TOPIC 1:

a. On the basis of your reading, briefly discuss the main elements that you would argue
should be included in a definition of curriculum. In what ways did your understanding of
curriculum change as a result of this discussion.

I believe the definition of curriculum should include the students, teachers, the environment
and the way the three interact with one another (Boomer, cited in Grundy 1998, p. 34). This
should take into account the cultural needs and knowledge of students and staff (Soong 2019).
One of the more important elements which should be included in the definition of curriculum is
the cultural context of learners and those who deliver the curriculum (Soong 2019). I think that
having multiple perspectives within curriculum design is vital for learners. It is my opinion that
teachers who deliver the curriculum should have a say in the content of the curriculum as well
the structure and they way it is offered to learners. Students should also have the opportunity to
participate in the construction of the curriculum in a way which recognises their sense of
agency (Grundy 1998, p. 34). This fits with my own early childhood learning philosophy of child-
centred pedagogies because I believe it to be the most effective way for children to learn.
The environment is a vital part of defining the curriculum (Rigney 2019). I can see the way the
environment has a vast impact on learning, providing the space for children to explore as well
as developing their sense of place within their world. I agree that definitions of curriculum
should also include school policies, government policies and requirements and elements of
assessment and reporting (Print 1990). The reason for this in my opinion is that stakeholders
need to be satisfied that national and state educational policies have been met which has
become apparent to me during the course and through the readings and lectures.

My understanding of the definition of curriculum has been evolving throughout engaging with
the course and I can now see how it will continue to evolve throughout my career. In
particular, I have added perspectives of stakeholders, the importance of the environment and
considered the hidden curriculum on a personal, local and national scale.

b. Define the following key terms in your own words:

 Hidden Curriculum
The hidden curriculum describes the elements of learning which are not intentionally taught
explicitly within the syllabus but are unwittingly learnt by the students (Print 1993, p. 5; Soong
2019). These elements are implicitly taught through various structures and practices within the
classroom and school (Grundy 1998, p. 31). These may include political ideologies and opinions
about gender, socioeconomic status or age (Grundy 1998, p. 31).

 Negotiated Curriculum
Children are active participants in building the curriculum. Boomer (cited in Grundy 1998, p. 34)
describes the interaction between teachers and students to construct the curriculum in
partnership as ‘negotiating the curriculum’. Within a negotiated curriculum, children are seen
as active participants and involved in co-construction of their own learning along with teachers
(Grundy 1998, pp. 34-35). The negotiated curriculum challenges ideas of who has power to
make curriculum content and delivery, acknowledging the rights of children to actively
participate in the process and recognises their sense of agency (Grundy 1998, p. 34).

 Planned Curriculum

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The planned curriculum includes the intentional aspects of teaching and learning provided by
teachers for students to meet the educational outcomes (Grundy 1998, p. 30; Print 1990, p. 4). It
is also known as the written curriculum or syllabus and is made up of the actual content which is
knowingly delivered to students (Print 1990, pp. 4-7).

 Curriculum as ‘currere’
‘Currere’ refers to the way the experience of the individual interacts with the learning and the
learning environment (Print 1990, pp. 6-7). In my opinion this would work well with an early
childhood play-based curriculum where children make meaning through their own experiences
and follow their own interests.

References:

Grundy, S 1998, ‘The curriculum and teaching’, in E Hatton (ed), Understanding teaching.
curriculum and the social context of schooling, Hardcourt Brace, Sydney, pp. 27-37.

Print, M 1993, Curriculum development and design, 2nd edn, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.

Soong, H 2019, What is curriculum? EDUC4212, lecture recording 4 July 2019, University of South
Australia, viewed 4 July 2019,
<https://unisa.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=f1bb3532-adf8-4dc7-
bf2a-aa7c00bed79e>.

Rigney, LI 2019, Whose knowledge counts in school? EDUC4212, lecture recording 5 July 2019,
University of South Australia, viewed 5 July 2019,
<https://unisa.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=f7e96789-ccee-4876-
8e3d-aa7c00bee4f2>.

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TOPIC 3:

a. Discuss the work by Donovan and Johnston & Hayes.:

What is the relationship between the representation of (or the lack of) knowledges in Australian
curriculum (as suggested by Donovan in his work on Aboriginal knowledges) and the enacted
curriculum (as reflected by the Johnson and Hayes research)?

Student engagement is enhanced when knowledge is shared between teachers and students
as well as between students and students in a space where they can co-construct learning
(Johnston & Hayes 2009, p. 120). Aboriginal students need to be engaged by teachers through
authentic relationship building and acknowledgement of cultural values (Donovan 2015, 622-
623). It is vital that the knowledges of Aboriginal students are brought into the learning space to
improve their engagement (Donovan 2015, p. 623; Rigney 2019).

The enacted curriculum did not allow students many opportunities for using critical and
creative thinking or building their problem-solving skills (Donovan 2015, p. 623). Group
interactions were minimal which means opportunities for sharing and co-constructing
knowledge are also lost (Johnston & Hayes 2008, pp. 113-116). The students were expected to
take in information being given to them, rather than accounting for their interests and prior
knowledges (Johnston & Hayes 2009, p. 118).

How do their analyses matter to you and your teaching of Aboriginal knowledges?

In my future practice as a teacher I will place greater importance on embedding Aboriginal

knowledges and cultural values within the learning environment. In order to do this most
effectively, I will seek professional development opportunities and build relationships with
families and communities to improve my own understandings on a more individualised level.
From the readings, it is understood that student engagement increases when their own
interests, culture and knowledges are valued and respected by teachers.

b. Following Lampert et al’s work, reflect on your own experience of schooling and field
teaching experience:

What is it like for you when you find yourselves teaching students from cultures other than your
own?

I find myself being curious about the culture of children and families, with an interest in learning
more about their values, history, practices and beliefs. When I work with children and families
from other cultures, I think the most important thing is to build a relationship with them and get
to learn about their individual history and culture. This will inform practice and help establish
their needs and interests. It is also important to not have a deficit attitude towards children and
to examine and critically reflect on my own deep-set attitudes (Lampert, Burnett & Morse 2015,
p. 77).

I think educators should build a community of learners who respect and value diversity by
immersing them in rich and authentic cultural experiences. I spent a large portion of my
schooling in the far north of South Australia, in a small community on the border of the Anangu-

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Pitjantjatjara-Yankyunytjatjara lands. I think I was lucky to have teachers who were seemingly
forward-thinking at the time and embedded Indigenous knowledges into our learning. This
reading did challenge my thinking around the subconscious preconceptions and
misconceptions we can all have about diverse children and families. I find it very interesting to
reflect on my own deep ideas and values which I have formed over my lifespan as a result of
my experiences.

Do you have a view about what knowledge should be privileged in the curriculum?

From the various readings and lectures I have a greater awareness of the range of knowledges
that our children bring to the learning environment (Rigney 2019). I think that no single groups
knowledge should take precedence over others, though historically some knowledges are
privileged over others (Rigney 2019). In my education history, the knowledge and experience
of “white” Australians has been viewed as the most important and the version of history I learnt
in school is quite different from the version I have come to know during my university career.
Though it is interesting to think about who has the privilege to decide what knowledge is
included in the curriculum (Rigney 2019), I think the truth of our history should be taught to all
learners.

References:

Donovan, M 2015, Aboriginal student stories, the missing voice to guide us towards change,
Australian Educational Researcher vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 613-625.

Johnston, K & Hayes, D 2008 ‘This is as good as it gets: classroom lessons and learning in
challenging circumstances’, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 31, no. 2, pp 109-
127.

Lampert, J, Burnett, B & Morse, K 2015, ‘Destabilising privilege’, in T Ferfolja et al. (eds),
Understanding sociological theory for educational practices, Cambridge University Press, Port
Melbourne, pp. 76-92.

Rigney, LI 2019, Whose knowledge counts in school? EDUC4212, lecture recording 5 July 2019,
University of South Australia, viewed 5 July 2019,
<https://unisa.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=f7e96789-ccee-4876-
8e3d-aa7c00bee4f2>.

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TOPIC 4:

a. Identify some ways in which assessment shapes the curriculum (can be from the readings or
the lecture). E.g. the role of external exams; school based assessment; national standardised
testing programs; competency or outcomes based assessment. Discuss what you consider to
be the implications of these for developing curriculum.

Assessment shapes the curriculum by informing the content which is delivered to students (Earl
2006, p. 2). Some assessments are formative in nature (assessment for learning) which allow
teachers to see what children know and what they have learnt so they can modify and plan for
future learning accordingly (Earl 2006, p. 7). The assessments which involve self-reflection
(assessment as learning) are effective for students to connect what they know and apply it
across contexts (Earl 2006, p. 7). Some forms of school-based summative assessments
(assessment of learning) are for reporting achievement to stakeholders to maintain
accountability and decide how students are placed relating to others (Earl 2006, p. 7).

Assessment has been used historically to inform who would access certain opportunities in
education or in the workforce (Earl 2006, p. 2). This topic really connected with me when also
considering the issue of equity (or lack of it) in the curriculum (Soong 2019). During my time at
university I have been frustrated by the seemingly standardised nature of assessments we have
to partake in when we are continually being told to reframe our thinking to be inclusive to all
learners.

b. Watch the video link

What are your perceptions surrounding this issue?

I was surprised to learn that Australian students are academically behind many countries in
certain learning domains. Engaging with the lecture consolidated this viewpoint that
standardised testing and high-pressure situations seem to drive success in shanghai students in
particular (McKechnie & O’Connor 2019). It seems apparent that parents in these Asian
schooling systems play a large role in the educational performance of their children
(McKechnie & O’Connor 2019). This made me critically reflect on the Australian system and
how it differs from the Shanghai schooling system. I have been wondering if we are really doing
things “right” or is there is a better way to facilitate success for our children. One of the
standout messages from the clip and lecture is that education is not all up to schools and that
parents need to take a greater responsibility in their child’s education. Personally I played an
active role in my children’s early education and they have grown to be very competent at
literacy and numeracy. The readings and lectures have raised many personal questions for me
to consider as I continue my ongoing education: I wonder if I had not been so actively involved
in their education, would my children be less successful? How can I engage parents in the
classroom and how can I encourage them to support their child’s learning?

How would you approach assessment based on your view on orientation (identified in Topic 2)?
Justify why.

My view on is that a Humanist approach to education is best suited to my ideology about living
and learning. A humanist orientation seeks to realise the full potential of the individual being in
their intellectual, social, emotional and physical capabilities (Carter et al. 2009, p. 2). This
orientation fits well with my belief that children in an early childhood context learn successfully
through a play-based environment which allows for individual choice and creative learning

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(Carter et al. 2009, p. 3). As early childhood educators we facilitate learning in a way which
focuses on the child at the centre of the curriculum. From a humanist perspective, assessment
takes place in an informal way, with children being observed for the extent to which they reach
their fullest potential (Carter et al. 2009, p. 6). The assessment allows for further development for
the good of the individual child, not to compare them against other learners.

References:

Boomer, G 1992, 'Negotiating the curriculum', in Negotiating the Curriculum: educating for the
21st century, eds. G Boomer, N Lester, C Onore & J Cook, The Falmer Press, London, pp. 4-14.

Carter J, Banfield, G, O’Donoghue, M & Brennan, M 2009 Orientations to education and

curriculum, University of South Australia, viewed 9 July 2019, <https://unisa-
moodle1.ereserve.com.au/app/student/units/821/offerings/2337/reading/lists/522>.

Collins, C 2011 ‘The tail wagging the dog? Assessment and reporting.’ Australia's Curriculum
Dilemmas: state cultures and the big issues. L. Yates, C. Collins and K. O'Connor. Melbourne,
Melbourne University Press: 185-210.

Earl, L. 2006 ‘Assessment – a powerful lever for learning’, Brock Education, vol. 16, no. 1, pp 1-15.

McKechnie, M & O’Connor, J 2019, How assessment plays a role in Shanghai education
EDUC4212, lecture recording 9 July 2019, University of South Australia, viewed 9 July 2019,,
<https://unisa.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=06677eb3-2849-4e47-
9312-aa8400c07dbe>.

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TOPIC 6:

a. From the readings and the lecture, reflect on what have challenged your assumptions
about students from low socio-economic and/or culturally diverse background/s?

I was challenged to consider the assumptions we all make about abilities and values of
education due to culture, language and socioeconomic background as discussed by Memon
(2019). The lecture (Memon 2019) really had me considering the assumptions I make about
children and families according to their background. I think in the early childhood education
sector as a whole, we are very good at seeing the potential of the child no matter what their
circumstances are. I found it very confronting to know that many children will not develop to
their full potential as a result of their family circumstances (UNICEF, cited in Sims & Brettig 2018,
p. 282).

I was challenged by the fact that there is such a large issue with educational disadvantage
among children from low socio-economic backgrounds (Kenway 2013, p. 289; Memon 2019)
when I had assumed that this did not have such an impact on outcomes. Though I had
assumed there would be inequalities in this domain, I was surprised to know that it is largely an
issue of educational and social segregation (Kenway 2013, p. 289). Gonski (cited in Kenway
2013, p. 291) argues that this can add to the negative educational outcomes for
disadvantaged students. I was surprised to learn about the cycle of school performance (Nous
Group, cited in Kenway 2013, p. 295). This model shows that poor performing schools become
more disadvantaged when mid-high socio-economic student populations leave for higher
performing schools which further lowers the overall school performance (Nous Group, cited in
Kenway 2013, p. 298).

According to Kenway (2013, p. 287), one of the points made in the Gonski report was that
Australia fails to combine quality with equity in education systems. There are unequal
distributions of students across different sectors, with government schools having much higher
concentrations of students from low socio-economic backgrounds than catholic and
independent schools (Kenway 2013, p. 290). Kenway (2013, p. 291) proposes that catholic and
independent schools should share enrolments of disadvantaged students with government
schools. This will limit educational and social segregation which can have positive implications
for both advantaged and disadvantaged students (Kenwway 2013, p. 291).

Funding systems do not always acknowledge the needs of the school populations, though
Gonski (cited in Kenway 2013, p. 298) suggests that funding should be based on the capacity of
enrolled families to financially contribute to the resource needs of the school. It is my belief that
the distribution of funding should be arranged in an equitable way which sees sites getting
what they need to be successful institutions for the learners they have.

How will you, a future Australian teacher, take up the challenge to address the ‘equity
question’?

One of the most interesting points from the lecture was the reminder that diversity is far more
outreaching than just race, ethnicity and language (Memon 2019). This was relevant to me
because although I see diversity in each and every child, I can see that others will not have the
same perspective and think diversity is about race or culture. I was reminded that diversity is
not only about what we can see in front of us. As a future teacher, I will be fully aware of
preconceptions we can all have about students based on their background including their

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culture, race, language or socio-economic status. I think it is important to see each child for
who they are and know them on a personal level while respecting their history and home
context.

From the lecture, I learnt that that it is important to acknowledge the privilege that we have in
order to be able to address the under privilege of others we will work with (Lampert, Burnett &
Morse 2015, p. 77; Memon 2019). Furthermore, we should not underestimate the power of
privilege which we can use to make change in our education settings (Memon 2019; Soong
2019). This may mean we need to look at what appears fair and unfair with issues relating to
teaching and learning and realising who is disadvantaged from the choices we make about
curriculum content and children’s knowledges (Memon 2019; Rigney 2019; Soong 2019). My
privilege means that I have had access to an education which has allowed me to know that
young children learn best through play and to know how trauma and social-emotional
wellbeing has an impact on learning. My privilege allows me to be an advocate for children,
to support their own sense of agency and provide a safe space for them. Memon (2019) states
that to be committed to equity, we need to be able to address the questions and concerns of
all students in our learning space. There is a vast difference between equity and equality
(Memon 2019) and I can use my privilege to understand the difference and to be committed
to providing an equitable education for all children I work with.

As I engaged with various readings, workshops and lectures throughout the course, I made
connections with some of the practices I have seen in my workplace and on practicums. I
thought about the meetings my director has with principals to arrange school classes and
wonder where the needs of the child are in that and how their social-emotional wellbeing and
social groups are being considered. I think every teacher and child should have the
opportunity to form their own relationships without any preconceptions and that every day
should be a new day with new opportunities. It was also very evident that throughout my
career I will need to critically reflect on my own practice and continuously analyse my attitudes
towards disadvantaged children and their families (Lampert, Burnett & Morse 2015, p. 77;
Memon 2019). This will help me to be effective at seeing multiple perspectives, recognising my
own privilege so I can use my voice to take a stand against social injustice (Lampert, Burnett &
Morse 2015, p. 77; Memon 2019).

References:

Kenway, J 2013, ‘Challenging inequality in Australian schools: Gonski and beyond’, Discourse:
Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 286-308.

Lampert, J, Burnett, B & Morse, K 2015, ‘Destabilising privilege’, in T Ferfolja et al. (eds),
Understanding Sociological Theory for Educational Practices, Cambridge University Press, Port
Melbourne, pp. 76-92.

Memon, N 2019, What is equity? EDUC4212, lecture recording 9 July 2019, University of South
Australia, viewed 9 July 2019,
<https://unisa.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=027c90de-b052-4a9a-
98b2-aa7c00bf14ab>.

Rigney, LI 2019, Whose knowledge counts in school? EDUC4212, lecture recording 5 July 2019,
University of South Australia, viewed 5 July 2019,

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<https://unisa.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=f7e96789-ccee-4876-
8e3d-aa7c00bee4f2>.

Sims, M & Brettig, K 2018, ‘Early childhood Education and early childhood development: do the
differences matter?’, Power and Education, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-13.

Soong, H 2019, What is curriculum? EDUC4212, lecture recording 4 July 2019, University of South
Australia, viewed 4 July 2019,
<https://unisa.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=f1bb3532-adf8-4dc7-
bf2a-aa7c00bed79e>.

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