Encyclopaedia of Curriculum Reforms and Teaching Methods

The curriculum is not a recipe or compendium of what should be taught in a particular grade or at a particular level. Rather it provides a coherent programme for students, on the basis of the best thinking available in the field, and defines material that supports teachers in making better, more thoughtful, more informed decisions about the learning experience of students. What the curriculum provides is first and foremost for teachers. What are therefore the implications of curriculum reforms on teachers and their practices? A curriculum reform is built upon an assumption concerning the type of citizen you need and we believe that new epochs need new teaching strategies. The curriculum is primarily a tool for teacher development. The teacher must truly be in partnership with the curriculum rather than simply use it as a guide for sequencing student work. A curriculum can support teachers honestly if it has been developed through intense collaboration with teachers and students. How do curricular materials become a tool for teacher development? The teacher needs to consider what content is important for students, whether a digression from the ideas they are currently pursuing is warranted and how to create a context and problems that are appropriate for students. The teacher must be able to map students thinking and design next steps. The volumes dwell on these issues in a very indepth way and makes valuable suggestions for improving the curriculum and the teaching methods. The book is an indispensable and unique companion for B.Ed. students, researchers and teachers.