Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:

• demonstrate familiarity with the vocabulary and concepts that inform debate on curriculum planning;

• demonstrate an awareness of the influence of the 1988 Education Reform Act on teaching and learning in schools in England and Wales, including its genesis and its implications for practice;

• analyse and compare the National Curriculum in England & Wales and a state-directed curriculum in another country.

Brief description

Aims

• To introduce some aspects of curriculum planning, with reference to the National Curriculum of England and Wales, in particular, and also the state-directed curricula of another country.

• To introduce the practice of curriculum development, with reference to the National Curriculum of England and Wales.

• To provide students with opportunities to analyse a specialist subject in the wider context of the National Curriculum of England and Wales.

Content

The syllabus will be based on the following:

• An introduction to the issues: theories of learning and teaching
• The National Curriculum of England and Wales: background and policies
• The National Curriculum of England and Wales: theory and practice
• The National Curriculum of England and Wales: case study 1 - Language and Humanities
• The Primary Curriculum
• The National Curriculum in Wales
• The National Curriculum of England and Wales: case study 2 - Mathematics and Science
• Curriculum Planning: past, present and future
• State-directed curricula in another country: Australia
• Political interpretations of the curriculum
• The National Curriculum of England and Wales: ideals and constraints

Reading Lists