Development of the Australian Curriculum and Curriculum Models Related to This Development - Assignment Example

INTRODUCTION TO CURRICULUM Name Grade Course Tutor’s Name Date 1. Introduction The Australian curriculum sets to present the core knowledge and understanding of all Australian students. It also describes the learning entitlement of students as a foundation for their future. The new Australian curriculum has brought in a new national look to the education sector in Australia (Brady & Kerry, 2010). Having the new curriculum in place, it was preceded by evaluation of its efficiency by immediate stakeholder in the sector. The curriculum construction outlines the broad social and political influence towards the development of this new curriculum (Alist, 2000). This thesis will analyse the process of curriculum development and its interpretation and implementation. Furthermore, the paper will describe the new structure, and features of the new curriculum. It will also make a comparison to the various models explored. Finally, the paper will look to see if this curriculum meets the needs of the diverse learners in the Australian education sector. This curriculum structures the young mind of the students as they progress through their schooling career (Brady & Kerry, 2010). 2. Definition of curriculum Curriculum is a set course outline offered at learning institution. It is a prescriptive based syllabus that specifies the topic to be understood by students in order for them to attain certain grades. National curriculum stipulates the coverage of prescribed learning content in the compulsory years of education (Alist, 2000). In addition to the prescribed schedule, there exists wider domain of socially constructed activities that seek to popularise the culture of the society and transform the student. High schools usually refer curriculums are the courses required in order to achieve a diploma. The curriculum here prepares students for life after high school (Brady & Kerry, 2010). There is also the social structure curriculum will include formal learning activities such as prenatal and parental classes, and informal learning activities from neighbours and relatives. This social curriculum differs from the institutional structured since it is voluntary and informal. All curriculums are governed and mandated by the government. However, the social structured curriculum is governed by the socially accepted laws in Children and Education Acts. These acts see to it the parenting and informal education offered to children prepares the child to adapt to the formal education without any limitations. They also mould the child to have excellent behaviour in the society. The best definition of the curriculum was offered by HM inspectorate in 1985. He defined curriculum as an encouraged framework that promotes intellectual, personal and physical development to learners (Alist, 2000). This definition has enabled many educational stakeholders to come up with suitable curriculums that will meet the needs of both learners and teachers. This definition has been the basis of all other definitions of curriculum. The HM inspector further outlines that the curriculum should not only be formal and restrict students to classroom work but rather incorporate informal programmes of extracurricular activities that will produce school ethos (Alist, 2000). Curriculums are extremely broad conceptualisation, but once they are properly emphasised in schools they encourage superb performances in both students and teachers (Brady & Kerry, 2010). It impacts core knowledge skills and general capabilities to students. 3. Development of the Australian Curriculum and Curriculum models related to this development The changes made in the curriculum have touched on elements such as aims, rationale, content description, and standards of teaching. The development process was carried out by the Australian curriculum assessment and reporting (ACARA). While developing this new curriculum, the stakeholders looked at the structures and responsibilities of individual groups involved in the curriculum, the main four phases of the curriculum, and frame and milestone of the curriculum (Brady & Kerry, 2010). The development is a progressive procedure that begins with a shape paper. The shape paper describes the rationale for study areas knowledge and understanding as well as skills to be developed by the learner. The curriculum development process involves four interrelated phases. - Curriculum shaping phase: this is the initial procedure of developing the curriculum. It entails coming up with a foundation of the curriculum for learning areas or subjects. With the assistance of experts in the education sector, the foundation will purport structure and organisation of learning institutions. In addition, the phase requires wide consultations from the public and stakeholders. - Curriculum writing phase: after consultations and formulating the foundation, teams of writers are sourced by the advisory panels to develop the curriculum. The development touches on content description and achievement standards. The writers are under strict supervision and guidelines from ACARA’s curriculum design paper (ACARA, 2012). The writers are also obliged to refer to international curriculum and assessment research materials. This enables them to look into general capabilities priorities to be included in the new curriculum. The draft curriculum is released to the public for feedback. After gathering feedback from public and changes made, the curriculum is presented to the ministry of education for validation. After validation, the curriculum is published for learning institution. - Preparation for Implementation phase: the curriculum is then delivered to school authorities in time for implementation. The state and territory school and curriculum authority bears the responsibility to ensure that the new curriculum is well adhered to in all learning institutions countrywide. - Monitoring and evaluation phase: ACARA has the mandate to monitor and evaluate the progress of the new curriculum. Reviews are done regularly in order to make it more efficient. ACARA normally partners with state and territory curriculum and schools authorities in collecting relevant data during reviews. Each phase in the development process requires comprehensive consultation review and revision (ACARA, 2012). The learning areas that have been left out of the curriculum will continue to be the responsibilities of the state and territory education authority. With the broad engagement in discussion and feedback, the shape and content of Australian curriculum meets the international standards and assures most learners that their educational needs will be attained. The current curriculum being used is the F-12 which stresses on physical education, economics, information and technology, design, civics and citizenship. In comparison to the previous curriculum F10, it mainly focused on mathematics English science and history (ACARA, 2012). The F-12 curriculum is much more precise and directs the learner to choose a definite path towards the future career. Unlike the F-10, this touched on a broad subject without enabling the learner to make an early decision towards their preferred career choice. Furthermore, the F-10 curriculum had left out geography and arts. This led to its review in 2011 to include geography and arts after receiving feedbacks and critics form public and key players in the sector. The ministry of education has opted to include health education in the F-12 curriculum since it has become a crucial necessity in the education sector. This new curriculum falls in line with the Melbourne declaration on education for young Australians (The Australian curriculum, 2010). 4. Structure of Australian Curriculum Teaching and learning styles are the main influence when structuring curriculum (Brady & Kerry, 2010). The Australian curriculum encompasses a formative experience that impact positively to students in order to transform them to resourceful members of the society. The Australian curriculum describes learning entitlement to students. This has been a core foundation in growth and active participation of students as they progress towards their future careers. The current structure stipulates the content young students should learn in their schooling period as well as the quality of teaching skills to be offered. In the previous curriculum foundation year, there were different needs and levels that enable the student to build understandings in preferred areas of study. The current curriculum is modified to accommodate English mathematics history and science. The Australian curriculum F-12 is developed with a web based technology where multiple views and access can be made for the public. This allows both learners and teachers to sample the portfolios available and gauge the achievement standards. The curriculum website presents curriculum content description by specifying particular areas of study at different levels for instance, mathematics in year 5 and arts in year 6. The content description is accompanied by support material and illustrations. Furthermore, the cross curriculum, priorities such as skills and capabilities allow the student to engage effectively in the globalised world. A decision on the curriculum structure is a crucial topic of consultation in the development process. The writers normally have a guide on the sequence of competence areas of study. The frequency with which learning in the study sequence is applied to all students since every student will learn the subject in each year of schooling. The curriculum has provided a flexibility schedule to most schools as most school authorities have opted to decide particular teaching content at different levels. 5. Australian Curriculum in relation to the needs of diverse 21st Century learners This curriculum sums up the total, intended learning experience expected by the students. It outlines the scope sequence in learning. The states and territory school authorities have sectioned different levels at which the learner will be able to achieve educational needs with regard to the new curriculum (The Australian curriculum, 2010). The premiere stage is the school starting age where the student is taught basics in terms of writing spelling, and pronunciations of words. It starts from kindergarten to preparatory school. The next stage is primary and secondary schooling. This is significant in identifying general capability of the learner. This stage has specialised teacher who will transit the learner in specialising with preferred career choice. The use of stages and different level of study helps the teacher to assess the performance of each student as they progress. It also keeps the tutor at a better position in advising the student on the future path to take a while in the schooling period. These approaches of curriculum design facilitate a composite multi-age class arrangement. The F-12 curriculum is designed to ensure that content and achievement standards establish high expectations to the 21st century student. The diverse range covered, and assessment meets the needs of the students. These needs are clearly outlined in the Melbourne declaration on education for young students. This declaration identifies skills essential for the 21st century students. These skills are; numeracy, information and technology (ICT), creativity and critical thinking teamwork and communication. All the mentioned skills are well catered for in the current curriculum. In addition to the skills, there are general capabilities that the declaration has stipulated as well. The curriculum addresses these capabilities in each learning level. However, the development of these capabilities will largely depend on the teachers’ choice of classroom activities. Developing the general capabilities increases the students’ depth in richness of learning content. Some of these capabilities include; personal and social capabilities, ethical behaviour and intellectual understandings. The capabilities of these students will have an impact in engaging with diverse cultures as well as recognising the commonalities in mutual respects around the world (Brady & Kerry, 2010). 6. Comparison of AC to local (state) and international Curriculum models In the English curriculum, the language literature and literacy have been spelled out clearly. Teaching and learning programs balance these three elements. The student is able to develop skills and understandings in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This is quite vivid since the students are able to interact with their peers, teachers and community members in a face to face range and virtual environments. The level of content description in year 12 includes oral narrative traditions of diverse cultural groups in Australia. The English achievement standards are to enable students justify their own interpretation of texts. They should be able to evaluate analyse and support their findings. The students should be in a position to explain different viewpoints, and a perspective in language features stylistic devices and images (The Australian curriculum, 2010). The Australian curriculum centres on improving quality equity and transparency so as to match up to the world class education curricula. In comparison to other international curricula, the Australian curriculum plays a pivotal role in shaping lives of nation’s future. This has enabled 6the country to be a popular destination for most international students. The curriculum is accepted internationally since it provides an opportunity to nurture social, cultural and religious diversity on the global citizenship similar to the American curriculum (ACARA, 2012). This curriculum is being borrowed by other Asian countries such as India Japan and china. However, it differs a bit with those of more developed and technological advanced countries such as china and Japan. These two countries have incorporated the introduction of technology to their students at an unusually early stage of learning. This allows their students to begin specialisation at a remarkably tender age. 7. Conclusion With the curriculum developed and implemented at the national level, the scope of learning is well catered for in a distinctive measure. The curriculum meets the international standard and allows students to be well conversant with the area of study (Brady & Kerry, 2010). Having met the needs of the diverse Australian students the education stakeholder are certain that the future job market will be occupied with qualified competent graduates. The state and territory authority will continue to carry review on the structure of the curriculum to ensure that all study areas are efficient (ACARA, 2012). References ACARA. (2012). The Shape of Australian Curriculum Version3. 1-28 Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/The_Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum_V3.pdf Alist, R (2000). Curriculum: Construction and Critique London United Kingdom, Routledge. Brady, L. & Kerry, K. (2010). Curriculum Construction 4th Edition. Australia, Pearson Education. The Australian curriculum. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ Read More