Subject curricula

Subject documents

Subjects | Creating a subject curriculum | Inclusion | Mixed ability

These pages address the issue of writing a subject curriculum appropriate for a wide ability range. It is a process that must start at grade 1 as many of the matters discussed refer to primary as well as secondary. This page looks at some of the main issues and the next page outlines a map of the process

Key characterstics of existing subject documents and why new ones are needed	Most subject documents in existing African curricula are examination syllabuses. This is because, until now, they have essentially only served one purpose; preparation for a subject-centred examination. This was a clear purpose, well understood by teachers and examiners alike. Teachers were able to use them to develop schemes of work. examiners were able to use them to develop question papers. The documents originally were probably defined in terms of what should be taught but that may have changed in the 1980s to 'behavioural objectives' resulting in a list of what should be learnt or mastered. Still later it may have changed to 'outcomes'; what the learner should be able to do as a result of the teaching and learning process. These semantic changes will probably have had minimal impact on what happens in the classroom; that was determined by a long understanding of what had to be done to enable the learners to get good examination marks. The new documents, however, address a much more complex situation which will be new to both teachers and examiners. The documents must provide the foundation for a flexible learner-centred programme that caters for all abilities and provide both teachers and examiners with the necessary guidance. The old system will remain. But it will be a small subset of the new one; it will be retained but it will emerge in a rather different format as part of a much larger picture.
Key characteristics of the new subject documents	This is an issue that will have been largely resolved at the stage of the curriculum framework. There are, however, a number of matters that are specifically subject-related and also others that merit some repetition here. Key characteristics of the revision will be: Start at grade 1- the revision covers the whole curriculum It should be multistranded to address the needs of all students. This is particularly significant after about grade 8 and it is very significant in subjects such as mathematics and science It must be inclusive and emphasise positive achievement rather than failure It must provide guidance on teaching programmesIt must provide guidance on assessment, both for teacher and examiner It must address skills and competencies as well as understanding It should address the needs of the economy
Level of difficulty of concepts within subjects	Because the new curriculum caters for all rather than just a small more able group, it is very useful to classify the syllabus topics according to level of difficulty. This tells the teachers when to expect problems and also gives them an idea of the level at which individual students are functioning. It will also give early warning indicators of learning problems. Many counties have already done this, typically on an 8 point scale from Grade 1 to 12. Details are given in point 2 of the next page.
Catering for all abilities; subject strands	As a general rule, most countries cater for all abilities within the same mixed-ability class at primary level. There is often some eparation of children into ability groups in secondary schools. Indeed, many coutries segregate according to ability into different schools. There is much debate on whether learners should be taught in mixed ability classes of divided into ability groups at this stage but none of this refers to African countries. The general conclusion seems to be that more able children perform better in ability groups while the less able perform better in mixed ability groups. Another conclusion is that mixed abilty teaching is difficult and requires a high level of skill to do well. This is particularly so in mathematics. This is an issue where countries and subjects must make informed decisions	More on mixed ability teaching and ability grouping
Inclusion	This is often a misunderstood concept on the continent. One reason for this may bethat it is fundamentally a learner-centred concept while almost all African curricula are subject-centred. Inclusion is a key characteistic of good multi-ability programmes; no child should be left behind and no child should be held back .	More on inclusion
Programmes of study and teaching and learning materials	The subject document will not be a programme of study. It is a ocument from which a number of study programmes can be devised that match the apttudes of different kinds of learner. in lower grades these will cater for the different rates that learners proceed through the curriculum. In higher grades there may be parallel programmes to satisfy different needs A simple single textbook covering all the work of a subject in a grade will probably no longer be adequate. Good textbooks can be understood and used at different academic levels–they contain something for everybody. Nevertheless, it is likely that supplementary materials will be required for both the most able and the slower learners. This will particlarly be the case in subjects like mathematics and science
Assessment objectives and assessment techniques	Assessment objectives in a traditional academic curriculum will have focused mainly on understanding the subject. Some subjects, like science, may also have some skills assessment. Assessment objectives characteristic of inclusive, multi-ability curricula will be more complex incuding application of the understanding, problem solving, etc. These objetives, and their relative weighting may vary according to grade and also according to strand within the subject. Novel assessment methods may be employed that focus more on achievement. These may include a number of continuous assesssment techniques such as skills assessment and portfolios. The assessment objectives are usually defined in the subject standards. They apply both to internal and external assessment. The external assessment objectives and techniues will be elaborated in the examination syllabuses.
Cross-curricular themes	Cross curricular themes are common in many curricula. Some are themes of national importance such as citizenship, development, and democracy, while others are personal issues such as health, sex educations and HIV and AIDS. It is well-known that if these are treated as add-ons they often do not get the attention they deserve. The revision offers and opportunity for anchoring them more firmly and comprehensively.
Links with other subjects	Links between subjects are important. One kind of link happens when a topic appears in more than one subject but from a fifferent perspective. Another kind of link occurs when a skill taught in one subject is subsequently used in others (such as a mathematical skill used in science. Clearly, in both cases, sequencing is important. These links can be built into the curriculum documents (particularly when they are in html format).
ICT opportunities	ICT opportunities can be formally built into curriculum documents. This is of particular importance in countries developing their IT capacity.