Barriers in curriculum change

Presentation slides  

Keywords; Barriers of changing in curriculum, Lack of Professional Development, Status Quo Comfort, Lack of Resources, Lack of Political well

Barriers of changing in curriculum

• Changing in curriculum is never easy, particularly when the change involves an entire system or approach.
• Most attempts at systemic educational change result in failure at some level.
• Obviously, educational practices must evolve as society evolves; however, administrators may encounter multiple obstacles when mandating change.

—  society

—  Curriculum change is a form of social change. If changes are not understood and supported by the society then these may not be effectively brought about.

—  To refuse those to share to the extent of their ability Who are affected by the change

—  Not involving those persons of the community who are directly involved in the educational programmes otherwise the curriculum will not be effective

Lack of Professional Development

—  For systemic curricular change to occur, teachers and staff must be properly trained to implement the new approach.

—  This requires time, money and appropriate coaches. When staff feel they are asked to implement new strategies without staff development, they are less likely to welcome the change.

—  Teachers need specific suggestions for implementing the reforms within their individual classes, not just in the school in general.

Lack of the following competencies may cause barriers in curriculum changes:

ü  Competency needed for working in face to face situations

ü  Competency required for the process of fact finding

ü  Competency required for the process of mass communication

ü  Competency needed in the job of selecting individuals to do particular jobs

ü  Competency in Learning Theories in terms of psychology

Status Quo Comfort

—  Parents, teachers, students and administrators may be resistant to change because they are comfortable with the way things are.

—  If the school is performing well, stakeholders are unlikely to support change. This is especially true when the change is mandated by the state or local school board or other agency without respect to those directly involved in the school.

—  All parties involved in the school must be consulted for successful changes.

Lack of Resources

—  When money, manpower and supplies are not available to make the change, teachers and staff may be resistant to adopt new practices.

—  If technology plays a large part in the change, but no funding is provided to purchase any equipment, the change cannot be sustained.

—   Many new curriculum approaches require teachers to work collaboratively with their colleagues; however, if the administration does not allow time during the school day for collaborative planning, teachers must work longer hours making them less likely to support the changes.

Expectations

—  Unrealistic expectations can result in failure.

—  When administrators force changes on faculty without providing training and resources, teachers may feel overburden and have difficulty making the changes. These administrators expect immediate change and instant success, which is unrealistic in even the best situation.

Attitudes

The most frustrating and paralyzing barriers to change are negative attitudes.

—  Teachers may feel their students are incapable of learning or that parents are not supportive.

—  Administrators may feel the teachers are incompetent at teamwork.

—  Students and parents may feel their needs are ignored.

—  The community may believe the school is hopelessly failing.

—  Negative attitudes can destroy changes in curriculum.

Lack of Political well

—  Their influence starts with funding. Both private and public educational institutions rely on funding for hiring personnel, building and maintaining facilities and equipment.

—  All aspects of curriculum depend on local, state and national political standards. From defining goals, interpreting curricular materials to approving examination systems, politics affects curriculum development.

—  At every stage political well is important otherwise they do not facilitate & support which will result failure.

Economic

Economics influences changes in curriculum.

1. National economical state does not allow bringing such changes which are desirable.
2. Educationists make changes and then these changes are not supported financially.

Diversity

—  Changes in Curriculum affect open learning opportunities from diversity.

—  Social diversity including religion, culture and social groupings affects changes in curriculum because these characteristics influence the types of topics and methods for teaching information.

—  Developing relevant curriculum takes into account society's expectations, accommodating group traditions and promoting equality.