Secondary Education Curriculum Research Articles

Action research and professional development in schools

This article examines practitioner action research in schools and how action research can enhance practice and generate knowledge through partnerships between academia and the education sector. In 2020, revisions to the Norwegian curriculum for primary and secondary education introduced guidelines for professional work. The changes in the curriculum framework entail teachers’ collaboration in knowledge production - utilizing research and their own experiences in the process. This changed the formal role of teachers from transmitting established knowledge to producing knowledge in professional development and research activities. The new regulations can be related to traditions within practitioner action research. The article explores how action research can be used as a methodological framework in the professional work of schools. The starting point for the article is a thematic analysis of reflections from an action research project named Deeper Learning – How?, in which six schools participate in developing a model for unit planning. Structured interviews were conducted with members of school development groups in the schools every six months over 3.5 years, totaling seven interviews per school. The participants' reflections on their professional work serve as the empirical basis for the article. Results from the thematic analysis demonstrate that participants employed the action research process as a methodological tool to cultivate new insights and enhance practice. These reflections enrich the schools' comprehension of their educational practices and lead to measures for improvements, actions, and change. The results also highlight that proactive leadership, agreed-upon measures, teamwork, and a consistent rhythm in professional work are vital for educational practice development and knowledge production.

The Impact of Metacognition on Scores in the Cloze Tests of the New College Entrance Examination for English in Jiangsu Province: A Case Study of English Teaching in the Flow Classroom at Nanjing No.5 Senior High School

With the continuous reform and development of China's education system, the position of metacognition in language learning has gradually been emphasized. The New College Entrance Examination in Jiangsu Province, which is part of China's secondary education curriculum reform, imposes stricter and broader requirements on students' English proficiency. Under this new situation, it is particularly important to study in detail the use of metacognition in the English subject and to analyze the effect of metacognition on students' performance in the English Completed Gaps section of the New College Entrance Examination. In order to better understand how metacognition can help students improve their performance in the English Cloze Exam, this study will take a process in "Flow classroom" of Nanjing No.5 Middle School as a case study. The English curriculum and teaching methods of the "class" in Nanjing No. 5 Middle School are characterized by the school's high-quality teaching resources. The study also emphasizes practice and innovation to develop students' metacognitive skills. Therefore, through empirical cases, it can be better understood the role of metacognition in actual classroom teaching and practical tips to help students achieve better grades in the College Entrance Examination.

Proposed Integration of Career Orientation as a Separate Subject in Secondary Curriculum

Proposed Integration of Career Orientation as a separate subject in the Secondary Education Curriculum, this study assesses the perception of a Regular College Students, Transferees, Shifters, Second Coursers-Doctor of Medicine undergoing Bachelor of Science in Nursing in a selected nursing school herein Metro Manila. Secondary Education Curriculum is a list of subjects that must be taken by the high school students per academic year. This task is focus on the assessment of nursing students in terms of age, gender, civil status, and their perception on Career Orientation as a separate subject in Secondary Curriculum. Aims: The study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of college students on the importance of Career Orientation as a separate subject in the secondary education curriculum to develop an essential recommendation to school administrations, Division Office, and Department of Education. Scope and Limitation of the Study: The central interview was made to the 48 undergraduate students in DCSLC, 27 undergraduate students in OLFU, and 25 Medical Doctors taking up nursing in a selected nursing school herein the Metro Manila. Research Design: The study employed Descriptive research with the used sample survey method and questionnaire to assess the knowledge and awareness of first courser and second courser college students. A Total of 100 college students from selected nursing school were recruited for this study. Results: A Total of 100 questionnaires were distributed, collected, validated, and analyzed.

Frameworks and Challenges for Implementing Machine Learning Curriculum in Secondary Education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and, more specifically, Machine Learning (ML) methodologies have successfully tailored commercial applications for decades. However, the recent profound success of large language models like ChatGPT and the enormous subsequent funding from governments and investors have positioned ML to emerge as a paradigm-shifting technology across numerous domains in the coming years. To cultivate a competent workforce and prepare students for success in this new AI-focused evolving world, the integration of ML is proposed to begin in compulsory education rather than in college courses or expensive boot camps. Unfortunately, ML is a complex and intimidating topic for high school teachers to engage with, let alone high school students. Based on our experiences hosting Machine Learning for High School Teachers (ML4HST) workshops for teachers teaching ML topics at our institution, we present in this paper various considerations for educating educators on the topic of ML. In particular, we discuss (a) overarching pedagogic strategies, (b) accessibility of resources such as computational hardware and datasets, (c) balancing theory and implementation, (d) appropriate selection of topics and activities for fostering understanding and engagement, and perhaps most importantly, (e) a compilation of pitfalls to avoid. Synthesizing these insights, we propose a framework for successfully empowering educators to introduce ML in the classroom.

中职《基础会计》课程思政教学设计初探

中职《基础会计》课程思政教学设计初探

The Value Connotation, Problem Review, and Breakthrough Strategies of Ideological and Political Construction in Primary and Secondary School Physical Education Curriculum under the Perspective of “Fostering Virtue to Build Character”

The Value Connotation, Problem Review, and Breakthrough Strategies of Ideological and Political Construction in Primary and Secondary School Physical Education Curriculum under the Perspective of “Fostering Virtue to Build Character”

Investigating learners’ experiences and attitudes towards astronomy in the curriculum of Uganda: A case study of Kabale Municipality

Astronomy is the first natural science that is magnificently rich in concept. It is embedded in the various fields of modern 21st century; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Slightly before the onset of Covid-19 pandemic (February 2020) in Uganda, the government rolled out the new lower secondary education curriculum (LSC). The aim of LSC was to equip learners with an enhancement skills training as opposed to the old curriculum, which was designed on colonial system. Interestingly, concepts on astronomy for beginners were included in the New LSC, but do learners have any experience in the content and how interested are they towards it. That is why this study investigated the learners’ experience and attitudes towards Astronomy concepts. A total of 160 students from six secondary schools in Kabale Municipality (St. Marys’ College-Rushoroza, Ndorwa Secondary School, Trinity College, Kabale Brainstorm High School, Rock High School, and Kigezi College-Butobere) were randomly sampled. A questionnaire-with carefully chosen set of questions was administered. Majority of the learners (67%) were found to have heard basic knowledge on astronomy, with 33% not conversant with astronomical concepts when first introduced in class. 81% of them were highly interested in Astronomy. Additionally, learners stated that they heard about astronomy from various sources like T.V programs, YouTube videos, among others; so to develop learners’ astronomical knowledge, school takes the lead. Thus thorough facilitation in teaching of Astronomy and Astrophysics is required. We recommend Physics teachers to be given refresher courses and the scope of astronomy and astrophysics expanded.

The Use of Basketball Variations in Ukrainian General Secondary Education Institutions for Enhancing High School Students' Physical Capacity

Amidst the ongoing reforms in Ukraine's educational sector, prioritizing students' health and improving their physical prowess has become imperative. This study explores the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating diverse forms of traditional basketball into high school physical education lessons to enhance the work capacity of students. The research cohort comprised 29 male 11th-grade students. The assessment of physical work capacity focused on the Harvard Step Test (HST), utilizing its metrics to measure students' development. Univariate analysis was employed for data analysis. Results indicated a satisfactory level of physical fitness among students, slightly below the established norm. These findings emphasize the need to incorporate various basketball derivatives, including streetball, korfball, netball, rezball, ringball, slamball, and cestoball, into the general secondary education physical education curriculum. The comprehensive adoption of these variations not only improves high school students' functional capabilities and enhances their enthusiasm for physical activities but also deepens their understanding of the objectives of physical culture, contributing to the broader objectives of the educational sphere. Future research should focus on defining a set of informative indicators and developing comprehensive means of enhancing motor skills and proficiency in basketball. This approach is expected to boost high school students' work capacity and foster increased interest in basketball and its derivatives. Keywords: physical capacity, basketball variations, high school students, physical education lesson.

Reorientation of The Arabic Language Curriculum for Secondary Education in The Endemic Era

The role of secondary education in the 21st century is increasingly vital for preparing students who will enter higher education and responding to the learning transition due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This form of response is by reviewing the orientation of the Arabic language curriculum in secondary education in South Sumatera. So, this research aims to analyze the reorientation of the Arabic language curriculum in secondary education in South Sumatera. The research method used by researchers is a case study method with a multisite design. Researchers collected qualitative data by interviews, observation and documentation in each place, then proceed with generalizations from the data collection results, and then conclusions are drawn as research data findings. The results of this research show that both schools had efforts to direct students to be active in learning Arabic, namely by changing books and adding books that support ongoing Arabic language learning activities, the schools also provide a conducive environment for the learning process. To convey this material, the teacher also chooses a student-centered method, hoping that students will always be active and that Arabic will not only end up as a language of study. As a measure of achievement, teachers have maximized the provision of media-based assignments and exam questions, even though the measurement techniques carried out by teachers have only focused on cognitive measurements, and have not yet entered into the affective and psychomotor domains.

Unveiling Connections: A Thorough Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals Integration within the Spanish Physical Education Curriculum

This study analyses the relationship between the physical education (PE) curriculum in secondary education in Spain and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Physical education curriculum of compulsory secondary education, as well as the complementary materials, were analysed through document analysis. Although there is no explicit relationship, the analysis reveals links between curricular elements and SDGs targets, particularly with SDG 4 (Quality Education), 3 (Health and Well-being), and 5 (Gender Equality). Other SDGs, such as 10 (Reducing Inequalities) and 12 (Responsible Consumption), are less related. The social dimension of sustainable development is most closely linked to PE. A historical analysis of the treatment of sustainable development in PE curricula in Spain is also presented, examining how they have evolved over time. The manuscript helps clarify how teachers and researchers can mobilize competencies to address global challenges in students’ lives as individuals and world citizens, fostering commitment and social responsibility. Furthermore, this work highlights the importance of integrating the SDGs into education and how PE can be a key tool in this process.

Integrating “secularism and fundamentals of religious studies” into the mandatory curriculum of secondary education in Almaty, Kazakhstan: a case study

Integrating “secularism and fundamentals of religious studies” into the mandatory curriculum of secondary education in Almaty, Kazakhstan: a case study

Investigation of technological and scientific developments in the Turkish Republic’s History of Revolution and Kemalism curriculum and textbooks in secondary education

Dünya üzerinde canlı hayatın başlangıcından bugüne bilimsel ve teknolojik gelişmelere her gün bir yenisi eklenmiştir. Sanayi inkılabı sonrasında bilgi akışının hızla artması neticesinde gelişmiş toplumlar bilgi üreten ve bilgiye bağlı olarak da teknoloji satan ülkeler haline gelmişlerdir. Öğretim programında bilim ve teknoloji alanında meydana gelen hızlı değişim sürecinde yer alan konuların ortaöğretim “Türkiye Cumhuriyeti İnkılap Tarihi ve Atatürkçülük” ders kitabında nasıl ele alındığı yapılan bu incelemenin çalışma konusunu oluşturmuştur. Bu çalışmada araştırmanın temel problem sorusu “12. sınıf Türkiye Cumhuriyeti inkılap tarihi ve Atatürkçülük ders kitaplarında bilimsel ve teknolojik gelişmelerle ilgili konuların yeri nedir?” şeklinde belirlenmiştir. Nitel araştırma yönteminin kullanıldığı bu çalışmanın verileri doküman incelemesiyle yoluyla toplanmıştır. Çalışmanın veri toplama aracı olarak ortaöğretim “Türkiye Cumhuriyeti İnkılap Tarihi ve Atatürkçülük” ders kitabı kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizine başlarken önce öğretim programı ve programda yer alan kazanımlar bilim ve teknoloji konusu açısından incelenmiştir. Daha sonra öğretim programında yer alan konular ders kitabıyla eşleştirilmiştir. Sonuç olarak 12. sınıf T.C inkılap tarihi ve Atatürkçülük öğretim programı kazanımlarında bilim ve teknoloji konusuna sınırlı bir şekilde yer verildiği belirlenmiştir. Öğretim Programı ve ders kitabı karşılıklı incelendiği zaman öğretim programında mevcut olan kazanımların ders kitabında yer aldığı görülmüştür. Bilim ve teknoloji konularına ait görsellerin dağılımında makul denge dikkate alınmamıştır. İncelenen ders kitabında bilim insanlarına ait örnekler oldukça sınırlı bir şekilde yer almıştır.

Multimedia Integration of Mathematical Internet Memes into Mathematics Classrooms in Secondary School Curriculum

Mathematics is a core subject in almost all secondary education curricula. In improving performance in mathematics, there is a need to consider developing new teaching and learning pedagogies that tap the students' interests and enhance the classroom environment. This study focuses on integrating mathematical internet memes into mathematics classrooms to determine their effect on students' performance, understanding, engagement, motivation, and excitement. It also examines memes' impact on learning experiences, the potential to provide alternative formative assessments and investigate students' readiness to learn with memes in the mathematics classroom. The study revealed that integrating mathematics internet memes in the mathematics classroom has no significant impact on student’s performance in mathematics. Moreover, research showed experiment group performance in meme-aided and traditional assessment tests was statistically similar, indicating that both tests provide identical feedback on students' performance. The study further revealed that integrating memes in the mathematics classroom improves students' engagement, motivation, and excitement in the mathematics classroom.

An analysis of Hong Kong high school curriculum with implications for United Nations sustainable development goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Target 4.7 stated that by 2030, all learners should acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. However, only scattered studies outline how SDG knowledge has been taught in public K12 curricula. This study aims to identify SDG topics in 13 subjects in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education curriculum and the perceptions of teachers in relation to SDG education. Data were collected through a machine learning approach and semi-structured interviews. Analysis of the module, subject, and curriculum level was conducted. By examining how teachers perceive in relation to the results of SDG classification and implementation of SDG education, the findings showed that teachers and administrators have adopted positive attitudes towards SDG classification, and supportive government can positively influence teachers and administrators in implementing SDG education. Such findings can be useful for policymakers to develop strategies to facilitate SDG education.

Building students’ conceptual understanding of operations on fractions using manipulatives: A junior high school perspective

Mathematics plays a key role because it is one of the important subjects within the foundation that constitute the core curriculum for basic and secondary education. Mathematics must therefore be taught in a way to engage learners to construct their knowledge, which helps them build conceptual understanding using modern teaching strategies. Fractions are the building blocks for a solid conceptual understanding of algebra and other concepts in mathematics, especially at the basic school. Therefore, teachers must use strategies that make lessons more realistic and practical, such as manipulatives. The purpose of the study was to use manipulatives to build students’ conceptual understanding of the operations of fractions. The study design was quasi-experimental, with a pre-/post-test method used for data collection to assess the impact of the intervention design. A sample of 50 junior high school students was selected purposively for the study. The data was analyzed using SPSS v.26. The researchers concluded that using manipulatives in the teaching of fractions improved the students’ performance and helped build their conceptual understanding of the operations of fractions.

Landscape of competition: Education, economisation and young people’s wellbeing

This paper probes the function of competition in society through an analysis of the affective landscape that competition creates. Our focus is on education and the connected process of subjectification. We argue that the analysis of competition in human geography needs to advance through abstractions of political economy to the entanglements and relations in which competition is internalised through embodied experience. We conceive competition as a process of organising power relations that work through affective subjectivation and knowledge-production. Those processes are efficiently at work in education, and hence, in young people’s everyday lives. It is our suspicion that education is increasingly organised in a way that naturalises competition and marginalises or even closes horizons from other actual and possible modes of social relations and organisational principles. This organising frame links to ideas about learning as an individual endeavour, a linear process that can be pre-planned and measured with representational evidence. To challenge the harmful ethos of personal control and responsibility of young people for their own education and life-paths, we pursue a nonrepresentational analysis of the educational landscape of competition and approach the (learning) human subject as emergent and relationally agentive. Then, also young people’s wellbeing needs to be mirrored against the landscape in which it is continually built. As a case for our argument, we discuss two documents linked to Finnish education: an OECD document on education and national competitiveness, and the newly revised curriculum for upper secondary education.

Language Arts Teachers Pioneering the Implementation of an Alternative Pathway to Secondary Education Curriculum in Jamaica

This paper explores teachers’ experiences in implementing the Language Arts Alternative Pathway to Secondary Education (APSE) curriculum in a rural high school and the factors which influenced its implementation. The study employed a qualitative case study research design. Semi-structured interviews, observations of participants, and document analysis were used to gather data from six purposefully selected members of the Language and Literacy Department. The collected data were analysed using content analysis. The findings showed that teachers have varied experiences while practicing differentiated instruction during the implementation of the curriculum. The findings also revealed that teachers encountered challenges such as inadequate training, limited resources, and felt they had poor orientation to the curriculum—which led to uncertainty. Recommendations are made regarding how curriculum reforms should be introduced in schools and the role teachers should play in the implementation of any curriculum reform.

Gendered pedagogy in senior secondary physical education curriculum enactment

ABSTRACT Arnold’s dimensions of movement (1979) and Wilcox’s embodied ways of knowing (2009) informed case study research which explored the influence of gender(ed) movement-based pedagogy and associated equity issues in Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Physical Education (PE). VCE PE teachers from three schools provided documentation (course, unit, lesson plans, resources, assessment materials) and semi-structured interviews to investigate how teachers used movement and the role gender plays in influencing decisions and approaches relating to movement-based pedagogy. Gender discourses were evident in teachers’ decisions regarding the types of movement experiences included in VCE PE, pedagogical approaches and assessment contexts. Issues of safety were linked to gendered assumptions about learners. Movement is a central tenet of senior secondary PE, yet movement-based pedagogy needs to be more responsive to the needs of all students to ensure equity in students’ movement and learning experiences and to positively reflect gender diversity of student cohorts.

Exposing the hazards of teaching 19th century genetic science

AbstractScience should provide students an accurate and contemporary education on genetic influence, particularly how it impacts trait variability and developmental norms. Stories involving familial, racial, and sexual differences routinely appear in the popular media and sales of over‐the‐counter genetic tests are mounting. Unfortunately, research suggests genetic curricula in secondary education and university courses have little impact on genetic literacy; instead they appear to amplify genetic essentialism. This position paper reports on genetic essentialism, the impact of three components of science education (teachers, students, curriculum), and critiques existing genetic lessons in two prevalent scientific disciplines, biology and psychology. Two entrenched 19th century genetic paradigms (e.g., Mendelian inheritance and behavioral genetics) are specifically examined. The paper closes with specific recommendations for improving students' genetic literacy including important contemporary genetic science (e.g., epigenetics) and instructional approaches (e.g., learning progression, refutational teaching).

Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Change in Spanish Technology Disciplines’ Curricula: From LOMCE to LOMLOE

Understanding the prevalence of climate change and sustainable development in the new curriculum of compulsory secondary education (ESO) and the baccalaureate is crucial for educational communities in Spain. However, there was a lack of studies that examined the integration of climate change and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as cross-cutting themes in the new education framework, particularly in the technology disciplines. This study aimed to address this gap by conducting a comparative analysis of the new legislative content (LOMLOE) and the previous legislation (LOMCE). The analysis quantified the presence of keywords related to climate change and sustainable development in both legal texts, focusing on the definition of objectives, level skills, evaluation criteria, and blocks of knowledge. Additionally, the study assessed the inclusion of SDGs and the ethical implications associated with the use and production of technologies at both education levels. The analysis of the curriculum content revealed a significant presence of references to climate change, sustainable development, and SDGs throughout the LOMLOE curriculum, particularly in the baccalaureate. Notably, education’s role in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development was explicitly recognized as an objective at this level. Regarding technology disciplines, LOMLOE placed considerable emphasis on fostering awareness of the environmental impact of technological development by introducing a new cross-level knowledge block named “Sustainable Technology”, spanning from ESO to the final courses of baccalaureate. This integration was further reinforced by evaluation criteria and specific skills that strongly aligned with sustainability principles, encouraging assessments centred around environmental awareness, ethical responsibilities, and sustainable entrepreneurship. Further studies are required to evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating SDGs and climate change into technology disciplines following the implementation of LOMLOE, with the aim of identifying best practices for effectively combatting climate change and promoting sustainability in technology education.