Curriculum Knowledge Research Articles

Backward Design in Pre-Service Teacher Education to Enhance Curriculum Knowledge

This action research aimed to enhance the curriculum knowledge of 37 pre-service teachers in early-childhood education through backward design (BD) as an innovative framework. Participants enrolled in an online curriculum development course focusing on curriculum elements and underwent BD-based instruction for five weeks. Multiple data collection tools were employed, including pre- and post-achievement tests and curriculum literacy scales, digital learning journals, performance tasks, course observations, and interviews. The results showed a significant improvement in the curriculum knowledge of the pre-service teachers. This was evidenced by a notable increase in curriculum literacy scores, a moderate improvement in achievement test scores, and positive performance task outcomes. These findings highlight the effectiveness of BD-based instruction in enhancing the curriculum knowledge of pre-service teachers. This study provides valuable insights for teacher educators to effectively tailor their instructional approaches. Further research is needed to validate these results and advance instructional practices in pre-service teacher education.

Building tomorrow's learning landscape through AI integration and development in higher education

Birmingham City University (BCU) has responded proactively to the evolving landscape of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education by creating written guidance and workshops for staff and students. This initiative addresses prevalent concerns surrounding AI in education and is rooted in a sector report assessing the positions of higher education institutions (HEIs) and offering guidance on effective integration of GenAI use in teaching and assessment. Our project carries several impactful aspects, including written guidance and workshops for staff and students, which reflects BCU’s dedication to addressing common concerns surrounding GenAI in education. Furthermore, the multi-agency collaborative approach brings diverse perspectives to the table. The different perspectives enable us to tailor our learner development offer through knowledge of curriculum and assessment in a particular discipline and whether that discipline is more susceptible to GenAI use than others. The insights from learner developers in creating student guidelines ensure the project is attuned to the needs and concerns of the student body, promoting a student-centred approach. This session focused on an institutional take on GenAI through the collaborative development of staff and student guidance at BCU. The presentation outlined the new AI staff and student guidance project and discussed how effective integration of GenAI education has been implemented at BCU. It also noted positive influences of GenAI through our new staff and student workshops which bring together existing and new knowledge around academic integrity and assessment literacy. Finally, it highlighted next steps around AI integration for the Education Development Service at BCU.

Climate change and its health effects - an optional subject for medical students

Abstract The Standing Committee of European Doctors urged to include training on the impact of climate change on health for health professionals. Currently, in the curriculum of most medical schools, the health-related impacts of climate change represent a peripheral part. The teaching of health effects of climate change should be made part of the training of health professionals and should be introduced in the curriculum of medical schools. ClimateMed is an Erasmus project that improves the curriculum and expands knowledge about the health effects of climate change at medical universities. The World Café method, based on round table discussions, was applied to assess the needs, summarize the proposals, and develop the necessary strategy. At the same time, a questionnaire was applied to those medical students from UMFST Targu Mureș who chose this subject as an optional subject. Students related the importance of understanding the diseases caused directly or indirectly by climate change, and reported what kind of topics should be included in a new course, in which semester/module and in what format it would be appropriate to teach it. The most frequently reported topics were: excessive heat and heat-related illnesses, extreme weather, vector-borne diseases, food safety, air pollution, and mental health. According to the goals of the project and students’ opinions, since 2023 medical students can choose Climate Change and Health Effects as an elective course. Based on the demand for medical universities to include in their curriculum knowledge related to the health effects of climate change, ClimateMed project can facilitate this integration and can promote the increase of teacher motivation and the development of methodological guidelines for university teachers. The project contributes to the preparation of some educational materials and the introduction of an optional subject in the training curriculum of the students of the Faculty of Medicine, UMFST Targu Mureș. Key messages • There must be made efforts to include training on the impact of climate change on health for health professionals, to introduce this subject in the curriculum of medical schools. • ClimateMed project can facilitate the integration of knowledge about the health effects of climate change into curriculum and can promote the practical use.

AS PRÁTICAS PEDAGÓGICAS MEDIANTE AS REPERCUSSÕES DA APLICABILIDADE DAS TECNOLOGIAS

In recent years, the growing emphasis on teacher training and performance has revealed the urgency of critical and necessary actions. The rapid expansion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the educational field not only highlights, but also intensifies, the widespread lack of preparation of many teachers in the face of the new possibilities that these technologies introduce into pedagogical practices. This study proposes an in-depth reflection on the impact of digital technologies on teachers' pedagogical practices, focusing on pedagogical innovations that emerge from classroom practices. The bibliographic research undertaken to support this study reveals that teachers recognize the pressing need for training courses that not only provide technical experiences, but also develop pedagogical dimensions in an integrated manner. Thus, teachers are required to master the curricular content and carry out a critical appropriation of ICTs, aiming to promote qualitative transformations in pedagogical practices. This integration makes it possible to combine pedagogical activities with digital technologies, promoting not only creativity and autonomy among students, but also encouraging deeper reflection on the dynamics of learning. However, by establishing this harmony between curricular knowledge and ICTs, teachers can foster an educational environment that truly takes advantage of the potential of new technologies to enrich and diversify the teaching-learning process.

Influence of Teacher Beliefs on Employing EBT (Evidence-Based Teaching) in Creative Writing Lessons

Children who do not master writing skills risk possible failure because they cannot complete written assignments on time. The complex nature of writing as a language production skill requires thorough planning and problem-solving. Research emphasises that children who struggle to write tend to remain behind in their writing skill development. Hence, it is necessary to strengthen writing instruction, such as by incorporating research-based methods. The purpose of this article was to explore teachers’ perceptions of and beliefs in teaching creative writing and employing evidence-based teaching (EBT) in their lessons. Data were generated through two focus group interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Purposive sampling was used to recruit Grade 3 teachers from two primary schools. The data revealed that teachers believed themselves to be inadequately trained to effectively teach creative writing. The findings suggest that teachers believe they have little time to explore the usefulness of evidence-based strategies as they already battle to complete the syllabus; there is little guidance on how to go about teaching creative writing; and how they currently teach is in line with the policy guidelines. This article recommends that the Ministry of Education and universities reinforce pre- and in-service teacher training programmes by teaching diverse evidence-based strategies, for example, self-regulated strategy development (SRSD), consolidate curriculum knowledge, and strengthen continuous professional development programmes to boost teachers as reflective practitioners.

Transitioning to rural practice together: a rural fellowship model (in 6 Ps).

Maintaining a robust healthcare workforce in underserved rural communities continues to be a challenge. To better meet healthcare needs in rural areas, training programs must develop innovative ways to foster transition to, and integration into, these communities. Mountain Area Health Education Center designed and implemented a 12-month post-residency Rural Fellowship program to enhance placement, transition, and retention in rural North Carolina. Utilizing a '6 Ps' framework, the program targeted physicians and pharmacists completing residency with the purpose of recruiting and supporting their transition into the first year of rural practice. To better understand Rural Fellows' experiences and the immediate impact of their Fellowship year, we conducted a semi-structured interview using a narrative technique and evaluated retention rates over time. Interviews with the eight participants, which included Fellowship alumni and current Fellows, demonstrated the impact and influence of the key curricular '6 Ps' framework. An early retention rate of 100% and a long-term retention rate of 87%, combined with expressed clarity of curricular knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to the '6 Ps', demonstrate the potential and effectiveness of this Rural Fellowship model. Participants indicated the Rural Fellowship experience supports the transition to rural practice communities and expands their clinical skills. The Rural Fellowship program demonstrates an effective model to support early career healthcare providers as they begin practice in rural communities in western North Carolina through academic opportunities, personal growth, and professional development. Implementation of this model has demonstrated the success of a rural retention model over a 6-year period. This model has the potential to target an array of clinical providers and disciplines. We started with family medicine and have expanded to psychiatry, obstetrics, pharmacy, and nursing. This study demonstrated that this model supports clinical providers during the critical transition period from residency to practice. Targeting the most important stage of one's medical training, the commencement of professional practice, this is a scalable model for other rural-based health professions education sites where rural recruitment and retention remain a problem.

Educational robotics and primary school mathematics teaching: An analysis of pre-service teachers didactic-mathematical knowledge

The scarcity of studies dedicated to the integration of educational robotics (ER) in teaching mathematical content, and the discomfort of teachers when integrating ER in their teaching practices make it pertinent to understand the development of the didactic knowledge of mathematics necessary to integrate ER in mathematics teaching practices during initial teacher training. This qualitative and interpretive study identifies the knowledge of the didactic dimension from the didactic-mathematical knowledge conceptual framework that is mobilized by pre-service teachers (PST) during the implementation of mathematical tasks that integrate ER during the practicum. Through content analysis of the data collected on the PST’s performance, we mapped the occurrence and co-occurrence based on the components of the didactic suitability criteria. From the results, we highlight: (i) the existence of a relationship between the mathematical knowledge needed to teach, knowledge of the mathematics curriculum, and knowledge of ER and how its integration in the teaching process can influence the learning process and (ii) the positive contribution of the implementation in the practicum of mathematical tasks that promote robot manipulation/programming at the same time as the exploration of the mathematical content for the development of the participants’ didactic knowledge of mathematics. A practical implication of our results is that these features should be part of future work dedicated to integrating ER in mathematics teaching practices of PST, aiming to assess their value in initial teacher training programs.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Pediatric Palliative Care Curriculum for Adult-Track HPM Fellows

IntroductionHospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) fellowship training provides education on caring for patients from early childhood through adulthood. Yet, there are few guidelines about how to teach these key components, and more specifically the components of Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC), to fellows who have a variety of backgrounds prior to entering HPM fellowship. MethodsWe created a curriculum in PPC that could be used with adult-track HPM fellows. We developed an outline for material to cover during each of the three weeks of PPC clinical rotations. We also created a longitudinal lecture series encompassing several foundational topics and concepts in PPC. We conducted “Just-in-Time” evaluation of the clinical rotation curriculum utilizing a critical reflection model as well as focus groups with fellows and faculty members to further explore the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the entire PPC curriculum. Transcripts were coded Nvivo and template analysis was used to understand code distribution between and within focus groups. ResultsEight overarching codes emerged from the focus groups: “Staffing Issues,” “Learning Structure,” “Useful Material,” “Topics Attending Contingent,” “Time Management,” “Teachable Moment,” “Not Useful Material,” and ”Adherence to Teaching Materials.” ConclusionThe study revealed some limitations in the current curriculum design, such as its lack of consistency. However, it also highlighted several strengths, including the importance of flexibility and personal responsibility for learning. The results provide valuable insights into the experiences among fellows and educators at a single institution with a PPC Curriculum for adult-track HPM fellows.

CHAPTER 4: the Place of Knowledge, Graduate Attributes and Technology in the 21st-Century Higher Education Curriculum

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the complexities and challenges for higher education curriculum transformation in the 21st century. More specifically, the focus is on the ways in which such transformation could place equal value to disciplinary knowledge, graduate attributes, and technology. In other words, how to enable students to learn so that they can use acquired disciplinary knowledge, graduate attributes, and technology to enable them to adapt to changes brought about by 21st-century demands. By means of a literature review as a research methodological choice, the chapter explores the value of placing disciplinary knowledge, graduate attributes, and technology side by side in the centre of the curriculum.

음악교육가들의 교육내용을 반영한 음악 교수내용지식에 따른 유아 음악교육 대학교재 분석: Orff, Dalcroze, Kodály를 중심으로

Objectives The purposes of this study were to analyze university textbooks in early childhood music education utilized within early childhood teacher training courses, according to the music pedagogical content knowledge that reflects the educational content of music educators. Methods For this study, seven early childhood music education university textbooks suitable for research were selected as the research subjects. Next, these textbooks were analyzed and categorized into music pedagogical content knowledge domains: subject content, teaching and learning methods, curriculum, and learner knowledge. The results were presented. Results First, the analysis of the subject content knowledge revealed that there is a noticeable deficiency in content related to traditional Korean music in the textbook. Second, the analysis of the teaching and learning method knowledge in the textbook showed that the included plans for early childhood music activities predominantly focus on music appreciation and activities following the principle of gradual deepening. Activities such as singing with inner hearing, harmony-linked activities, and singing by note or scale are less frequently presented. Third, upon analyzing the curriculum knowledge within the textbooks, the music education content linked to the Nuri curriculum is presented more frequently on average than the content linked to the standard child care curriculum. Fourth, as a result of analyzing the knowledge of leaners in the textbook, the target age for the included plans for early childhood music activities tended to center around young children or toddler-young children integration. Conclusions The significance of this study lies in its proposals for future enhancements and revisions of university textbooks for early childhood music education.

Construction of a Science Teacher's Topic-Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge in the Gifted Class

This study examines a science teacher's pedagogical content knowledge during instruction on the topics work and energy, simple machines, and friction force in a gifted class. The research adopts a single case study approach, employing qualitative methods. The participant is a middle school science teacher, and data collection tools include interviews, observations, card-sorting activities, and lesson plans. The main findings of the study are: (1) gifted students required additional science practice beyond the scope of the traditional curriculum, (2) the participating teacher encountered challenges when designing and implementing enrichment activities, (3) the characteristics of gifted students positively influenced the development of the teacher's pedagogical content knowledge, and (4) the presence of gifted students prompted a shift in the teacher's science teaching orientation from traditional methods to reform-based practices. Teachers need to have additional knowledge bases or Pedagogical Content Knowledge components. Notably, the research underscores the relevance of the knowledge of enrichment curriculum and knowledge of characteristics of gifted students in the training of science teachers, along with the crucial role of STO in the education of gifted students, especially in the context of teaching physics. These findings offer significant implications for the curriculum designed for gifted students, particularly concerning the teaching and learning of physics topics.

Veterinary students' perceptions toward incorporating and expanding telehealth service delivery knowledge in curricula and future practice: a cross-sectional study.

Telehealth is the use of technology to deliver medical services. Potential uses among veterinarians include consulting with specialists about complicated cases, sending in electronic prescriptions, or meeting with clients to discuss patient health. Although the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed many challenges to the veterinary profession, it accelerated the adoption of telehealth among veterinarians. As many of these changes took place quickly in response to the pandemic, many of those in practice did not receive much training or guidance; therefore, this study explores veterinary students' perceptions regarding incorporating telehealth into the veterinary curriculum and the utilization of telehealth in the future. An email survey was sent to students at a veterinary school. 80 students provided answers to the 11-question survey. Nearly 80% reported that it is either "important" or "very important" to incorporate telehealth training into the veterinarian curriculum, whereas almost 90% indicated that they would benefit from more telemedicine training prior to graduation. Almost 75% of participants had legal and malpractice concerns, which may present a barrier to using the technology upon graduation. This study suggests that veterinary schools should explore how to incorporate telehealth training into their curriculum, especially in regard to navigating the potential pitfalls that may be encountered when employing telehealth within the context of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Telehealth is a valuable tool, and its use has become commonplace. Educational programs that emphasize telehealth will better equip future clinicians to manage the nuances of this modality in practice.

Model Pengembangan Kurikulum Merdeka Berbasis Integrasi Indigenous Knowledge

This research aims to provide insight and inspiration for educators, curriculum developers and other stakeholders in enriching students' educational experiences through the integration of Indigenous Knowledge in the independent curriculum. An independent curriculum refers to an approach that places students as active subjects in the learning process. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. The data collection techniques used were observation, interviews and documentation. Testing the validity of data in qualitative research uses triangulation, while data analysis uses data reduction, data display or data presentation, and conclusion. The research results of this research are; (1) adapting the curriculum to the vision of the institution, (2) developing learning materials and resources, (3) training and support for teachers with an independent curriculum development model based on the Integration of Indigenous Knowledge (indigenous knowledge) using the Beauchamp model with steps to respect cultural diversity, determining curriculum coverage, determining the parties involved, formulating the objectives, implementation and implementation of the curriculum and evaluation.

Portrait of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of Science Teachers in Global Islamic Boarding School Material Classification of Living Things

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) is a wedge between Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge, namely knowledge about the material being taught and how to teach it. The teacher's ability to understand the material and manage learning greatly determines the improvement of the quality of learning in the classroom in realizing meaningful learning for students. This study aims to describe the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) for science teachers at the Global Islamic Boarding School Middle School (GIBS) regarding the classification of living things. This type of research is descriptive qualitative. Data collection techniques using observation sheets, interviews and documentation. The results of the study show that teachers can balance between two competencies, namely knowledge of material classification of living things and how to teach it using 7 aspects of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), namely Content Knowledge, Knowledge of Specific Context, Knowledge of Learners and Learning, Pedagogical Knowledge, Curriculum Knowledge, Knowledge of General Education Context, Assessment Procedures, Evaluation of Outcomes – Educational Ends, Goals, Purposes, and Values.

DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF AN INSTRUMENT FOR ASSESSING UPPER-SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE OF SCIENTIFIC THINKING

Scientific thinking constitutes a vital component of scientific competencies, crucial for citizens to adapt to the evolving societal landscape. To cultivate students’ scientific thinking, teachers should possess an adequate professional knowledge foundation, which encompasses pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Assessing teachers’ PCK of scientific thinking facilitates the development of effective curricula tailored to their continuous professional development. Despite its significance, empirical studies on biology teachers’ PCK of scientific thinking are notably lacking. Hence, this research aimed to create a reliable and valid tool to evaluate upper-secondary school biology teachers’ PCK of scientific thinking. The results showed that the instrument exhibits high reliability and good validity, affirming its efficiency for investigative purposes. A collective of 292 in-service biology teachers from upper-secondary schools participated in this investigation through the completion of an online survey. The results indicated that, overall, as well as for each component, upper-secondary school biology teachers’ performance on PCK of scientific thinking fell within the lower to middle range. Specifically, the performance levels of four components: knowledge of students (KSU), knowledge of instructional strategies (KIS), knowledge of curriculum (KC), and knowledge of assessment (KA) declined sequentially. Keywords: assessment instrument, pedagogical content knowledge, scientific thinking, upper-secondary school biology teacher

Analysis Of The Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Social Studies Teachers And Teacher Candidates In The Learning Theme Of Science, Technology And Communıty

This study compares social studies teachers' and prospective teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in science, technology, and society learning. The study used the case study method, one of the qualitative research methods, and the holistic multiple case design of this method. The research participants are three social studies teachers working in Sakarya and four teacher candidates who are final year Sakarya University Education Faculty Social Studies Teaching students. Course observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis methods were used to examine the participants' pedagogical content knowledge. All collected data were transcribed and subjected to descriptive analysis in line with the predetermined pedagogical content knowledge components (subject content knowledge, curriculum knowledge, understanding of students, teaching strategies, and assessment themes). According to the findings obtained from the research, it was concluded that social studies teachers are more equipped than teacher candidates in terms of subject area knowledge and curriculum knowledge components in science, technology, and society learning. Both teachers and prospective teachers thought that students did not have much difficulty in science, technology, and society learning, and they followed specific strategies when students had challenges. All the participants were sensitive to the questions and reactions of the students and acted similarly in terms of understanding the students. Participants used methods such as lectures, and question-answers, and supported their lectures with various technological tools and materials. However, it was concluded that social studies teacher candidates apply different activities and use more materials in their lessons than teachers. Both social studies teachers and pre-service teachers used traditional learning tools while evaluating. There needed to be more in all participants in recording the evaluation results and giving feedback to the students. In line with the research findings, several suggestions were presented to improve the pedagogical content knowledge of teachers and teacher candidates.

Lighting pathways to success in STEM: a virtual Laboratory Meeting Programme (LaMP) mutually benefits mentees and host laboratories.

Developing robust professional networks can help shape the trajectories of early career scientists. Yet, historical inequities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields make access to these networks highly variable across academic programmes, and senior academics often have little time for mentoring. Here, we illustrate the success of a virtual Laboratory Meeting Programme (LaMP). In this programme, we matched students (mentees) with a more experienced scientist (mentors) from a research group. The mentees then attended the mentors' laboratory meetings during the academic year with two laboratory meetings specifically dedicated to the mentee's professional development. Survey results indicate that mentees expanded their knowledge of the hidden curriculum as well as their professional network, while only requiring a few extra hours of their mentor's time over eight months. In addition, host laboratories benefitted from mentees sharing new perspectives and knowledge in laboratory meetings. Diversity of the mentees was significantly higher than the mentors, suggesting that the programme increased the participation of traditionally under-represented groups. Finally, we found that providing a stipend was very important to many mentees. We conclude that virtual LaMPs can be an inclusive and cost-effective way to foster trainee development and increase diversity within STEM fields with little additional time commitment.

Delving into EFL Pre-Service Teachers’ Emotional Experiences: Professional Identity Construction in Online Teaching Practice Programs

This paper presents the online teaching practice program that influence EFL pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) emotional experiences as the pre-cursor of their professional identity construction. This study involved six PSTs enrolled teaching practice program in an initial teacher education. Dialogic reflection before, during, and after teaching enactment was employed to dig up information about their emotional experiences in an online classroom setting. The data were analyzed using appraisal analysis (Martin and White, 2007) and thematic analysis. The results document negative emotional experiences such as feeling dissatisfaction, doubtful, and confusion which lead to positive emotional experiences, such as caring. Factors that influence PS Ts’ emotional experiences in online teaching practice are lack of Curriculum Knowledge (CrK), lack of subject-matter knowledge or Content Knowledge (CK), and lack of Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) in terms of assessing students’ competence, and the interlink between theory and practice. All PS Ts develop a good understanding of how to exploit technological tools by encouraging their self-concept. This study substantiates the importance of shared-space coaching for teacher mentors before they become an escort for PSTs who are going to be professional teacher mentors.

Kemandirian belajar siswa kelas VII berdasarkan analisis pedagogik pembelajaran matematika

This research aims to analyze the pedagogical aspects influencing student’s self-regulated learning in mathematics education. The method applied in this study is a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. The research subjects consist of 25 seventh-grade students in a junior high school in Bandung. Data collection was conducted through observation of the mathematics learning process, distribution of a questionnaire on self-regulated learning in mathematics, and interview with both teachers and students. Data analysis was performed by calculating the percentage of student responses from the questionnaire and analyzing the pedagogical aspects of mathematics education. The result of the study show that the average self-regulated learning in mathematics is 69.92%, indicating a moderate category. The lowest indicator of self-regulated learning in mathematics is the ability to establish and choose learning strategies. Based on the analysis of pedagogical aspect in mathematics education regarding students’ self-regulated learning, it is related to the teacher’s ability to use teaching methods and technology. This is associated with pedagogical instructional knowledge (PIK) and pedagogical curricular knowledge (PCrK). Therefore, teaching methods and technology are esencial factors in enhancing self-regulated learning in mathematics.

EXAMINING PHYSICS TEACHERS’ DOMAIN-SPECIFIC PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE COMPONENTS IN LESOTHO SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is considered an important ingredient in shaping classroom practice. PCK requires valid measurement at domain-specific level on different components excluding the teaching context. While the research focuses on measuring the PCK of unqualified teachers and pre-service teachers, the description of qualified teachers’ domain-specific PCK is often overlooked. The purpose of this study was to measure quantitatively the domain-specific PCK of qualified physics teachers focusing on the five PCK components: content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, assessment knowledge, knowledge of students and curricular knowledge. Data were collected through the paper-and pencil PCK test that was responded to by 87 Physics teachers teaching the last two years of secondary school. Data were analyzed using the Extended Rasch Model and descriptive statistics. The results revealed that Physics teachers have a low PCK in general and low levels of PCK components, the lowest being content knowledge. The study recommends regular refresher workshops for qualified teachers focused on developing different PCK components, with more emphasis on content knowledge. Keywords: pedagogical content knowledge, physics teachers, domain-specific PCK, PCK components