Addressing various reservations of key stakeholders regarding the response of project materials to issues identified in the external review. Focus Question 7: In light of the above, what improvements could be made to the draft curriculum materials?
Introduction
- Purposes of the Evaluation
- The Years 1 to 10 Mathematics Curriculum Development Project
- Evaluation Focus
- Evaluation Approach
In light of the above, what improvements can be made in the draft curriculum material. An example of a problem is 'The relative emphasis between mental calculations and standard written forms'.
Progress of the Trial and Development Phase
Interviews with trial and development teachers
The project team told us to stay away from assessment and reporting, but now they are trying to address that. This item is included because the two-way flow of information between the project team and the schools is crucial to the success of the pilot and development process.
Review of email communication
Our school has a problem with email, but I find it very easy to get on the phone and talk to them. Sometimes there is limited time to respond to the project team's requests for feedback, and this is difficult for us, especially finding time to join it.
Summary and Conclusions
The teachers generally appreciated the project group's efforts and the regard for the teacher's comments and suggestions. There was also evidence of frustration among some of the teachers at the pressure of deadlines for response to drafts and the time required outside classroom hours for communication with the project team.
Appropriateness – Views of Mathematics Education
External Review
The main school authorities (Education Queensland, Queensland Catholic Education Commission and Association of Independent Schools of Queensland Inc.) assessed the draft curriculum's response to questions regarding the role of language and learning technology as adequate. Although reservations have been expressed, the three school authorities appear to largely accept most of the draft curriculum's responses to a range of issues identified in the external review.
Survey
Together, the results indicate that the current topics were considered appropriate by most teachers participating in the pilot and development phase. How do you assess the suitability of the topics in the Patterns and Algebra section?
Summary and Conclusions
Appropriateness – Potential to Meet Needs in Schools
Interviews with trial and development teachers
A secondary teacher expressed concerns about the school's values not being evident in the new curriculum. It is good for working up or down according to the level of the students. Most of the teachers emphasized that the draft curriculum can meet the needs and abilities of the students within the schools.
Primary and secondary teachers from the wide range of communities involved felt that the outcomes approach to the draft curriculum provided the flexibility to tailor teaching to meet student needs. The structure of the curriculum, which focused on students' level of understanding, provided a way to group students. It was noted that the structuring practices of the secondary school were a barrier to organizing curriculum planning and implementation.
Survey
We have a whole range of abilities here and it's great to be able to work with the child's abilities. In the comment below, the teacher raises concerns about how the curriculum can be tailored to meet student needs, but without other supportive practices implemented in the school, there is little chance of revisiting content covered. There is also the question of if they are not successful at this level, how are they going to repeat in subsequent years.
Overall, support for the draft syllabus to meet student needs was very clear. Teachers were able to adapt their programs to students' needs because outcomes and elaborations were organized to relate to students' level of understanding. A few of the comments seemed to indicate a misunderstanding of the outcomes approach, including the function of level statements, pointing to the need for initial in-service to cover these basic concepts.
Summary and Conclusions
Appropriateness – Implications for Draft Materials
Interviews with trial and development teachers
Discussion
Summary and Conclusions
The external review involving key stakeholders raised suggestions that mental calculations should be included in the early years and that the introduction of the syllabus should specifically address the needs of learners at different stages of development.
Effectiveness – Planning, Teaching and Learning Contexts
Interviews with trial and development teachers
I love the fact that they are moving more of the abstract stuff to high school. Some of the topics have been postponed to later years than today, and I'm not sure that's necessarily wise. Each result has so many drills and we got caught looking too much at the drills instead of the global results.
Most teachers had no problems, but some had problems with the wording and terminology in the core learning outcomes. It was difficult to match the skills and abilities of the children with. Some of the text is difficult to follow, especially if you are not a math expert.
Survey
Summary and Conclusions
The most common concern raised by teachers concerned the order in which topics were arranged. In their current form, the draft curriculum materials provide a good, workable basis for planning, teaching and learning contexts. We conclude that further development of the draft material should focus on modifying the elaborations, reconsidering the level placement of content, and addressing the various specific reservations of the representatives of school authorities about the response of the draft material to issues that in the external review.
Effectiveness – Assessment of Students’ Performance and Progress
Interviews with trial and development teachers
Summary and Conclusions
Effectiveness – Implications for Draft Materials
Interviews with trial and development teachers
Discussion
Summary and Conclusions
Efficiency – Electronic Provision of Materials
Interviews with trial and development teachers
I remember looking at the CD last year and being really excited about it, but we haven't gotten to the point of using it yet.
Survey
Summary and Conclusions
Most found it easy to use and appreciated its potential to assist teachers with planning. Provided the CD is made easier for teachers to use, it has high potential to make the curriculum accessible and to provide planning assistance. However, its value depends on teachers' ability to use such software, their access to appropriate computers, and their willingness to apply computer-based processes to school and classroom planning.
Efficiency – Implications for Draft Materials
Discussion
Summary and Conclusions
Concluding Comments
Interview – Trial and Development Teachers
Survey Questionnaire
External Review
Results of the External Review
Survey Results
Trial and Development Schools
Characterisation of Draft Curriculum
We've had a number of revisions, including some dramatic changes in improving the curriculum. The project team had not asked the pilot and development schools to undertake any systematic implementation of the draft materials, but six of the 14 schools had chosen to put the draft curriculum into practice.
Issues for which curriculum seen as appropriate
Issues for which curriculum seen as appropriate with reservations
Application of knowledge and skills to a realistic context the responsibility of the teacher – to assist teachers, practical applications and identification of realistic, appropriate contexts should be a priority for support material (E). For three of the issues, listed in Exhibit 4, at least one of the three stakeholders indicated that the responses from the draft curriculum were not appropriate. reservations in italics, not applicable in bold):.
Issues for which draft curriculum response not seen as appropriate
Reservations were made in five cases by Education Queensland and in six cases by the Association of Independent Schools of Queensland Inc. Education Queensland expressed concern that mental calculations were not specifically emphasized in the early years and that the introduction of the syllabus did not specifically address the needs of students at different stages of development, and that elaborations are not necessarily to be interpreted as guidance for the order of development of mathematical concepts.
Survey Items 7, 13–18, 23–24 (Appropriateness)
There are few clear attitudes to mathematics and mathematical rigor in the school, and some feel that the old standards are slipping. The comments suggest that although some of the outcomes and elaborations may not match the levels at which students have been working in their schools, there is room for flexibility in the curriculum. Some teachers indicated that planning using outcomes made them focus on students' needs and levels of understanding and design learning to meet those needs.
An outcomes-based education philosophy means you can cater to the needs of individual students. If you have students working on a particular level or outcome, the nesting of papers makes it easy to see what is required at the next level. Kids who are bright can be pushed forward, and students on the other side can take their time.
Survey Items 8, 12 and 19 (Teachers’ and Students’ Needs)
The only concern is that some parts or topics seem quite simple and I wonder where the expansion comes for the good kids. The answers are the easiest, and that's important because teachers will use this. Sometimes finding out what level children are at, especially at the beginning of the year.
Five teachers (including two primary and three secondary teachers) had problems with the results, especially with the use of expressions. We only had problems with some terms, but the project team was convinced that there were good reasons for this choice of terms. Some are out of place (do not match the outcome or seem out of sequence) and some verbs do not seem to match.
Survey Items 9–11 (Elaborations)
The research and development process has been successful in providing teachers with opportunities for meaningful participation in the continuous improvement of draft curriculum materials.
Survey Items 20–22 (CD)
How appropriate is the draft curriculum to the needs and abilities of the students in your school. How do you rate the effectiveness of the draft Core Learning Outcomes as information for teachers? How do you assess the effectiveness of the draft elaborations in demonstrating the depth and breadth of learning required in the core learning outcomes.
How do you evaluate the feasibility of drafts in your context with students. How do you rate the effectiveness of sections as a way of organizing the curriculum? How do you rate the relevance of the topics in Option and Data.
How do you assess the suitability of the topics in the Spatial Concepts and Visualization section? How do you rate the potential of the planning software on the CD to assist you with school and classroom planning?
