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Australian national curriculum
Australian national curriculum
Australian national curriculum
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Introduction
In modern democratic society school curriculum has become a prioritised concern for many citizens. It is a key factor in the shaping of future generations and the development of society. Decades have lapsed and numerous attempts have been made to produce a national curriculum for Australia. In 2008 it was announced that the Rudd government in collaboration with State and Territories would produce a plan to move towards a national curriculum (Brady & Kennedy, 2010). To date this has been realised in the deliverance of the Australian Curriculum v1.2 which will be examined in this paper.
Structure of The Australian Curriculum: Scope & Sequence
Delivered online, the Australian curriculum is dynamic and easily updated. Moving away from hard copy has diminished the notion of a “static two-dimensional subject-centred curriculum.” (Hill, 2010, para.17). Users now have the capacity to search its multidimensional structure according to their needs (Hill, 2010), making it accessible and extremely user friendly.
The Australian curriculum has been designed for children in their schooling years from foundation to year twelve. Currently the curriculum has covered four learning areas (English, Mathematics, Science and History) from kindergarten to year ten. “The Australian Curriculum describes knowledge, skills and understanding organised by learning areas.” (ACARA, 2010 d). Each learning area contains a: rationale – describing the nature of learning, aims – the intended result of learning from the curriculum, year level description, strands – interrelated broad organisers for the content in each learning area, content descriptions – describe what teachers are expected to teach, content elaborations – content description sup...
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...lia. Retreived from http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/internet/Years_K10/Curriculum_Framework
Hill, P. (2010). An Australian curriculum to support 21st century learning. Retrieved from http://eqa.edu.au/site/anaustraliancurriculumtopromote21stcentury.html
Jwelgan. (2007, March 8). Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_8MB9F2cts
Marsh, C. (2010). Becoming a Teacher. Knowledge, skills and issues. Frenchs Forrest, Australia. Pearson.
Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (2008). The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf
Wiles, J. (2005). Curriculum Essentials. A Resource for Educators. Boston, MA. Pearson.
(NGV, 2014). NGV Gordon Bennett Education Resource. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/gordonbennett/education/03.html#06. [Accessed 11 May 2014].
In this essay I will outline the curricular systems for the 0-5 age group in England and Scotland. I will examine in detail the planning and assessment provisions of these systems which allow early years practitioners to gain insight into children's learning and to aid them in that regard. I will draw comparison between the practices of these two countries where possible, and provide criticism of each.
The first Australian Professional Teaching Standard is ‘Know students and how they learn’(AITSL, 2011). Understanding how students learn is a significant component of effective teaching (1.2 AITSL, 2011). Furthermore, effective teachers require an understanding of students physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics (1.1 AITSL, 2011). In addition, APST Standards require teachers to demonstrate both content and pedagogical knowledge through lesson plans (2.1 AITSL, 2011) with the curriculum content being structured and sequenced to facilitate effective learning (2.2 AITSL, 2011). However, it is also critical to have a repertoire of teaching strategies which are responsive to a diverse range of student backgrounds, including linguistic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic (1.3 AITSL, 2011). An effective learning, in accordance with The Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority, provides learners with general capabilities (knowledge, skills, behaviours and characteristics) and include understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students learning needs and incorporate differentiated teaching methods to meet the needs of specific
In terms of historical context, the National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988 (DES, 1988). From its establishment, the curriculum was then divided into its primary (Key Stage One and Two) and secondary (Key Stage Three and Four) form.
Tickell, C., 2011. The Early Years: Foundations for life, health and learning. An independent report on the Early Years Foundation Stage to Her Majesty’s Government. London: HMG
The development of a national curriculum for Australia is not a new endeavour (Marsh, 2010). The ideal is that national curriculum across Australia would mean that students are provided with a quality education that helps to shape the lives of the nations citizens and continue developing the productivity and quality of life within Australia. The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] have the task of developing and implementing a nationwide curriculum. ACARA (n.d.-c) claims have addressed needs of young Australians while considering that changing ways in learning and challenges will continue to shape students education in the future. A look at what the Australian Curriculum is, its purpose, structure and scope, learning theories and teaching processes and whether the curriculum has the capacity to meet the needs of 21st century learners will show that the initial construction of a national curriculum appears to be successful. However, the effectiveness of the Australian Curriculum will only be able to be evaluated in the future after implementation across the country.
Different theories present own opinion of the most effective way through curriculum models. ‘Curriculum models are approaches or procedures for implementing a curriculum’. (Wilson, 2009: 522) Commonly curriculum are described as product, process and praxis. While curriculum as a product depends on the objectives as the learning goals and the measured means, a process model focuses on learning and relationship between learner and teacher. Chosen curriculum model depends on teaching and assessment strategies in some cases determinate by awarding bodies, organisational constrains, funding body and political initiatives. The dominant modes of describing and managing education are today couched in the productive form. Objectives are set, a plan drawn up, then applied, and the outcomes (products) measured. It is a way of thinking about education that has grown in influence in the United Kingdom since the late 1970s with the rise of ‘vocationalism’ and the concern of competencies. In the late 1980s and the 1990s many of the debates about the National Curriculum for schools did not so much concern how the curriculum was thought about as to what its objectives and content might be. (Wilson, 2009)
The National Curriculum seems to pursue the route of a “… shared and authentic ‘national’ body of accepted knowledge and standards.” (Walkup, 2011). This appears to tell us that, with the National Curriculum, we are brought together, and taught the same subjects, and have similar attainment targets; however once difference that can also come out of this, is the level and standards at which it is taught, this is because different teachers will have different ideas as to how it should be taught.
The Australian Curriculum has been a 'long time coming', but its great that it is almost here now. The Australian Curriculum has been designed with some relation to Tyler and Skillbeck's models. It is suspected that theorists such as Piaget were also considered during the development. The Australian Curriculum relates to Piaget's stages of progression, with curriculum being designed for specific levels of maturation and development. With students of this generation, it was incredibly important that an updated, curriculum was to be designed so that it could facilitate the needs of the 21st century learners. This new generation of learners seem to be almost born with basic computer skills, so the ICT program has been completely redeveloped. The curriculum has also expanded to make way for Asian studies which will help students as they move into their careers. The Australian Curriculum has been developed to cover a broad range of topics, concerns and values that will be discussed throughout this paper.
The structure of the Australian Curriculum has a three-dimensional approach (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, (ACARA), 2010). The first focus is the Eight Curriculum Learning Areas; English, Mathematics, Humanities, The Arts, Health and Physical Education, Language, and Design and Technology. Integrated into the learning framework of these subjects are seven General Capabilities: Literacy, Numeracy, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Intercultural Understanding and Ethical Understanding. The third focus is based on areas identified as educational goals in the 'Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians' (2008) with three Cross-Curriculum Priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia,
The Australian Curriculum suggest that it is vital that the all Australian school students regardless of culture learn about the rightful owners of the land, in this case it would be the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. Some schools even promote Indigenous studies as elective subject whereas others view Indigenous studies as an authority subject. It is important that students learn about their own country as well as to respect the Aboriginal people, especially young children in the early years setting. They can learn about the Aboriginal culture through creative activities such as song, dance, arts and crafts, this also helps them with their fine and gross motor skills.
The implementation of policy and legislation related to inclusive education, thus being a focus on the diversity and difference in our society (Ashman & Elkins, 2009), would have vast implications on the way society views that which is different to the accepted “norm”.
When reviewing the literature regarding the past, present and future of educational curriculum, several main points seem apparent, namely that curriculum is cyclical, that a dilemma or paradox exists, and that curriculum must be looked at with a sensitive view.
Since then, Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction has been a standard reference for anyone working with curriculum development. Although not a strict how-to guide, the book shows how educators can critically approach curriculum planning, studying progress and retooling when needed. Its four sections focus on setting objectives, selecting learning experiences, organizing instruction, and evaluating progress. Readers will come away with a firm understanding of how to formulate educational objectives and how to analyze and adjust their plans so that students meet the objectives. Tyler also explains that curriculum planning is a continuous, cyclical process, an instrument of education that needs to be fine-tuned.
A curriculum is a compilation of study materials that are used at all grade levels, classroom and homework assignments and a set of teacher guides. It could also include a list of prescribed methodology and guidelines of teaching and some material for the parents etc. It is generally determined by an external governing body. However, there are some cases where it may be developed by the schools and teachers themselves.