Decentring the ‘places’ of citizens in national curriculum: the Australian history curriculum

There is debate internationally about the production of curriculum texts and the epistemologies underpinning the knowledge legitimated in national curricula. National History curricula in particular are a source of contention bounded by calls for coherent and unifying national narratives that are inclusive and reflect the complexity of the discipline and historical consciousness of the nation to which they are bound. This paper uses critical spatial theory to highlight the ‘spaces’ and ‘places’ of the Australian Curriculum History (years 7–10) which organise and disorganise representations of identities in and out of the centre of the national narrative. Interrogating the impact of these representations within purported inclusive and cohesive national narratives draws attention to the notions of belonging presented to Australian citizens. We argue that resistance to normative national narratives and colonial legacies presented with place-based identities can reinhabit the curriculum. This reinhabiting and decentring seeks to engage History students with alternative perspectives and articulations to the national narrative, and foster meaningful connections to place and citizenship. Finally, critical place-based education approaches invite an embodied local/global citizen through local and marginalised knowledges.     

Connectivity for Showing and Saying Across Differences in Art Education

This paper attempts to redress the current preoccupation with the idea of difference for structuring art curricula by reclaiming connectivity for realising value and strategic intelligence in art. In doing so, it makes use of the diverse role narrative plays in culture to establish a rationale for future art curricula, so that myth and mythic artistic methods that reconcile us to the world are given priority over the more recent preference for art to be subversive, like parable. This more complex analysis of the way story informs cultural activity is used to contrast with Efland, Freedman and Stuhr's oversimplified use of narrative that neglects the importance of myth and its equivalent in procedural knowledge for understanding and making durable art. An alternative approach to structuring the art curriculum is mapped out that gives priority to connectivity (myth) over difference (parable) by drawing on meta‐narratives over‐looked in postmodern thought.     

新革命史与1950年代上海研究的新叙事

以革命大叙事为唯一研究路径与方式的革命史受到“集权主义论”和“现代化论”两方面的挑战,被许多当代中国史研究者所摒弃。这两种叙事方式特别是后者影响下的上海研究也“告别”革命大叙事,将社会文化史与革命史割裂开来,进而将1950年代上海研究置于现代化的断裂与集权主义的“黑色叙述”中。新革命史的兴起从20世纪中国革命的连续性与多重释义两方面唤回革命史,并为上海研究增加了新维度。新革命史观照下的1950年代上海研究呈现出多重面相,革命、国家与社会三重叙事与三个逻辑相互碰撞,彼此交汇。“都市迅速远去,摩登依然在场”既是新叙事下1950年代中国的上海旋律,也是同一时代的上海历史主题。     

Can the Subaltern Nation Speak by Herself in the History Curriculum?

This article examines and discusses the ways in which hegemonic and subaltern discourses alternatively evoke different, and sometimes competing, notions of the nation and how they might productively coexist within the history curriculum. More precisely, using Homi Bhabha's conceptual tools of pedagogic and performative narratives of the nation, the article examines history curriculum as permeable to alternative and endless reinventions of the nation and as intrinsically linked to a fixed, stable, and officialized narrative. The study, based on the analysis of the construction of the Catalan nationhood in school textbooks and teachers' and museums' resources in Catalonia (Spain), suggests complex dynamics between hegemonic and subaltern discourses, rather than fixed conceptualizations. Whereas revolutionary discursive depictions of the nation incorporated in the curriculum have a tendency to be officialized, institutionalized, and domesticated through their mediation in educational texts, the article suggests possibilities for more effectively building the subaltern voice within the school curriculum.     

From the contribution to the action approach: White teachers' experiences influencing the development of multicultural science curricula

In this exploratory case study, we sought to understand teacher's integration of multicultural curricula in science curriculum units, and how personal experiences influenced the level of integration in light of Bank's typology of ethnic content integration into school curricula. Five research participants volunteered and were selected so as to be representative of the demographic of pre‐service and in‐service teachers in the southern United States. The aim was to explore teachers' personal experiences with cultural others that either facilitated or impeded their adoption of multicultural curricula strategies in science curricula units. Case narratives present and discuss interview data and assigned curricula projects. Findings suggest that participants who had transformative cultural experiences and who identified as the marginalized cultural other, transformed science curricula at higher levels of Bank's typology for curricula' multicultural approaches. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 1271–1295, 2012     

Constructing collective memory for (de)colonisation: Taiwanese images in history textbooks, 1950–1987

ABSTRACT

History curriculum and textbooks, as a key mechanism of constructing collective memory, play a critical role in shaping national, social, and cultural imaginations of the young. This paper analyses history textbooks in Taiwan during the martial law period (1950–1987) to explore narratives about Taiwan and examines the ways in which those narratives as collective memory created particular images of Taiwan. The analysis indicates that history textbooks delineated two threads of narrative, one is a Sinicisation narrative, namely Chinese colonisation, and the other is Chinese restoration narrative. The Sinicisation narrative constructed particular collective memory about Taiwan being of Chinese descent and an inheritor of Chinese culture, lost and restored by China after World War II. In the narrative of restoration, Taiwan was imagined as reborn to be the model child of Chinese descent that was obligated to emancipate all Chinese compatriots from Communism and to ultimately realise the goal of Chinese reunification. These narratives served for emancipating Taiwan from Japanese colonisation and constructed particular collective memory that Sinicised Taiwan for Chinese restoration. The image of Taiwan as Chinese descent, identified with Chinese culture, has endured to the present and continue to shape imaginations and discourses about Taiwan in the present.     

Planning a competence-based curriculum: the case of four secondary schools in England

Despite the belief that schools tend to be resistant to change, it is possible to find secondary schools in the UK which are investing in the design of an innovative curriculum for their Year 7 (11-year-old students). This article focuses on four of these schools and discusses some of the challenges they face in planning and implementing their competence-based curricula (CBC). Such curricula tend to be based on the rationale that they better prepare all students for the constant changes of human knowledge and understanding. They develop transferable skills rather than subject-specific content, which are considered necessary requirements for learners as future productive members of society in the twenty-first century. Advocates of CBC argue that such curricula are more inclusive and emancipatory than traditional curricula, although this view is contested. Employing Bernstein's concepts of framing and classification of the curriculum, this article describes the challenges and constraints encountered by four schools which have endeavoured to develop a competence-based curriculum.     

Copts in Egyptian history textbooks: towards an integrated framework for analyzing minority representations

The Egyptian Christian (Coptic) minority’s marginalization in politics and the Egyptian public sphere has been well investigated by several scholars. However, while many scholars and activists continue to call for the inclusion of the Coptic era in Egyptian history curricula, only very few studies have actually analyzed how that historical era—and Copts in general—are presented in these curricula. Thus, I conduct a textual analysis of Egyptian history textbooks from 1890 until 2017. I find that, with few exceptions—contrary to widely circulated speculations—Coptic history has consistently been included, but allocated a disproportionately smaller space vis-à-vis other eras. The analysis also illustrates how Copts are constructed as a largely persecuted and victimized people, with few contributions—implying a narrative arc of decline. Thus, to render Egyptian history curricula more culturally relevant and inclusive, curricular reform efforts need to be reframed to more strategically focus on questions such as how the Copts, and the significance and continuity of their contributions throughout Egyptian history, are portrayed. This study also seeks to offer an integrated framework for analyzing the representation of minorities in textbooks globally.     

From FRA to RFN,or How the Family Resemblance Approach Can Be Transformed for Science Curriculum Analysis on Nature of Science

The inclusion of Nature of Science (NOS) in the science curriculum has been advocated around the world for several decades. One way of defining NOS is related to the family resemblance approach (FRA). The family resemblance idea was originally described by Wittgenstein. Subsequently, philosophers and educators have applied Wittgenstein’s idea to problems of their own disciplines. For example, Irzik and Nola adapted Wittgenstein’s generic definition of the family resemblance idea to NOS, while Erduran and Dagher reconceptualized Irzik and Nola’s FRA-to-NOS by synthesizing educational applications by drawing on perspectives from science education research. In this article, we use the terminology of “Reconceptualized FRA-to-NOS (RFN)” to refer to Erduran and Dagher’s FRA version which offers an educational account inclusive of knowledge about pedagogical, instructional, curricular and assessment issues in science education. Our motivation for making this distinction is rooted in the need to clarify the various accounts of the family resemblance idea.The key components of the RFN include the aims and values of science, methods and methodological rules, scientific practices, scientific knowledge as well as the social-institutional dimensions of science including the social ethos, certification, and power relations. We investigate the potential of RFN in facilitating curriculum analysis and in determining the gaps related to NOS in the curriculum. We analyze two Turkish science curricula published 7 years apart and illustrate how RFN can contribute not only to the analysis of science curriculum itself but also to trends in science curriculum development. Furthermore, we present an analysis of documents from USA and Ireland and contrast them to the Turkish curricula thereby illustrating some trends in the coverage of RFN categories. The results indicate that while both Turkish curricula contain statements that identify science as a cognitive-epistemic system, they underemphasize science as a social-institutional system. The comparison analysis shows results such as the “scientific ethos” category being mentioned by the Irish curriculum while “social organizations and interactions” category being mentioned by the Turkish curriculum. In all documents, there was no overall coherence to NOS as a holistic narrative that would be inclusive of the various RFN categories simultaneously. The article contributes to the framing of NOS from a family resemblance perspective and highlights how RFN categories can be used as analytical tools.     

试析苏童的新历史小说

苏童的新历史小说不同于传统意义的历史小说,主要体现于其新历史小说的如下特质:一是对传统的历史观念进行质疑、解构;二是以民间生活叙事置换宏大历史叙事,以民间生活作为历史叙述的主体;三是将个人/私人化叙事填充进宏大历史叙事框架内,进行"伪宏大叙事"。以上是苏童新历史小说的独特性,也是其消解与颠覆传统历史叙事的手段。     

Employing the principles of universal design for learning to deconstruct the Greek-Cypriot new national curriculum

The present paper discusses issues related to inclusive education and curricula development based on the principles of universal design for learning (UDL), and it reports on the results of a qualitative content analysis of the new national curriculum (NNC) developed for the public Greek-Cypriot schools in Cyprus. According to the findings, the NNC does not accommodate the principles of the UDL to an extent that would enable teachers differentiate their teaching. The argument is advanced that the UDL principles could act as a starting point in developing a more inclusive curriculum; a curriculum that reflects the expressed political commitment to inclusive education and is based on research findings that inform the way curriculum components are addressed.     

The development of intentions for adapted teaching and inclusive education seen in light of curriculum potential. A content analysis of Norwegian national curricula post 1980

This article analyses and discusses the development of the principles of adapted teaching and inclusive education in the three most recent Norwegian national curricula, seen in light of curriculum potential as an overarching perspective. This potential highlights teachers' opportunities for choosing and adapting their teaching content. The area of problems is first related to relevant curriculum theory and choice of method. Our qualitative text analyses and then examines the relevant curricula and other national documents which provide guides and intentions for schooling in Norway. The analysis will also be viewed in an international perspective in relation to OECD evaluations of Norwegian schooling. The discussion highlights the fact that the Norwegian curriculum reforms are affected by these international evaluations. This particularly applies to the relationship between the central governing of the school's content and the individual school's curriculum potential.     

The Politics of Rewriting History: New History Textbooks and Curriculum Materials in Russia

The collapse of communism in Russia in 1991 necessitated, among other things, the rewriting of school history textbooks, which had been dominated by Marxist-Leninist interpretations of historical events. The aim of this article is to evaluate the new postcommunist history taught in upper secondary schools, giving particular attention to how the models for Russian identity presented in the new textbooks redefine legitimate culture for students. Attention will also be given to the multiple perspectives on history that textbooks and other curriculum materials emphasize; these new methods contrast with the grand narrative that dominated the study of history before 1991.     

Teachers’ perceptions of the curricula of the Soviet and post-Soviet eras: A case study of Estonian pre-school teachers

Broadening the role of teachers in curriculum development was among the fundamental objectives of educational reforms in the formerly communist Eastern Europe in the 1990s. The research done so far, however, calls into question the degree to which teachers perceive the relevant changes in curriculum and their new role. This article first describes the context of curricular changes in Eastern Europe and Estonia after the fall of communism. It then analyses Estonian pre-school teachers’ perceptions of national pre-school curricula utilized in two different eras: the late Soviet period and the period from 1999 to date in a sovereign Estonia. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews. Thirty-one experienced teachers participated in the study. It was concluded that teachers generally apprehend the broadened meaning of the concept of curriculum and their augmented role as reflective curriculum makers and theorists. However, differences emerge between teachers’ perceptions of their new role and their readiness to adopt it. Regarding the reported generality and indefiniteness of the new national curriculum, teachers need more assistance for implementing the autonomy and self-responsibility imposed on them by the curriculum. A balance between self-responsibility and professional advice should be sought by both curriculum makers and teacher educators.     

How does Education Support the Formation and Establishment of Individual Identities?

This article examines how education could support the formation and establishment of identities. It focuses on museum education and in particular artist interrogations of museum narratives. These interventions into museum pedagogy are critical reworkings of the presentation of cultural histories in dominant narratives. The aim of this research is to examine the consequences of these interventions for pedagogy in the museum site, when linear narratives are subject to reconstruction by individual agencies. The complexities of museum pedagogy are revealed and analysed in order to identify models of teaching and learning that are inclusive. The work of Fred Wilson, artist and curator of an installation project at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, USA, is applied to explore notions of cultural capital and cultural empowerment through education in the museum. Throughout the article is concerned with investigating how the individual subject is formed and informed through the narrative. Analogies are drawn with the view that the curriculum may not be a neutral and objective selection of knowledge and that in the same way it is worth investigating this claim to enquire whether institutional presentations of history are equally subjective. If museum education projects are set by curators and education officers to meet certain curriculum requirements then there must be questions raised about the structure of narratives and the process by which they are disseminated. This article is an exploration of these actions with far‐reaching applications, to ascertain whether they can successfully promote social justice in education and empower the individual or whether they serve to polarize essentialism and multiculturalism.     

“You Have to Know Why”: The Influence of Different Curricula on Nursing Students' Perceptions of Nursing

The need in modern healthcare for professionals who are self‐directed and autonomous has increased in recent decades. Problem‐based learning is spreading in nursing education as one strategy for meeting these demands. This article deals with the relationship between the design and execution of nursing education curricula and students' understanding of nursing. The aim of the study was to examine nursing students' perceptions of nursing, comparing a problem‐based curriculum to a conventional curriculum. Students were asked to write narratives about nursing. Forty‐three narratives were analyzed using the phenomenological hermeneutic method. Differences between the two groups were found in terms of both structure and content. Problem‐based learning students stressed more the theoretical aspects of nursing. The study shows that educational design might be of great importance to how students understand nursing. Extensive research is needed to further explore the findings, especially related to clinical practice following graduation.     

Reform of History Teaching in High Schools in the New Era: Its Past and Future

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the introduction of the subject of history in high schools has gone through many ups and downs. From 1950 to 1957, the Ministry of Education issued seven different high school curricula. All of them stipulated that there were to be three history classes each week in all six years of junior and senior high school. This meant that history took up nearly 10 percent of the total teaching hours, ranking fourth in weighting in the curricula, after Chinese, mathematics, and foreign languages. In the 1958 curriculum, however, the Ministry of Education reduced the teaching time by one-third. Then, a new curriculum in 1963 stipulated that history was to be taught only in Junior II and III and Senior I, thereby further reducing teaching hours to only 4.5 percent of the total.     

Conceptualizing narrative authority: Implications for teacher education

In this paper I explore an alternative to the dominant authority of positivism in teacher education research and curricula through the conceptualization of narrative authority. Narrative authority is rooted in the personal practical knowledge of teacher education students, university teachers and classroom teachers as they interact within the contexts of teacher education. I begin by describing Dewey's conception of experience as individually continuous and socially interactive. I then discuss two ways in which knowledge is constructed from experience and describe how each Ivalues a different kind of authority. 1 then focus on the educative qualities of experience and show how narrative knowledge expressed through mundane and sacred stories can become taken-for-granted or be reconstructed through experience. Next, I describe how we can think of ourselves as authoring our lives through our narrative authority. I then consider the institutional narratives of teacher education in which sacred stories of apprenticeship, technical rationalism, and inquiry are embedded. I conclude by discussing some of the implications acknowledging narrative authority has for reshaping teacher education.