Teacher collaboration in curriculum design teams: effects,mechanisms, and conditions

ABSTRACT

Collaborative design positively affects both professional development and the implementation of curriculum change, because teachers develop competencies and practice and develop ownership of the change. The current study was aimed to explore what empirical evidence is available about processes that take place when teachers co-design and how these contribute to professional development and curriculum change. Evidence from 14 PhD studies was collected to study their impact on teacher learning and curriculum change, by analysing effects, mechanisms, and conditions. Results showed that effects of curriculum design teams, in terms of learning outcomes for teachers in areas such as (pedagogical) content knowledge and design knowledge and skills, became manifest in the outcomes of the curriculum design process, and in the appreciation by the stakeholders. We concluded that professional development, through collaborative design in teams, which is specific and linked to the curriculum, influences teachers’ knowledge and practice and impacts implementation of curriculum change.     

Fostering effective studying and study planning with study questions

In a course on biological psychology and neuropsychology, study questions were provided that also appeared as test questions in the course exam. This method was introduced to support students in active processing and reproduction of the study texts, and study planning. Data were gathered to test the hypothesis that study question use would be beneficial to course grades. In addition, the way in which students evaluated the method was studied. It appeared that the number of study questions answered prior to the exam had a positive effect on course grades. Students were generally positive about the use of the questions in terms of their study planning.     

The Learning Effects of a Multidisciplinary Professional Development Programme

Professional development becomes relevant and effective when teachers are actively involved, collaborate, and when it is linked to teachers’ daily school practice (Hunzicker in Prof Dev Educ 37:177–179, 2011). Preparation of teachers for a curriculum implementation such as the new subject Nature, Life, and Technology can be done by a professional development programme where teachers are actively involved (Visser et al. 2010). This study evaluates the designed and implemented professional development programme with respect to its effectiveness in terms of degree of teacher learning and development. Effects are evaluated for five learning areas: Instructional strategies, differences in students’ prior knowledge, adjustments to the module, assessment methods and instruments, and field trips and guest lectures. Eleven teachers from four different schools participated in two professional development programmes, six teachers in the first professional development programme and five teachers in the programme for the subsequent module. Questionnaires and interviews were used to assess the effects in the different learning areas. The findings show that the professional development programme is a useful venture for teachers’ professional growth in different learning areas.     

Two approaches to the identification and measurement of public radio audiences: Locating unique subgroups

About children and television: Everyone has something to say and perhaps for good reason     

如何与室友相处

Movies like "Animal House" and "Revenge Of The Nerds" illustrate the prettier parts of college life: The parties, the men, the women, the good times. But then there are the dark clouds surrounding the college experience: The bad food, the hangovers, the beer goggles, and—worst of all—the evil roommate. As horrible as mystery meat, mornings after and anonymous(无名的) hookups may be, there's nothing more damaging to your life at college than living with a nasty roommate.