Holistic curriculum development: tutoring as a support process

Cornelia Roux

doi:10.1590/s0256-01002009000100002

Abstract

In many programmes, tutorials have proved to be an effective way of providing both academic and personal support. The tutor's role in these involves different aspects of teaching and learning. In this article I explore the value of tutoring as a means of supporting the holistic curriculum development process. I reflect on the reason for introducing a system of tutoring for students in curriculum studies and the results of its implementation on students' academic performance, in order to contribute to a better understanding of this kind of intervention. A summary of empirical data on the implementation of the tutor system and feedback on the system and tutors' reflections on the process are provided. Finally, the outcomes of the implementation of tutoring on the students\' performance at the end of the academic year are discussed. Keywords : academic performance; first-year students; holistic curriculum development; tutoring South African Journal of Education Vol. 29 (1) 2009: pp. 17-32

Highlights

A Curriculum Studies module for first-year student-teachers in an undergraduate teacher training programme was the result of reconceptualising and redesigning a core module, previously taught only to second-year in-service student-teachers
The reason for implementing this new module at first-year level was for students to gain a dynamic understanding of curriculum studies at the beginning of their professional training, before they are introduced into school practice
The reason for the introduction of reflection was to establish a good rapport with the tutors and to identify good practices and shortcomings in the tutorial system. This was a sound underpinning for holistic curriculum development and an opportunity for the lecturers to reflect on the success or shortcomings of the teaching and learning as well as the curriculum

Summary

Introduction

A Curriculum Studies module for first-year student-teachers in an undergraduate teacher training programme was the result of reconceptualising and redesigning a core module, previously taught only to second-year in-service student-teachers. The research question was: How can teaching and learning in Curriculum Studies support the processes underlying transformative curriculum development to the benefit of students as future teachers?. The questionnaire designed at the end of the module in 2005 aimed at detecting problem areas regarding content and lecturing as well as issues of teaching and learning. Comments on the content were mainly on the ‘high’ standard of the articles and their relevance for teaching practice This is a very important aspect as the outcome of the module was mainly to introduce students to the core aspects of curriculum theory. Several respondents (7 out of 65) and (11 out of 44) used the first question to assess and reflect upon the relevance of the content presented in Curriculum Studies to their future careers as teachers Most of these responses indicated that the number of lecturers presenting the content rather than the content itself was not the main reason for the confusion.

62.2 Relevance of content too fragmented and too much

Language is text and articles

Findings

Conclusion