A Rationale for the Junior-Senior Secondary Mathematics Curriculum 2.0

This paper proposes a rationale that supports a renewal of our predominantly 19th century curriculum for Grades 7–12, identified as Mathematics 1.0. It was originally established in the mid 1800s to prepare learners mostly from upper-class families to succeed in a post-industrial society. Today’s digital revolution has changed society remarkably, and the variety of learners has certainly broadened, but Mathematics 1.0 fundamentally remains the same Plato-based (Platonist) curriculum due to its social-political power, which is documented in the article. The major changes to society’s culture and the composition of learners have caused faults in Mathematics 1.0 (e.g., a relevance deficit). For the majority of learners, school mathematics has mostly become an obsolete, inequitable, and harmful rite-of-passage into adulthood, to varying degrees. A renewed curriculum, Mathematics 2.0, is rationalized and specific suggestions are offered. The minority of learners who successfully pursue mathematics to varying degrees would experience small changes in their new Mathematics 1.2. Keywords: school mathematics, humanistic, curriculum differentiation, relevance

Using curriculum differentiation to respond to students’ diversity

The article observes the results of the questionnaire of 1923 tenth-formers and their mathematics teachers. Statistical analysis of these results has been done using SPSS 13.0.The practice of curriculum differentiation in Lithuania is the subject of the observation.The research has shown that about 70 per cent of teachers more or less base their syllabus on the content of the textbook. The students’ achievements are dependent both on the teacher‘s understanding that syllabus has to be adapted to the students and ability to do that effectively. The following conclusion could be done: about 60 per cent of mathematics teachers should improve their competence in planning and developing syllabus.Organizing learning process about 80 per cent of teachers basically use reproductive teaching-learning method which requires little independent students’ activity. The institutions that prepare teachers and care about their competence should pay more attention to teachers’ qualification to apply teaching and learning methods in practice.The article has also observed the students and teachers’ understanding of principles and criteria and assessment used in schools and the quality of students’ feet-back.More attention should be paid to teachers’ competence providing faster and more efficient feet-back to students and help they need.

Tracking Students by “Ability” or Study Orientation in England, Finland, and France

The way in which students are grouped or tracked for their learning in secondary school education (ages 11–18) can significantly impact on student experiences of learning and their self-confidence and trajectories as learners. Different tracking practices include tracking by attainment (e.g., different classes for low, middle and high attaining students), tracking by type of educational establishment (e.g., vocational vs. academic high schools), and tracking by curriculum differentiation (e.g., curricula oriented toward academic or vocational studies). There are considerable differences in the conceptualization and the organization of secondary school education in England, Finland, and France, yet tracking practices have been identified in each of these three European countries. Tracking by attainment practices is prevalent in English secondary schools, and there is also evidence of tracks emerging through, for example, choice of optional subjects or languages in Finnish and French schools. Tracking by educational establishment often operates in conjunction with tracking by curriculum differentiation as students in these three countries tend to be oriented toward either general academic or (pre-)vocational subjects for their upper secondary studies. Student movement between different tracks remains marginal. Movement between attainment tracks is often constrained by school organizational practices such as timetabling and pedagogic and curricular differentiation, which makes it challenging, for example, for students to move to a higher track. Research on tracking is of universal interest because of its prevalence and the mounting evidence of the inequity of tracking practices that raises important questions about the purpose of education and the role of secondary schools in potentially exacerbating social inequalities.

Inclusive Education at a South African University: Awakening the Sensitivities and Democratic Consciousness of Pre-Service Teachers

One of the chief goals of inclusive education is to provide pre-service teachers with a learning environment and prospects that enable them to become independent, responsible and critical educators. This study sought to determine how pre-service teachers at a South African university experienced inclusive education training. A purposeful sample of 6 pre-service teachers was selected. Data were collected using open-ended questionnaires which were exploratory in nature, and then analysed thematically. Findings showed inter alia that studying inclusive education proved to be an “eye opener”: students were enlightened to various aspects of being an educator: (i) curriculum differentiation, (ii) diversity, (iii) learners’ rights and (iv) the fact that learners experiencing various barriers to learning can be accommodated successfully in regular classrooms. It was revealed that studying inclusive education allowed pre-service teachers to appreciate the scope, value and higher purpose of teaching. The study shows that awareness of inclusive education enriches the training of pre-service teachers in South African schools.

Liberal and vocational education: the Gordian encounter

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss how liberal higher education can strengthen vocational higher education.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses Shay's (2013) framework of curriculum differentiation to articulate how the strengths and shortcomings of liberal education differ from those of vocational education and to allow the differences highlighted to inform a resolution to each other's shortcomings.FindingsThere is nothing new in the findings that liberal education differs from vocational education and that both have shortcomings. What the paper presents is a viewpoint that the differences are not confirmation that these two approaches to education are in opposition but rather that they complement each other. The strength of one is the weakness of the other.Originality/valueThe perspective taken in this paper is developed using the language of semantic density (SD) and semantic gravity (SG). Using Shay's semantic field of recontextualized knowledge, this paper suggests that liberal and vocational education inhabit two sides of contexts and concepts continua. The paper further proposes that both are alike in a meaningful way because both have unsuccessfully managed the role of context in their curricula.

IMPLEMENTASI KURIKULUM DIFERENSIASI PENDIDIKAN KEWARGANEGARAAN PADA KELAS AKSELERASI PESERTA DIDIK CERDAS INKLUSIF MTsN PONOROGO

ABSTRAKLangkah pertama dalam implementasi kurikulum yang penting ditempuh sekolah adalah penyesuaian dengan ketentuan yang berlaku bagi peserta didik cerdas istimewa serta karakternya, di mana perlakuan yang kurang maksimal dan tidak sesuai dengan karakter peserta didik cerdas istimewa disebabkan terjadinya miss konsepsi serta ketidaksesuaian (lack of it) antara tuntutan yang seharusnya dengan kenyataan pelaksanaan pada saat di kelas. Hal ini yang kemudian menyebabkan perlakuan dan pelayanan pembelajaran pada kelas akselerasi di sekolah menjadi kurang maksimal bahkan kurang berguna untuk mengembangkan potensi peserta didik cerdas istimewa, Penelitian ini mengambil rumusan masalah Bagaimanakah langkah – langkah dalam mengimplementasikan Kurikulum Diferensiasi Pada Mata Pelajaran Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Kelas Akselerasi Peserta Didik Cerdas Inklusif Yang Dilaksanakan Di MTsN Ponorogo, Apa Saja Kendala Yang Dihadapi Dalam Mengimplementasikan Kurikulum Diferensiasi Pada Mata Pelajaran Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Kelas Akselerasi Peserta Didik Cerdas Inklusif MTsN Ponorogo, Bagaimana Solusi terhadap Kendala yang dihadapi dalam mengimplementasikan kurikulum diferensiasi pada mata pelajaran. Metode dalam penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitaif karena memiliki beberapa pertimbangan, yaitu: (1) pendekatan kualitatif lebih mudah apabila berhadapan dengan kenyataan jamak, (2) pendekatan ini menyajikan secara langsung hakikat hubungan antara peneliti dan informan, (3) metode ini lebih peka dan dapat menyesuaikan diri dengan banyak penajaman pengaruh bersama terhadap pola-pola nilai yang dihadapi. Sumber data primer diperoleh hasil wawancara yakni wawancara dengan kepala sekolah, Ketua Program PDCI, Guru PKn, serta siswa kelas VII PDCI. Kemudian data dianalisa secara deskriptif kualitatif. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian terdapat kesesuaian dengan komponen kurikulum seperti: (1) Tujuan, (2) Isi atau materi (Bahan Ajar), (3) Proses (Strategi Mengajar) atau sistem penyampaian dari media, (4) Evaluasi, tetapi Proses Implementasi kurikulum Diferensiasi Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan pada kelas Akselerasi PDCI MTsN Ponorogo mendapatkan beberapa kendala di dalamnya yaitu disebabkan oleh keadaan siswa yang cendurung berfikir cepat tetapi gampang bosan kalau materi yang disampaikan tidak membuat siswa berfikir lebih jauh.Kata kunci: ImplementasiKurikulumDiferensiasi, pesertadidikcerdasinklusif ABSTRACTThe first step in the implementation of the curriculum of the school is important are adjustments to the provisions that apply to students are intelligent as well as special characters, where treatment insufficient and not in accordance with special smarter learners character due to the occurrence of miss conception as well as the rendering (lack of it) between the demands that should be with the reality of implementation at the time in class. This then lead to the treatment and service learning on grade acceleration in school becomes insufficient even less useful to develop potential learners are special, intelligent Research takes the outline of the problem How steps-the steps in implementing the Curriculum Differentiation on the subjects of Civics Class Accelerated Learners In an inclusive Smart MTsN Ponorogo, what are the obstacles faced in implementing the Curriculum Differentiation on the subjects of Civics Class Accelerated Learners Intelligent Inclusive MTsN Ponorogo, How solutions to obstacles faced in implementing the curriculum differentiation on subjects.The method used in this research approaches Qualitative because it has several considerations, namely: (1) the qualitative approach more easily when faced with the reality plural, (2) it serves directly the nature of the relationship between researchers and informants, (3) the method is more sensitive and can adjust to a lot of sharpening influences together to patterns of values ??encountered. Sources of primary data obtained by interviews the interviews with principals, Chairman of the PDCI, Citizenship teachers, and students of class VII PDCI. then the data were analyzed descriptively qualitative. Based on the results of the research are conformity with curriculum components such as: (1) Objectives, (2) Content or materials (Subjects), (3) Process (Strategies) or the delivery systems of the media, (4) evaluation, but the process of implementation of the curriculum Differentiation Citizenship Education at PDCI Acceleration class MTsN Ponorogo get some constraints therein is caused by circumstances cendurung students who think fast but easily bored if the material presented does not make students to think furtherKeywords: Implementation of curriculum differentiation, inclusive smart learners