Changing Times: Problematising Social Science Curriculum Implementation

By 2016, all schools across Australia will have transitioned from state-based to national curricula. Given the current dynamic period of curriculum change that schools are undergoing, there is a need to investigate how this change is implemented by and impacts on teachers. This research investigates...

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Main Authors: Stefanie Biancotti, Kelsey Halbert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: James Cook University 2016-08-01
Series:eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics
Online Access:https://journals.jcu.edu.au/etropic/article/view/3361
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author Stefanie Biancotti
Kelsey Halbert
author_facet Stefanie Biancotti
Kelsey Halbert
author_sort Stefanie Biancotti
collection DOAJ
description By 2016, all schools across Australia will have transitioned from state-based to national curricula. Given the current dynamic period of curriculum change that schools are undergoing, there is a need to investigate how this change is implemented by and impacts on teachers. This research investigates the implementation of Australian History and Geography curriculum initiatives by a junior secondary school department (Years 7-10) in North Queensland. It systematically and critically reviews the Australian curriculum implementation processes and outcomes, within one Social Science department, through a case study methodology (Koshy, 2010; Yin, 2003). Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Fenwick & Edwards, 2010) will be utilised as the theoretical framework for this research. The Actor Network theoretical framework will identify the actors (including lead researcher, teachers, administrators and objects such as Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C) materials) in the curriculum translation network and how the interactions between them shape the network and its processes. This article explores the historical context of curriculum change, maps the network of History curriculum actors and then details some of the implications that have emerged such as redefining the place of the History and Geography disciplines, the place of particular actors and the enabling and constraining factors in actors’ engagement and agency during the implementation. Researcher observations, interview and survey data provide insights into the ways in which teachers shape their own professional practices in response to curriculum change.
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spelling doaj.art-31264934b01a4d62a4b148d1556a5fc02022-12-21T17:43:09ZengJames Cook UniversityeTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics1448-29402016-08-01141Changing Times: Problematising Social Science Curriculum ImplementationStefanie Biancotti0Kelsey Halbert1James Cook UniversityJames Cook UniversityBy 2016, all schools across Australia will have transitioned from state-based to national curricula. Given the current dynamic period of curriculum change that schools are undergoing, there is a need to investigate how this change is implemented by and impacts on teachers. This research investigates the implementation of Australian History and Geography curriculum initiatives by a junior secondary school department (Years 7-10) in North Queensland. It systematically and critically reviews the Australian curriculum implementation processes and outcomes, within one Social Science department, through a case study methodology (Koshy, 2010; Yin, 2003). Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Fenwick & Edwards, 2010) will be utilised as the theoretical framework for this research. The Actor Network theoretical framework will identify the actors (including lead researcher, teachers, administrators and objects such as Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C) materials) in the curriculum translation network and how the interactions between them shape the network and its processes. This article explores the historical context of curriculum change, maps the network of History curriculum actors and then details some of the implications that have emerged such as redefining the place of the History and Geography disciplines, the place of particular actors and the enabling and constraining factors in actors’ engagement and agency during the implementation. Researcher observations, interview and survey data provide insights into the ways in which teachers shape their own professional practices in response to curriculum change.https://journals.jcu.edu.au/etropic/article/view/3361
spellingShingle Stefanie Biancotti
Kelsey Halbert
Changing Times: Problematising Social Science Curriculum Implementation
eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics
title Changing Times: Problematising Social Science Curriculum Implementation
title_full Changing Times: Problematising Social Science Curriculum Implementation
title_fullStr Changing Times: Problematising Social Science Curriculum Implementation
title_full_unstemmed Changing Times: Problematising Social Science Curriculum Implementation
title_short Changing Times: Problematising Social Science Curriculum Implementation
title_sort changing times problematising social science curriculum implementation
url https://journals.jcu.edu.au/etropic/article/view/3361
work_keys_str_mv AT stefaniebiancotti changingtimesproblematisingsocialsciencecurriculumimplementation
AT kelseyhalbert changingtimesproblematisingsocialsciencecurriculumimplementation