Zimbabwe Syllabus Revision

Zimbabwe Syllabus Revision

Masvingo, 8-12 April 2013

19 April 2013 D.Georgescu and Ph. Stabback

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New school?

Why and how to reform education?


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Why and how to reform education?

• New developments, challenges and opportunities

• “Old” versus “New” pedagogy

• Piecemeal versus comprehensive reforms

Competitors to “traditional schooling”


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What is

Curriculum?

Learning:Why?What?How?

How well?


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Curriculum: learning content selection and organization,

methods and environments

Knowledge Skills

Attitudes

Competencies

Life-long learning

Problem-solving

Learning to live

together (LTLT)

Education for

Sustainable Development (ESD)


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Competencies – why do we need them?


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What kind of knowledge?

Declarative Procedural

Meta-cognitive (i.e. motivation, attitudes, evaluation

Concepts, facts & relationships

ProceduresSkills

The knowledge-basis of competency development


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Learning methods: Major influences of:

ConstructivismSocial-constructivismBrain research Post-modernist philosophiesCritical philosophiesMulticulturalism

Learner-centredness

ParticipationInteractionInquiry

Hands-on workProblem solvingAssessment & self-assessment


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Learning methods: issues & tensions

• Are teachers well prepared?

• Do they adhere to interactive pedagogies?

• How to manage learner-centredness in difficult conditions?


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Learning methods: issues & tensions

Classroom practice have

the strongest association with achievement

Children belonging

to disadvantaged social background benefit the most

from reduced class size

High teacher expectations contribute significantly

to pupil performance

EFA GMR 2005: The Quality Imperative9 April 2013 D.Georgescu and Ph. Stabback

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Assessment: balancing assessment of and for

learningChallenges:

Clarity of purposes

Measuring what is measurable

Alternative means for assessing competencies


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Curriculum reforms methodologies and trends: Why

and HOW?


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Clarifying assumptions about learning


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Curriculum issues

Underpinning values

& principlesLearning outcomes/

Competencies

Curriculum construction Implementation


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How much do we retain from…


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Multiple Intelligences Theory (H. Gardner)What is important for curriculum?


9 April 2013 D.Georgescu and Ph. Stabback 17

Curriculum “architecture”

Curriculum FrameworkLearning standards

Teacher standards

Assessment standards

Syllabuses Learning resources

Implementation

9 April 2013 D.Georgescu and Ph. Stabback 18

Curriculum issues

Underpinning values

& principlesLearning outcomes/

Competencies

Curriculum construction Implementation

Quality Syllabuses

Masvingo, Zimbabwe9 April 2013

9 April 2013 19D.Georgescu and Ph. Stabback

A centrally developed document which describes the learning required /

expected in the subject / Learning Area

What do we mean by syllabus?


A syllabus is one component of the curriculum

SYLLABUS

Textbooks , teacher training, teacher guides and other materials

OTHER SYLLABUSES

A range of policies, regulations and directives governing education in

general and prescribing expectations for curriculum:

CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

REFLECTS

IS SUPPORTED BY

LINKS TO


What do we mean by quality?

Each education system or authority must develop a model for syllabuses

which reflects its traditions, capacities and resources.

THERE IS THEREFORE NO RECOGNISED SET OF

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR A SYLLABUS


Some characteristics of modern syllabuses

RELEVANCE

REFLECT AN AGREED EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND PEDAGOGY

FLEXIBILITY

INTEGRATIONBALANCE

CONTINUITY

STRUCTURE BASED ON

AGREED MODEL


How are quality syllabuses be achieved?

Systematic and planned process

Example from New South Wales, Australia


www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au

SYLLABUS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS


http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/

Syllabus Development Process in New South Wales

The Board of Studies is committed to a syllabus development process that:

is consistent with agreed procedures

is transparent involves wide consultation produces quality syllabus documents

contributes to high standards of teaching and learning.


1. Syllabus review

4.Implementation.

3. Syllabus development

2. Writing brief development

The process, using a project management approach, involves four phases:


1. Syllabus review

PurposeA review of the existing syllabus provision and a plan for the revision or development of the syllabus.


2. Writing brief development

PurposeThe development of a writing brief for the draft syllabus that takes account of the broad directions established duringthe syllabus review phase.


3. Syllabus development

PurposeThe development of the syllabus package as defined by the project plan.


4.Implementation

PurposeImplementation of the syllabus is conducted by schools. The Board’s role is the on-going collection of data on the use of the syllabus to ascertain whether the intentions of the syllabus are being achieved.


What should a syllabus look like?


Science Syllabus - Australia

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Mathematics/Rationale





A simple syllabus template could be:SECTION FOCUS QUESTIONRationale Why is this subject important?Objectives What are we trying to achieve in this subject?Outcomes What should students know, understand, be

able to do and believe as a result of learning in this subject?

Content What units, topics or themes should be studied and in which grades? In what scope and sequence

Standards How will we describe various levels of achievement?

Teaching and assessment

What teaching and assessment strategies are particularly relevant to this subject?

Evaluation How will we know if this syllabus is useful and successful?9 April 2013 35D.Georgescu and Ph. Stabback

Zimbabwe Syllabus Revision

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