The dilemma of “Dahl dominance”: exploring the delights and difficulties of Dahl’s enduring presence in delivering the primary years English curriculum

Contemporary world, is facing serious issues of peace e.g. social injustice, gender discrimination and violation of human rights, narrow-mindedness towards other’s cultures, religious conflicts, suppressing the women, inhumane handling of minorities and lake of interest in environmental sustainability. Consistency in this situation arises the need to address these issues through education to move forward towards peace and stability. This research analyzed the curriculum and textbooks of English of Punjab Textbook Board to determine whether this curriculum impending the standards of peace education or not. This qualitative study followed the curriculum analysis framework suggested by Levander & Mikkola, in 2009. The analysis of English language curriculum was conducted in two stages. First stage that is called Concept Map Framework (CFM) was performed to enlist features of peace education found in the objectives and textbooks of English curriculum. The second stage of analysis; Dimensional Description Framework (DDF) was conducted to determine the depth or quality of description that was enlisted at first stage. The findings of the study highlights that the objectives of curriculum of English give sufficient coverage to the features of peace. Text books of English for elementary grades elaborates some features of peace education i.e. “love for humanity, tolerance, brotherhood, human values, justice, gender equality”. The depth or quality of description remained brief for most of features of peace education. This situation is not presenting a satisfactory picture of existence of features of peace education in the textbooks of English language. Curriculum of English language needs to incorporate all features of peace education in balance form at all grades of elementary.

Previous articleNext article No AccessEducational WritingsA Pattern Curriculum in English An Experience Curriculum in English: A Report of the Curriculum Commission of the National Council of Teachers of English.Harold A. AndersonHarold A. Anderson Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 44, Number 5May, 1936 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/439946 Journal History This article was published in The School Review (1893-1979), which is continued by the American Journal of Education (1979-present). PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

International competitiveness, new technologies and changing markets resulted in a paradigm shift in education that demanded to enrich students with higher-order thinking skills, especially critical thinking. National Curriculum Pakistan was developed and launched in 2006. The curriculum of English (2006) has been devised to provide opportunities for language development of learners to equip them with the competencies that help to better adapt to knowledge advancement and ever-changing local and global society. To investigate if the intended curriculum of English has the goals of higher-order thinking and the planned curriculum in the form of textbooks, is designed keeping in view the current demands of competitive competencies for what the National curriculum of English was planned, and to assess the teachers' perspectives and perception about critical thinking, the researcher conducted a qualitative study. In one of the districts of Punjab Pakistan, based upon the highest enrollment, four male and four female colleges from each of its four subdivisions were selected. One male and one female teacher from each college volunteered to participate in the study. The three-stage study aimed to analyze the intended and planned curriculum of English at higher secondary school level and then analyze the teacher's perception regarding critical thinking, and the actual classroom practices were observed to review the enacted curriculum.

Hyunsong Chung. 2017. A Diagnostic Review of English Pronunciation Teaching Based on the Analysis of the 2015 Revised English Curriculum and English Textbooks. Studies in Modern Grammar 96, 191-212. In this paper, we discuss the goal of English pronunciation teaching in Korea and how to elaborate the elements of English pronunciation teaching in the national curriculum based on the analysis of the 2015 revised English language curriculum and English textbooks. We suggest that the elements of English pronunciation teaching should be explicitly and properly specified for all the levels in the curriculum including primary and secondary levels. The activities in the classroom should combine task-based controlled practices in pronunciation with communicative activities. Phonetic symbols in the textbooks should pursue IPA conventions and be consistent. It is necessary to continue the discussions and conduct researches on pronunciation teaching in the national curriculum so that the results can be positively reflected in the future revision of the English curriculum.

This research observes Arabic and English language curriculums adopted in a private school which follows a cooperative and communicative language teaching approach. The research reveals the similarities and differences found in the textbooks and classroom procedures via analyzing the Arabic and English curriculums implemented in a private school. Additionally, the researcher suggests, based on their observation, the possibility of conjoining the topics and themes of both language courses.

The present study describes the conceptualization, interpretation and implementation of language-in-education policy and English language curriculum policy at the meso-/micro-level in the People’s Republic of China within the broader macro socio-political context. Previous studies of English language education in the PRC have focused on national policies, on progress and problems in English teaching and learning, on English curriculum changes, or on the implementation of curriculum policy including the effectiveness of the application of particular teaching methodologies. However, few studies have examined the relationships between national English language policy and policy implementation through teachers in schools. Classroom teachers’ awareness of the connections between policies and classroom practices has been neglected, and their perceptions of and possible contributions to the curriculum development have not been studied. The emphasis of this study is on foreign language policy and planning in the PRC with particular regard to English (as a foreign language) curriculum development and implementation in primary and secondary schools. There are three foci: 1) foreign language policy and planning; 2) English language-in-education policy and planning, in particular the 2001 English language curriculum policy; and 3) the EFL teachers’ role in both the policy making and the implementation processes. To examine these issues, three areas of literature are reviewed to provide a theoretical basis for the present study: 1) language planning and policy, leading to an understanding of the nature of foreign language planning and policy development in the PRC; 2) language-in-education planning and the goals of the foreign language planning process at different times in PRC; and 3) teacher’s roles in the process of language policy and planning in general, and in the development of English language curriculum in particular. By bringing together the literature concerning foreign language planning and policy and drawing on the theoretical framework for language-in-education planning and policy goals provided by Kaplan and Baldauf (2003, 2005), this study documents how foreign language policy and related planning have occurred, the extent to which current English language education in China has developed, either overtly or covertly, considering these policy goals, and the extent to which these goals consider teachers’ roles in the English language curriculum change. A multimethod research approach is used to collect data from a variety of sources: documents, interviews and questionnaires. To analyse the qualitative data, content analysis techniques are used while the quantitative data uses factor analysis and descriptive statistics. Foreign language-in-education policy and English language curriculum policy in the PRC are examined from the perspective of language-in-education policy goals. The conceptualization, interpretation and implementation of the language-in-education policy and English language curriculum policy at the meso-/micro-levels in China are described. EFL teachers’ role in policy making and policy implementation is explored and the implications of their role in foreign language policy and planning in the PRC are discussed. The findings shed light on the theoretical framework used in language-in-education policy and planning which serves to inform foreign language-in-education, especially English, policy and planning in the PRC.

The Evolution of the English Subject Curriculum in Romanian Primary and Lower Secondary Education

English has become a global language and plays an important role of international communication and global economic activities. High English proficiency has been regarded as a tool to have good jobs and high social status. In Taiwan, the Ministry of Education (the MOE) has implemented the policy of English education which started English curriculum at elementary school level since 2001. The fifth graders started English classes as a compulsory curriculum. The English education policy for children has been changed by years. In the school year, 2011, English curriculum was compulsory for the first graders in Taoyuan County. The purpose of this study is to investigate the teachers’ experiences with teaching students of different starting ages, and to evaluate the impacts on this policy of junior high English education and curriculum. The method was to interview five junior high school teachers with rich teaching experiences. Qualitative research design was employed in this study to gather and analyze data. The subjects were from the public junior high school in Taoyuan County. Through the research, the teachers’ reactions, perspectives and preparations for the new policy were revealed. Results of this study showed that junior high school English teachers thought the important factors impacting on English learning included motivation, exposure to English at school and resource. The starting age of learning English were not directly related to students’ English achievement. As to the negative side of the policy, the teachers claimed that too early learning of L2 would lead to serious double-peak phenomenon in class. The students who fell behind would increase and they may give up learning easily. As to the positive side of the policy, the teachers thought the policy would increase the opportunities of English learning for disadvantage families. Then, students’ English oral skills would be better when learning English at young age. In conclusion, successful English learning is impacted by a lot of relevant factors. Therefore, this study suggests that: (1) Teachers should teach and help students’ learning according to students’ diverse levels of English proficiency. (2) Teachers should adjust or change their teaching and design activities to motivate students for solving the problem of low degree of participation in class. (3) When implementing an English education policy, the government should take account of not only the starting age of learning English but also students’ and teachers’ needs. It is important to provide a plenty of education resource, listen to what teachers’ think and improve English education environment.

When government announced removal of the Goodbye Mr. Chips from intermediate-level English textbooks in one of the provinces of Pakistan, the public and media response was overwhelming. Students in particular took a sigh of relief because many believed it was a boring story by a foreign author, depicting a foreign setting. Drawing on this development as a reference point, this article examines the perspectives of students and teachers about the teaching of English literature in part of Pakistan. The method used combines semi-structured interviews with a questionnaire survey. Using Coloniality and Decoloniality as conceptual frames, the paper discusses the significance of participants’ perspectives at theoretical, ideological and implementational levels. Findings suggest a paradigmatic shift from the Anglo-normativity. Participants call for an overhaul of the current English literature-dominated curriculum. Their alternative paradigm is more pluralist, which should: reclaim the indigenous/local knowledge, be firmly grounded in students’ sociocultural ecologies, and take into consideration students’ cognitive engagement and identity investment. We interpret their reflective agency as a significant epistemic break from the normative deterministic logic of the unassailable position of English, and their voices as robust intellectual tools. Symbolically, these voices seek to liberate academia from the yoke of coloniality.

Since the promulgation of the national "English Curriculum Standards for Higher Vocational Education (2021 Edition)", the English curriculum reform in higher vocational colleges has been advancing steadily. What are the effects of the reform? New policies of "unified examination" for upgrading from junior college to undergraduate college will be implemented in Guangxi in 2025, and English is one of the designated test subjects. This has raised new requirements for the construction of English curriculum in higher vocational colleges in Guangxi and brought new opportunities for its reform. This paper studies the national English curriculum standards, conducts analysis of the new examination policies, and obtains information about the effect of the current implementation of higher vocational college English curriculum in Guangxi through a questionnaire survey. In view of the real demands of students, four suggestions for the reform of the English curriculum are put forward to clarify the direction for improving the construction of the higher vocational English curriculum.

The purpose of this research was to assess a Finnish and a British curriculum of rehabilitation by means of benchmarking. The following aspects were assessed: the basic purpose of education; the qualifications provided by the educational programme; the objectives of education; the curricular model; the study modules and their contents; the coursework practices; and the evaluation and development of the curriculum. According to a comparative assessment, the Finnish and British curricula had the same underlying starting point: in both countries, rehabilitation is regarded a societally topical and multidisciplinary issue that is addressed in the educational programme. The studies are based on different systems of credit units and scores, but after a standardization of scoring, the programmes are mutually comparable and roughly correspond to each other There is, however, a significant difference in the two curricula: the structure of the study modules. Finnish study modules are practical-based and focus on the experiences of different individuals, groups of patients and health professionals. The education focuses on rehabilitation issues and aims to enhance students' awareness of and competence in certain target areas of practice. The British study modules are more research-based; the focus is on the scientific approach and the ways to produce knowledge. The British curriculum risks ignoring practical issues surrounding individual patients and therapists, but its focus on research-based practice means that practice is logically and consistently structured. The Finnish curriculum focuses on issues surrounding therapists and patients but risks becoming fragmented, as rehabilitation can be studied from many different scientific perspectives.

It is clear from several government reports and research papers published recently that the curriculum for English in primary and secondary schools is about to change yet again. After years of bureaucratic stranglehold that has left even Ofsted report writers criticising the teaching of English, it seems as if the conditions are right for further revisions. One of the questions that inevitably arise when a curriculum for English is reviewed, relates to the place and purpose of the teaching of grammar. This paper outlines a possible curriculum for grammar across both primary and secondary phases, arguing that for the teaching of grammar to have any salience or purpose at all, it has to be integrated into the curriculum as a whole, and not just writing. A recontextualised curriculum for grammar, of the kind proposed here, would teach pupils to become critically literate in ways which recognise diversity as well as unity, and with the aim of providing them with the means to analyse critically and appraise the culture in which they live.

This concept paper aims to identify the changes that occur in the education system in Malaysia regarding the curriculum in English. The writing of this concept paper was made with reference to two previous studies based on (Fullan's Theory of Educational Change, 2001; Stenhouse's Curriculum Model, 1975). The findings of previous studies show different opinions on the need for English language teaching, although administrators' attitudes towards facilitating English language teaching in their schools are generally very positive. However, they expressed concern about the newly replaced teaching program and indicated general agreement that a review was needed. While the findings of the interviews showed a very significant change in teachers' beliefs towards curriculum changes in English involving management, teaching and assessment as well as student learning. The implications of this concept paper have an impact on national education policy such as implementing changes in education policy in the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English which was implemented in 2003 with the approval of the Cabinet decision (2002). In addition, the implications of this implementation also involve implications for teacher training and educational institutions. In conclusion, changing the attitude and role of administrators as well as teachers' beliefs is a very important element to make educational institutions a center for the production of human capital that should be sensitive and ready to make changes so that the generation built through the implementation of the curriculum in English becomes a reality and works for the country.

The purpose of the study is to explore possible strategies to ‘insert’ themes of care into Indonesia’s English curriculum. It is stipulated that the English curriculum containing themes of care, ethics and morality can contribute to the advancement of students’ engagement in learning and enable moral reasoning skill toward the generation of responsible members of society upholding values of tolerance and respect for difference of others. This is a library research, employing a qualitative content review of related literature to find strategies for integrating themes of care into English curriculum. It is found that integrating themes of care into curricular subjects, including English, is very possible to undertake, and provides students with higher order thinking skills in a functional manner. It is of great importance to students as they get benefits from being taught the ways to approach and eventually solve complex, real-life moral problems by applying particular skills drawn from the PAVE moral reasoning strategy. The English curriculum addressing such a long-term outcome for the application of the integration incorporates teaching students how to attain balanced competence, academically, socially and morally all at once.

Vocational High School (VHS)Students are expected to work directly upon completing their study. Thus, the curriculum and material should be relevant with their majors since the skills are necessary to enter the workforce, including their English skills. The implementation of curriculum and material in VHS should have different characteristic from the ones implemented in Senior High School. English curriculum and material in VHS should contain and produce the aspects of work skills. The aim of this study is to investigate the VHS English teachers’ perception on curriculum and material implemented in VHS. The research applied descriptive qualitative research design that involved three VHS teachers in Depok as respondent. Semi-structured interview was conducted to collect the data. The study shows that teachers have unfavorable perception towards the English curriculum and material implemented in VHS. The result implies that the content of English curriculum and material are similar to the ones taught in Senior High Schools and thus are not relevant to VHS students’ needs to enter the workforce. They suggest that English curriculum and material in VHS should be integrated to the students’majors and propose ESP as the type of English implemented in VHS. Having ESP in VHS will enable students to improve their Englih skills relevant to their needs of working and eventually help them to compete in the global workforce.