Topic 5

Curriculum and the teacher

Role of teacher as decision-maker, analyst, practitioner, and researcher

Role of teacher as decision-maker

 Teachers with their knowledge, experience and competencies are central to any curriculum
improvement effort.
 It is the teachers who know best what the curriculum should look like.
 A teacher can gauge whether an activity will fit into a specified timeframe and engage
students.
 All teachers should be allowed to provide input during the creation stage of curriculum.
 As teachers provide input they will feel more confident that the curriculum is created with
their concerns, and the needs of their students in mind.

Role of teacher as analyst

 Teachers carry out task analysis such as subject-matter analysis, and learning analysis.
 Subject-matter or content is the starting point in subject-matter analysis. The key question
is, “What knowledge is most important for students?”
 Learning analysis begins when content is being organized. It addresses which learning
processes are required for students to learn the selected content. It also addresses the
sequence of the learning activities.

Role of teacher as practitioner

 Teachers are reflective practitioners.

 By reflective practitioners, we mean teachers who are continually observant, thoughtful, and
reflective about the nature of learning and the art of teaching.
 Teachers as reflective practitioners continually try to understand what they currently believe
about learning, articulate to themselves and others why they believe what they do, and use
teaching as a powerful tool to enhance student learning and promote their own growth.

Role of teacher as researcher

 Teacher researchers attempt to better understand their practices, and its impacts on their
students, by researching the relationship between teaching and learning in their world of
work.
 As professionals, teachers want to grow – to develop new insights, skills and practices.
 Teacher researchers analyse educational problems of concern to them, plan programmes,
enact them, evaluate what they have done, and then repeat the cycle of research if
necessary.
Textbook selection

 Demands for textbooks grow while publishing industry responds with new series.
 Selection approach affected either by personal preferences or unrelated pedagogical factors
(budget, availability, etc.)
 A need for a practical and straightforward method that helps analyze options according to
program issues, from broad (e.g. goals and curriculum) to specific (e.g. exercises and
activities).

Matching the textbook to the program/course

 Examine program/course thoroughly.

 Opt for a textbook series or individual texts = content and approach standardization.
 Compare textbook objectives and program/course objectives.
 Identify textbook appropriateness according to intended learners.

Reviewing the skills presented in the textbook

 Effectiveness to help learners acquire necessary skills.

 Does the text focus on the skills it claims to focus on? (Progress and guidance)
 Does it teach the skills or does it merely provide practice? (Content validation)
 Coverage of other important skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Reviewing exercises and activities in the textbook

 Real contribution to learners’ language acquisition (Practice and extended language skills)
 Balanced format with controlled and free practice.
 Progression through the textbook (Reinforcement and complexity demand)
 Variety and challenge (Stimulus for communication)

Advantage/ disadvantage of textbook:

Relationship between teacher beliefs and curriculum implementation

 Teachers' belief systems reflect personal theories about the nature of knowledge and
knowing that, in turn, influence teachers' curriculum decision making and teaching
approaches.
 What teachers believe makes a difference. Specifically, what teachers assume about
knowledge, learning, learners, curriculum, and themselves as teachers can really make a
difference in the lives of students, as well as in their own lives as teachers.