage the formation of clubs and societies and participation of pupils.
9. Expect good work ethics amongst teachers.
10. Ensure that supplementary books and support materials are available.
Comments
Many of these statements support two or more areas of the curriculum. In essence, that which forms part of the National Curriculum and relates to traditionally taught subjects or even deals with moral and social issues and is taught formally to all children in a year group forms the Core Curriculum. That which is not necessarily taught formally and deals with the general ethos of the school and how people behave is the Hidden Curriculum. All other activities which are not part of the normal curriculum, are taught to all, are generally voluntary and often take place outside of normal school hours are Extra-curricular.
In Guyana, as already started, there is a National Curriculum and therefore all children in all parts of the country are expected to follow the same programmes of study, Curriculum Guides are provided in all subjects at the different levels and are regularly updated. In areas such as Literacy and Numeracy, Scope and Sequence Charts are also provided and considerable advice is given to teachers through this literature to assist them in their teaching.
It is essential, therefore, that you as the Headteacher are familiar with all of this information and can advise teachers in its use. This, of course, is more of a challenge when we consider the range and variety of subjects offered in secondary schools. Here we will rely on others to assist us in our dissemination of information.
A thorough knowledge of curricular issues is essential for you to be the Lead Professional in your school.
Consider the following case study about a new Headteacher and draw your own conclusions about the wisdom of the preparations she made. Would you have added any or have considered any of them to be unnecessary.
Case Study
A teacher was appointed head in a new secondary school, 200 kilometers from her home in an area unknown to her. Before arriving at her new school she did some advance work on curriculum planning. In order to do this she collected data and advice from a number of sources as follows:-
¨ Her current Headteacher
¨ Her father, a subsistence farmer
¨ The Captain of the village, one of the most respected of traditional leaders in the area
¨ Published educational legislation
¨ Her former primary school head
¨ A visiting teacher on holiday from the region to which she has been appointed
¨ Curriculum Guides in all subjects
¨ The REDO
¨ The DEOs
¨ The officers of the RDC
¨ The outgoing Headteacher
¨ The school staff
A new school head will have a lot to learn about the curriculum existing in his / her school and about the development work which will be needed. (S)He will need to learn about the 'official' curriculum, but also about the nature and quality of the work presently done in the new school, about the pupils, the teachers and the community, as well as about the whole environment in which the school is located. Thus (s)he should consult with a wide variety of people in order to inform himself / herself about every aspect of school life.
Literacy and Numeracy across the Curriculum
It is important that, in this unit, reference must be made to the basic curriculum without which all other areas would be difficult to access. Children need a firm foundation in all aspects of Literacy – the ability to read and write as well as popular literature which will encourage reading as a pleasurable activity. Numeracy is also essential and is the basis of so many other areas such as science, technology and agriculture.
For Nursery and Primary teachers, providing for this basic curriculum is second nature. However, there is a tendency, sometimes amongst secondary teachers and upper primary, for teachers to believe that it is not their role to teach these areas. They consider it to be the job of those lower down the school.
In Guyana, this is a fallacious argument. Literacy and Numeracy levels in many schools especially Community High Schools and those where lower ability children attend, are not always as good as they might be. Without basic levels of literacy, other aspects of the curriculum cannot be accessed. It is, therefore, essential that the school provides a programme which ensures that there is a literacy and numeracy element in every lesson which is supported by a policy of “Literacy and Numeracy across the Curriculum”. Teachers need to accept that it is not only their role but their responsibility to ensure that within their own subject all children can function in these vital areas. All teachers, therefore, are not only teachers of their own subject but also support English and Mathematics teachers to provide adequate practice within their own classrooms.
Special Educational Needs
Finally, we must remember that all children have needs but for some those needs are greater and often more permanent. We are not referring here merely to those children who may have a physical or mental disability which challenges them in their education but also to the many who have learning difficulties as a result of a variety of reasons from general lower ability to more serious difficulties such as autism or dyslexia.
All of these children must be catered for and it is the responsibility to ensure that this happens. We will go into much more detail in the final part of this module in Unit 9.
Summary
In this unit we have demonstrated that there are many forms of curriculum all of which need to be recognized and planned. A school curriculum embraces the whole life of the school and is the main resource for improving the quality of pupils’ learning – that is, the learning of ALL children. Some important concepts are use of resources, the hidden curriculum, the total curriculum and factors governing the curriculum. Every head has a considerable task in ensuring a full and balanced curriculum in his/her school.
ESTABLISHING THE CURRICULUM
FACTORS GOVERNING THE CURRICULUM
CREATING THE TOTAL CURRICULUM
PRINCIPLES AND CONSTRAINTS OF CURRICULUM DESIGN
LOCAL RESOURCES AND LEARNING
CORE CURRICULUM
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITES
THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM
No comments:
Post a Comment