Teachers unconsciously, and at times intentionally, use metaphors to graphically image new reform policy. This qualitative multiple case-study explores how secondary school teachers employed metaphors to communicate excitement and/or frustrations with a new history curriculum they were implementing in Zimbabwe. Findings from semi-structured interviews and lesson observations indicate that, although teachers employed either reform friendly or reform antagonistic metaphors, their metaphoric representations were consistently evolving. The new history curriculum was viewed as a new baby whose habits everyone was trying to learn. Conversely, it was equated to a dictated peace treaty. The implications of these metaphors are interrogated.

Drawing on an ecological approach to teacher agency, this empirical study investigated the dynamic interplay between teachers and the environment which emerges as teachers enact their professional agency in curriculum design. The dataset comprises semi-structured interviews with 15 Korean secondary English teachers. The findings from the thematic analysis indicate that teacher agency is achieved through the dynamic interplay between teachers and different ecosystems: micro-, meso-, exo-, macro- and chronosystem. This study concludes with practical and theoretical implications as well as suggestions for future research.

This paper reports a study of Scottish secondary students perspectives concerning academic difficulties experienced in the first year of the Senior Phase which corresponds to their final year of compulsory schooling (age 15-16). Transition and trajectories throughout Senior Phase have gained further significance due to substantial changes experienced in schools with the development and implementation of Curriculum for Excellence, which in this stage emphasises pathways and support for national qualifications reformed in 2012. The findings are discussed alongside the relationship between course choices and the Scottish upper secondary curriculum, mainly concerning the curricular principles of flexibility, personalisation and choice.

Foundation phase (grade R to 3) learners’ underperformance against the curriculum is a growing concern in primary school. In South Africa, reports reveal a large number of learners underperforming in Reading and Mathematics. To understand this phenomenon, focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with 17 foundation phase teachers to probe their perspectives for qualitative data collection. Thematic results revealed many factors that could influence learners’ underperformance. Social constructivism and development theories highlighted the importance of scaffolding learning. Education authorities should consider these factors in curriculum design and implementation to mitigate learners’ underperformance in reading and Mathematics in primary schools.

This study aims to explore Arab Open University- Jordan (AOU) students’ critical thinking skills, and whether these skills varied according to variables like their university level (first and fourth year of study), gender, age, and major at university. 248 students have been randomly chosen to participate in the study. California Critical Thinking Skills Test was used to collect data. The study revealed that students’ general levels of critical thinking were below the acceptable educational level, and students in the fourth year had better critical thinking skills than students in the first year. Additionally, females showed a higher level of critical thinking than males whereas age and major did not play a major role in developing critical thinking skills. Based on the results, reforms in the education system should be initiated in terms of course content, instruction, and evaluation. Further research should also be conducted to determine which factors contribute to developing students’ critical thinking skills

This article explores the use of turning points in history teaching. Historians describe instances of pivotal change as turning points. Identification of a turning point is a judgment of historical significance. The research demonstrates this by analysing an example from classical historiography. Inclusion of a turning point at the start of learning and teaching sequence necessitates exploration of the causal processes that resulted in the change. Similarly, discussion of any turning point is incomplete without examination of its consequences. Teachers can use turning points to highlight the interpretative nature of historical inquiry. Curriculum specialists can assist teachers in this work.

In 2018, the state Kindergarten sector in Malta (3-5 years) was influenced by the shift from a prescriptive to an emergent curriculum, and the increasing use of eTwinning - a particular scenario that is research-worthy. Through one narrative inquiry of a Kindergarten educator who decided to ‘marry’ the emergent curriculum and eTwinning in practice, this paper aims to systematically track down the educator’s experience of this integration. Findings indicate initial and ongoing challenges overshadowed by sustained success through the synergy created from the philosophically fused emergent curriculum and the eTwinning concept. This study conceptualises the birth of an innovative approach and surfaces a rediscovery of Froebel’s 19th-century Kindergarten.

Integrated curriculum encourages diverse cohorts of students to engage in relevant and meaningful activities that can be connected to their interests both in and beyond the classroom. This research investigated whether contextualising the content and learning activities to specific cohorts, while retaining the same assessments and learning outcomes, would be effective in increasing student engagement and overall grades. The findings indicated that when content was contextualised engagement and performance significantly improved. This finding holds true for both face to face delivery and remote delivery, indicating that the contextualisation of content has greater impact on student outcomes than mode of delivery.