1. Curriculum Studies Assignments!

2. Assignment
Critically review a curriculum programme or scheme with which you are familiar, examining its aims and purposes and analysing the extent to which these are achieved in practice based on your own experience.
As far as you are able you should include the different perspectives of relevant stakeholders in your analysis and identify overall strengths, limitations and possible areas for development.

3. Examples of titles
“A critical review of the IB Diploma Programme, examining its aims and purposes and analysing the extent to which these are achieved in practice at XXXXXXX International School”

4. Examples of titles
“A critical review of the Drama curriculum within the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, examining its aims and purposes and analysing the extent to which these are achieved in practice.”

5. Examples of titles
“To what extent can the MYP be viewed as an integrated curriculum?
Case study: Grade 10 Humanities at XXXXX International School.”

6. Examples of titles
“The place of citizenship education within the new National Curriculum.”

7. Examples of titles
“The reproduction of social inequalities through international education in Hong Kong.”

8. Examples of titles
“A comparison of the AP and IBDP curricula using Bernstein’s theory of classification and framing of educational knowledge.”

9. Examples of titles
“Play and Inquiry-led Curriculums in Early Childhood Education in Berlin, Germany: a study to compare and combine the Berliner Bildungsprogramm and the International Baccalaureate Organization’s Primary Years Programme.”

10. Examples of titles
“A critical review of the introduction, implementation and adoption of the South African National Curriculum between 1994 and 2011: education against a backdrop of inequality pre-1994.”

11. Examples of titles
“Curricular Transitions – Is there a smooth curricular transition between the international education programs of the IGCSE and the IB?.”

12. Examples of titles
“The Group 4 Project in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: Does it still have a place in the IBDP?.”

13. Examples of titles
“How do cultural perspectives influence and shape the curriculum? – the case of science in the IB MYP”

14. Writing process Identify area for assignment: Something of interest
Relevant to professional role
Decide on limits:
Scope (breadth vs depth)
Linkage with literature

15. Writing process Try to formulate a question To what extent …?
What can be learned by comparing …?
How can [theory] be applied to …?

16. Writing process Literature search
What previous research has been done on this topic?
Is there a literature beyond ‘internal’ documentation
Can you relate what you want to look at to some sort of conceptual framework/theory?

17. Feedback, support & submission
Outline (1-2 sides of A4; structure; indicative reading; writing plan; ASAP)
Draft (one chance for feedback; at least six weeks before final submission date; include references)
Feedback (within three weeks
Final (by deadline!; one document including cover sheet)

18. Assignment Structure
Introduction (context, background, why this topic is of interest to you)
Literature/research review (establishing the framework for your analysis)
Your bit! (analysis)
Discussion (referring back to literature/research)
Conclusions/recommendations

19. Assessment Overall (Scholarship, Perspective, Coherence) Content
Structure
Presentation (Clarity, Style, Appearance, Length, Referencing)
Analysis (Argument, Interpretation, Evaluation, Application)
Use of sources (Scope and Number, Types)
[Methodology/Methods – for Educational Enquiries and Dissertations]

20. Grades Distinction (70-100%) Merit (60-69%) Good Pass (50-59%)
Condonable Fail (35-39%)
Fail (0-34%)
All assignments graded as Fail will normally be allowed to be resubmitted but with a capped marks of 40%.