A Case Study of Promoting School-based Curriculum from a Social-Action Approach: Taking “Hot Springs Curriculum” as an example.

• Main Authors: Gi-May Peng, 彭吉梅
• Other Authors: Li-Hau Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/75356371233620446132

碩士 === 臺北市立教育大學 === 課程與教學研究所碩士班 === 96 === The aim of this study was to explore the promotion of an elementary school-based curriculum that used a design of social action approach. It focused on the process of curriculum development, the model of curriculum design, teachers’ understanding and transformation of curriculum, students’ performance, and issues and coping strategies of the school during curriculum implementation. The study applied a case study method to collect a variety of documents about curriculum promotion, videos of class observation and curriculum dialogues. The findings were as follows： 1. Process of curriculum development The Principal well informed of school conditions may help smoothness of curriculum promotion. Coordination between school and community residents on curriculum development and responsibility distribution may facilitate success of the individual case. In the primary stages of curriculum promotion, the teaching hours shall be flexible and incorporated with different learning fields in a gradual manner. Existing teaching materials shall be reorganized based on human and physical resources, time, and budget of the school. 2. Model of curriculum design Teaching activities at learning and perception levels have purposes to introduce students to the scenario of local landscape and industries. Those at exploring and enhancing levels set goals to guide students to further discussion on specific issues through interviewing, debating, and clarifying their own opinions. Those at civil action levels try to lead students to propose action alternatives targeting on individual issues. 3. Teachers’ curriculum understanding The dialogues among the curriculum team members facilitate teachers’ role transformation from enhancers through curriculum understanding to sharers of teaching concepts. Full awareness of teaching materials before the class, coordination between information and teaching methods, and diversified teaching strategies will smooth the teaching process. Teachers may arrange individual or group classes based on curriculum demands, as well as their own special skills and students’ characters. 4. Teachers’ curriculum transformation Teachers used to continue teaching activities meeting demands of students and teachers in terms of contents. Some unpredictable constraints when the curriculum is proceed, such as locations, time, and climate may be considered to adjust the teaching plan through discussion of teachers. Teachers and students learn and grow with each other, as well as creating new class experiences during the process. 5. Students’ performances Cognition capacity shows getting aware of local human and cultural landscape and environmental resources, as well as catching up the new curriculum concept in active manners. Skill capacity relies on participating issue discussion or preparing advertisement materials with the reflection attitude. Affection attitude is reflected by taking part in teaching activities concern with the community and cherish the surroundings in an active manner. Social participation has its concrete action through language and advertisement materials to market local industries. 6. Issues and coping strategies The on-site issues at school shall be considered as a phenomenon, deemed as an idea transformation. Based on the existing curriculum, working for the plans may compensate the barriers caused by insufficient budgets. Teachers with heavy working burdens shall be encouraged and assisted. Undue curriculum loadings may be completed with concrete assistance and inspiration. Parents unable to participate in the curriculum may convey their messages through paper communication. Based on the above findings, the research proposes the following suggestions for schools, local governments, teacher training institutes, and future further studies: 1.For schools （1）The principal in primary stages of the curriculum promotion shall gain consensus and balance between heritage and innovation. （2）It may go beyond the existing education frame to market the curriculum and widely apply related resources in the social systems. （3）The theme shall be emphasized to construct the school-wide curriculum frame and ensure the future direction through discussion of the curriculum team （4）The formal dialogues and information and random conversations shall be included in order to provide encouragements and supports to teachers. （5）Coordination with the education system, participation in the inter-school allies, and attempts to work with the teacher incubator institute on researches shall be processed. （6）Besides cognition, skill, affection, and social participation, other comprehensive performances in student learning shall be highly considered. （7）Problems used to be inevitable, but turning an issue into a phenomenon and slight adjustment of school resources may be applied to gain budget supports. 2. For education agencies （1）Encouraging local administrative offices to support the curriculum and school teaching （2）Encouraging village or borough office staffs to the school meetings to introduce local industrial development 3. For teacher training institutes Suggesting the teacher training institutes may cooperate with schools, especially with the insufficient teacher supply schools in the remote areas. The cooperation may help pre-service teachers to coordinate theory and practice during training; and also may help the teacher training institutes to support schools. 4. For future researches （1）Research subject The future researches may focus on one class or two classes in the same grade, which may hold the overall development process and curriculum evaluation more completed. （2）Research method The future researches may apply the action research method and work with partners. Simultaneously, the relationship between the researcher and the partners is cooperative, on equal status, and non-directive, but solution-oriented in order to promote the research quality.