Postgraduate Course: The Curriculum: Context, Change, and Development (EDUA11338)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education and Sport |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The main aims of this course are to develop students' critical awareness of curricula and the role they play in social reproduction and cultural selection and to evaluate curriculum development in light of theories of Education.
This course introduces a variety of perspectives to understand curricula, by reflecting on sociological and philosophical approaches to international curriculum studies. Through case studies, the course will examine the change and development of curricula to locate different traditions and theories into practice. The course provides students with an opportunity to synthesise ideas, debate and evaluate a range of values, purposes and practices associated with curriculum changes within and across various global contexts. |
| Course description |
Indicative Course Content
Session 1. Curriculum Studies and Key Concepts
This week will provide a foundation for the course by introducing key concepts including Formal Curriculum, Informal Curriculum and Hidden Curriculum.
Session 2. Knowledge and Curriculum - The Philosophical Case
This session will provide source material used to justify the nature and value of a Formal Curriculum, Informal Curriculum and Hidden Curriculum.
Session 3 Curriculum, Knowledge and Social Reproduction
Session 3 & 4 will explore the sociological perspective of school curriculum. We will discuss the role of education and school curriculum in the reproduction of existing values and social structures. Through locating debates in context, we will ask: does school curriculum contribute to the development of critical thinking? Does ¿knowledge¿ or ¿education¿ facilitate social mobility?
Session 4 Critical Pedagogy and Curriculum for Change
Pedagogy is a political project, rather than a technique. The session draws on Giroux¿s work and discusses how education and curriculum may facilitate changes towards a more just society.
Session 5. Assessment and Accountability
This session will discuss issues related to pupil assessment and the school/teacher accountability in the current global era.
Session 6. Curriculum Planning
This session will provide students an opportunity to apply theories discussed in session 1-5 and explore different curriculum planning models.
Seession7: School Curriculum in Scotland
The next three sessions will explore how a curriculum is developed in response to the topics covered in previous sessions. Session 6 will focus on curriculum development in Scotland.
Session 8. Cross Curricular programmes in Scotland
Students will explore cross curricular programmes at a public organisation in Scotland.
Session 9. Teaching Material and Textbook Development
Drawing on the case of textbook development, this session will locate relevant theoretical debates on curriculum in a selected context.
Session 10. Conclusion
This Session also will draw conclusions with a discussion of fundamental issues discussed in this course.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
16/01/2023 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Formative assessment
F1 ¿ Students will receive group feedback for their online participation task.
F2 - Each group can arrange a group meeting with course tutor to present ideas for the curriculum design project and receive oral feedback.
Summative assessment:
Component 1: Individual course work (25%) - 1000 words assignment
Students are expected to conduct and present a literature search on a specific topic of interest. This could be a discrete subject featured in the course or related theme in the broad disciplinary area of Curriculum Studies
Component 2: Group work (45%)
Students will be expected to design a cross-curricular learning programme, and produce a funding pack to explain its rationale, benefits and feasibility.
For the assessment, students need to submit a funding proposal pack that includes
- A promotion video (max. 15-minute promotion video that explains its design and how it would benefit the target group)
- A written proposal (max. 1000 words) that justifies the rationale for design and feasibility of the design
- And any other relevant materials (e.g. poster).
Component 3. Individual course work. Self-reflection blog
Students are expected to critically reflect on the design process and how theories in relation to Curriculum Studies informed the design, and write a blog (word limit: 1000 words) or produce a video presentation (equivalent to 1000 words. E.g. transcript). |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge of the principal concepts and theories relating to the study of the curriculum
- demonstrate a critical understanding of possible philosophical and social stances and the implications for curriculum change
- apply knowledge and critically analyse curriculum development in local and global contexts
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Reading List
Core Texts:
Apple M (1993) Official Knowledge: democratic education in a conservative age. New York: Routledge
Apple M (eds) (2010) Global Crises, Social Justices, and Education. New York: Routledge
Carr D (2003) Marking Sense of Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy and Theory of Education. London: Routledge
Giroux, H. (1992) Border Crossing: Cultural Workers and the Politics of
Education. London: Routledge.
Lawn M and Barton L (eds) (2012) Rethinking Curriculum Studies: A Radical Approach. London: Routledge
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | CURRICULUM |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jingyi Li
Tel: (0131 6)51 6205
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Mariana Duarte
Tel:
Email: |
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