Bringing About Curriculum Innovations

Abstract

Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Économiques Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development 17-Aug-2012 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ English-Or. English DIRECTORATE FOR EDUCATION BRINGING ABOUT CURRICULUM INNOVATIONS: IMPLICIT APPROACHES IN THE OECD AREA OECD Education Working Paper No. 82 Kiira Kärkkäinen Different implicit approaches to promoting innovation in education can be explored through the decision making of curriculum-reflecting what is taught to students and how the students are taught. Are innovations in curriculum expected to derive from centrally driven processes? Or has much room been left for those innovations within schools? What kind of role may be played by different stakeholders such as experts, teachers or parents in curriculum innovation? This paper discusses various innovation rationales for the central and school-based approaches to curriculum decision making and provides an overview of OECD education systems in this continuum. In addition to formal decision making, various structural factors that may have an effect on those decisions are analysed and the ways the different stakeholders can influence curriculum innovations discussed. The paper combines various OECD and UNESCO data with a focus on public lower-secondary education.

The curriculum in school external evaluation frameworks in Portugal and England

“…These indicators are also pointing towards the teachers' role as curriculum developers and co-constructors (Leite, 2002;Mouraz et al, 2013), since the process of contextualization demands and can only be achieved through their autonomy and intervention. These are also in line with European recommendations stressing that such practices are a synonym of curriculum quality (European Commission/EACEA/ Eurydice, 2012;Fernandes et al, 2012;Kärkkäinen, 2012).…”

“…In terms of curricular processes quality, European bodies took turns in producing recommendations, arguing for a learning process in which contents are taught in a meaningful way so that all students can learn at their own pace (European Commission, 2012b; European Council, 2013;European Union Council, 2011;OECD, 2010). This calls for curricular contextualization by using diversified pedagogical approaches that meet students' needs and provide a significant learning environment (European Commission/EACEA/ Eurydice, 2012;Fernandes et al, 2012;Kärkkäinen, 2012). Even countries with a mandatory national curriculum, such as Portugal and England, should take these recommendations into account.…”

“…Despite the arguments defending the implementation of SEE processes to assess the quality of educational systems, it seems that European nations face some problems in doing so, particularly in what concerns the curriculum (Commission of the European Communities, 2007; Kärkkäinen, 2012). Nonetheless, Portugal and England seem to be two countries that attempt to overcome the lack of evaluation concerning the curriculum.…”

Skills and the Labor Market in a New Era: Managing the Impacts of Population Aging and Technological Change in Uruguay

“…The continuation and strengthening of emerging efforts by the National Administration of Public Education (ANEP) to develop a more integrated curriculum requires intensifying the focus on competencies that cross-cut every subject, with well-defined graduation profiles. Subjects should be reorganized around areas of knowledge, starting with elementary education, deepening the focus on the development of socioemotional skills and on active pedagogies, with room for pedagogical innovation (Kärkkäinen 2012). In addition, curricular changes and new pedagogical practices should take advantage of innovations that customize the learning process.…”

Kritičko mišljenje u obrazovanju: dosadašnji doprinosi i otvoreni smjerovi

“…Nadalje, u Zaključku Vijeća Europske unije o razvoju medijske pismenosti i kritičkog mišljenja (CEU, 2016) države članice također se poziva da obrate pažnju i otvore prostor za kritičko mišljenje u obrazovanju. U publikacijama OECD-a (Hoidin i Kärkkäinen, 2014;Kärkkäinen, 2012) kritičko mišljenje se uz tehničke i socijalne vještine izdvaja kao jedna od ključnih vještina obrazovanja 21. stoljeća te sastavni dio kurikulumskih inovacija suvremenih obrazovnih sustava. U dokumentu međunarodne mreže podataka o odgojno-obrazovnim sustavima koji uključuje pregled odluka o pojedinim pitanjima obrazovnih politika europskih zemalja (EC, EACEA i Eurydice, 2016) uočava se da je znatan broj zemalja implementirao odluke obrazovne politike koje su usmjerene na poučavanje za kritičko mišljenje.…”