What knowledge counts—boundaries of knowledge in cross-institutional curricula in higher education

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore knowledge in the context of creating a shared curriculum between research-intensive and vocationally oriented universities of applied sciences. Curriculum knowledge was explored from the accounts of 26 teachers from four institutions in Finland. Shared curriculum initiatives created an environment in which teachers were obliged to negotiate and make explicit their approaches to curriculum knowledge and knowledge practices. The phenomenon of blurring boundaries is approached with Bernstein’s sociology of education. The present findings show that institutions have a distinct foundation for curriculum knowledge, but cross-curricular initiatives brought pressure to change towards the knowledge practices of the other institution. Discrepancies were found between knowledge and learning outcomes, and between knowledge as a negotiated artefact and knowledge as enacted in curriculum implementation. Curriculum knowledge emerged with symbolic boundaries and an invisible pedagogic order. This resulted in practices where the official discourse appears to have similar learning outcomes, which are not similar from the perspective of knowledge. Focus on a harmonised degree, as stated in the European qualification framework, obscures the question of knowledge and requires more attention. This is especially the case if the boundaries between degrees and institutions are purposely weakened. If the rationale to weaken the boundaries is on the streamlined educational processes and their efficacy, there is a risk of gaps in knowledge provided for students in the higher education.

Transforming Rural Teaching

“…At its heart, a transformative curriculum should be holistic and accommodate pre-service teachers' experiences of place and purpose (Resch, 2020;Riddle et al, 2023;United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2023;Troop, 2017). Transformative curriculum needs to be epistemic (Annala, 2022), neutral (Lane & Waldron, 2021;Weinberg et al, 2020), and relate to local communities in which pre-service teachers live (Brenner et al, 2022;Robinson-Pant, 2023). The curriculum should cover both formal and informal aspects of pre-service teachers' learning experiences, including social behaviour in real-life teaching practices (Leibowitz, 2017).…”

“…However, adopting a holistic and epistemic curriculum in teacher education is challenging due to the presence of a standardised national curriculum. The standardised national curriculum has been an obstacle to achieving diverse educational goals due to set standards, conventional pedagogical models and established national professional standards (Annala, 2022;Robinson-Pant, 2023).…”

“…Standardised curricula of education systems, including teacher education, do not prepare and support pre-service teachers for transformation (Annala, 2022;Cheung, 2021;Lian et al, 2023;Quan et al, 2019;Tran et al, 2020;United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2023). A standardised curriculum makes it difficult for pre-service teachers to view themselves as agents of change who can transform themselves and their classrooms (Nyoni, 2020;Riddle et al, 2023;Weinberg et al, 2020).…”

“…In most cases, teaching in teacher education colleges and universities focuses on knowledge transfer rather than process pedagogy (Annala, 2022;Omodan & Addam, 2022;Milenković & Dimitrijević, 2019). When teaching is applied as a transmission of knowledge, it treats knowledge as something fixed and ignores the learner's social history, thinking, and creativity.…”

Development of Direct and Asyncronous Online Learning Models to Improve Student Learning Outcomes During Study From Home the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Learning outcomes are various abilities that students have as a result of learning actions and can be observed through the appearance of students. In the world of education there are various types/models of learning outcomes (Annala, 2022). There are 5 types or models of learning outcomes that are conveyed, including: cognitive strategy, Intellectual skills, motor skills, verbal information, and attitude (Aswar, 2020).…”