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.
- National economical state does not allow bringing such changes which are desirable.
- 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.
