Current Issues and Trends in Education

Curriculum Trends

and

Innovations

Introduction

• Curriculum and modes of learning are constantly evolving as educational policy and theory changes.

• Some trends circle in and out of fashion and others become fads and are then discarded.

• Some are true and necessary innovations based on sound science or detailed and lengthy observations and others are mere knee-jerk reactions to the political climate of the day, or to the desire to avoid the pitfalls of previous methods.

• Whatever their direction, and whatever the reason, curriculum changes are a phenomenon that is central to education and to the very act of teaching itself.

• As curriculum and methods are constantly changing, it is important for teachers to understand the trends currently taking place, as well as to anticipate the developments to come in the future.

Technology • Technology has had a tremendous

impact on society. – The light bulb, telephone and

television have changed the way man thinks, acts and lives.

– Artificial lightening, fast communication and moving objects on a screen have added new dimensions to the way man perceives the world and himself.

– Learners can stay awake longer and learn in fast and effective ways.

– There are no limitations of time and place because days do not have to end just when it turns dark outside.

Therefore Educational Curriculums must keep up with the pace so that future generations will benefit and continue developing technological innovations.

In a Paper entitled Curriculum Trends: Today and Beyond, Jason Mehner wrote:

• “Of all of the items and events that have taken place over the last 100 years, nothing has had more of an impact on society than technology. Inventions such as the cellular phone, internet and GPS systems have allowed humans to stay in touch as well as find each other with a click of a button.”

• He further commented that computers and the internet have also helped inside the classroom, making learning more inventive and captivating to the students while also offering all sorts of information at their fingertips.

• According to Mehner:– Learning can also travel home with

the student because the internet is accessed through computers at many homes in this country.

– This serves as a great advantage to the students today as opposed to the students of yesteryear that had to rely on expensive encyclopedias to help them with their studies in the home.

• When it comes to developing a curriculum in today's world, however, it is not as simple as it may seem.

• Administrators today must develop curriculums that keep up with the times through use of technology so students can assimilate themselves in the modern world, and also must stand the test of time so future generations will also benefit.

• In another Paper entitled Curriculum Trends: Changes Occurring in Schools Throughout the World published in 2006, collegiate coach Mignon Brooks mentioned that with so many changes occurring throughout the world, alterations need to be made in our schools so that our students are prepared for the current and future environments that they will be expected to succeed in. 

• Brooks envisioned the following changes:an increase in high school

internships. Many students are going to work right out of high school and need to be prepared for the type of jobs that will await them.

several students work while attending college. These students will also need to be trained in the skills that are necessary for them to achieve their goals.

• Another change to happen within the next ten years is the increase of students who are home schooled. As a result of the increase, she thinks that schools are going to open up their doors to the students who are home schooled so that they can participate in extra-curricular activities, sports, and sometimes even elective classes.

• another change that seems to be underway in America is the increase in multicultural students who speak little to no English. In order for the public schools to educate these students properly, they will have to increase the amount of special attention that they give to them. This might include providing more English as a Second Language classes or actually teaching some students in their native languages. 

Innovations in America

• The advances in Technology caused the schools to:

• Revamp in the curriculum and change in their budget

• Force schools to implement it within the curriculum

• Many colleges have already begun teaching their students through online classes.

• ExtremeTech.com (2005) announced that Empire High School in Arizona kicked off their current school year with the state's first high school that was completely laptop and wireless oriented.

• The article said, "All students will receive Apple iBooks in lieu of traditional textbooks, and teachers will encourage the use of technology both in class and at home, all as part of the newly adopted Apple 1 to 1 learning initiative."

• In order for schools to implement more technology into the classrooms, the content of the curriculum will have to change.

• Students will spend more time learning about how to use the technology than ever before.

• Many students and teachers are not educated in a variety of software programs. Therefore, districts will have to be responsible to teach both teachers and students how to use the programs they will be using.

• Computer software companies will be a major influence in the content, development and design that these students will be learning because they will be the ones making it.

• School districts might need to work with the software programs directly so that the programs can be tailored to fit their students and school environment.

In terms of implementing technology into the schools, everyone in the district will have to take on some sort of responsibility.

It will be the responsibility of the administrators to educate their teachers on the programs.

It will be the responsibility of the teachers to implement the technology into their classrooms.

Finally, it will be the responsibility of the computer technicians to oversee all of the technology changes that a school might be implementing. They will need to be able to assist teachers, students, and administration by setting up the programs and they will need to be available for assistance if any problems occur.

• Online classes amongst college students are on the rise. In an Information Week (2005) article about online classes at the University of Phoenix Online, the school's CEO Brian Mueller said that there were about 155,000 students taking their online classes this year.

• Their most popular degree programs are business management, IT, healthcare, and education, he said. Students are able to earn their undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees from the school.

• "The online curriculum makes it possible for busy working people to attend classes that they wouldn't otherwise be able to attend in-person at a traditional school," Mueller said.

There are many reasons why using online distance learning tools is beneficial.

Online education is available at all times of day and night, which makes it extremely handy for children as well as adult students alike (McDonald, 2002).

Many leading educators state that accredited online learning courses are becoming the future of education (Castro, 2001), so much so that many people will be "rethinking education" (New house, et al., 2002).

Castro also predicts that there will be a huge increase in online courses that will be offered through the Internet, particularly for high school students that are preparing for college (2001, p. 2).

It is definitely difficult for students as well as adults to go to college campuses for learning with all of the pressures of this world and responsibilities that people have in their daily lives.

It seems that that in the future, the most popular way to gain an education will be through online distance learning.

• With technology being used inside the classroom, it can improve the effectiveness of student learning and make it easier for teachers to instruct and steer the students in the right direction. In the near future the use of educational technology will become much more affordable while also being much more powerful (Snyder, 2004).

• It will definitely make sense to have it in any school budget. Educators must work alongside administrators to help overcome the hurdles and challenges in the classroom so students can share ideas with each other and, in turn, grow together.

• As mentioned previously, the teachers and administrators both share the responsibility of preparing students for the outside world.

• Students must be able to think in a critical manner, be able to analyze information to become problem solvers (Mills & Roblyer, 2002). This can be accomplished with a clear and concise curriculum written with the technology age in mind.

Ofsted Report - UK Curriculum Innovations• The aim of the survey was to identify

the factors which contribute to successful curriculum innovation in schools. Between April 2006 and December 2007,

• Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) visited 16 secondary schools, 12 primary schools and two special schools that were involved in developing their curriculum.

• The survey also drew evidence from a focus group of six primary schools as well as from inspectors’ discussions with school and local authority staff in three areas where

groups of schools were working together on curriculum change.

• The schools in the survey shared the view that their curriculum

provision could be improved or did not give the best possible support to learners’ achievement and personal development.

The survey identified four broad categories of curriculum innovation:

• organising the curriculum around themes which drew from different

subjects

• reorganising the school day or adjusting the school year to allocate longer blocks of time to activities

• introducing a number of pathways through Key Stages 3 and 4 in order to meet the needs of learners of all abilities and interests

• developing pupils’ learning skills.

• The most successful schools went through a systematic process of investigation, consultation, planning and evaluation.

Essential contributors to successful innovation included :head teachers’ confident, persuasive

and visionary leadershipcomplementary strengths in middle

managersa committed, collaborative and well

trained teaching force.

Honest evaluation of the impact on

pupils’ learning and well-being, combined with a readiness to adapt where necessary, ensured that the demands made on schools by the changes were justified by positive impact.

Key findingsIn most of the 30 schools visited,

the innovations led to clear improvements in pupils’ achievement and personal development. In two of the schools, although the modified curriculum had increased pupils’ interest and engagement, it was not providing sufficient academic challenge.

• The innovations fell into four broad categories: organising the curriculum throughthemes or inter-disciplinary links

rather than discrete subjects; using curriculum time flexibly; providing alternative curriculum

pathways; and developing learning skills.

The principal barriers to innovation included anxiety from staff about a possible

negative impact on national test and examination results

concerns about inspectors’ attitudes to innovation

uncertainty about longer-term finance and resources

concerns about the reluctance or inability of staff to implement change

possible resistance to change among governors, parents and the local community

Successful innovation was linked principally to strong leadership at all levels. This ensured that everyone involved had a clear understanding of the rationale behind innovation and the roles and responsibilities of individuals.

Other factors in successful innovation included detailed planning linked to:rigorous self-evaluation; clear systems, timescales and

criteria for evaluatingimpact that drew on detailed data

and information from a wide range of stakeholders;

carefully designed professional development programmes for staff to implement the new approaches.

The most successful schools based their reforms on considerable background research into theories of learning and different ways of approaching the

curriculum.

RecommendationsSchools considering significant

change to the curriculum should: be clear about why change is

necessary and its intended benefits

research widely to ensure changes are suitable, necessary and appropriate to meet learners’ needs

ensure that there is strong leadership at all levels to support innovation and that everyone involved understands clearly the rationale for it

control implementation and development costs tightly so that the innovation gives good value for money

provide high-quality professional development and support, matched closely to the requirements of the innovation and the needs of staff

undertake rigorous and regular evaluation, based on clear criteria, focusing on the impact on pupils’ achievement, standards and personal development, and use the outcomes to adjust the new approaches.

Choosing curriculum innovation

• The schools in the survey had different reasons for making changes to the curriculum. However, they all started with the assumption that, through curriculum changes, pupils could enjoy learning and achieve more.

There was, therefore, a common focus on finding ways to:

improve pupils’ motivation and engagement

develop their resilience, independence and ability to work in teams

raise their attainment

The types of innovations the schools made

The innovations made by the schools in the survey fell into four broad categories:

curriculum delivery through themes or interdisciplinary links rather than discrete subjects

flexible use of curriculum timealternative curriculum pathwaysa concentration on developing learning

skills.

“The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil. It is not for you to choose what he shall know, what he shall do. It is chosen and foreordained and he only holds the key to his own secret."

—Ralph Waldo Emerson