What teachers do with the official curriculum

Memo

Queensland Studies Authority

Page 1 of 1

1 March 2011 Number: 012/11

All schools

What teachers do with the official curriculum

Purpose

To notify and encourage teachers to participate in a survey seeking their views on curriculum, syllabus documents and implementation processes for policy and curriculum in Queensland.

Background

What teachers do with the official curriculum is a joint project of the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA), Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU). The project is being jointly funded by the three organisations and the Australian Research Council.

Through an online survey, the project aims to investigate teachers’ views on a range of curriculum- related issues.

The intention is to make the project findings available to education systems and policy makers as schools prepare for a new era in curriculum, assessment and reporting with the introduction of the Australian Curriculum.

The attached letter from QUT research team leaders, Professor Allan Luke and Dr Annette Woods, explains the project in more detail.

More information

If you would like more information, please email Janice Chee at Janice.Chee@qsa.qld.edu.au, or phone 3864 0457.

Janice Chee Assistant Director

Curriculum Services Division

What teachers do with the official curriculum: A quantitative study of factors influencing the curriculum-in-use.

A joint project between QUT, QSA and QTU.

Did you miss an opportunity to participate in this survey in 2010? Are you a non Union member who has not heard about this survey? Do you

currently work as a:

 Primary Teacher ( including Prep Teachers);

 Secondary Classroom Teacher;

 Primary Music and PE specialist Teacher;

 Special Education Teacher;

 HOC; or

 HOD who works with QSA curriculum materials as part of your portfolio?

In 2010 an invitation to complete this survey was emailed to almost 19,000 QTU members. We want to ensure that all non QTU members (and those QTU members who were not in the first sample) who fit the sample requirements also get a chance to complete this important survey.

As a way to thank you for your time in participating, we’ll place you in the draw for a $50.00 Coles/Myer Voucher

If you are interested in giving us your views on the use of Curriculum documents in Queensland schools and other issues such as NAPLAN, MySchool and the Australian Curriculum please send an email to the following address: syllabus@qut.edu.au You will then be provided with simple instructions and access the on-line survey.

The closing date to participate in this important research project is Monday March 21

^st

. So email now!

This is important work - we want to be able to provide findings to systems about current issues, challenges and successes in curriculum policy and practices. The researchers, QTU and QSA think it is vital that teachers’ voices are heard in current debates about these issues.

We know that you are very busy at this time of year and we appreciate your willingness to have your say about these important issues.

With kind regards,

Allan Luke and Annette Woods Faculty of Education

Queensland University of Technology

Kelvin Grove Campus, Brisbane