75 chapter 9 qhe Teacher and The School Curriculum The Teacher as i fementor (ES anda ‘Manager ‘a Curriculum Impl Implementing the Curriculum (means The next step after a curriculum planning and designing is jmplementing it. ‘As a teacher, this is one of the major roles that you do in the school. Many of the curricula that you use may have been recommended and written down. Your task is to implement such. Daily your plan should be ready for implementation. The success of learning depends on your implementation effort. There is a miniscule curriculum like your lesson plan, or 2 big one like the K to 12. curriculum, You will be both an implementor and a manager of these curricula. You will put action to what has been planned and designed. It is you, the teacher, who will add more meaning to the various activities in the classroom. This is what we call teaching styles. You have to make the day of the learners interesting, engaging and unforgettable. No curriculum should stop at planning or designing phase. It has to be implemented. Good luck, Teachers! x Implementing the Designed Curriculum & Lesson 4.1 EE Change Process TUS eo ayo > Define curriculum implementation > Analyze what is change process in curriculum implementation > Explain the process of curriculum implementation CAE We hear teachers say: “Here goes again, another curricular change! We are already overloaded! Why do we have to do this?”16 THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM This is a common voice that we hear from teachers and Currey implementors. But as we mentioned earlier, change is inevitable n curriculum development. To be relevant, we need to change ~ a chan, for the better and it can be obviously seen through implementation, °* Gemma Curriculum Implementation Defined Following the curriculum models of Tyler, Taba, Alexander or Lewis, is the next step to curriculum designi curriculum implementing. This is the phase where teacher action takes place. It is one of the most crucial process in curriculum development although many education planners would say: “A good plan is Work half done.” If this is so, then the other half of the success of curriculum development rests in the hands of the implementor who is the teacher Curriculum implementation means putting into practice the written curriculum that has been designed in syllabi, course of study, curricular guides, and subjects. It is a process wherein the learners acquire the planned or intended knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are aimed at enabling the same learners to function effectively in society. (SADC MoE Africa, 2000) Ornstein and Hunkins in (1998) defined curriculum implementation as the interaction between the curriculum that has been written and planned and the persons (teachers) who are in charge to deliver it. To them, curriculum implementation implies the following: Saylor and ing which js Shift from what is current to a new or enhanced curriculum; * Change in knowledge, actions, attitudes of the persons involved; Change in behavior using new strategies and resources; and * Change which requires efforts hence goals should be achievable. Loucks and Lieberman (1983) define curriculum implementation as the trying out of a new practice and what it looks like when actually used in a school system. It simply means that implementation should bring the desired change and improvement. In the classroom context, curriculum implementation means “teaching” what has been written in the lesson plan. Implementing means using the plan as a guide to engage with the learners in the teaching-learning process with the end in view that learning has oceurred and learning outcomes have been achieved. It involves the different strategies of teaching with the support instructional materials to go wil the strategy.Less dle 4~The Teacher as a Curriculum Implementor and & Manager .€880n 4.1 ~ Implementing the Designed Curriculum as a Change Process Ina larger scale, curriculum implementation means putting the quriculum into operation with the different implementing agents. Curriculum implementation takes place in a class, a school, a district, a division, or the whole educational system. In higher education, curriculum implementation happens for the course, a degree program, the institution, or the whole higher education system. It requires time, money, personal interaction, personal contacts, and support. Curriculum Implementation as a Change Process Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Theory and Curriculum Change Kurt Lewin (1951), the father of social psychology explains the process of change. The model can be used to explain curriculum change and implementation. In the education landscape, there are always two forces that oppase each other. These are the driving force and the restraining force. When these two forces are equal, the state is equilibrium, or balance. There will be a status quo, hence there will be no change. The situation or condition will stay the same. However, when the driving force overpowers the restraining force, then change will occur. If the opposite happens that is when the restraining force is stronger than the driving force, change is prevented. This is the idea of Kurt Lewin in his Force Field Theory. We shall use this theory to explain curriculum change. The illustration below shows that there are driving forces on the left and the resisting forces on the right. If you look at the illustration there is equilibrium. If the driving force is equal to the restraining force, will change happen? Do you think, there will be curriculum change in this situation? Why? 7 - | Driving Force 7 Restraining Forces Government Intervention g Fear of the Unknown I r Society’s Values i Negative Attitude to Change B sat I Technological Changes R Tradition Values Knowledge Explosion v Limited Resources M | Administrative Support Obsolete Equipment Based on Lewin’s Force Field Theory(8 THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM According to Lewin, change will be better if the forces shall be decreased, rather than iner TestFaining Asa Curricularist, how would easing the driving force you do this? Let us look first at the different ¢ the curriculum. Tt is im understanding of curricul hanges that Portant to identify um implementation, Ceur j, these as Part of our Categories of Curriculum Change McNeil in 2000 categorized curriculum change as follows: 1. Substitution, The current curriculum wil substituted by a new one. Sometimes, we cal Overhaul. Example, changing an old book to not merely a Tevision 2. Alteration, ere is a minor change to the current or existing curriculum. For example, instead of Using a graphing paper for mathematics teaching, this can be altered by using a graphing calculator,” Tequires the Primary and induction Program which is a special curriculum for newly hired teachers,Module 4 - The Teacher as a Curriculum Implementor and a Manager Implementing the Designed Curriculum as a Change Process Lesson 4.1 — Regardless of the kind of change in curriculum and implementation, the process of change may contain three important elements. As 4 process curriculum implementation should be developmental, articipatory and supportive. It should be developmental in the sense that it should develop multiple perspectives, increase integration and make learning autonomous, create a climate of openness and trust, and appreciate and affirm strengths of the teacher. There should be teacher support in trying new tasks, reflection on the new experiences and challenge. There are simple stages in the developmental change process for the teachers. First, is orientation and preparation. The initial use is yery mechanical or routinary. However, as the skills are honed and mastery of the routine is established, refinement follows. This means adjustments are made to better meet the needs of the learners and achieve the learning outcomes. In this step, there will be continuous reflection, feedback and refinement. Participatory. For curriculum implementation to succeed, it should be participatory, specially because other stakeholders like peers, school leaders, parents and curriculum specialists are necessary. Characteristics of teacher styles, commitment, willingness to change, skills, and readiness are critical to implementation. This should be coupled with organizational structure, principal style, student population characteristics and other factors. Trust among key players should also be sought as this is a positive starting point. Involvement and participation encourage sense of ownership and accountability. Participation builds a leaming community which is very necessary in curriculum implementation. Supportive curriculum implementation is required in the process of change. Material support like supplies, equipment and conductive learning environment like classrooms and laboratory should be made available. Likewise, human support is very much needed. The school leader or head should provide full school or institutional support to the implementation of the new curriculum. They too have to train to understand how to address curriculum change as part of their instructional as well as management functions. Time is an important commodity for a successful change process. For any innovation to be fully implemented, period of three to five Years to institutionalize a curriculum is suggested. Time is needed by the teachers to plan, adapt, train or practise, provide the necessary Tequirements and get support. Time is also needed to determine when the implementation starts and when it will conclude, since curriculum implementation is time bound. Support from peers, principals, external stakeholders will add to the Success of implementation. When teachers share ideas, work together, Solve problems, create new materials, and celebrate success, more likely that curriculum implementation will be welcomed. 7980 THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM Qi Activity 1: K to 12: Can we make a curriculum change? (By Group, ‘ The K to 12 is the current reform in our national basic educa curriculum. There are driving forces as well as restraining forces ie affect its implementation, In other words, there are factors that will pr K to 12 succeed but there are also factors that will make K to 12 fail 1. What factors make the K to 12 succeed? Write these on th left column A. You may not fill up all the boxes. « 2. What factors make the K to 12 difficult to succeed? Write these on the right column B. You may not fill up all the boxes 3. You see that the middle portion is the word equilibrium or balance. A. Driving Force/Factors B. Restraining Force/Factor E Q U I L [- I B R I | U | M 1. IfA is more than B, there will be a successful curriculum change. 2. If B is more than A, there will be an unsuccessful curriculum change. 3. If A and B are equal, then there will be a status quo. Activity 2: Making Sense of Curriculum Implementation 1. Observe a class where the teacher is actually teaching. 2. Describe what the teacher is doing for at least the whole period. 3. Write down your observation based on the following questions:3a 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Module 4 — 11 Lesson ait frp eacher 28 2 Curriculum implamertoy 278 6 Manager menting the Designed Curriculum as a Change Process What : were the different learners’ activities? What did th What did the teacher do, o make the Tearers engage 8 Were majori F lal of the children actively participating? Did the teacher control most of the activities? Did the learners and the teacher together achieve the lesired learning outcomes? Explain Ff, Self-Check J Perfect Match In column A are concepts about curriculum implementation. Connect a line from the box on the left (A) to the arrow on the right (B) of the correct match. Column A Column B 81 Concepts Meaning/Description = Impl : Minor curriculum change like the use of e-portfolio implementing instead of portfolio as an artifact. | * Restructuring the curricul * Developmental face to on > Progressive steps fr implementation. Major curriculum ‘om orientation to reflection about Jum that is a characteristic of a curriculum change like shifting from face-to- ine in the delivery of an academic program. |" Alteration " Change Process Lt > Curriculum proc 0 been planned and designed. > Process that ensures that something ¢! desired learning outcomes ess of putting into action what has the curriculum brings about different and better than before in the82 THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM TES 1. Asa future teacher, what would be your response to curricy implementation as part of curriculum change? Are you wil}; to take part in the implementation? Why? Why not? Write i answer in the box. - My Response to Curriculum Implementation