Words: 1196
The focus of this essay will be to analyses the intended National Curriculum In response to 14-19 reforms in further education. I will critically evaluate the Influence this has had on planning curriculum from an Organizational and own teaching prospective. I will also discuss how students have then received the curriculum using relevant theories and models to support this.
Further to this I will discuss why have chosen to concentrate on the role barriers have on student learning when designing he curriculum. ‘l believe that every child and every teenager has equal worth. We owe It to them to give them the chance to show what they can do, to make the most of their talents, to reach their potential. And the key to doing that Is to design a system around them – based on high standards, on choice and on meeting Individuals’ needs and aspirations. Secretary of State 2005 Kelly (1999: pa) defined the term ‘Curriculum’ as ‘all the learning, which is planned and guided, whether carried on in groups or individually. This definition is very practice-oriented and makes the word mound active, seeming to imply that the teacher and the student have some freedom to design and develop curriculum content. Autumns (2009) Curriculum studies may suggest this refers to the stages of planned or received curriculum. In a broader sense curriculum is some of the experiences students have under the guidance of their educational setting.
What this definition ignores is the stage before the curriculum reaches the learning environment: the stage at which it is constructed or designed. The curriculum is much more than what goes on at the point of learning UT is about where and why this learning comes from, also know as the Intended Curriculum. The content of what is to be taught, the level, the subject and the eventual outcome are often not the decision of the teacher but are dictated externally by government reforms, policy, current philosophy and intended practice.
The Governments 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper 2005 states ‘Our reforms will create opportunities for all young people and for many, the curriculum choices Introduced in this White Paper will provide the opportunities they need to develop their talents and so succeed. Such opportunities could be within both the FEE sector or with a provider like the organization I work for. The Paper goes on to state that the vocational opportunities, including different styles and places of learning, will motivate many.
Foundation and entry level qualifications will help put more young people onto a pathway that will lead to further opportunities and qualifications’. Because of this the Government Is a key stakeholder that drives my organization to work predominantly with disengaged students and has a heavy focus on tackling personal problems’ which is one of the outcomes addressed in the Paper. The curriculum therefore offered by my organization is intended to reflect this. My organization intends to deliver free qualifications to those not in education, employment or training.
My course content uses the awarding body Deduced. This is which change the way children are taught and assessed. They offer a range of qualifications that vary by level and subject. The BEET that I deliver has a Linear approach but with thematic elements of employability and functional skills. I am to select and structure the course content based on delivering a Level 1 BEET work skills lubrication, along side functional Math, English and CIT under the same awarding body. The pressures here are to remember the intended curriculum.
I use a ‘process approach’ when designing curriculum aims and objectives. I am intending my learners to learn at a level that will equip them for FEE. This is the activity of learning rather than the content of the course that is of primary concern. What matters is the journey and not necessarily the end goal. The intended focus is on such experiences as transferable skills, working in a group, staying in session or even Just attending. There are certain questions intended curriculum can ask such as ‘Are the objectives achievable within the learners development levels?
Or Are the objectives SMART? From further reading I can recognize the curriculum context needs to be clear, manageable and time bound to achieve an effective curriculum design that offers students the opportunity to make that ‘intended Journey. Two key aspect my organization ask of me is to determine what I want students to learn and how I will measure what they are learning; and select a set of activities, assignments, and materials that will help me lead these students in their learning.
When thinking of how to achieve this though a process approach I would like to discuss the following with regard to barriers to learning and the impact they may have in the design of the curriculum: Course content, external ‘influences’ such as family, peers and motivation and poor previous learning experiences The type of curricula operated by my organization is ‘Learner Centered’. This is an approach to education focusing on the interests of the students rather than Just those involved in the educational process such a as a teacher.
The White Paper makes the important point that they Want every young person to be motivated by a auricular which allows them to learn in a style that suits them and to achieve qualifications as soon as they are ready, rather than at a fixed age. ‘ The curriculum I have designed allows for some flexibility to tailor for students who have for example been out of the educational system and need activities to re- engage.
It would seem that the planned curriculum intended to use cognitive pedagogy to address the personal and emotional barriers that students have with regard to how they see education. I myself as a teaching professional would tend to use a humanistic approach to design the curriculum. The advantage of this humanistic intended approach gives power to the students, intending ownership of their learning which as a teacher I could only hope to motivate and empower students as they are identified as the experts in knowing what they need to know.
The constructivist element within designing the curriculum honors the social and cultural context of the student. The planned curriculum creates a direct link between in-class work and students need, for example literacy outside the classroom. I would hope for students to see that the course content formed as part of their education oral. The priorities within a college curriculum are a reflection of the society in which it is applied. As a result , learners can more easily transfer new skills to day-to-day use’ (Purcell- Gates, et al. , 2001). The hope would be to achieve an immediacy of this transfer of skill at home, at work and in communities to encourage student persistence beyond a teaching and learning environment. Thereby the aspect of curriculum received is intended to be part of the Journey the student is taking. The curriculum has elements of both humanistic and cognitive approaches.