Curricular Decisions Research Articles

Five ways to get a grip on teaching advocacy in medical education: the health humanities as a novel approach.

The advocate role is recognized as an intrinsic medical competency. Despite recent attention to pedagogical approaches, it is a role that remains poorly understood and difficult to teach. At the same time there is a growing body of evidence showing the necessity of incorporating humanities-based education into medical curricula. Here, we present five ways to use the humanities as a tool for teaching the advocate role including: decentre the physician as expert, develop engaged providers, engage learners in curricular decisions, value the humanities (and show it), and keep it practical.

Telos of Special Education for Students with Severe Disabilities

ABSTRACT We overview several key issues of the past, present, and near future of special education for students with severe disabilities. We contextualize the Telos of special education by briefly remarking on its historical roots in the United States, then delve into several issues we believe are critical for advancing toward better outcomes for students with severe disabilities, including the increasingly alarming shortage of special education teachers and short-sighted responses to address it. We also discuss issues related to curricular decisions, and the apparent tension between access to general education (i.e. academic) curriculum and teaching other life altering repertoires for students with severe disabilities. Attention also is given to the evidence-based practices movement in special education, including the apparent rigidity of intervention protocols and slow advances toward clarifying for whom and under what conditions an intervention is effective. Our intention is to generate discussion about and interest in areas where consensus among stakeholders appears feasible such that policy and law can be influenced in ways that advance toward realizing the Telos of special education for students with severe disabilities.

Discussing a Concept for an Online Learning Platform with Rural Sixth-Grade Students in Mind: Evidence-Based Guidelines for Designers, Teachers, and Policy Change

While considerable research recognizes the need to promote linguistic and sociocultural learning among youth English language learners (ELLs) in rural communities, less research has explored the advantages of human-centered design (HCD) in achieving this goal. This study branches from a larger design research project to develop an online learning platform (FUNREAD), co-designed with English language teachers (ELTs), to promote linguistic and sociocultural learning among sixth grade ELLs in rural communities in Costa Rica. This study uses an HCD lens to analyze group interview data from two key national-level English curriculum advisers’ insights and suggestions for improving language learning, equity, and representation for rural ELLs in Costa Rica. Key findings include (1) the need to adapt teaching materials and available technologies to demographic characteristics of rural ELLs, (2) especially when rurality plays a major role in how teaching, materials development, and curricular decisions are made. The study concludes that social justice education, with an emphasis on equity, representation, and translanguaging to support English language acquisition, is crucial to the development of effective teaching materials for rural ELLs in Costa Rica. Evidence-based guidelines derived from HCD are provided to assist in the development process.

Pathophysiology and pharmacology course grades and prediction of success in a graduate nurse practitioner program.

During a program review, faculty identified that nurse practitioner (NP) students who received a C grade in Advanced Pathophysiology (Patho) and Advanced Pharmacology (Pharm) appeared to perform poorly in the later NP management courses and on other program outcomes. The research aimed to determine whether grades in graduate Patho and Pharm courses could predict performance in NP management courses, program progression and completion, and certification pass rates. This research included deidentified student data from 2016 to 2018 across seven NP specialty tracks ( n = 4,575). Nonparametric and parametric tests were used in the analysis. A significant correlation ( p < .001) existed between Patho and Pharm grades. Lower grades in these two courses were significantly related to each other and to lower management course grades. Logistic regression showed that graduate pathophysiology grades significantly predicted certification examination performance, with lower grades associated with lower certification examination performance. Graduate pharmacology grades, pathophysiology grades, composite management course grades, and admission grade point average (GPA) significantly predicted final cumulative GPA, with lower grades associated with lower performance for all variables. Results of this research support the hypothesis that grades of C in Patho or Pharm courses significantly predict C performance in the management NP courses and lower certification success rates. The project model can be used in future research. Study findings can be helpful to NP faculty when considering curriculum decisions.

Developing the Tokelau National Health and Physical Education Curriculum: A case study

Background: National school curriculum statements detail what it is important to learn and are highly context- and discipline-specific. The health and physical education (H&amp;PE) learning areas have multiple learning purposes, and facilitating this in curriculum design is a significant and challenging task. Objective: There is little reporting on ‘behind-the-scenes’ practices of H&amp;PE curriculum writing, despite this being a key mechanism by which the shaping of curricula occurs. This article offers a descriptive case study of curriculum development for the Tokelau National Curriculum H&amp;PE learning area for Years 0–13. Prior to 2021, this learning area did not formally exist in the Tokelau National Curriculum Framework. Design, Setting and Methods: The case reports on the processes and decisions of a multi-national transdisciplinary writing team from Tokelau, New Zealand and New Caledonia. We explore the questions: ‘Why the need for an H&amp;PE curriculum, and who is it for?’ Document collection and team-based interviews formed the basis for deductive descriptive analysis of the writing processes. Results: Three key themes were developed. Related to ‘why’, findings illustrate the importance of formalising H&amp;PE learning, representing knowledge, skills and capabilities useful for present and future generations of young people in Tokelau. Considering ‘for whom’, findings emphasise the involvement of the community in curriculum decisions, and the inclusion of distinctive features aligned with community values, needs and aspirations. Conclusion: The case study illustrates the requisite coming together of different groups and expertise in the creation of a curriculum, a synthesis of pre-existing and new knowledge and experiences. The focus on health promotion and health and physical literacies exemplifies the everyday use of school curriculum goals to support community health.

Investigating the fundamental levels of a signature pedagogy in nursing education: A scoping review

BackgroundA signature pedagogy is a unique approach that provides a blueprint for curricular decision-making, as it reflects how we teach (surface structures), why we teach (deep structures), and what we believe are vital concepts or values all learners should embody (implicit structures). ObjectiveTo investigate what is known from the existing literature about a signature pedagogy to support undergraduate nursing education. DesignThis scoping review adopted Arksey and O’Malley's framework to guide the analysis of data. Two electronic databases were used to explore studies on educational strategies, content, and values published in Arabic, English, Filipino, French, Portuguese, and Spanish between 1972 and 2022. ResultsA total of 258 articles were included in this review. The analysis revealed that the majority of articles were at the surface (n = 189), followed by the deep (n = 123), with the least number examining the implicit level (n = 90) associated with signature pedagogy levels. Results reflect a limited focus on implicit level; the core concepts and values that all learners should understand and grasp for their future practice to construct their professional identity and engage in healthcare transformation. ConclusionsThe findings from this scoping review, should not be an isolated movement within nursing education. The first step is to engage in discourse amongst all stakeholders, educational and healthcare nurse leaders, regarding the state of the profession. As a profession we need to understand what is the preferred future of nursing and what are the necessary educational processes to ensure the profession is actualizing their mandate. A call to action to develop a unique signature pedagogy should provide synergy between education and practice to enhance learner's competencies as a future professional.

Exploring the influence of collaborative data-based decision making among teachers in professional learning communities on teaching practice

Educational policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 and Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015 have emphasized the need for hard evidence such as standardized test data to make educational decisions. Therefore, teachers have been expected to use student assessment data to make informed curricular decisions and adjustments in teaching practice. This has led school districts to turn to data-based decision-making (DBDM) to create an effective process of student assessment data analysis, and reflection during professional learning communities (PLCs). The study explored teachers’ collaboration on the DBDM when teachers were analyzing student assessment data from common, district, and state assessments, as well as its influence on their instructional decisions. Participating teachers’ department and PLC meetings were recorded, and individual teachers’ classrooms were also observed. Teacher interview data and their lesson plans were also included and analyzed qualitatively. Results revealed that the purpose of collaboration determined types of data used, modes of analysis, and the impact on their teaching. Furthermore, teachers used varied assessment data to plan and adjust their instruction. Their motivation to enhance their teaching practices was also increased by exchanging ideas and insights rooted in the data.

Exploring Curriculum Making in Scottish Secondary Schools: Trends and Effects

This article presents the findings from a recent study funded by the Nuffield Foundation, which aimed to provide insights into the experiences of young people and teachers in secondary schools across Scotland under the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). Our research has uncovered a decrease in the number of National Qualifications entries in S4 under CfE, a phenomenon commonly referred to in Scotland as ‘curriculum narrowing.’ Furthermore, we have identified evidence of social stratification in overall and subject entry patterns in S4, with students from disadvantaged areas experiencing a more significant decline in entries and being limited to a narrower range of subjects. Additionally, our study has revealed signs of curriculum fragmentation during the Broad General Education phase (years S1–S3). The findings from our study also suggest that the curriculum decisions made in schools are primarily driven by the demand for better attainment data, particularly in National Qualifications during the Senior Phase (school years S4–S6), with less emphasis on what it means for an individual to become an educated person in a modern and complex society. Based on our findings, we have concluded that curriculum fragmentation and narrowing under CfE have a detrimental impact on the progression and attainment of young people. Schools that offer a broader curriculum in S4 demonstrate higher enrolment rates for Higher qualifications in S5 and Advanced Higher qualifications in S6. In contrast, schools that offer a narrower curriculum in S4, particularly those in deprived areas, are more likely to experience delays in higher-level qualification entry. A broader curriculum in S4 has been associated with improved performance in National 5 qualifications, higher scores in international tests such as PISA English and Maths, and higher scores on OECD measures of global competences. On the other hand, a narrower curriculum is correlated with less favourable outcomes after leaving school, especially in terms of Higher Education enrolment.

Building Global Relationships: Open Educational Resources and Collaborative Online International Learning Courses

Using open educational resources (OERs) in collaborative online international learning (COIL) courses provides students and faculty the opportunity to share content, enhance knowledge, and develop intercultural competence across geopolitical and other boundaries. Faculty perceptions at the research site regarding benefits and challenges of using OER are consistent with positive findings of other OER research that validate its potential. This case study describes experiences of two college courses taught with different international partners. It shares the journey of co-planning, implementing, and revising assignments highlighting OER instructional materials. Technology and accessibility considerations influence the curricular decisions for each course. They demonstrate how the timely availability of relevant OER content can be particularly impactful for international learning environments like COIL. The article underscores the faculty-librarian-instructional designer collaboration throughout the project and offers suggestions for future study.

Design Thinking and Co-creation in the Business Curriculum

Business curriculum development is intrinsically linked to the rapidly changing business landscape. Navigating the complexities of this task demands a design thinking approach that places stakeholders at the centre, focusing on obtaining valuable insight while also openly sharing the broader implications of individual curricular decisions. This reflective paper examines the use of design thinking in developing the business curriculum. We explore the benefits of this approach for leadership of curriculum development and balancing the needs and wants of varied stakeholder groups. Key external factors, from government bodies to shifting economic climates, exert pressures that make all curriculum development a challenging endeavour. Institutions must concurrently accommodate this variety of stakeholder needs, the balancing of external pressures against internal expectations and alignment with internal and external pedagogical standards. Successfully addressing these complexities requires a shift from traditional meeting and committee methods, which often yield suboptimal outcomes. Instead, a design thinking approach prioritises open stakeholder negotiation, employing visual tools to foster clear communication and negotiation and application of a shared vision. This approach also acknowledges the importance of developing graduates’ social capital, aiming not merely to secure jobs for graduates but to equip them with invaluable skills and networks for unforeseen challenges. Ultimately, a human-centric design thinking method is vital for addressing the multifaceted challenges of curriculum design in the face of a VUCA world. Institutions that embrace this philosophy position themselves to produce curricula that are both contextually relevant and future-oriented, ensuring continuous improvement and relevance in higher education.

‘The whitest guy in the room’: thoughts on decolonization and paideia in the South African university

ABSTRACT This paper will reflect on the possibility of epistemic decolonization, particularly in terms of curriculum, as a transformative educational process in the context of the South African university, and with respect to my own positionality. The argument will centre around two difficult interdependent positions. On the one hand I will argue for the university’s task as transformational, even offering, via Cornel West, the ‘salvific’ possibility that knowledge offers those who seek it. To develop this claim, I will draw on and develop the notion of paideia though the work of Plato and Heidegger. On the other hand, within the postcolonial African university, the question of decolonization in the tertiary space cannot be elided, particularly since the 2015 #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall movements. The university is a powerful colonial relic, and it can be used to reinforce and perpetuate epistemic violence through unreflective or unconscious pedagogical and curriculum decisions. Here I draw on decolonial thinkers such as Santos, Mignolo, Maldonado-Torres, and Mbembe: I argue for a reckoning with the forces of coloniality, and advocate for epistemic justice and criticality, as part of the decolonizing project. In conclusion, working with ideas from Cornel West, I argue to reconcile paideia, as the ‘turning of the soul’, with the decolonizing African university.

The Effect of Worked Examples and Self-Explanation Prompts on Mathematics Standardized Assessments

Recent work has demonstrated that having students study worked examples and answer self-explanation prompts as part of their problem-solving practice improves learning on researcher-developed measures of mathematical proficiency. However, little work has been done to date to investigate whether these benefits translate to improvements on the types of standardized assessments typically used by school districts to assess proficiency and make curricular decisions. In the present study, we examined the impact of using worked-example and self-explanation prompt assignments on the performance of 5th grade students in one urban district on two district-administered standardized tests: i-Ready and PARCC. Results indicate the approach effectively improves student mathematic scores on both standardized measures. This study provides policy-meaningful outcomes. The findings from the current study show that standardized assessment scores can be improved by merely changing the type of practice problems that students engage with. Interventions like this provide a pathway for underperforming schools and districts to improve student achievement through easy access points, which are low-cost and can be added to the curricula districts currently use.

Toward a Conceptual Understanding of Inclusion as Intersubjective Experiences

Inclusion has become a global buzzword relating to education policy and practice. Mostly, it is tied to discussions about access and opportunities in education spaces as well as school policies and the curriculum decisions and pedagogical actions of teachers. As part of this critique, we propose defining inclusion as intersubjective experiences associated with feelings of belonging, acceptance, and value that are dynamic, ephemeral, spatial, and in flux. Here, we advocate for centering the experiences and amplifying the voices of disabled children and young people in and about education spaces, while acknowledging the wider social forces that structure those spaces, as only disabled young people can explain how they feel in the educational spaces where they find themselves.

The Marathon Continues: Black Faculty Awakened & Inspired by Neighborhood Nip to Redesign Community-Engaged Teacher Education Courses

ABSTRACT The purpose of this conceptual article is to illustrate how our awakening after Nipsey Hussle’s death, our visit to his memorial, his music and life, and our lived experiences influenced a redesign of our community-engaged courses. We realized we had bought into respectability politics and prioritized making our white colleagues and preservice teachers comfortable, leaving behind our hoods. Experiencing the outpouring of love for his work and life made us realize that we didn’t have to let go of our hoods to be a part of academia. Through a Self-Study in Teacher Education, a type of practitioner inquiry undertaken by teacher educators, we shared our stories growing up in our hoods, explored our Hip-Hop identities, and the awakening we experienced to redesign and inform our community-engaged curricular decisions. This article is a “Blackprint”. It’s an offering to teacher educators to explore and interrogate their identities and personal experiences as a springboard to centering Blackness in their courses. It stems from our childhoods in the hood, our careers as scholars, and the call to action inspired by Nipsey’s death. This is a call to elevate the hood in teacher education.

An Educational Philosophy Perspective On Teaching in Contemporary Curriculum Development

Current research supports the significance of critical consciousness development in the educational process. The research on reflective participatory learning and critical consciousness to foster critical consciousness in higher education may be far superior, notwithstanding a few shortcomings. More research is needed to determine the nature of critical consciousness in the higher education curriculum's philosophy of education and the best ways to support these students' vital development of consciousness. The critical consciousness technique was used in this investigation, and critical consciousness as a theoretical paradigm in education philosophy seeks to address multi-systemic oppression. All educational initiatives, including curricular decisions are grounded on philosophy. Critical consciousness encourages educators and students to consider other identities' viewpoints when reading and evaluating texts. It extends the goal of education to a more excellent social environment; this content critique and analysis method humanizes the learning process. Philosophy looks for and makes visible the good that all people should pursue and focus their deliberate education toward. In philosophy, the curriculum is prescriptive since it specifies the broad guidelines, courses, and disciplines that should be completed to earn a particular grade or standard. Like philosophy, the curriculum is normative and has guiding ideas and theories. Philosophy becomes a benchmark by which to evaluate the objectives, curriculum choices, and education delivery methods. Curriculum must be understood that they are constantly faced with making decisions about curricula and that philosophy plays a significant role in the decision-making process.

Educational Process as Something Dynamic

If we conceive the educational process as something dynamic, which basically combines what is given with what is emerging, we will understand that there are protagonists in it who have a fundamental role in this process, or perhaps we should say that, in this process, each and every one of the agents has a leading role. So, talking about curriculum implies that the subject can be approached from different perspectives, some more legitimate than others, some broader than others and, what is even more notorious, some more dynamic than others. It is in these differences where the essence of the educational process is conjugated, namely, in the conception of the curriculum, so it is worth asking: What are the educational units understanding by "development of their own curricular projects"? What are they actually doing? What curricular decisions do they make? Not only these questions arise, but many more, not to mention that it is also legitimate to doubt the capacity and preparation of teachers and educational units to undertake a process of conscious and responsible construction of an effective curriculum. It is interesting to approach the subject critically, not to reconsider the theoretical aspects, in which we find a wide range of postulates, but rather to revitalize the pedagogical practice in the place where it actually occurs, the classroom, and from there to enable discussion. and analysis of the problem, assuming that a paradigm change is urgent at all levels, otherwise, the entire society will suffer even more marked dehumanization. There are many challenges and requirements that fall on the educational task, and there are many who express their opinion, judge and dare to formulate lapidary sentences on the subject of education, with no more foundation than that allowed by a fragmented look at reality, therefore Therefore, a deeper look can shed light on why it has not yet been possible to reach a more optimal level in the quality indices, nor has equity been achieved, and what is worse, it seems that all that has been said is slipping away. through the window of the classrooms to end up in the realm of abstraction, from which it will not be possible to bring what is real and everyday. Thus, this work will also be a proposal for educational agents, a proposal that should not be kept together with others, but rather, hand in hand with the contingent, could give way to a better understanding of the problem.

Does participating in a daily handwriting without tears curriculum for 4-weeks improve a first-grade student’s spelling abilities: Single-subject ABA design

ABSTRACT COVID−19 and remote instruction negatively impacted student’s handwriting. This study aimed to determine if the implementation of a rigorous handwriting curriculum has an impact on a first-grade students’ ability to spell. This study used a single-subject, ABA quasi-experimental design. The study was completed by a first-grade teacher, with consultative support from an occupational therapy practitioner. The study was completed in a single first-grade general education classroom. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling and were eligible if they were in the principal researchers first-grade classroom. The total number of participants was 15 first-grade students of which six were boys and nine were girls, ages six to seven. Intervention was implemented in small groups for 20 minutes/day, five days/week, for a total of twenty-sessions. The Primary Spelling Inventory was administered pre- and post-intervention to measure the student’s spelling abilities. Paired sample t-test indicated statistically significant difference between pre- and posttest scores. Participants demonstrated an average improvement of 5.27 words after receiving the intervention, with 14 of 15 students demonstrating an improvement in pre- and post-assessment scores. Implementation of a handwriting curriculum improves a first-grade student’s handwriting skills and positively impacts spelling ability. Evidence supporting systematic approaches to improving handwriting contributes to teachers and occupational therapy practitioner’s professional reasoning when selecting specific intervention tools, in addition to determining appropriate dosage of intervention. Evidence can be utilized by occupational therapy practitioners to support classroom teachers and influence curricular decisions at the administrative level when determining curriculum to address handwriting. Occupational therapy practitioners can highlight the positive impact that mastery with handwriting can have on academic areas such as spelling.

현직 중등 음악교사의 재교육 기관으로서의 교육대학원 음악교육전공에 대한 인식 및 요구 조사

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception and demand of in-service secondary music teachers regarding graduate college of education as in-service training institution; and discuss about the curriculum improvement of graduate college of education for in-service training.&#x0D; Methods A survey of 139 secondary music teachers nationwide was conducted to find out the awareness and necessity of the current graduate college of education as in-service training institution and its curriculum. In addition, interviews with two music teachers were conducted to find more specific causes and perceptions of the survey results and discuss about the future direction of the institution from the perspective of in-service teachers.&#x0D; Results In-service secondary music teachers tended to characterize the functions of the current graduate college of education and music education major as a pre-service teacher training institution rather than for in-servicet teacher training. This indicates that the functions of the graduate college of education are far from the purpose of initial establishment, and suggests the need to further strengthen the functions to enhance the expertise of in-service music teachers. Furthermore, secondary music teachers expected curriculum with high field connectivity, which was mainly related to the development of teaching methods.&#x0D; Conclusions First, the music education major of graduate college of education should develop curriculum for in-service training, focusing on the contents that require long-term education. In addition, a completion system that teachers have more autonomous curriculum decision should be provided as well as completion process according to the needs of in-service teachers. Second, curriculum for in-service teacher training should be developed to help teachers understand the rapidly changing needs of society and the latest philosophy and theory. In this way, research on developing high-quality teaching-learning methods and materials should be conducted; so that teachers can be far more accountable for professional development and improving their classrooom.

Creating stories of educational change in and for geography: what can we learn from Bolivia and Peru?

ABSTRACT This article will explore the potential for embedding education outputs within contemporary geographical scholarship to provide a disciplinary resource for school teachers’ curriculum thinking and pathways to impact for academic geographers. In particular, the article will draw upon two projects to show the empirical depth that can be achieved by developing resources that give teachers and students insight into the particularities of places (in this case Bolivia and Peru) in relation to sustainable development agendas via a focus on the co-production of geographical knowledge. Through engaging with research pursued by geographers, this article sheds light on the relationship between environmental justice and sustainable development, which can play an important role in shaping geography teachers’ curricular decision-making. It also recasts expertise where Indigenous leaders and others with first-hand experience of their local environment are at the forefront of complex decisions and conflicts to determine trajectories of sustainability.

Working towards more socially just futures: five areas for transdisciplinary literacies research

AbstractPolicy‐makers and provincial governments have a responsibility to prioritise equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) with approaches that leverage both intersectionality and transdisciplinarity, especially when looking at literacies research. Supported by a federally funded knowledge synthesis grant that surveyed the scope of EDIA in Canadian schools, this article focuses on youth marginalisation to address literacies learning. The authors address five concepts from a three‐phase literature review to examine inclusive practices that respect, acknowledge and address EDIA in K‐12 education. Across reviewed studies, there is an underlying trajectory outlining methodological challenges in implementing EDIA practices. We advance anti‐racist and abolitionist approaches by addressing five areas: (1) making learning more accessible by adopting culturally responsive pedagogy informed by local cultures, languages and values; (2) pursuing sustainable professional development in culturally inclusive teaching practices; (3) creating safer school environments that nurture community‐driven relationships between parents, students and their teachers; (4) reforming educational policies to concretely address structural racism, discrimination and misrepresentation of socially marginalised students by disrupting what is conceptualised and accepted as ideal culturally responsive pedagogy; and (5) prioritising community perspectives and input curriculum decisions to support underrepresented students. Ultimately, this article echoes this issue's orientations as it explores transdisciplinary practices composing an evolving understanding of literacies.