Structure and Development of Curriculum

Structure and phylogenesis of course of studyIntroductionThe syllabus is not a simple word that digest be delimit it is a discipline that consists of many an(prenominal) factors that ultimately create the course of instruction. Upon reading pull ahead into this display case, it has become obvious that the course is a complex field and is more(prenominal) likely to reveal that many authors, scholars, academic writers individually have a translation describing what the programme best means to them or its best definition in the context they discuss. This paper ordain point on the Australian course of study and bequeath attempt to address issues such as the non-homogeneous definitions of the curriculum, the conclusion or goal of the curriculum, how the curriculum is finded, the social organisation of the curriculum, how the curriculum is influenced by disparate larn theories, the processes of program line, eruditeness and assessment and how the curriculum relate s to 21st degree Celsius learners. Incorporating these factors and apprehensiveness this schooling go forth allow the reader to formulate his or her own educated definition of the curriculum whilst recognising the primary features which influence educational activity within our schools.Definition of syllabus and its S retreatholdersSeveral definitions surround the meaning of curriculum to get an overview of the definition we can throw relevant language in concert such as plan, objective, content, subject matter, opportunities, guidelines, framework, experiences or strategies, although in order to nock sense of these words and their relationship to the curriculum we must connect these words in a logical pattern. Authors and academics Brady Kennedy (2010, p.5) simply state In seek to understand better the role of the curriculum in the 21st century, the purport should be to contain that children and young people be well weaponed to handle whatever it is that this century will call them to do and be, in other(a) words, there must be a common relate and a common bond by all those twisting, while marshland and Willis (2007, as cited in Marsh, 2010, p.93) define curriculum as an interrelated hang of plans and experiences which a student completes under the guidance of the school. Other definitions of the curriculum arise, restricted on the stakeholders in question, these stakeholders are people who have an interest in the curriculum, its formation and its delivery. The business community feel that the curriculum must be fitting to support students in their future employment opportunities while preparing them for the economical needs of society (Brady Kennedy, 2010) and parent groups are concerned that the curriculum could be manipulated by government bodies for academic analysis instead of concentrating on provide their children with the appropriate k directlyledge and experiences for a successful future (Brady Kennedy, 2010). ACARA (2010c) describes the new matter curriculum as a broad scope and sequence of spunk accomplishment. Critical lasts about the total informational program and how it will be implemented and adapted to meet the needs and interests of students will be the office of education authorities, schools, teachers, parents and studentsMarsh (2010, p.24) provides a list of stakeholders with whom the matter Curriculum bestride (NCB), now known as the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting leave (ACARA) consults governing Federal/State Minister for Education, Council of Australian Governments, Premiers, State/ dirt ministers, Federal opposition, State/Territory oppositionEducation authorities Government and Non-Government Schools, Australasian Curriculum, Assessment and Certification Authorities (ACACA), Department of Education, Employment and work Relations (DEEWR).Professional associations Unions, Business, EmployersSchool-based Principals, Administrators, Teachers, StudentsCommuni ty Parents, Parent groups, Parent AssociationsTertiary heavens Universities, TAFE, Industry training sectors, AcademicsFrom this information it is discernable that the curriculum is complex, detailed and is influenced by many groups. Fundamentally, it is a plan that consists of goals/aims, content and achievement standards for each subject to be taught within Australian schools, in other words, the curriculum is a planned description of the what, how and when of teaching, tuition and assessment. Understanding the foundation of curriculum, we can now concentrate on the goal of the curriculum WHO is it for and WHAT do we expect from our education system and for young Australian citizens?The purpose or goal of the Curriculum and EducationCurriculum must be of direct relevance to the childs social, cultural, environmental and economic context and to his or her present and future needs and take full account of the childs evolving capacities teaching methods should be tailored to th e different needs of different children (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment 1 as cited in Sullivan Keeney, 2008, p.38).In order to understand the goal or purpose of education, we must understand who we are directing our learning to. Acknowledging the diversity of learners will assist in identifying the scope and range of the content to be cover by the curriculum.Brady and Kennedy (2010, p.38) state Teachers must examine the curriculum carefully to ensure it does not exclude the diverse experiences that students bring with them to the classroom. More positively, the curriculum should set off those experiences and make them the basis for discovery and learning. The K-12 National Curriculum is tell towards students maturement their knowledge and understanding of the major disciplines Mathematics, English, Science and memorial to enable students to push their knowledge and specialise in fields finished further third education. Further to this, the curricul um provides the foundation that allows young Australian citizens to deal confidently with issues that arise and enables them to make informed decisions regarding social and personal matters. (EQUITY)ACARA is responsible for the development of the Australian curriculum from Kindergarten to socio-economic class 12. ACARAs work with the Australian curriculum is directed by the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. This declaration commits to support learners with quality education and providing them with the skills necessary for future endeavours (ACARA, 2009a). The Australian curriculum will outline the scope and sequence of key learning ambits, in other words WHAT and WHEN it is to be taught at schools, although teachers will ultimately make the decision on HOW to organise, structure and deliver this information to benefit each and each students learning experience (ACARA, 2009b). The educational goals for young Australian citizens focus on creatin g successful learners such as developing their capacity to be creative, resourceful and motivated individuals, to be able to think, obtain and evaluate evidence, work respectively and in teams, be able to communicate ideas, utilise current technology and be able to make informed decisions and gain the necessary skills regarding their learning and employment committals. These goals also aim to create confident individuals by providing the tools that encourage a sense of self- mindfulness to be able to manage all facets of their wellbeing, develop values such as honesty, empathy and respect for themselves and others, form personal, social and headmaster relationships and have the confidence to pursue further education and training. In addition, decent active and informed citizens is addressed through the cross-curriculum dimensions, which aim to instil an understanding and appreciation for Australias indigenous history and diverse culture and sustaining and improving our innate and social surroundings (ACARA, 2009b).So far we have discussed what the curriculum is and how it can be defined, the major influences on the curriculums development, namely the stakeholders and the purpose or goals of the curriculum and education. Before we discuss the structure and development of the curriculum, it is important to be aware of where and how the curriculum originated and why the curriculum is structured the dash it is.Structure and Development of the CurriculumThe structure of the curriculum and how it is veritable caters for the wide range of stakeholders involved while endeavouring to achieve the best learning outcomes for Australian students. The core-curriculum was developed through the Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) by the former Director, Malcolm Skilbeck in 1980. The 24-page text file attempted to reconceptualise the existing school subjects within a social-reconstructionist framework (Marsh, 2010, p.11). all the same though p arts of the core-curri culum were adopted in NSW, WA and NT, the development did not continue due to a lack of funding for the CDC. As the decades passed, many attempts at developing a national curriculum failed to make it successfully through its journey, finally in 2008, under the Rudd Government, a National Curriculum Board (NCB) was created to develop a National Curriculum for students Kindergarten to stratum 12, consisting of quaternion Key Learning Areas (KLAs) Mathematics, English, History and Science, with additional components of public capabilities and cross-curriculum dimensions functional alongside these KLAs (Marsh, 2010).ACARA (2009c) was created to oversee the successful development of the Kindergarten to Year 12 Curriculum, addition the Senior Secondary Curriculum and the Early Years Curriculum Framework. infra outlines the four stages involved in the development of the Australian Curriculum Kindergarten to Year 12.Curriculum shaping stage- This involves the development of the draft shape paper, where expert advice is quest and endorsed by ACARAs board for public feedback. This creates the final shape paper, consisting of an outline of the Australian curriculum including design advice for learning areas.Curriculum writing stage A team consisting of writers, curriculum experts, and ACARA curriculum staff developing the Australian curriculum. The information includes content description and achievement standards to achieve this, the team refers to national and international research on curriculum, while also referring to current state and land curriculums. After public feedback and necessary modifications, the Australian curriculum for the particular learning area is ready for publication.Implementation stage Implementation plans are developed by ACARA and state/territory curriculum and school authorities (ACARA, 2010b) evaluation and review stage Implementation feedback is reviewed carefully via processes that monitor this information. below is a visual sn apshot of the components included in the National Curriculum to be implemented in the year 2011.Australian curriculum graph.pngSource (ACARA, 2009a) each(prenominal) KLA contains a statement of rule, aims, content structure and descriptions, and achievement standards.Statement of rationale Overview of the particular subjectAims What students will achieve from this subject subject area structure/organisation How the subject is arranged/designed and the information involvedContent description specifies what teachers are expected to teach for each learning area at each year level, also provides the scope and sequence of teachingAchievement standards describes the quality of learning e.g. the understanding, knowledge and skill students are inevitable to achieve at each year level.While the National curriculum will keep the original structure of scope and sequence for the KLAs, it is evident the new curriculum has become more detailed and involved, by introducing general capabilit ies and cross-curriculum dimensions in addition to the KLAs, teachers may find it difficult to be able to get through all the required content in the while allocated, while some may require further intensive training to increase their knowledge in certain areas such as History. some primary teachers have a sufficient background in History and that they will require concentrated training to develop academic and pedagogical knowledge in History (Harris-Hart, 2009 as cited in Marsh, 2010, p.26), although ACARA (2010c) states the key focus during curriculum development is on depth of learning and not extensiveness of learning, so as not to overcrowd the curriculum. Since the Australian Curriculum has been collated from different components of the eight state/territory curriculums currently in operation, they have maintained the KLAs, added general capabilities and cross-curriculum dimensions while keeping the existing structure for sequencing within the learning areas. (REFERENCE) F or example, the NSW curriculum comprises of six KLAs for primary school and eight KLAs for secondary school. Below is a visual snapshot of the NSW Primary syllabus.http//k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/time_on_each_subject.jpgSource (NSW-BOS, 2008)Schools in spic-and-span South Wales use the Kindergarten to Year 10 Curriculum Framework as the foundation of what, how and when the content is to be taught, although the NSW Board of Studies acknowledges that schools and teachers take responsibility for the way in which the content is organised and delivered (NSW-BOS, 2002a). NSW primary teachers use the NSW Primary Curriculum Foundation Statements to find out what needs to be taught in each subject. The six subjects within the NSW curriculum are English, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Personal Development, wellness and Physical Education (PDHPE), Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) and Creative arts (NSW-BOS, 2002b), while the Australian Curriculum takes into considerati on two new components that will enhance the learning process by working alongside the four KLAs, these components are ten (10) general capabilities and collar (3) cross-curriculum dimensions. The ten (10) general capabilities are literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology, thinking skills, ethical behaviour, creativity, self-management, teamwork, intercultural understanding and social competence. The three (3) cross-curriculum dimensions are Indigenous history and culture, Asia and Australias engagement with Asia and Sustainability (ACARA, 2010a).ConclusionThe Curriculum is a planned description of the what, how and when of teaching, learning and assessment, it is the foundation for learners, students and teachers while being influenced by the many stakeholders that want a share/input in the direction of the Curriculum. The structure and development of the Australian Curriculum includes many components such as teaching, learning and assessment which have focused o n the depth of learning not the breadth. Throughout this paper it is also evident that the Australian Curriculum has been influenced by the theories of teaching and learning from several theorists such as Piaget, Bloom, Krathwohl, Vygotsky, Bruner and Maslows taxonomy. In addition, we must keep in mind that by understanding our students ever-changing nature and their diversities, the Australian Curriculum has the opportunity to be in the knife edge of teaching and learning in the 21st Century.