Faculty of Education - Theses

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End date: 1996 × Start date: 1996 × Type: Masters Coursework thesis × Subject: Curriculum planning ×

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    Curriculum coordination in practice
    Vivian, Andrew R ( 1996)
    The implementation of whole-school curriculum change is a challenge faced by principals and senior staff with curriculum leadership responsibilities. Success depends on the cooperation and commitment of all teachers in a school, so that curriculum leaders require skills for manoeuvring groups of teachers towards a common goal. In Victorian government secondary schools the Curriculum Coordinator, an experienced teacher, is charged with overseeing curriculum change, and this customarily entails chairing a Curriculum Committee, the composition of which is invariably dominated by teachers. Schwab (1983) writes about the creation of a similar role in American schools, and proffers suggestions for the role and training of a curriculum coordinator and the composition of a curriculum committee, in order to encourage a refocussing on the liberal democratic traditions of education. This study uses Schwab's views as a reference point for examining the work of three experienced Curriculum Coordinators in Victorian government schools, who shared their stories with the author, himself a practising Curriculum Coordinator. Each participant in the study was asked to reflect on a Critical Incident of whole-school curriculum change, for which they had responsibility, and which influenced the ways in which they carried out the role of Curriculum Coordinator. The sharing of these reflections benefits both researcher and participant alike (Tripp, (1994)) and can offer insights into the skills and knowledge employed by effective curriculum leaders. Interpretation of the Critical Incidents provided a framework by which curriculum change can be analysed. The effect of the educational culture of a school, the status of the Curriculum Coordinator in the school and the extent to which the proposed curriculum change affects existing participant areas cumulatively influence the successful implementation. A number of writers identify teachers as inhibitors of change (eg: Cowie (1995), Weiss (1995) and Little (1990)), and the management and communication skills of effective Curriculum Coordinators are tested by this resistance. The stories presented confirm the notion of curriculum leadership as a practical, multi-faceted activity, and each participant has developed professionally through the practical execution of their roles. While each story is unique, the participants shared a common view of whole-school curriculum leadership as a collaborative exercise, focussed on improving educational outcomes for their students.