scholarly journals Differences in state- and district-level stakeholders’ perceptions of curriculum coherence and school impact in national curriculum reform

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Sullanmaa ◽  
Kirsi Pyhältö ◽  
Janne Pietarinen ◽  
Tiina Soini
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Educational System ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
District Level ◽  
School Level ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
High Coherence

Purpose Shared understandings of curriculum reform within and between the levels of the educational system are suggested to be crucial for the reform to take root. The purpose of this paper is to explore variation in perceived curriculum coherence and school impact among state- and district-level stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach The participants (n=666) included state- and district-level stakeholders involved in a national curriculum reform in Finland. Latent profile analysis was employed to identify profiles based on participants’ perceptions of the core curriculum’s coherence and the reform’s impact on school development. Findings Two profiles were identified: high coherence and impact, and lower consistency of the intended direction and impact. State-level stakeholders had higher odds of belonging to the high coherence and impact profile than their district-level counterparts. Practical implications The results imply that more attention needs to be paid in developing a shared and coherent understanding particularly of the intended direction of the core curriculum as well as the reform’s effects on school-level development among state- and district-level stakeholders. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature on curriculum reform by shedding light on the variation in perceived curriculum coherence and school impact of those responsible for a large-scale national curriculum reform process at different levels of the educational system.

scholarly journals Trajectories of Teachers’ Perceived Curriculum Coherence in the Context of Finnish Core Curriculum Reform

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-49
Author(s):  
Jenni Sullanmaa ◽  
Kirsi Pyhältö ◽  
Tiina Soini ◽  
Janne Pietarinen
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
School Level ◽  
One Year

Teachers play a key role in transforming the national curriculum reform into classroom practice. This study explored individual variation in Finnish teachers’ (N = 901) perceptions of curriculum coherence during a one-year follow-up during the early stages of its implementation in schools. Latent profile analysis revealed five distinctive profiles. The development of perceived curriculum coherence over the two measurements and the perceived school-level impact of the reform differed between the profiles. The results imply that teachers may need various kinds of support to arrive at a coherent understanding of the curriculum over the process of its development and implementation.

scholarly journals Shared sense-making strategies in curriculum reform: District-level perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiina Soini ◽  
Janne Pietarinen ◽  
Kirsi Pyhältö
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
District Level ◽  
School Level ◽  
Development Work ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Everyday Practices ◽  
Hands On ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Intermediary Role

Curriculum reform that has an effect on the everyday practices in schools always entails translation of new ideas into new educational practices. This takes place primarily through shared sense making. However, our understanding of the different ways in which shared sense making is carried out is still scarce. In Finland, the district level plays an important intermediary role in orchestrating curriculum development work at the municipalities and in translating and mediating reform into school-level development work. The study explores different shared sense-making strategies employed by 12 district-level curriculum reform steering groups around Finland, including participants from 54 municipalities. Three hands-on strategies of shared sense making including comparison, standardisation and transformation were identified. The results indicated that different hands-on strategies have different functions in the process of making sense of the reform objectives. To a certain extent, the strategies can be viewed as hierarchical. Overall, results suggest that district-level actors aim to foster shared sense making; however, a more intentional use of strategies is needed.

Spatial analysis of child labour in India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lokender Prashad ◽  
Mili Dutta ◽  
Bishnu Mohan Dash
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Child Labour ◽  
District Level ◽  
School Level ◽  
Population Census ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Data

Purpose This study on spatial analysis of child labour in India is a macro level analysis on child labour using the census data, 2011 of Government of India. The population census which is conducted once in 10 years only provides district level data on work-force distribution. The study has spatial analysis of child labour in the age group of 5–14 years in India. To assess the magnitude of the children in the labour force, district level data of Census 2011 has been used in the study. The study has made an attempt to identify the districts where there is high level of children in the labour force. This paper aims to estimate the magnitude and trends of children’s workforce participation using the census data as it is the only data base, which is available at the district level since 1961 onwards. The study has made an attempt to identify the clustering of child labour across districts in India and how child labour is clustered by different background characteristics. Design/methodology/approach The study has used ArcGIS software package, GeoDa software and local indicator of spatial association test. Findings The findings of study reveal that the proportion of rural, total fertility rate (TFR) and poverty headcount ratio is positively associated, whereas female literacy and the pupil-teacher ratio are negatively associated with child labour. It suggests that in the hot-spot areas and areas where there is a high prevalence of child labour, there is need to increase the teacher's number at the school level to improve the teacher-pupil ratio and also suggested to promote the female education, promote family planning practices to reduce TFR in those areas for reducing the incidences of child labour. Research limitations/implications The study also recommends that the incidences of child labour can be controlled by a comprehensive holistic action plan with the active participation of social workers. Practical implications The promulgation of effective legislation, active involvement of judiciary and police, political will, effective poverty alleviation and income generation programmes, sensitisation of parents, corporates and media can play effective role in mitigating the incidences of child labour in India. To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015 to eradicate child labour in all its forms by 2025. Social implications The study aims to achieve the SDGs adopted by world leaders in 2015 to eradicate child labour in all its forms by 2025. Originality/value The study is purely original and there are no such studies in Indian context by using the latest software.

scholarly journals Curriculum coherence as perceived by district‐level stakeholders in large‐scale national curriculum reform in Finland

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Sullanmaa ◽  
Kirsi Pyhältö ◽  
Janne Pietarinen ◽  
Tiina Soini
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
District Level

An effective school autonomy model

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 718-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galatia Nicolaidou Solomou ◽  
Petros Pashiardis
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Educational System ◽  
School Effectiveness ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
School Level ◽  
School Autonomy ◽  
Effective School ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Related Stress

Purpose – Although school autonomy has been a matter of great interest during the last decades and several relevant measures have been implemented toward this end, the relation between school autonomy and school effectiveness has not been examined thoroughly. The purpose of this paper is to explore this relation and to propose an effective school autonomy model for Cyprus, a small European country with a highly centralized educational system. The suggested model indicates which decisions (related to various administrative, financial, academic, pedagogical and human resources matters) must be made at school level, which decisions can be made partly from the school with a higher level of control from the ministry and which decisions have to be made exclusively by a central authority, in order to enhance school effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – An unusual methodological design is followed, using scenarios to examine hypothetical situations. Cypriot headteachers’ job satisfaction and work-related stress is examined in the case of full autonomy and in the opposite scenario of very limited autonomy. The results from this phase of the study lead to the design of the suggested school autonomy model, which is then tested in terms of effectiveness through a third scenario. The scenarios are given in questionnaires and the sample includes 300 out of a population of 350 primary school headteachers of Cyprus. Findings – The findings of the study suggest that headteachers’ job satisfaction and work-related stress is affected by the level of school autonomy that characterizes an educational system. The most effective scenario for the case of Cyprus does not refer to the existing situation of very limited autonomy, neither to the opposite scenario of full autonomy. The most effective scenario refers to the suggested model of school autonomy where all decisions related to various academic, managerial, financial and human resource matters are taken at school level, except for the decisions related to teaching materials and textbooks, teacher placements, promotions, payroll and dismissals. For these decisions the guidance, support and/or control from the educational authorities have to be enhanced. Research limitations/implications – In this study school effectiveness is examined through the headteachers’ job satisfaction and stress as the dependent variable, and not through the conventional student achievement variable. A part of the existing literature suggests that these variables affect school effectiveness in an indirect way. Taking into consideration student achievement was not possible for the case of Cyprus, since the only scenario currently existing refers to very limited or no school autonomy. Therefore, it is not possible to compare the academic results of students coming from schools with different levels of autonomy. Practical implications – The methodological approach of the study can be followed in other contexts as well, in order to design an effective school autonomy model for a different educational system, district or school. Scenarios can also be used to test and make corrections for a suggested educational reform, before this is implemented, in order to avoid waste of time and/or financial resources. Originality/value – The value of this study first lies in its attempt to design a school autonomy model, based on all the educational decisions and matters that can be affected from a school autonomy reform; this became possible through an extensive literature review. Second the study, does not only support some suggestions based on the results, but also tests the effectiveness of the suggestions before these are implemented, following the unusual methodological approach of scenarios. Moreover, the relation between school autonomy and school effectiveness has not been examined thoroughly in the existing literature and some conflicting opinions exist. The findings of the study can help us gain a better understanding of the above relation.

The changing pedagogical discourses in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Liu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Curriculum Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
The Cross

Purpose This paper aims to explore the changing pedagogic discourses in China today, using the current wave of English curriculum innovation as a focused case. Given the cross-cultural nature of foreign language education, the change in the English as a foreign language curriculum in China has served as a fertile ground for different pedagogical ideas to emerge and to cross. The new English curriculum in China has endorsed a more communicative and humanistic view of language teaching, encouraging teachers to adopt a task-based approach to organize their classroom teaching. The new English curriculum has aroused a heated debate among Chinese scholars on the suitability of such a Western curriculum idea in the Chinese educational context on the basis of its relation to the Confucian tradition of education, the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context of China and the danger of post-colonialist imposition. Design/methodology/approach A critique is conducted on the three areas of controversies by situating the debate in the larger context of the cross-cultural understanding of the Chinese pedagogic discourse in the process of globalization and internationalization. Findings It is important for China to resist the homogenizing effect of globalization and internationalization in the area of curriculum development; however, being defensive and protective of one’s own and dismissive of others has not been and should not be the attitude of Chinese curriculum reform. The evolution of Chinese pedagogy is not only a result of Western influence but also a result of social change in the process of industrialization (Cheng, 2011). Global trends and national traditions should not be taken as extremes in an incompatible and irreconcilable dichotomy. Originality/value The three areas of debates on the new English curriculum can serve as a good lens into the evolving curriculum discourses in China. They reflect the cultural–historical, contextual and critical considerations among Chinese educational scholars in the national curriculum innovation efforts.

scholarly journals ESD for managers in the Danish lower secondary educational curriculum

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Mathias Paaske ◽  
Olman Segura-Bonilla ◽  
Jairo Hernandez-Milian
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Traditional Education ◽  
School Level ◽  
Lower Secondary School ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Secondary School Level ◽  
Conceptual Paper

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to challenge the current educational methods taking place in Danish lower secondary school by introducing the concept of education for sustainable development (ESD) to help managers and teachers facilitate an action-oriented approach aimed at potentiating the level of sustainability and environmental awareness.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper is based on the relevant literature and examines the necessity to move beyond traditional education curricula by offering a new practical sustainable framework for facilitating ESD at Danish lower secondary schools. A particular focus relates to evaluating and adopting sustainable approaches in the educational literature that is sufficiently sensitive to practical changes in Danish lower secondary teaching methods.FindingsWith the purpose of generating awareness about climate change and students’ ecological footprint to lower secondary school students in Denmark, it was found that embedding ESD in the Danish curriculum would be an important tool for this purpose. The authors outline practical recommendations for managers at the lower secondary school level.Originality/valueThis conceptual paper addresses the core issue of traditional education in Danish lower secondary schools by suggesting to adopt the educational framework of ESD. To this end, the authors have offered a variety of specific practical suggestions accordingly to how traditional education can be redesigned by focusing on action-oriented learning and future-oriented ESD. Furthermore, the authors propose that certain educational components of smart cities might promote an underlying commitment to meet the core issues of climate change, as this has yet to be examined. The research on ESD for managers at the Danish lower secondary school level is fairly limited to date.

School autonomy and 21st century skills in the Israeli educational system

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1231-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Nir ◽  
Adi Ben-David ◽  
Ronit Bogler ◽  
Dan Inbar ◽  
Anat Zohar
Keyword(s):  
Educational System ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
School Level ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
School Autonomy ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Pedagogy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze two parallel processes in the Israeli educational system: first, the idea of school autonomy, exploring its origins and its pedagogical implications and effectiveness; and second, the development of the progressive education evident mainly in the cognitive domain of twenty-first century skills (21st CS), focussing on fostering “deep knowledge” and children’s thinking skills. The manuscript explores the various “waves” of progressive pedagogies that have taken place in the Israeli school system over the years, describing and analyzing the processes that characterize them. Design/methodology/approach Based on a historical perspective, the paper describes chronologically the main developments related to school autonomy and 21st CS policy initiatives, based on a literature review and analysis of policy documents. Findings The review indicates that the Israeli educational system is still caught in the “centralization trap,” inhibiting major changes in the patterns of central control and degrees of freedom granted to school-level educators. As for school pedagogy, it is evident that most of the changes in pedagogy suggested by the numerous policy documents over the years have not resulted in sustainable, system-wide change. In both issues a large disparity is evident between declarations about innovative pedagogies and school autonomy and their actual implementation. Originality/value The review reflects the idiosyncratic articulation of policy plans conducted by the Ministry of Education, producing discrepancies and incongruences at the school level. Some implications of the “declarative culture” created are further discussed.

Shared Sense-Making, Agency, and Learning in School Development in Finnish School Reforms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiina Soini ◽  
Kirsi Pyhältö ◽  
Janne Pietarinen
Keyword(s):  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
School Development ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
School Level ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
The Core ◽  
Primary Means ◽  
The Impact

Curriculum reform is at the heart of educational change and impacts pupils, teachers, other educational professionals, and society at large. Moreover, the way we go about developing our schools and designing curricula defines our future and reveals where we stand regarding the role of education in society. In order to research the desired aims of reforms, it is crucial to understand curriculum making: How does the school develop, and what regulates the development? Learning is at the core of school development. It can be considered as both the aim and the primary means of achieving and sustaining any change in schools. Accordingly, the impact of a school reform is highly dependent on the quality of learning enabled within the school communities. Particularly, the extent to which the reform engages teachers in active and skillful learning by promoting their professional agency is a central determinant of the reform’s outcomes. The core curriculum is the single most influential regulator of school development in Finland. It is renewed approximately every 10 years and provides a common direction and basis for renewing school education and instruction, and sets the framework and foundation for district- and school-level curriculum development work. Teachers in Finland are curriculum makers not only in the class and school, but also at the district and even national levels of the school system. In such a system, teacher autonomy and teacher agency are at the core of school development. Moreover, teachers’ ability to understand the aims of the reform and to integrate, modify, and adopt them as part of their pedagogical practices is essential. This requires making sense of their aims. In Finland, shared sense-making has been the main strategy in the latest participatory reforms, with the aim of promoting transformative learning in professional communities in order to reach reform goals.

Sustaining school-based improvement: considering emotional responses to change

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rima Karami-Akkary ◽  
Julia Mahfouz ◽  
Samaya Mansour
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Educational Change ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Commitment To Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Based

Purpose Emotions of school leaders influence school culture and structure. Understanding emotions is under-researched and under-theorized in non-western contexts, especially during educational change. The purpose of this paper is to understand the nature of the leadership team’s (LT’s) emotional responses to change, their coping strategies and conditions that maintain their commitment to change. Design/methodology/approach The study used intrinsic case study research, drawing on data from interviews and a focus group that illuminated perceptions of the LT in a school. The data set was analyzed following the general inductive approach. Findings The LT’s experienced three critical incidents (CI) of educational change that provoked a range of intense negative and positive emotions, a national curriculum reform. Despite the team’s attempt to cope with the national curriculum reform (i.e. CI1), negative emotions and unsupportive conditions challenged their commitment to change. In CI2, supportive conditions and effective personal coping strategies helped elicit positive emotions, which led to sustained commitment to change. Emotions experienced during the capacity-building program (i.e. CI3) were predominantly positive due to support from the school principal and coaches, resulting in sustained commitment to change. Research limitations/implications Findings from this small-scale case study in Lebanon are not generalizable to other contexts. The time lag could have affected the recollection of experiences. All participants were female, and their experiences might not reflect those of other school members affected by the changes. Practical implications Examining emotions during change uncovers insight into school leaders’ subjective experience, facilitates a more nuanced understanding of change, and supports change implementation. Considering emotions during change informs the development of tailored interventions that provide effective support. Originality/value This study examines how emotions affect the success of educational change. Contrary to common understanding, change does not always generate negative emotions that impede implementation. School-based improvement creates structural and cultural conditions for effective change as it considers practitioners’ socio-emotional needs, eliciting positive emotions.

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