Student-centered Curriculum Research Articles

Evidence-Based Strategies for Reforming the Medical Curriculum at the National Autonomous University of Honduras: A Systematic Literature Review.

Medical education worldwide has undergone numerous stages of reform. Cultural and financial restraints have decelerated progress in developing countries. Current reforms should focuson creating integrated, competency-based, and student-centered curricula that emphasize patient-centered care. The following review of literature published between 2014 and 2023 on global curricular reforms highlighted key components, challenges, and strategies for implementing or evaluating undergraduate medical programs that prioritize student-centered approaches and competency-based models. This review also compared the current curriculum at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) with these international experiences to suggest strategies in order to encourage significant reform. The following review identified 47 articles that provided insights into ideal contexts for curricular reforms, while 15 publications detailed the current state of the UNAH medical curriculum and its potential weaknesses. Additionally, 25 articles discussed specific reforms in other countries, offering valuable results and conclusions for consideration. Drawing from these models and experiences, strategies were proposed for UNAH's curriculum reform, including identifying basic needs, defining project vision, training teaching staff and students, and integrating multidisciplinary teams of experts. Although training all teaching staff abroad may be financially unfeasible, selecting and training key individuals to train others could be a viable alternative. Successful reform requires a comprehensive, periodic, and systematic evaluation. Despite the challenges faced by developing countries, global experiences with alternative reform models offer promising solutions, providing an opportunity for the Faculty of Medical Sciences at UNAH to overcome local limitations and fulfill the primary task of training professionals who are clinically, ethically, and adaptively competent, with a focus on patient-centered and primary care approaches.

NAVIGASI KESUKSESAN GURU DAN SISWA DI SEKOLAH DASAR DALAM MENGIMPLEMENTASIKAN KURIKULUM MERDEKA

ABSTRACT: The Merdeka curriculum is a student-centered curriculum aimed at promoting critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills among students, it emphasizes the importance of holistic education, which combines not only academic subjects but also socio-emotional learning and practical skills. One aspect of the Merdeka Curriculum is to emphasize personalized learning to meet the individual needs of students and increase their involvement in the learning process. To create successful learning in an independent curriculum, it is necessary to discuss the implementation, navigation of success, challenges, and impact of the Merdeka Curriculum in Indonesian primary schools, with a focus on the experience of teachers and students. This research uses a qualitative approach with a library study as a data collection method. Merdeka's curriculum has improved student engagement, creativity, and problem-solving skills despite challenges such as adaptation of new teaching methods and technologyintegration. The teachers found that collaboration and professional development continuously supported successful implementation. It is also about strategies for the successful navigation of teachers and students in the Free Curriculum, including inclusive practices and the necessary support system to support educators in improving the quality of education for all students, by adapting teaching methods and creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

Effect of Computer Simulation on Senior High School Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Chemical Bonding

The purpose of this study was to establish the effectiveness of computer simulation on students’ conceptual understanding of chemical bonding. The study utilized pre-test and post-test treatment to come up with results. The sample size for the study was 42 second year students purposively selected out of 286 General Arts students from the T. I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School, Potsin. Tests (pre-test and post-test) and questionnaire were the main research instruments. The data obtained from the tests were analysed using t-test statistics to establish students’ achievement levels after the intervention. The study revealed that there was a significant difference in the performance of students after the intervention. More than 80% of the students had sound understanding of the concept after the intervention. This implies that the intervention had positive effect on conceptual understanding of the chemical bonding. The findings would enable curriculum planners as well as policy makers to suggest a more student centered curriculum. It would also prompt school administrators to look into the development and acquisition of appropriate facilities to enhance the teaching of specific concepts in science.

The Four 4s Challenge: A Narrative Inquiry into the Mathematical Curriculum Making of a Child

Abstract: This article is based on research around the experiences of Chen, a Grade 2 student that shows his lived curriculum in the context of his school and home. This narrative inquiry is grounded in curriculum making and includes field texts in the form of Stavros’s notes from our in-person sessions (prior to the covid pandemic), video recordings of Microsoft Teams conversations (during the pandemic), and some of his solutions to the Four 4s Challenge. For this paper, we illustrate the experiences coming to meet Chen, and the complexities and tensions around his lived curriculum as a strong mathematics student. Our intention is to provide insight into student-centred curriculum making.

Teacher’s agency in education for sustainable development: an East-West collaborative Erasmus programme using Q methodology

PurposeThe integration of ESD is a complex problem. It calls for an innovative, student-centred curriculum, as well as professional learning and agency, by which university teachers feel empowered to change their practice and direct their peers and institutions towards ESD. This study aims to explore what university teachers consider to be the most important attitudes in supporting their agency to deliver Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) via a Problem Based Learning (PBL) programme.Design/methodology/approachThis study presents a theoretical framework for professional agency comprising three domains: intrapersonal, action and environmental. A Q methodology is adopted to explore university teachers’ perceptions of the most important environmental factors in supporting their ability to deliver ESD via a problem-based learning (PBL) programme. Twenty-eight participants from six Southeast Asian universities took part in a PBL-based professional development programme designed to improve teachers’ ESD- and PBL-based skills and competencies.FindingsThe results indicate that the participants were confident in their ability to implement PBL and saw PBL as an approach suitable for addressing current educational, professional and societal challenges. This study offers a series of recommendations to help university teachers develop their ESD and PBL practices.Originality/valueAlthough the literature on human agency is extensive, research surrounding teachers’ professional agency in the context of ESD and PBL in higher education is lacking. The present study addresses this gap by capturing individual teachers’ beliefs, perceptions and views and by using Q methodology to examine the subjectivity of study participants.

Empowering Art and Design Education via a Flexible Curriculum

This concept paper explores the need to apply a more flexible and personalized curriculum approach in art and design education. This approach aims to foster student creativity, empower learning freedom, and focus on the uniqueness of individual students. Literature highlights reveal several weaknesses in the conventional curriculum such as flexibility, emphasis on technical aspects, and a lack of interdisciplinary. Reforms in art education need to emphasize the integration of other disciplines, technology, and creative elements in the learning approach. A rigid curriculum structure can hinder the development of creativity and innovation. Therefore, students need more space to explore alternative and creative approaches in learning art and design. Self-directed learning has a huge positive impact on creative thinking and problemsolving skills, gives students the freedom to pursue their interests and inclinations, improves resilience, and encourages innovative thinking. A balance between student autonomy and educational goals is important. Students need to understand the learning objectives and be given the opportunity to choose a project that interests them. Formative assessment, a supportive learning environment, and collaboration between students are essential in achieving this balance. Taking into account the above recommendations, art and design education can become more dynamic, relevant, and can foster creativity and innovation among students. This is important in facing the era of advancing globalization and rapid digitalization. Therefore, a more flexible and student-centered curriculum approach is a positive step in advancing art and design education. Keywords: art education, flexible curriculum, student creativity, self-learning and educational innovation

Locating Australian school students in sites of curriculum making: a literature review

AbstractYoung people and children are central to conceptualisations of curriculum as a social process, especially in school-based settings. However, students have tended to be on the periphery of education policy development more broadly and curriculum reform more specifically. As a more inclusive approach to engaging students in curriculum consultation processes is beginning to be taken in Australia, it is timely to gauge the extent to which students are being actively engaged as curriculum actors and research participants across the Australian curricular landscape. This article draws on Priestley et al.’s (2021) sites of curriculum making model to frame a systematised literature review of a decade of Australian academic and grey literature for the purpose of identifying the sites and activities in which students are active and/or the focus of research. The review suggests there is a small body of research on curriculum negotiation within school-based nano and micro sites of curriculum making. However, an absence of academic research related to meso and macro curriculum making means we have a limited understanding of the dynamics of the activities, interactions, contestations and power relations that constitute curriculum making in these spaces in relation to students. This article considers some of the reasons for and implications of these trends, including how existing curriculum and student voice scholarship might inform future research. It argues that a better understanding of the possibilities and challenges of student-centred curriculum making activities could assist in moving beyond superficial “consultation” methods, especially during periods of significant curriculum renewal.

Student-centred curriculum integration in primary schools: nurturing democratic citizenship in Aotearoa New Zealand

AbstractThis article investigates how James A. Beane’s model of student-centred curriculum integration (CI) enhances students’ learning experiences in the classroom by meeting diverse learning needs and fostering democratic citizenship. It discusses the theory of Beane’s model of CI with respect to John Dewey’s underpinning philosophy of democratic education and explores the practice of Beane’s model via the narratives of two of the authors who implemented the model in primary schools in Aotearoa/ New Zealand (NZ). The findings show that implementing student-centred CI in contexts that are meaningful and relevant to students has the capacity to enhance the value and impact of students’ learning experiences. In the process, the democratic design of Beane’s model allows issues of social justice, inclusion and multiculturalism to be tackled by giving students agency and enabling them to ‘make a difference’ within their communities.

An English Teacher's Perception Of The Implementation Of The Independent Curriculum In Every School

Curriculum is an important part of education systems around the world. The curriculum regulates learning process activities to maximize educational goals, functioning as a unit or guideline. Student learning outcomes in the daily learning process are one aspect that can have an impact on curriculum adjustments. Interviewing English teachers about the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in the classroom provided a number of insights. Educators share their thoughts on the difficulties in implementing an autonomous curriculum. because the facilities or different learning resources are not sufficient. They emphasize how the Merdeka Curriculum can help students learn English more effectively by encouraging active participation in class, fostering critical thinking, and increasing language proficiency. The student-centered curriculum philosophy was awarded

Cultivating Comadrerismo for Collective Liberation

In this paper, we draw from our positionality, respective roles on campus, and experience with developing the UndocuScholars Research Methods class. We argue that despite learning to navigate during a pandemic and dealing with the coexistence of grief and joy, transformation in the academy is possible when seeds are planted through building community, vulnerability, and the creation of an equitable and student-centered curriculum. At the same time, transformation in the academy occurs among faculty and staff through the development of comadrerismo, which is a bond that extends beyond collegiality, as it seeks to foster a sisterhood that honors, supports, and validates people’s journeys, roles, and goals in life. In the end, we all benefit from the harvest by reimagining spaces as locations where we can experience healing, transformation, and eventually, collective liberation. It is within our line of work that we can envision, change, and benefit from altering the institutional practices that move us to radically shift from individualistic to communal joy.

Improving Basic Locomotor Movement Skills in Elementary School Students Through an Active Learning Approach Based on Traditional Games

This research aims to improve basic locomotor movement skills in grade 5 elementary school students through active learning interventions based on traditional games. In this research, researchers used a quasi-experimental research design with stratified random sampling. Two groups of students were selected, where one group was given active learning intervention, while the other group was a control group that received conventional learning. The research instruments used included basic movement skills tests, student response questionnaires, participant observation, and field notes. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistical methods and the T test to compare the differences between the two groups before and after the learning intervention. The statistical calculation method used was the T test, which was used to compare the differences between the experimental group and the control group in terms of improvement in basic locomotor movement skills after the intervention. By using the T test, researchers can evaluate whether there are significant differences between the two groups and whether traditional game-based active learning interventions are effective in improving the basic movement skills of grade 5 elementary school students. The research results show that traditional game-based active learning interventions have a significant positive impact in improving basic locomotor movement skills in grade 5 students. This shows the important potential of interactive and fun learning methods in improving the quality of learning and the development of students' motor skills. In conclusion, active learning interventions based on traditional games can be effective in improving basic locomotor movement skills in grade 5 elementary school students. This research provides important implications for the development of a more inclusive and student-centered curriculum at the elementary school level.

Factors affecting Quality of Life (QOL) in students during study in medical institution.

Objective: To determine factors affecting quality of life of the students of medical college and to assess the stress levels, sources of stress, and other determinants of their wellbeing. Study Design: Descriptive Cross–sectional study. Setting: CMH Kharian Medical College, Kharian Cantt. Period: April 2022 to September 2022. Material & Methods: 302 undergraduate MBBS students from 1st Year to final year were selected by nonprobability convenient sampling. Data was collected by self–structured questionnaire. Results: Most of the students enrolled are satisfied with college schedule but the tensions owing to college environment are reason for stress. The extracurricular activities do balance the stress at times. Financial dependence is major stress factor amongst students as well. Most of students are satisfied with facilities in lecture theaters, yet students feel fatigued and need more breaks during their college hours. Another reason for anxiety amongst medical scholars is lack of proper cafeteria and healthy refreshments at college premises. Many students complain of overeating and excessive caffeine intake to relieve stress. Despite various stressors, most are coping with stress. The main factor which is destroying their quality of life is lack of sleep. Loneliness and limited family socializing is enhancing depression in students. The students do find console in fact that they are pursuing medical profession and have no regrets to their decision of becoming a doctor. Conclusion: Our study concludes that medical studies effect quality of life of medical students in terms of less resting time, and limited socializing and other leisure activities. Stress and increased work load are supplementary reasons for disordered eating habits. Financial dependence is also a big factor in increasing stress level. Quality of life (QOL) can be improved by better institutional backing, supportive faculty, student centered curricula and engagement in extra–curricular activities. Quality improvement tools can enhance students’ motivation, as most of the student despite stressful triggers, do not regret their decision of pursuing medical profession.

Investigation of Primary School Teachers' Student-Centered Teaching and Technology Integration Competencies

In recent years, the relationship between teachers' technology competencies and integration and student-centered learning has come to the forefront. It is a clear reality that teachers with a student-centered education paradigm tend to use technology to support student-centered curriculum and should have some competencies in this regard. In this study, it was aimed to determine the relationships between student-centered education and technology integration competencies of primary school teachers in terms of some variables. The sample of the survey model research consists of 290 teachers working in different primary schools in Kazakhstan. In the study, student-centered education and technology integration competencies of teachers were described and then these variables were compared according to gender and professional seniority variables. "Competency Scale for Student-Centered Education and Teacher Technology Integration Scale" were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, independent groups t-test, one-way ANOVA and Regression analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. According to the results obtained, primary school teachers' efficacy levels for student-centered education are at the middle level and their technology integration efficacy levels are below the middle level. Teachers' efficacy levels related to student-centered education showed significant differences according to gender and professional seniority variables. However, primary school teachers' technology integration competencies did not differ according to gender and professional seniority variables. There is a moderate positive relationship between student-centered education and technology integration competencies of primary school teachers. Teachers' student-centered education competencies significantly predict their technology integration competencies

Pedagogical and curricular lessons from bilingual education activism in New Mexico: Serna v. Portales (1974) 50 years later

ABSTRACT This articles presents a chronology of events of the Serna v. Portales Municipal Schools (1974) court case decided by the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on its 50th anniversary. Serna protected and codified bilingual education for New Mexican children. Four lessons learned from those involved in the struggle for language rights are included. (1) Contextualize pedagogy within place and history; (2) Highlight the collaborative efforts of diverse groups toward change; (3) Design student-centered curriculum responding to community’s needs and strengths; (4) Connect to the larger purpose/soulfulness of our work. The lessons highlight the pedagogical relevance of the case.

Struggles and Successes of Pre-Service Teachers When Implementing a Student-Centered Curriculum in an After-School Program

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study is to examine pre-service teachers (PSTs)’ experience in implementing a student-centered curriculum integrating physical activity and literacy in an after-school program. Field notes along with journal and interview data from nine PSTs were analyzed using the constant comparison method. PSTs were able to look at the goal for the lesson and create learning opportunities that were a blend of the written curriculum and the transposition of that curriculum based on their and their students’ knowledge to create and teach the lesson. The experience allowed them to improve their pedagogical skills and suggests implications for how teacher educators might partner with after-school programs for service learning opportunities that benefit PSTs as well as K-12 students.

Strategies to support self-regulated learning in integrated, student-centered curricula

Purpose With undergraduate medical education shifting to an integrated, student-centered approach, self-regulated learning (SRL) skills are critical for student success. Educational research holds that learning strategy effectiveness is context dependent. Our study aims to explore what strategies medical students use to support SRL when engaged in the specific context of an integrated, student-centered curriculum. Approach This study took place in two medical schools with integrated, student-centered curricula. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with first-year medical students from both schools, asking them to reflect on the learning strategies they used throughout their first year of medical school. Interview data was analyzed first deductively using the SRL framework and then inductively to understand the specific strategies being used. Findings Students engaged in strategies to support SRL in ways that were unique to the integrated, student-centered context. We found that medical students developed strategies to plan for integration and building connections across material during all three phases of self-regulated learning. Insights By identifying specific tasks and behaviors students utilized during their first year of medical school, this study provides a roadmap that students and educators can use to help students become self-regulated learners.

Readiness for Self-Directed Learning Among Undergraduate Students at Asia Metropolitan University in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Self-directed learning (SDL) plays a pivotal role in facilitating adult learning, especially in developing an individual’s education and upgrading his/her learning skills independently. SDL can have farreaching implications on the students’ lifelong learning skills. In particular, SDL readiness (SDLR) can assist in developing a well-structured student-centered curriculum. The study aims to assess the level of readiness for SDL among undergraduate students of the Asia Metropolitan University (AMU). This descriptive, cross-sectional study surveyed the level of readiness using the SDLR scale comprised of 40 questions. A total of 320 AMU undergraduate students from various academic programmes, including MBBS, Nursing, Foundation in Science, Diploma in Health Care Management, andBusiness were enrolled through convenience sampling. The total mean scores for SDLR was 157.9 ± 20.5, whereas mean scores for self-management, desire for learning, and self-control were 57.6 ± 7.9, 48.5 ± 6.4, and 51.9 ± 7.8, respectively. About two-thirds of both age groups (≤ 20 and > 20) and females were found to be ready for SDL methods. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the different age groups, genders, and programmes, logistic regressions revealed that females > 20 years of age group were more receptive and ready for SDL. The majority of the AMU undergraduate students were ready for SDL, with female and older age groups being more receptive and ready for SDL. This reflects that SDL is directly related to maturity and is also influenced by gender, although it was not proven to be statistically significant.

Searching for the alternative: A scoping review of empirical studies with holistic perspectives on health and implications for teaching physical education

Health in physical education (PE) has in recent decades received growing public and political attention. PE is recognized as playing an important role in promoting health and well-being among children and adolescents. Critical PE scholars contest the prevalent biomedical perspective on health for its narrow conceptualization of health and its exclusive focus on physical activity and disease prevention. Instead, alternative (critical and/or salutogenic) perspectives that emphasize the holistic nature of health are advocated. Previous research has identified a lack of empirical research on the topic. The purpose of this scoping review was to contribute to knowledge about what characterizes empirical research literature with holistic perspectives on health and discuss the implications for teaching PE. Four databases (SportDiscus, ERIC, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched for peer-reviewed literature in academic journals between 2002 and 2021. Only 12 out of 3263 identified articles included empirical research with holistic perspectives on health. Using thematic analysis, two distinct themes were identified: (i) “teachers’ philosophies and didactic considerations,” exploring teachers’ understanding and beliefs and implications for PE practice and (ii) “alternative ways to teach,” where teachers engage in co-creating, enacting, and evaluating holistic health-related curricula. The findings indicate that although PE teachers may hold a narrow understanding of health, they are receptive to alternative perspectives and capable of critical reflections and renegotiations, if given appropriate support and opportunities for professional development. Challenging PE teachers’ philosophies and empowering them in the co-creation and implementation of holistic, student-centered curricula can create sustainable opportunities to enhance students’ well-being.

Progettare e utilizzare spazi di apprendimento innovativi: cosa hanno da dire gli insegnanti

As many schools are moving towards more innovative learning environments, there is an ongoing need for evidence about how teachers and students use these innovative spaces to enhance learning. While innovative learning environments have been characterised as spaces that are more flexible, with ubiquitous technology and the ability to reconfigure space dependent on the learning task, there is no universal definition of what constitutes a truly ‘innovative’ learning environment because each school context is unique. Consequently, how innovative learning environment designs are used in practice will vary depending on the needs of students, teachers and school communities. The Plans to Pedagogy project, developed by the University of Melbourne’s Learning Environments Applied Research Network (LEaRN) team, is exploring the educational issues school leaders and teachers identify as they transition to and use innovative learning environments. It acknowledges that no two schools are the same, and each school has unique spatial challenges. Plans to Pedagogy, embedded in a range primary and secondary schools across Australia and New Zealand, has eight current projects. Each school is assigned a LEaRN academic who works with a small teaching team to co-design and implement a research project targeting the school’s identified spatial challenge. The eight current projects focus on issues such as promoting student agency and developing 21st century learning skills in students, mapping collaborative teaching practices, assessing the impact of furniture on student engagement, and supporting the transition of teachers’ pedagogy as they move from traditional to innovative environments. As each has a unique focus, the research methods used differ case to case. However, a common principle is that each case needs to build evidence that is disseminated to the school community, with the aim of sharing learning to support teachers’ and students’ praxis in innovative learning environments. To examine this further, this paper will briefly overview each of the current eight Plans to Pedagogy projects to give a sense of the scope and focus of issues faced by teachers in schools in terms of using their learning environments well. It will then focus on two projects for a deeper examination that will illustrate how the researcher/school partnership operates. The first is the journey of a large composite primary-secondary school, where the staff are exploring how their complex student cohort is using their open-plan new build to assist an adventurous student-centred curriculum approach. The second case study is an example of a retrofit project in a rural primary school, where teachers kept their existing classrooms but changed the furniture in their rooms from traditional desks and chairs to flexible furniture arrangements, exploring the impact of this change on student engagement and teachers’ pedagogy. The paper makes the case that Plans to Pedagogy warrants close examination by others working in this field as each project starts by identifying schools’ unique spatial challenges, it builds research expertise of staff in these schools, and it supports these actions by aligning a specialist learning environments researcher to ensure robust methods and results that directly impact school improvement.

AGE-INCLUSIVE PRINCIPLES ON CAMPUS: EMBRACING DIVERSITY ACROSS THE LIFESPAN

Abstract In this poster, researchers based at a Mid-Atlantic university campus provide an understanding of their evaluative steps informing an adaptation of the Diversity Circles program to include a multigenerational component, supporting diversity across the lifespan. Project methods and analysis have been informed by critical theoretical frameworks, including feminist gerontology, that illuminate the invisibility of age, even in the context of intersectional work. Pilot feedback from five participants from a condensed program in an Adult Development and Aging course informed the interview approach. Post-program semi-structured interviews, with program participants, including students and older adults (n=7), and community stakeholders (n=18), provided feedback on diversity needs at the campus and in the surrounding community, as well as on program content and experience and opportunity for further curriculum integration of concepts of age-friendliness, ageism, and age-awareness. Stakeholders interviewed included community practicum liaisons, university advising and student affairs staff, faculty and staff previously engaging in diversity-related activities, university administrators, university personnel attending to enrollment matters, and staff and faculty interested in student-centered curriculum design. Semi-structured interviews were chosen for data collection because of their capacity to provide saturated data from a small, purposeful sample. Focused codes emergent from the interviews included both a) suggestions for curriculum adaptation and modification as well as the value of existing content and b) issues of age-friendliness and ageism more generally. The research team looks toward incorporating suggestions within their findings in an expansion of the program on their campus, and disseminating findings for the benefit of other campuses’ programs.