1. Some Current Issues in Curriculum Studies
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

2. What are the issues? Postmodern perspectives on curriculum
Baccalaureates
The holistic/whole/integrated curriculum
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

3. Dealing with postmodernism
“…play the game without rules, and from the very playing, to invent new rules.”
“To get beyond Tyler and Taba is to suggest that we engage in a holistic approach to conceptualising the curriculum and its creation.”
“It is much easier to indicate where we have been that to indicate where we are going.”
Hunkins & Hammil, 1994
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

4. The new 4Rs
Four criteria for postmodern curriculum development – the new 4Rs:
Richness
Recursion
Relations
Rigour
Doll, 1993
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

5. Features of Doll’s model
A transformative curriculum
Promotion of higher order competence and learning to learn
Encourages independence and self- organisation
Change to teacher’s role to facilitator of learning
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

6. Criticisms of Doll’s model
Vague and unclear?
Rhetorical?
Impractical?
Threatening?
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

7. Characterising ‘Baccalaureates’
Breadth/depth (number of ‘subjects’/components, contrast/balance, assessment models, learning context, settings)
Prescription/choice
Inclusivity/exclusivity (level/demand, academic/vocational)
Qualification/curriculum framework
After Hodgson & Spours, 2009
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

8. ‘Baccalaureates’ Range of different approaches: Self-contained
(e.g. IBDP)
‘Container’/Portfolio
(e.g. Welsh Bac)
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

9. IB Diploma Programme
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

10. Cambridge Pre-U
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

11. Welsh Baccalaureate Curriculum Framework
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

12. Structure Core Options Key Skills Wales, Europe and the World
Work-related Education
Personal and Social Education
Curriculum Studies - Session 7
Options
current qualifications (A/AS, VCE, GCSE, VGCSE, NVQ, BTEC)

13. Key Skills Communication Application of Number IT Working with Others
Problem Solving
Improving Own Learning and Performance
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

14. Wales, Europe and the World
discussion of political, social, economic and cultural factors (8 key issues)
sets Wales in the broader context
builds on existing language skills in either a MFL or Welsh
Individual Investigation based on issue arising from Wales, Europe and World
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

15. Work-related Education
understanding of the world of work (all students will work with employers)
importance of enterprise and entrepreneurship (all students will contribute to a team enterprise activity)
contributes to careers education and guidance
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

16. Personal and Social Education
One key issue from each of four elements:
positive relationships
good health, including sexual health
the rights and responsibilities of being an active citizen
understanding development issues and education for sustainable development
… plus Community Participation activity
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

17. When is a Baccalaureate not a Baccalaureate? …
… when it’s an EBacc!
A performance measure of the percentage of students in a school who achieve GCSE grades A*-C in English, mathematics, two sciences, a foreign language and history or geography
Not to be confused with English Baccalaureate Certificate (RIP!) or …
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

18. European Baccalaureate
Diploma awarded by the fourteen European Schools. A combination of compulsory and optional subjects examined at ‘Year 13’ Used for University entrance. Is this a ‘baccalaureate’?
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

19. Holistic education
“It is more than the education of the whole student and addresses the very broadest development of the whole person at the cognitive and affective levels. It emphasizes the education of the student beyond the confines of the classroom and moves the concept of a child-centred educational approach to a much more radical programme of education.”
Hare, 2010
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

20. Holistic education
“At its most general level, what distinguishes holistic education from other forms of education are its goals, its attention to experiential learning, and the significance that it places on relationships and primary human values within the learning environment.”
Miller, 2003
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

21. Contributing theories
Rousseau
Dewey
Steiner
Montessori
Gardner
Maslow
Rogers
Friere
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

23. Implications
Radical approaches to … … schooling? … curriculum? … pedagogy? … role of the ‘teacher’?
Curriculum Studies - Session 7

24. Other issues Coherence/connection Progression and continuity
Integration
Matching learners’ needs
21st Century learning
The curriculum for personalised learning/brain-based learning
Globalisation/Internationalisation
Curriculum Studies - Session 7