Session Information
03 SES 06 B, Cultural Influences on Curriculum Design Practices
Paper Session
Contribution
The paper develops a complex social theoretical approach to both curriculum development and policies (Haav 2010). The approach combines holistic education theory (focused on relations between educational actors and their environment), school management and educational policies.
The social scientific curriculum theory focuses on educational improvement. This improvement is considered as deeper understanding of mutual relations between teachers and students, and between individuals, society, culture, education and nature. Different teachers generalize their subjects and link them with the main concepts just mentioned. Different subjects focus on relations between people and nature (natural sciences), people and society (history and social sciences), people and culture (languages, arts, music etc.). Different textbooks are collections of abstract symbols (words, concepts, theories). Teachers explain how these symbols are linked to the external objects that students can percieve (see, hear etc.). In art and music education, the symbolic knowledge (history and theory) is linked with figurative knowledge (art objects, musical pieces). In arts and music, people express their holistic attitude to the world and other people. Arts and sciences are different but complementary ways to discover the world and oneself. If teachers realize this, then they can explain students how their subject knowledge is linked with other subjects (sciences and arts), with culture and society. Students start to link their perceptions, cognitions, feelings and activities with abstract knowledge (words and concepts) and figurative knowledge (art objects and musical pieces et.). A deeper understanding of these mutual relations means human development. In social science education, the participation of students in classroom and school management is vital (Biesta 2006, Haav 2008). The school life depends heavily on national education policy (curriculum, examinations, financing, evaluations, teacher education)(Haav 2004, 2005).
This approach will be used to reveal the causes of curriculum mis-management in Estonia.
Since 1989, the Estonian educational ideology has heralded its humanist intentions (the student development). The same do the educational laws and National Curriculae (1996, 2002, and 2010). The school practice still suffers from too informative and authoritarian instruction. Most often, the teachers have been blamed in this. This paper will explain the failure by a lack of coherence between educational theories and policies. In 2009, there was no analysis of the failure of the former National Curriculae. There was no serious attempt to develop the theoretical introduction on the basis of contemporary educational and curriculum theories (Ruus 2009). The introduction remained once again an ecclectic collection of goals (12), competences (7) and values (9). The curriculum remained a collection of a number of syllabi, but formally linked to the student development. In difference to the former periods, there was no academic analysis, no public discussion and no critical papers on the theoretical framework. The theoretical development was replaced by total social manipulation with interest groups and experts.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Biesta, G. J.J. (2006) Beyond Learning. Democratic Education for a Human Future. Boulder, London: Paradigm Publishers. Foshay, A. W. (2000) The Curriculum. New York: Teacher College. Goodson, I. F. (2005) Learning, Curriculum and Life Politics. Routledge. Haav, K. (2004) Participation and Partnership in Estonian Education. – R. Ruzicka, J. H. Ballantine, J. A. Ruiz San Roman (eds.) Key Contexts for Education and Democracy in Globalising Societies. Prague: Charles University, Agentura Action Publisher, C1 59-67. Haav, K. (2005) The Role of Management Education in Transformation: The Case of Estonia. – Lang, R. (ed.) The End of Transformation? München and Mering: Rainer Hampp Verlag,: 361-374. Haav, K. (2008) Civic education in Estonia: democratic or authoritarian? – Journal of Social Science Education, vol. 9 (1): 121-130. http://www.jsse.org/2008/2008-1 Haav, K. (2010) Haridusteooria ja vana uus õppekava. (education theory and the old new curriculum). – Postimees, 11. 01. 2010. Illeris, K. (2004) The Three Dimensions of Learning. Roskilde University. Kelly, A. V. (2009) The Curriculum. Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: SAGE. Kimonen, E. (2001) Curriculum Approaches. University of Jyvaskyla. Lotman, J. (2001) Kultuur ja plahvatus. (On semiotics of culture). Tallinn: Varrak. Marsh, C. J. (1997) Key Concepts for Understanding. Vol. 1-2. London, Washington: Falmer. McNeil, J. D. (2006) Contemporary Curriculum. Hoboken: J. Wiley. Ross, A. (2000) Curriculum. London, New York: Falmer. Ruus, V. (2009) Õppekava on ühislooming. (Curriculum development is a collective creation). – Sutrop, M. et al. (eds.) Väärtused ja väärtuskasvatus. Tartu: University of Tartu. Taylor, P. (2003) How to Design a Training Course. London, New York: Continuum. Tenno, T. et al. (ed.) (2002) Curriculum Theory. Proceedings of international conference. Tartu: University of Tartu.
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