Does the national curriculum influence teaching ESERA 2015

Does the national curriculum influence teaching?

The 11th Conference of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA)

31.8.-4.9.2015 Helsinki

Svava Pétursdóttir, postdoc and project manager Allyson Macdonald, professor

Gunnhildur Óskarsdóttir, senior lecturer

329.100 people

167 schools

30th August 2015

Status

2007

2014

Does the curriculum influence teaching?

Quick historical view • Materials

– By 1999 implementation of the science curriculum in Icelandic schools was inextricably tied up with the availability, quality and diversity of materials.

• Environmental education

– Teachers connected environmental education with aims of the science curriculum and this has remained strong ever since.

– The absence of environmental education in the curriculum was a counter-case where teachers did not follow the curriculum because of their own interests and experiences.

Context for teaching science in Iceland

• Small schools, 157/167 fewer than 600 pupils • Often only once science teacher

• Science teachers • About half are trained as science teachers • Generally weak PCK

• Standardized testing • From 2002 - 2008

• Long tradition of using textbooks • Only one publisher of science textbooks • Textbooks and 1999 curriculum were well-aligned • New materials for middle school after 1999

• Digital materials now provide teachers with more choice, even if material is in English

Factors influencing classroom practice

Local authorities

Teachers

Resources

Subject culture

Curriculum materials

National curriculum

Principals

Learners

New

curriculum

2011/2013

Survey

results from

2006/2007

(two sets)

Survey results

from 2014

Time-line of new curricula in Iceland and survey data

New

curriculum

2007

New

curriculum

1999

Research question

Does the national curriculum influence teaching?

Impact of curricula on teaching • An overloaded curriculum = practices focused on lower order thinking

skills, less effective teaching methods and less practical work (Hacker and

Rowe, 1997)

• Paradigm war? Merging professional knowledge with a highly prescriptive curriculum (Wood, 2004)

• Teachers interpret curricula to make a better fit, in conservative, innovative or eclectic ways (Curtner-Smith, 1999)

• A curriculum obligation to present a wider view of scientists did not change the ideas primary school children held of the scientist as a white middle aged male in a white robe (Newton and Newton, 1998)

Key elements • Organisation

– Integration of topics – Learning environments

• Teaching • Resources • Teacher factors

– Interest – Knowledge – Confidence

• Attitudes towards new curriculum

Organisation - Subjects or integration?

20% teach on more than one level

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Primary Middle Secondary Primary andmiddle

Middle andsecondary

Primary andsecondary

All levels

2007

2014

Levels taught

1,0

2,0

3,0

4,0

5,0

Students all do thesame task at the same

time

Students to differenttasks at the same time

Small groups work onscience tasks while

other work on othersubjects

Small groups work ondifferent science tasks

at the same time

Primary

Middle school

Lower secondary

Organisation of lessons

Integration

What happens in classes? - 21st Century?

Learning materials

0

1

2

3

4

5

Textbooks Videos(online or

DVD)

Onlineeducationalresources

Pupliclearning

resources

Resourcesfor

practicalwork

Teachingguides

Handbooks Educationalsoftware(including

apps insmart

devices)

Very often

Very seldom

Teaching practices - percentage of often and very often

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2007

2014

Resources - Enabling or hindering?

Physical resources

29% say there

is no science

room

24% say there

is no outdoor

classroom/area

1

2

3

4

5

Often

Seldom

81 open categorised responses to the question What do you think could be improved in

your school for science teaching to be adequate for modern standards?

A new curriculum - how do we feel?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Very dissatisfied Quite dissatisfied Fairly satisfied Quite satisfied Very satisfied

Satisfaction with the new curriculum

Mention tangible influence of the curriculum on their practice 20 31%

General answers indicating influence on practice 8 12%

Not yet 19 29%

Little influence 9 14%

No influence 7 11%

Negative views of the curriculum 2 3%

Number of replies 65

What influence, if any, does the new national curriculum have on what and how you teach? - Open

question

Influence on teaching?

A new curriculum...

Limited formal support

Minimal external inspection

Status

2007

2014

Does the national curriculum influence teaching?

• Indirectly • Through books and materials • Less reliance on textbook • In touch with the times • More choice – use of digital materials

• Starting to see some sustainability

Will it?

What lies ahead?

• Assessment

• Support for the curriculum

• Teacher training and availability of INSET

• Use of technology

• Sustainability-global issues

• Youth culture

Thank you – questions? - any answers?

svavap@hi.is allyson@hi.is @svavap

References Curtner‐Smith, M.D. (1999) The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same: Factors Influencing Teachers' Interpretations and Delivery

of National Curriculum Physical Education, Sport, Education and Society. 4(1) GERT (2013) Report by: The Federation of Icelandic Industries, Ministry of Education Science and Culture and the Association of Local

Municipalities [In Icelandic] http://www.si.is/upplysingar-og-utgafa/skyrslur-og-rit/nr/9564 Bjarnadóttir, B.H., Símonardóttir, H. & Garðarsdóttir, R.B. (2007) The status of science teaching in Icelandic schools, final report. Reykjavík:

Authors. Hacker, R. G. Rowe, M. J. (1997) The impact of a National Curriculum development on teaching and learning behaviours. International Journal

of Science Education, 19(9). Lewthwaite, B.E. (2005). "It's more than knowing the science". A case study in elementary science curriculum review. Canadian Journal of

Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 5(2). http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/%7Elewthwai/ApplicationofSCIQinCanadianContext.pdf.

Macdonald, A., Pálsdóttir, A. & Thórólfsson, M. (2007). Changing constraints on science teaching activity in Icelandic schools ESERA (European Science Education Research Association)

Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture. (2011/13). Aðalnámskrá grunnskóla.i [In Icelandic, National curriculum guide for compulsory school-with subject areas]. http://eng.menntamalaraduneyti.is/publications/curriculum/ .

Newton, L.D. & Newton, D.P. (1998) Primary children's conceptions of science and the scientist: is the impact of a National Curriculum breaking down the stereotype? International Journal of Science Education, 20(9)

Thorolfsson, M., Finnbogason, G. E., & Macdonald, A. (2012). A perspective on the intended science curriculum in Iceland and its ‘transformation’ over a period of 50 years. International Journal of Science Education, 34(17), 2641–2665.

Wood, E. (2004) A new paradigm war? The impact of national curriculum policies on early childhood teachers’ thinking and classroom practice Teaching and Teacher Education 20(4), pp. 361–374