learning curriculum design & challenges: teachers' conceptions and tensions

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Learning Curriculum Design & its Challenges: Teachers’ Conception and Tensions Management & Leaderhip Studies Curriculum Project Teams Jan 2014 Tutor: John Yeo Curriculum, Teachng & Learning Academic Group National Institute of Education

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from my MLS curriculum class for Singapore HODs (MLS Jan14) Task: What is your new understanding of Curriculum and what are the challenges ahead in designing for a better curriculum?

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Page 1: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Learning Curriculum Design & its Challenges:

Teachers’ Conception and Tensions

Management & Leaderhip Studies Curriculum Project Teams Jan 2014

Tutor: John Yeo Curriculum, Teachng & Learning Academic Group National Institute of Education

Page 2: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

I believe curriculum is subject-centered

(academic rationalism), with students picking up

important skills and teachers being an

important vehicle in making it all work!

Ng Wei Chieh, Woodlands Primary School

Page 3: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

There is no word/phrase to replace curriculum because curriculum in any school is

unique. Very often, we described curriculum but could be

incomplete. There will never be an end in trying to describe

curriculum because it is something that changes with environment and people over

time. Our definitions may differ from one another or may change

personally over time. But one thing that will remain unchanged -

the passion in teachers (or leaders who are teachers at

heart) that will continue to ignite the passion of learning for our

learners.

Liu Kah Yang Bartley Sec

Page 4: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Curriculum to me is child centered, as the interest of the pupils will drive their learning. Goh Khong Lim, KCPPS

We plan learning for the students based on their interest, thus I believe it is child centered.

Wang Xiaoxuan, Lianhua Pri

Page 5: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

A curriculum goes beyond a defined and prescribed course of studies, which students must fulfill in order to pass a certain level of education. The curriculum should place child’s best interest, well-being and important values to develop the child in the centre of the curriculum to make it more holistic

Suzanah

Placing students in the centre of what we do is important. Hence,

curriculum has to be child-centered, with learners taking charge of their learning. It is

especially so when our learners have diverse learning abilities, thus we will need to customise curriculum to suit the different

needs. Koh Ying Sin

Telok Kurau Primary Sch

Page 6: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Context-centred because the worth and value of the knowledge, skills and attitudes possessed by the students depends on the context that he/she is in…

Bryan Lim

CHIJ St. Theresa’s Convent

Page 7: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

A child centered curriculum is essential for it to be successful, allowing us to

engage pupils meaningfully and creating their love for learning.

Low Choon Siong Evergreen Primary

The outcomes are what we want our students to acquire after they completed the curriculum. For

example, if we want our students to be a mathematician after completing the Math

curriculum, we will design our curriculum to include exploring, deriving and connecting the

concepts etc. Tan Beng Guan,

HOD ICT, Nan Chiau High

Page 8: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Curriculum to me is organic and interdependent. Organic - it is not cast in stone, it is alive, it needs to respond to changes in its environment. Interdependent - if curriculum is organic, it needs to co-exist with all the elements of its environment in harmony for the benefit of all. I feel that a lot of times curriculum design is far removed from the place where it’s happening. People in the ivory tower, who have great knowledge in their area of work, no doubt, tend to be too removed from the realities of school. At school there’s only one reality - assessment. In all the wonderful courses I have attended in MLS, the devil is really, assessment. Even as MMs, we sometimes are too focused to operationalise the curriculum to fit the assessment culture more than anything else. The big question now is - what’s the purpose of schooling? Are we really just a large tuition centre? Even tuition centres these days have sound curriculum designs by the way :)

Durka Devi, HOD Science, De La Salle School

Curriculum can be cognition centered that require thinking skills

on the part of the teacher. Faizan, Montfort Sec

Page 9: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Curriculum to me is child centered and also society- centered , as we develop soft skills in our pupils to meet the demands of the world of

the 21st Century.

Hamidah Binti Osman Jurong West Pri

Page 10: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Curriculum is child-centered and society-centered to me

because the purpose of education at our level is to ultimately prepare students

for the future.

Ilyana Hardianti Dunman High School

Page 11: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions
Page 12: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

It takes a whole village to raise a child. Therefore, there needs to be a whole

school approach in supporting a child-centered curriculum, bearing in mind that the learners’ interest always comes first.

Koh Ying Sin, Telok Kurau Primary Sch

Challenges and expectations from

the society are influencing curriculum design from being child-centered, causing it to be society-

driven. Low Choon Siong Evergreen Primary

Because I view curriculum as organic and interdependent, the biggest challenge for me is

keeping up with its evolution. Though the content we teach may not have changed in the last ten years, the environment in which the subject, the learners and the teachers reside has changed

enormously. The challenge for curriculum design is then dealing with this ever-changing landscape

while staying true to the subject matter. While we ride the bandwagon with all the ‘in’ things, we must not lose site of the essence of the subject matter.

Durka Devi, De La Salle School

Page 13: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Suzanah Sap Anderson Pri HOD ICT

Reason: Integrating ICT into the curriculum requires all the IP and ICT heads to come together and to create a common vision and beliefs. As different heads have different perceptions and beliefs on curriculum, coming together as one may be a BIG problem.

Page 14: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

I believe curriculum is subject-centered (academic

rationalism), however with these challenges preventing it

from being successful!

Ng Wei Chieh Woodlands Primary School

Page 15: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Curriculum to me is child centered and also society- centered , as the needs of the pupils and the goals

of the school and nation have to be met.

Hamidah Binti Osman Jurong West Pri

Page 16: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

The greatest challenge in curriculum is finding the right leverage point. We may be clever enough to

identify a curriculum problem(or perhaps not a primary one after all) but to be able to move forward

is never simple unless teachers’ beliefs are so strong that our actions are sufficient to overthrow

the perception of the general public. Passionate and dedicated curriculum leaders must do what ought to

be done and never get influenced by differing mindsets or selfish agendas.

Liu Kah Yang, Bartley Sec

Page 17: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

To design curriculum that is child centered,

teachers must believe in it and be trained in the

designing of the curriculum.

Goh Khong Lim

KCPPS

Page 18: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Tan Beng Guan HOD ICT, Nan Chiau High

Page 19: Learning curriculum design & challenges: Teachers' conceptions and tensions

Inference-centred because your understanding of it is affected by what you choose to see, what you choose to focus on, your assumptions and beliefs…. and it

is different for everyone… Bryan Lim

CHIJ St. Theresa’s Convent