The Adaptive Challenges of Curriculum Implementation: Insights for Educational Leaders Driving Standards-Based Reform

Abstract

The ambitious goals of standards-based reform call for both technical and adaptive leadership to address problems of practice involving the technical and adaptive alignment of teachers’ instruction to the standards. Thus, standards-aligned curriculum implementation necessitates both types of strategies; otherwise, adaptive challenges will persist. In this study, we analyze case studies of four districts where new English Language Arts and math curricula were recently adopted to help align teachers’ practice with their state’s English Language Arts and math standards. We draw from interviews with district leaders, principals, instructional coaches, and teachers to illustrate how mostly technical strategies for curriculum implementation do little to address the adaptive challenges that prevent teachers from fundamentally shifting their practice to be more aligned to the standards and to meet the needs of all learners. We conclude with a set of insights and implications for educational leaders approaching curriculum implementation in both technical and adaptive ways.

The Development Design of Curriculum 2013 for Fiqih Learning Through a Humanistic Approach

“…In designing the curriculum, the curriculum elements developed include the relationships between one and another, the organizational principles, and the things needed to implement them. When designing the curriculum, the following steps need to be taken into account: Determining the mission of the institution and the needs of its educated users, evaluating student needs, determining curriculum objectives, selecting educational strategies, defining curriculum objectives, selecting an educational system, implementing new courses, assessing and providing feedback for improving the curriculum (Pak et al, 2020).…”

A Literary Review on Curriculum Implementation Problems

“…Moreover, for effective curriculum implementation, a teacher should understand and interpret the curriculum well (Badugela, 2012). Also he/she should know how to use curriculum materials (Pak, et al, 2020). The better teacher understands the curriculum, the more effectively she/ he plans, designs lessons and implements curriculum (McLachlan, et al, 2018).…”

“…A curriculum can be prepared in an academic structure; however, how much of this curriculum is implemented in the classroom determines its effectiveness (Pak, et al, 2020). Successful implementation means that targeted and applied curricula are the same, there is a difference between what is written in curriculum documents and what is implemented in the classroom (Bennet, 2007).…”

“…Any time teachers adhere to traditional methods, they conduct teaching even in a new curriculum according to their expressions (Pak, et al, 2020;Coburn et al, 2016). If a teacher's own belief, the mentality is not compatible with curriculum, then curriculum cannot be implemented successfully (Cronin-Jones, 2006;Kern, et al, 2007).…”

“…It is also easy to implement a curriculum that is suitable for characteristics of students, teaching materials and technologies, language structures of that society, teacher's skills, family expectation, value judgment and cultural elements (Cobbold, 2017). The standards of the curriculum should be compatible with the standards of society and government (Pak, et al, 2020).…”