Curriculum Development: a description of the development of the national curriculum for primary social studies in Nigeria

This paper is a case‐study of curriculum development in Nigeria. It described and analysed, with hindsight, the principles with which a committee had revised and developed a new social studies curriculum for primary (elementary) schools in Nigeria. An appraisal of the committee's pattern of activities shows the need for curriculum to be flexible, adaptable and functional to a particular circumstances. Moreover, the appraisal shows the inevitability of a curriculum design, willy‐nilly, in any curriculum development, as well as the need to make curriculum simple and usable to teachers. In the concluding part of the paper is a brief report of a study conducted to examine the effectiveness of the suggested problems‐approach technique in the teaching and learning of social studies in Nigeria. The effectiveness was established in the report, though within a limited purview.     

New directions in the moral education curriculum in Chinese primary schools

An analysis is presented of the problems that have existed for over 20 years in the moral education curriculum in primary schools of China. These include the separation of moral education from children's lives, the moralizing and memorization used as the basic methods of teaching and learning, and the overlaps between courses on society and ideological moral character. The paper then introduces the main innovations in the contemporary reform of the primary moral education curriculum, including lifelong moral education as its theoretical foundation and making the development of children's morality relate to life, with ‘real’ everyday life events as source materials for textbooks. Embodied in the textbooks are some new ideas behind the revised educational objectives, such as putting oneself in another's position, ecological interdependence, ‘win‐win’, dialogue, sharing and diversity. As the curriculum is child centred so the textbooks use a dialogical pedagogy. In conclusion the paper considers ongoing and new challenges for moral education in primary schools to be faced by the curriculum reform.     

五年制全科型小学教师培养教育课程体系研究

全科型小学教师是指能够承担小学教育所有学科教学工作的教师."全科型小学教师培养研究"是对初中毕业生进行五年一贯制教育使之成为合格的全科型小学教师的一项全新探索,其核心问题之一是如何科学合理地构建相应的课程体系.围绕着这一问题,我们从培养目标与培养规格、课程设置的基本原则、课程体系的构建以及课程实施的基本途径和方法等四个方面进行了分析和阐述.     

Australian Experiences with the Effective Classroom Integration of Information Technology: implications for teacher education

ABSTRACT

In 1992 an Australia‐wide survey was undertaken to determine the most appropriate and effective ways by which classroom teachers have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to use technology in their curriculum. The survey examined current and changing practice and identified factors which the teachers considered promoted or hindered the effective integration of computer technology. Many teachers felt that their teacher training (pre‐service and in‐service) did not prepare them to effectively integrate computers into their teaching, that it did not include enough time for them to become comfortable with the software, nor did it include support to help them troubleshoot during the early implementation stages. This paper discusses these aspects of the survey results and the implications for teacher education in Australia.     

The Computer Revolution in Engineering Education

The ready availability of high-speed digital computers has wrought a fundamental and unprecented change in engineering education. Described herein are one university's experiences with a small digital computer, on which thousands of undergraduates have been taught to program within the past year. A new approach to the teaching and administration of computers is required, as is a new approach to almost every aspect of the engineering curriculum. The shape of things to come is briefly examined.     

Students’ Perceptions of E‐learning in University Education

This paper examines students’ perceptions of e‐learning taking students at Jönköping University in Sweden as an example. The students had experiences from two years of e‐learning on campus. Students (n = 150) filled in a questionnaire with closed as well as open‐ended questions. The answers were analysed in a multiple regression analysis, putting the students’ perceptions in relation to gender, age, previous knowledge of computers, attitudes to new technology, learning styles and the way of implementing e‐learning at the university. Advantages and disadvantages of e‐leaming were categorized in a qualitative content analysis. The main conclusion from the study was that the strategy of implementing the e‐leaming system at the university was more important in influencing students’ perceptions than the individual background variables. Students did not regard access to e‐learning on campus as a benefit. Male students, students with previous knowledge of computers and students with positive attitudes to new technologies were all less positive to e‐leaming on campus than other students.     

Change in Student Perceptions of Course and Instructor Following Curriculum Change

Ongoing curriculum change in higher education is essential to enhance student learning and better prepare them for the job‐market. However, research shows that faculty are reluctant to implement such changes because students generally react adversely thereby negating any potential benefits, and moreover, sanction faculty through lower evaluations and future enrollment. Yet, understanding of the effect of curriculum changes on students’ course and instructor perceptions is limited. In this article we attempt to fill this gap. Drawing on two empirical findings—students’ motivation to attend college becoming increasingly extrinsic since the 1960s and their inability to recognize, ex ante, the value‐added by a curriculum change—and the norm life‐cycle theory, we argue that any effort‐increasing or grade‐threatening change is viewed as non‐normative and will lead to an adverse student reaction. However, this adverse reaction will dissipate over time once a critical mass of students is convinced of the merits of the new curriculum. We find support for our hypotheses by analyzing change in student perceptions following curriculum changes at a U.S. University. In addition, we also find that once the adverse reaction dissipates, students’ perceptions of the new curriculum become more positive than the old curriculum, only to be reversed once the revised curriculum is accepted as the new norm.     

Preparing early childhood educators for global education: the implications of prior learning

This paper outlines the increasing cultural diversity of Australia’s education settings and explicates the global education movement and the new Australian Early Years Learning Framework. It discusses the implication of these factors for early childhood education practice and early childhood teacher education. The key research question considered in this paper is what prior learnings do early childhood educators utilise to consider global education? Data are presented on a research project that explores the prior learning of pre‐service early childhood educators at a major Australian university. The paper shows that, unlike primary and secondary pre‐service teachers, most early childhood education pre‐service teachers have significant professional experiences in educational settings. These prior experiences have a significant impact on pre‐service early childhood educators’ knowledge, beliefs and attitudes in the area of global education and align strongly with the global education curriculum movement and new national curriculum.     

Sixth‐formers reading ‘the troubles’: A cross‐community investigation

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a one‐year (2002–2003) action research project conducted in a representative number of post‐primary schools across the sectarian divide in Belfast. The research investigated the responses of sixth‐form students to a number of carefully chosen texts focused on ‘The Troubles’. In analysing the pupils’ responses, it was discovered that, although inherited sectarian tensions persist, it is possible in many cases to encourage pupils to critically examine their attitudes and even abandon some prejudices. The key elements are the choice of texts and the need to provide ample and skilfully directed opportunity for dialogue and reflection. These findings are particularly relevant in the current climate of curriculum change, with the new emphasis on ‘diversity’ as well as ‘local and global citizenship’.     

新课改背景下英语师资培训的思考

新课程师资培训作为当前和今后一个时期中小学教师继续教育的主要任务，对于全面提高教师教学水平和转变教学理念，顺利推进新课程改革的进行具有重要的意叉。本将结合新课改对教师及其教学方法提出的新要求，从英语师资培训的内容、课程及具体操作等方面提出当前英语师资培训的框架，以供参考。     

Learning from the Learners: Preparing Future Teachers to Leverage the Benefits of Laptop Computers

Technology is changing the teaching and learning landscape. Teacher preparation programs must produce teachers who have new skills and strategies to leverage the benefits of laptop computers in their classrooms. This study used a phenomenological strategy to explain first-year college students' perceptions of the effects of a 1:1 laptop experience on their readiness for college and the uses of technology for instructional purposes by high school teachers. Participants in the study had experienced a 1:1 laptop initiative for two or more years while in high school. The study included interviews with 15 participants from two different countries and five different high schools. Recommendations from student voices in this study call for teacher preparedness beyond the levels of traditional teacher preparation curriculum. Teacher preparation programs and ongoing professional development need to embed curriculum with practical applications of technology integration for teachers so that they are truly classroom ready to leverage the computers that students come to class expecting to use.     

基于新课标理念的中小学艺术课程统整

课程统整是新课标理念下中小学艺术课程设计与实施的重要方式和途径。新课标理念下的中小学艺术课程统整具有促进课程有机融合,达成艺术核心素养提升;充分发挥主观能动性,持续优化艺术教师课程执行力;合理调动课程系统要素,助推艺术课程系统高效运行几方面的价值定位。基于新课标新理念的中小学艺术课程统整,需遵循“适应性专业知识”、艺术学科高阶思维和课程系统协同育人的逻辑。达成中小学艺术课程的有效统整、推进中小学艺术课程有效实施,需要采取以下三个方面的策略：明晰新课标理念,增强艺术课程统整意识;依据新课标课程整合取向,绘制中小学艺术课程统整框架;协同教师发展,提升艺术教师课程统整执行力。     

土耳其初等教育课程改革评析

土耳其于2003年开始的新一轮课程改革,是在适应社会、科技和文化迅速变化的需要,改善教学环境,改进与欧盟成员国关系的基础上进行的。土耳其初等教育新课程有其广泛的社会、个人、经济、历史和文化基础,对学习和教学环境提出新要求、运用问题解决式教学方法以及采用新的教学评价方式是土耳其新课程学习与教学过程的主要特点。虽然土耳其初等教育课程改革具有针对性强、重视学生个性与批判性思维的培养以及与国际课程改革相呼应等优点,但也存在新课程开发过程过于仓促、教师培训不足和资源相对匮乏等问题。     

The Use of Computers in the Education of Open University Students with Disabilities

Abstract

In 1988 the Open University is implementing a major new policy on the use of computers in its courses; students taking certain courses will be obliged to have access to a microcomputer. This new policy has many far‐reaching consequences, not least for students who are disabled. In the past most computing in Open University courses has been done by students using terminals in local study centres, linked to the University's mainframe computers. Also, a number of students who are disabled have used computers in their studies, principally for word‐processing written work. By interviewing disabled students who have taken such courses, and surveying other disabled students, it has been possible to anticipate to some extent the likely impact of the home‐computing (HC) policy. Results suggest that for many disabled‐ students the HC policy represents an improvement in their opportunities; now they will be able to study courses involving computers entirely at home. However, a number of problems have also been identified. Hopefully, as many of these have been recognised at an early stage, it will be possible to address them before they affect students directly.     

对我国中小学音乐课程改革与发展的几点认识

根据课程的形成背景,近百年中小学音乐课程的发展大体有五个阶段：其中前三个阶段主要是受不同的国外课程的影响建构的;后两个阶段是以本土化建设为目标的探索,尤其是最近的新课程凸现了许多亮点。我国中小学音乐课程改革与发展基于不同课程观的影响,进入新世纪后,音乐课程改革在全球化、数字化的背景下日趋完善,上海中小学音乐新课程作为其中一个探索实例,比较完整地反映了这个发展的成果。文章还对中小学音乐课程的未来作了一定的展望。     

Teaching a Biotechnology Curriculum Based on Adapted Primary Literature

Adapted primary literature (APL) refers to an educational genre specifically designed to enable the use of research articles for learning biology in high school. The present investigation focuses on the paedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of four high‐school biology teachers who enacted an APL‐based curriculum in biotechnology. Using a constructivist qualitative research approach, we analysed those teachers' aims and beliefs, the instructional strategies they used during the enactment of the curriculum, as well as the outcomes of the enactment as perceived by the teachers and their students, and as reflected in the class observations. Some of the teachers' strategies applied during the enactment, such as the conversational model, were specifically designed for teaching APL‐based curricula. We found that the instructional strategies applied for the adapted articles were associated with cognitive and affective engagement, active learning, inquiry thinking, and understanding of the nature of science. Suitable teacher PCK promoted learning by inquiry in addition to learning on inquiry. Students' challenges were mainly linked to the comprehension of complex, multi‐stage, biotechnological processes and methods that are abundant throughout the curriculum and required the use of previous knowledge in new contexts. A complex interaction of factors, namely teachers' PCK, the APL genre, and the biotechnology content of the curriculum, shaped the instructional strategies of the new curriculum and the outcomes of its enactment     

Student‐teachers’ Use of Computers during Teaching Practice in Primary Classrooms

It is argued that teacher readiness is crucial to the realisation of national goals for educational computer use and that the preparation of student teachers can make an important contribution. This study investigated student‐teachers’ dispositions towards computers and their use of computers in primary‐school classrooms during a final‐year practicum. The student teachers generally viewed computers positively but lacked confidence in their knowledge of computers. While they were nervous about using computers in classrooms, almost two‐thirds did use a computer at least once during a four‐week practicum and were more likely to do so if the supervising teacher modelled such use. The most frequently experienced problems in using computers were organisational. Based on the findings of this study it is suggested that preservice courses should focus on the pedagogical issues associated with computer use and they should provide students with opportunities to observe and practise classroom computing.     

新课程·新教材·新教师——新课程对小学英语教师素质的要求

课程、教材和教师是教学的三要素。课程涉及“教学路子”问题,为教材编制和教学设计提供理论上的宏观指导;教材属于教的内容,受制于课程要求：教师是课程和教材的具体实施者。通过解读新课程,分析新课程理念下小学英语教材的特点,探讨新课程、新教材环境下小学英语教师需要具备的素质。     

中小学新课程网络资源构建探究

随着基础教育课程改革的深入和基础教育信息化的推进,中小学新课程网络资源的建设已成为目前重要工作之一。教师需要的是多样化、多层次、针对性强、实用性强的教学资源。目前各种基础教育网站提供的教学资源还远远未达到教育教学的要求。新课程网络资源的开发是集教育、技术、艺术于一体的综合性创造性活动。     

Towards internationalizing the curriculum in a context of globalization: comparing policy processes in two settings

The primary focus of this paper is two case study schools, one in Singapore and one in Australia, which have both been actively pursuing an agenda to build a unique internationally‐oriented curriculum, in a context of globalization, but also within the constraints set by national/State curriculum frameworks, examinations and league tables. Interviews were used to collect data in each school, and then cross‐case analysis was conducted to reveal both similarities and differences in the way the two schools are moving towards internationalizing their curriculum. Emergent meta‐level conceptual themes around policy for ‘internationalization’ of the curriculum are discussed: enablers and constraints; the issue of whether such internationalization fosters a market ideology; changing power relationships; and the relevance of distinctions between internationalization and globalization. The paper concludes by pointing to the contribution of the ‘sociology of knowledge’ and ‘critical policy analysis’ in disrupting the potentially hegemonic economic discourses associated with internationalizing the curriculum.