National School Curriculum Research Articles

Teaching critical thinking about health using digital technology in lower secondary schools in Rwanda: A qualitative context analysis

IntroductionAdolescents encounter misleading claims about health interventions that can affect their health. Young people need to develop critical thinking skills to enable them to verify health claims and make informed choices. Schools could teach these important life skills, but educators need access to suitable learning resources that are aligned with their curriculum. The overall objective of this context analysis was to explore conditions for teaching critical thinking about health interventions using digital technology to lower secondary school students in Rwanda.MethodsWe undertook a qualitative descriptive study using four methods: document review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and observations. We reviewed 29 documents related to the national curriculum and ICT conditions in secondary schools. We conducted 8 interviews and 5 focus group discussions with students, teachers, and policy makers. We observed ICT conditions and use in five schools. We analysed the data using a framework analysis approach.ResultsTwo major themes found. The first was demand for teaching critical thinking about health. The current curriculum explicitly aims to develop critical thinking competences in students. Critical thinking and health topics are taught across subjects. But understanding and teaching of critical thinking varies among teachers, and critical thinking about health is not being taught. The second theme was the current and expected ICT conditions. Most public schools have computers, projectors, and internet connectivity. However, use of ICT in teaching is limited, due in part to low computer to student ratios.ConclusionsThere is a need for learning resources to develop critical thinking skills generally and critical thinking about health specifically. Such skills could be taught within the existing curriculum using available ICT technologies. Digital resources for teaching critical thinking about health should be designed so that they can be used flexibly across subjects and easily by teachers and students.

CHARTING THE PATH: OVERCOMING HURDLES AND FORGING AHEAD WITH THE SINGLE NATIONAL CURRICULUM IN PAKISTAN'S PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this research is to quantify the challenges and way forward in the implementation of a single national curriculum (SNC) in primary public schools in Pakistan.
 Methodology: The study is conducted through a questionnaire consisting of forty-nine questions related to challenges in SNC implementation in primary public schools. The collected data was analysed using regression, correlation, and descriptive statistical techniques.
 Main Findings: This study investigated the impact of the challenges like class inequality, gender difference, the role of media, the role of Parents and society, student’s interest, and their financial background that affect the implementation of SNC in the primary public school of Pakistan to understand the better teachers’ perspectives. To ensure that educational institutions continue to meet the demands of society, families, legislators, and educators all must collaborate toward the common objective of resolving these challenges.
 Applications of the study: The insights derived from this study, have far-reaching implications for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders in the Pakistani education system. They can utilize the study's recommendations and best practices to refine the implementation of the Single National Curriculum, thereby enhancing the quality of primary education. This research provides a practical roadmap for addressing the challenges identified, and fostering a more effective and inclusive educational environment. It serves as a valuable resource for shaping future policies and practices in Pakistan's primary school system, ultimately benefiting students and the broader society. At a primary public school of Pakistan, the implementation of SNC has been delayed due to class inequality, gender imbalance, the engagement of the media, the role of parents and society, and financial situation of the students.
 Novelty/Originality of the study: The uniqueness of this study, "Charting the Path: Overcoming Hurdles and Forging Ahead with the Single National Curriculum in Pakistan's Primary Schools," is rooted in its exploration of the complex implementation process of a nationwide curriculum reform in Pakistan's primary education. It offers a comprehensive examination of the challenges faced and the strategies employed, shedding light on a topic relatively unexplored in the educational research landscape, making it a pioneering work in the field.

Multicultural-Based Curriculum Conception

This study aims to describe about 1) Classification of multicultural-based curriculum in various points of view, (2) Principles and Principles of multicultural-based education curriculum preparation. This research is designed in the form of library research. The results of this study concluded that (1) classification of Multicultural Based Curriculum from three points of view, namely First: Concept and Implementation Perspective is classified into 3 namely (a) Ideal Curriculum (b) Factual Curriculum, and (c) Hidden Curriculum. Second: The Structure and Subject Matter Perspective is classified into 4 i.e. (a) Sparated Curriculum. (b) Broad Fields Curriculum (c) and. (4) Integrated Curriculum. Third: The Scope of Use perspective is classified into 3 i.e. (a) national curriculum, (b) state curriculum,(c) and school curriculum. 
 (2) Principles in designing a multicultural-based curriculum namely (a) The Principle of Child Psychology, (b) the Principle of National Sociology, (c) the Principle of Development of World Science and Technology, and (d) the Principle of Pancasila as the Philosophy of the Nation. While the Principles of Curriculum Preparation in Multicultural Education include: (a) relevance principle, (b) flexibility, (c) continuity, (d) efficient, and (e) effective.

Studying phenological phenomena in subarctic biomes with international school pupils as citizen scientists.

Citizen science can facilitate in‐depth learning for pupils and students, contribute to scientific research, and permit civic participation. Here, we describe the development of the transnational school‐based citizen science project Phenology of the North Calotte. Its primary goal is to introduce pupils (age 12–15; grades 7–10) in northern Norway, Russia, and Finland to the local and global challenges of climate change resulting in life cycle changes at different trophic and ecosystem levels in their backyards. Partnerships between regional scientists and staff from NIBIO Svanhovd, State nature reserves, national parks, and teachers and pupils from regional schools aim to engage pupils in project‐based learning. The project uses standardized protocols, translated into the different languages of participating schools. The phenological observations are centered around documenting clearly defined life cycle phases (e.g., first appearance of species, flowering, ripening, leaf yellowing, snow fall, and melt). The observations are collected either on paper and are subsequently submitted manually to an open‐source online database or submitted directly via a newly developed mobile app. In the long term, the database is anticipated to contribute to research studying changes in phenology at different trophic levels. In principle, guided school‐based citizen science projects have the potential to contribute to increased environmental awareness and education and thereby to transformative learning at the societal level while contributing to scientific progress of understudied biomes, like the northern taiga and (sub)arctic tundra. However, differences in school systems and funding insecurity for some schools have been major prohibiting factors for long‐term retention of pupils/schools in the program. Project‐based and multidisciplinary learning, although pedagogically desired, has been partially difficult to implement in participating schools, pointing to the need of structural changes in national school curricula and funding schemes as well as continuous offers for training and networking for teachers.

Challenges of Curriculum Implementation in Junior Secondary Schools

Since the inception of Western Education in Sierra Leone, frantic efforts have been made to formulate policies in order to improve the quality of education. It has been acknowledged by various educationists that curriculum implementation is instrumental in improving the quality of education in any society. Therefore, it is seen as an approach which improves students’ academic achievements, equipping graduates with sufficient knowledge and skills for them to survive academically and socially in this modern world.
 On that note, the development of school curriculum is very significant in the life of a nation. The National School Curriculum as a program of learning is supposed to be a highly sensitive document as it contains the aspiration of the nation, preparing its citizens to face future challenges. It is supposed to be a document of hope.
 Notwithstanding the wide recognition and acceptance accorded the roles of curriculum as a career of national philosophy in Sierra Leonean Educational system, there seems to be challenges in the implementation of this important blue print. This could not be disassociated with inadequate trained and qualified teachers in the field/classroom; community/volunteer teachers unpaid; ill-trained and sometimes confused graduates and inadequate Teaching Learning Materials; lack of guidelines for the implementation of curriculum and the complexity of managing the curriculum coupled with inadequate training regarding curriculum implementation. Capacitation of teachers is essential in the successful implementation of any curriculum as they are the main role-players in promoting quality education. This and other related problems should be a cause for concern.
 By and large, the researcher is optimistic that although people are different and despite the negativity and inadequacies surrounding the curriculum, there is hope that with time and effort and given the total commitment of all stakeholders to implement the curriculum, success can be attained. Especially with the President’s (Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio’s) New Direction Agenda on education in Sierra Leone. Therefore, it can be concluded that the aim of the study and primary research questions which were explored, namely the Challenges towards Curriculum Implementation in Four Selected Junior Secondary Schools in Kpanga Chiefdom, Pujehun District, were adequately addressed and answered.

A critical analysis of the national curriculum for nomadic primary schools in Nigeria

Enrolment without attendance is a common problem among nomadic populations in Africa. This study examines the curricula, cultural diversity and learning environments of children enrolled in nomadic primary schools in Nigeria. The study sample comprised 200 (169 female, 31 male) teachers and 50 grade 5 and 6 students (23 female, 27 male) of 25 nomadic primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Motivated by the need to solve the persistent problem of low attendance and retention among the children of nomadic families, the authors initiated a survey. They developed a questionnaire to investigate the influence of curriculum, cultural diversity and the learning environment on the enrolment of nomadic children and complemented their survey with semi-structured interviews. They analysed their collected data using mean, standard deviation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), which revealed that a relevant curriculum, a suitable learning environment and diverse learning practices have significant positive implications on enrolment of nomadic children in primary schools. At the end of this article, the authors provide a number of recommendations towards making school attendance more attractive for nomadic children, with the potential effect of providing them with a more satisfying learning experience.

Analysis of Agricultural Bio Science Contents Applied to 2015 Revised Elementary School National Curriculum

이 연구의 목적은 2015 개정 교육과정의 초등학교 교육과정에 포함된 농업생명과학 내용을 분석하는데 있었다. 이 연구의 목적을 달성하기 위하여 사용된 주요 연구 방법인 문헌연구였다. 분석 대상은 2015 개정 초등학교 교육과정에 제시된 전 과목의 내용과 이에 의해 추출된 농업생명과학 내용이었고, 분석 준거로 농업생명과학 내용을 추출하기 위한 2015 개정 교육과정의 내용 제시 체제를, 추출 내용을 분석하기 위해서는 농업문해의 내용영역, 하위요소 및 내용 체제를 사용하였다. 분석과정은 1차로 2015 개정 초등학교 교육과정에 제시된 모든 내용을 농업생명과학의 내용과의 일치 여부 확인, 2차로 추출된 내용을 농업문해 체제를 기준으로 분석하였다. 이 연구의 결과를 기반으로 다음과 같이 논의하였다. 첫째, 2015 개정 초등학교 교육과정에는 농업생명과학 내용이 일부 교과에만 제공되었을뿐만 아니라 해당 교과의 목적과 특성에 근거하여 내용을 제시함에 따라 농업생명과학 내용 제시에 대한 교육과정의 계속성, 계열성, 통합성을 이루지 못하였다. 둘째, 2015 개정 초등학교 교육과정에는 농업생명과학 관련 내용이 매우 부족하게 제시되었을 뿐만 아니라 농업문해의 내용영역 및 하위요소에 불균형적으로 제시되어 있어 초등학생의 농업문해 수준을 높이기에는 턱없이 부족하다고 할 수 있다. 이 연구에서는 다음과 같은 제언을 제시하였다. 첫째, 미래의 국가 교육과정에서는 농업생명과학에 대한 긍정적인 내용을 반영하여 운영할 필요가 있다. 둘째, 미래 우리나라의 교육과정에서는 보다 많은 교과에 농업생명과학 내용을 반영해야 한다.

Developing entrepreneurial education in national school curricula: lessons from North Macedonia and Wales

In 2016, Eurydice reported that no country in Europe had fully integrated entrepreneurial education in schools and that teacher training was fragmented. However, supported by the World Bank, North Macedonia introduced a compulsory and progressively evaluated Entrepreneurship and Innovation curriculum in 2016, following policy decisions made in 2014. Teacher training initiatives from Wales informed progress. The Welsh Government decided to integrate an entrepreneurial culture within curriculum and assessment arrangements in schools which built upon prior work including education within Initial Teacher Training. This included funding to pilot training for teachers at all levels, from schools to universities and across all subject specialisms—to develop entrepreneurial education. Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy (YES) commenced in 2004 within the Ministry for Business and Transport (now Business Economy and Innovation), and since 2015, has been supported by the Ministry of Education and Skills. The sector now has 10 years of experience in entrepreneurial teacher training and has developed Doctoral-level study for educational leaders. In February 2020, the theme of ‘creative enterprising contributors’ was formally positioned as one of the four overarching ‘purposes’ of school education in Wales. This article provides reflective insights of knowledge exchange through the lens of the International Institute for Creative Entrepreneurial Development, in both a Macedonian and Welsh context, and will be of interest to those who wish to advance national policies and entrepreneurial educator development.

Formative Assessment for Learning How to Learn: Exploring University Student Learning Experiences

The push for better English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pedagogy continues in Asia. In Japan, particularly, developing self-regulated learning (SRL) skills is a major objective in the new national curriculum for primary and secondary schools. Research in education suggests the practice of formative assessment (FA) in the classroom fosters SRL skills. The importance of FA in EFL is discussed here, along with an investigation of the relationship between FA and SRL skills of Japanese university students. An examination of 118 participants measured secondary school experiences of FA practices and its connection to the development of participants’ SRL skills. Quantitative results showed that participants experienced FA practices in secondary schools, however, qualitative data showed these experiences did not sufficiently lead to the development of SRL skills to the extent of participants’ out-of-class study time. In conclusion, we recommend EFL teachers to implement more FA practices and explicit instruction of SRL skills to meet curriculum objectives of fostering the lifelong language learner.

‘Core Subjects’ Policy and Arts Education for the Rich

AbstractWhat happens to art education when the national school curriculum in Israel follows a ‘core subjects’ policy? Allocating only two hours for all five art subjects (visual arts, music, drama, dance and cinematic arts) that remain outside the core curriculum increases the social‐economic gap between children whose parents can fund their art education privately and children whose parents cannot afford this. This also has worrying consequences for art teachers (most of them women) deprived of job security.

Exploring pre-service technology teachers’ content and instructional knowledge to determine teaching readiness

Instructional practice plays a significant role in revealing how well teachers understand the subjects they teach. Many studies have been conducted in South Africa on the relationship between teachers’ knowledge of well-established subjects like Science and Mathematics and how well teachers apply their knowledge in the classroom. However, relatively little research has been done on the subject of Technology, which was only included in the national school curriculum after 1994. The aim of this study was to explore pre-service (i.e. in-training) Technology teachers’ content knowledge and instructional knowledge in the context of various theories about teaching. The study followed a case study approach. Five female pre-service Technology teachers, who were in their final year of teacher training at a South African university of technology and were doing their in-school practicum were observed. Video recorder was used to capture the delivering of a lesson to a class of Grade 8 learners. The researcher used the 9E instructional model, which comprises nine phases in the presentation of a lesson, as the basis for her observation work and final analysis. A key finding was that the content and instructional knowledge displayed by most pre-service Technology teachers was inadequate, which weakened their effectiveness in the classroom. As a result, learners were deprived of the opportunity to sharpen their cognitive skills and develop authentic interest in Technology. This study, though limited in scope, has laid an important foundation for more in-depth studies to be conducted on the extent of content and instructional knowledge in the sphere of Technology Education, which should be of value to other universities offering teacher-training programmes.

Moral Education in Secondary Schools: What, how, and why?

Abstract: The paper argues for a philosophical approach to the teaching of moral education in secondary schools. Because students at this level are already capable of conceptual thinking, but are still at a formative stage, teachers can encourage them in their autonomous thought and life orientation through reference to meta-ethical authorities. In terms of these authorities, students may be led to fi nd that there is something (beauty, truth, goodness) other than the ordinary, narrow concerns of everyday life. At the same time, truth or beauty should be unveiled in everyday life; ordinary matters such as language must be revealed as moral concerns, and be liberated from vulgarity. For this to provide a suffi cient experience of things beautiful and good, I argue, the ethos of moral education at secondary schools should reflect the ethos of the university. I also argue that we need this kind of education to counterbalance the expanding informational and consumer character of our society, and to give meaning to the life of every participating individual. Finally, I warn against doctrinal simplifi cation, specifically, the misuse of the liberal spirit of the university and moral education (using the example of the Czech National School Curriculum).
 Keywords: secondary school; moral education; virtue ethics; the idea of the university

Analysis of Connection in the National Language Curricula between Kindergarten and Elementary School: With a focus on the communication domain for Nuri curriculum for 5 year old and the national elementary school curriculum for 1st-2nd graders under the Revised Curriculum of 2015

Analysis of Connection in the National Language Curricula between Kindergarten and Elementary School: With a focus on the communication domain for Nuri curriculum for 5 year old and the national elementary school curriculum for 1st-2nd graders under the Revised Curriculum of 2015

Effects of The Geometer’s Sketchpad on Algebraic Reasoning Among Junior Private High School Students

Previous studies reported the student’s difficulties in algebraic reasoning for solving problems involving quadratic equations. Mostly full to the agreement of understanding and solving quadratic equations is the conceptual challenge in subject mathematics. Integrating technology in the national school curriculum enhances the teaching and learning development throughout the science, engineering and mathematics in the facets of multidiscipline skills and reasoning in context. A quasi-experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Geometer’s Sketchpad (GSP)-based instruction through using Geometer’s Sketchpad on the algebraic reasoning abilities of Junior Two students. The experimental study was conducted on 60 Junior Two students, who were equally divided into experimental (30 students) and control groups (30 students). The data were collected through algebraic reasoning abilities test. Data were analysed using ANATES 4 and SPSS 25.0. Inferential statistics including the independent sample t-test was used in analyzing the quantitative data obtained. Significant differences were found in the algebraic reasoning abilities of students in relation to quadratic problem solving according to their group type. GSP-based instruction helped students develop their algebraic reasoning abilities in the instructional intervention and provided insights for mathematics educators into utilising the software. Moreover, the effect of the GSP-based instruction enhanced the algebraic reasoning abilities of students without influence of prior knowledge.

Religious literacy of Australia’s Gen Z teens: diversity and social inclusion

ABSTRACTAustralia is a culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse country, however, learning about the religious dimensions of this superdiversity is inadequately reflected in the national school curriculum, notwithstanding recent attempts to address this at the state level in Victoria. Debates regarding the role of religion in school have raged across the country for decades and have impeded the introduction of learning about diverse worldviews and religions, and even research on this topic. Competing views of Australia’s national identity, as a multifaith and/or secular and/or Christian nation, continue to affect both policy and curriculum in Australia, and thereby the level of religious literacy of its citizens. Using data from a national study of young Australians and their worldviews, this research investigates levels of religious literacy and appreciation of religious diversity of ‘Generation Z’ Australians, for whom superdiversity is the norm. In doing so, it concludes that Australian curricula must evolve to include more content on diverse worldviews and better reflect the lived experiences of younger generations. This would in turn increase religious literacy and interreligious understanding in Australia. This study may also be instructive for those countries grappling to adjust to similar demographic and societal changes, challenges and opportunities.

Economic Education of School Students: Causes of the Crisis

Russia’s national school curriculum standards stipulate economic education at three levels: basic, advanced, and as part of the social theory course, yet schools rarely include basic economics in their curricula. Curricula of 615 St. Petersburg schools available at their official websites as well as data from online surveys of parents, students, teachers, and school administrators are used to find evidence of the demand for economics as a subject among school students. The fact that only two levels of economics instruction are represented in St. Petersburg schools is explained by staffing issues and impossibility to take the Unified State Exam (USE) in economics. Initiatives for a meaningful change the current situation are proposed in the article.

MALIA: a project to raise awareness on Marine Litter in the Atlantic and Mediterranean

Marine litter awareness hands on actions through learning by doing (MALIA) is a funded Erasmus+ project aiming at inclusion of marine conservation practices in the national school curricula. The project is being carried out by four educational centres, three associations and one research centre, from Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Portugal. Its main goal is to improve students and teachers awareness on marine litter problems, tackling the subject in a proactive way. To achieve this, open educational materials are being designed, which can be used in different educational systems. In this paper the materials designed during the first year of the project are presented. The materials include field and bench activities to link the topics to concepts and methods in relevant disciplines, such as geology, biology, chemistry and new digital technologies. In line with educational challenges of the 21st century, they take advantage of the scientific method, and inquiry and problem-based methodologies.

STEM learning content in elementary school national curriculum

STEM education implementation in Indonesia particularly in elementary level is still weakly established although it should have its own place in the development of the required 21st century skills. Therefore, this study aimed to identify curriculum content which intercept with STEM subjects as well as teachers’ understanding about STEM and its potential integration in elementary curriculum. This study deploys qualitative explanatory method. Data collection was done by the use of form to help analyse curriculum contents which potentially joint STEM subjects both in the Core Standards and thematic text books of grades K4-K6. Online questionnaire is used to gather data about teachers’ knowledge of STEM and its potential in the curriculum practice. Results indicated that national curriculum strongly supports the enhancement of STEM education in upper elementary school level. Yet, almost all teachers were not familiar with STEM, its importance, nor how it is implemented in classroom learning. So, teachers require further professional development to improve their competences in designing and implementing STEM learning according to national curriculum standards in classroom level.

Integration of Schools in Latvia and Estonia Using Curriculum Reforms

This article investigates into the reform of national school curriculum in Russian-language schools in Latvia and Estonia. We assess how well the reform-related regulations have been integrated into everyday schooling practices and reflected in educational outcomes in order to measure the success of the education reform in terms of adopting the new learning standard and improving the PISA results. The study exploits the situation of natural experiment that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, with countries that used to have a common education system taking different reform paths and achieving different outcomes. National school curriculum is analyzed at three levels: as intended (stipulated in documents), as implemented (taught by school teachers), and as attained (reflected in test results). Such three-level analysis required studying the documents that described the key reform provisions, conducting a series of in-depth interviews in Russian-language schools to investigate the process of integrating the proposed innovations in teaching practices, and analyzing how PISA results in Latvia and Estonia had changed between 2006 and 2015. It is shown that the gap between the curriculum as intended and as attained has reduced in both countries. Schools have been actively integrating the changes proposed, and PISA results have been improving consistently, yet the methods of achieving those results differ between the countries. The natural experiment study design allowed to explore educational reform processes in the two countries as well as to assess the effects of the reforms introduced.

Introduction of Criminal Law as a Subject in National Secondary Schools

Abstract National education in Malaysia is governed by the Education Act 1996 (EA 1996) (Act 550). At present, the subject of criminal law is not part of the Malaysian national secondary school curriculum. The lack of it has resulted in students being unable to get adequate and necessary exposure as well as understanding of the subject. It certainly does not coincide with the grim reality that crimes committed by school children are on the rise in Malaysia. This research is qualitative in nature, using a pure legal approach. This research adopted a content analysis method consisting of a detailed analysis of the Education Act 1996 (EA 1996) (Act 550), the Penal Code (Act 574) and the Child Act 2001 (CA 2001) (Act 611). In addition, this research also analyzed various journals and academic research in this area to discuss the importance of teaching criminal law as a subject in schools. The paper concludes that instead of introducing this subject at post-secondary education level, the subject should be considered to be taught earlier in secondary school. Early exposure to the criminal law subject would enable school children to be adequately informed on how the criminal justice system works and its relevant principles and values. This would in consequence create awareness and promote good values for students at a young age, namely the values of respect and adherence to the law which would help them to refrain from committing crimes.