Different Ideologies influencing our Curriculum

1. Different Ideologies influencing our Curriculum Denise Summers February 2008 Some slides taken from a presentation by Dr Stephen Sterling, Centre for Sustainable Futures, UoP, 20.3.08

2. The socialization function (instrumental - product) To replicate society and culture and promote citizenship Appropriate images

3. The vocational function To train for employment Appropriate images Influenced by instrumental values – stressing purpose and product

4. The liberal function(process) To develop the individual’s potential Appropriate images

5. The transformative function(process) To encourage change towards a fairer society and a better world Appropriate images Influenced by instrinsic values – considers the role of education, it is a good in itself

6. Sustainable education Appropriate image • Is concerned with reconciling all four views, but particularly builds on the last two. • It is democratic – seeking to place education with educators, learners and communities, rather than governments and corporations. • It upholds the fundamental value and right of equality of opportunity for all.

7. Sustainable education Appropriate images • Is about nurturing and realising inherent potential. • Is also acutely aware of the need to educate for sustainability, community and peace in a turbulent and rapidly changing world.

8. Rough Paradigm Map(Stephen Sterling)

9. Different Views of Education • Ecological • Holistic view of knowledge • Appreciative view of learner • Transformative view of pedagogy • Mechanistic • Reductionist view of knowledge • Deficit view of learner • Transmissive model of pedagogy

10. Where We Are Now (dominant ideas) • Purpose education as preparation for economic life • Policy education as product (courses/qualifications) • Practice education as instruction

11. Where We Need to Go (new ideas) • Purpose education for sustainable society, economy and ecology • Policy education as process of individual and social capacity building • Practice education as participative learning

12. Shifts in Curriculum, Content and Process • Towards: • Curriculum as experience/situated learning • Provisional knowledge • Real world knowledge • Participative learning • Multiple learning styles • Reflective/active learning • From: • Curriculum as top-down ‘product’ • Fixed knowledge • Abstract knowledge • Teaching/instruction • Few learning styles • Passive learning

13. no response accommodation reformation transformation no change green ‘gloss’ serious reform whole system redesign Learning Responses to the Challenge of Sustainability

14. Comparing Teaching Methodologies/Strategies Instructive/Transmissive Constructive/ Transformative Standardised Deliverable Measurable Familiar Assessable Platform for progression Potential for new knowledge Builds on existing knowledge/skills Learner-centred/whole view Builds capacity Ownership/engagement Relevance Strengths Deficit model of learner Superficial, disengaging Who controls? Cognitive/content bias Didactic pedagogy More difficult? Assessment/Evaluation? Too open–ended? All process? Leadership/direction? Weaknesses

15. Responding to Sustainability – regarding what we do now: • What is of value that we need to keep? • What might need modification? • What, if anything, might we need to abandon? • What new ideas, concepts, principles, methodologies, working methods, pedagogies etc are needed?