Dear Raymond:

I have done some research on integrating cross-cultural factors in curriculum design and highlighted the need for diversifying the curriculum to accommodate the growing diversity on U.S. campuses that I hope would be helpful to you:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/45724244_Integrating_Cross-Cultural_Elements_Into_Workforce_Education_Curriculum_Design_Online_Journal_of_Workforce_Education_and_Development?_sg=Rr_Anp5ikpVfbwKiTzudZZ4SNKVCZNeWruka1Ug-nIOKa3Astr2d-mpmNlR8SjNMm5oQoWzoJFucNOd2gt89UGoCewl4t-2P1U1QyWRs.wDywjBVb2dCwZ3XtulTJeKQ9pDq-K80C8uTU6blTA6b2i7iGIDuJucpdZy0elJTdWvoDqU3Ex3s3ylMa6n-Qig

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263046162_One_Style_Does_Not_Fit_All_Facilitating_Cultural_Differences_in_Teaching?_sg=Rr_Anp5ikpVfbwKiTzudZZ4SNKVCZNeWruka1Ug-nIOKa3Astr2d-mpmNlR8SjNMm5oQoWzoJFucNOd2gt89UGoCewl4t-2P1U1QyWRs.wDywjBVb2dCwZ3XtulTJeKQ9pDq-K80C8uTU6blTA6b2i7iGIDuJucpdZy0elJTdWvoDqU3Ex3s3ylMa6n-Qig

Article Workforce Education and Development Curriculum Responsivenes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-f_noT0DbI

Best regards,

Debra

The impact of leadership on student outcomes: An analysis of the differential effects of leadership types

Hello Raymond - I note your Western Australian context and that effectively you are reflecting upon the impact of the Australian Curriculum (mediated by its implementation by the Department of Education in Western Australia) on student outcomes. A key text for your team to consider (perhaps via a reading group model of exploration/discussion) is:

Alan Reid and Deborah Price (Eds.) The Australian Curriculum: Promises, problems and possibilities (ACSA, Canberra). Much wisdom and many insights in its pages.

What a great idea to set up teams of teachers in mini-research teams - I hope that it works out for you. It sounds as if the impulse for this review is teachers boughing under the (perceived?) weight of additional curriculum content. It sounds to me that you are keen to break out of a 'compliance' mentality and focus upon what you (I think rightly) think of as the important stuff.

It is relevant for you and colleagues to remember that in the very latest federal government Education report in Australia (Gonski 2.0, 2018) there was a shift back to the idea that the curriculum doesn't much matter. Instead of a focus on what all students should have access to (a curriculum entitlement), what mattered most according to Gonski 2.0 was making every student a 'creative, connected and engaged learner in a rapidly changing world'.

Maybe you and your colleagues need to see the curriculum less as a straitjacket and more as a broad framework and then concentrate more on the how and why of learning rather than the what.....It sounds like you are already headed to that conclusion.

Best wishes with your mini research project.

Debra and Ali, thank you for your replies, I will look at those suggestions.

And Peter, that is precisely what my group is investigating. Thanks for the heads up on those resources. I will check them out.

i agree with Peter Brett

Hi Raymond. It's a very interesting issue. You might find

Raudenbush, S. W. (2008). "Advancing educational policy by advancing research on instruction". American Educational Research Journal, 45, 206. helpful

Presumably, the change that your group is investigating implies changing pedagogical practices and assessment methods to facilitate new sets of outcomes , rather than simply enhancing/"deepening" current outcomes? You may already have come across Micheal Fullen's "The New Meaning of Educational Change". (2002). Despite its age, it is still relevant in my view, since the fundamental structure of schooling has not changed in nearly two centuries. It charts the issues involved in developing and implementing curriculum change and its impact on teachers and leaders. Good luck with your project (you may need it-only kidding!).

That should read Michael Fullan.

Hi, Raymond,

I use content-driven curriculum in geographical education - scientific spatial concepts, spiral curriculum and Revised Bloom Taxonomy for minimum - optimum - excellent level of the content. Jaroslav

Jaroslav Vávra can you explain the minimum-optimum-excellent level of content and why you started to use it?

I use the three levels because of students' thinking/cognition. The first (minimum) is remembering and understanding, the second is plus applicating and analysing and plus the third evaluating and thinking. This is very simple (oversimplifying) concept, because I use language (meanings), context and interpretation. Some of the concept you can find in my text: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1158007.pdf

Have you looked at British Columbia's New K-12 Curriculum? I have linked you to the government site here so that you can take a look at the What's/Why's and How's. Under Curriculum Overview: Introduction to BC's New Curriculum, you might find some helpful thoughts to assist in looking for the research that is backing our changes.

https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/tools

Thank you everyone for responding, it has been most helpful.

Jaroslav Vávra - okay that clears it up, it sounds similar to Dreyfus' skill levels where a student moves from being a novice through stages to being and expert.

I am afraid that skills are different from thinking. For example, I am speaking about metacognition and -self. I am sure, there is no idea in Dreyfus' model of skills.

Good idea

Dear Jaroslav Vávra ,

I appreciate your concept. It is REMEMBER - REALIZE - RETHINK