Understanding the curriculum

Textbook (chapter)

Dowden, Tony. 2013. "Understanding the curriculum." Hudson, Peter (ed.) Learning to teach in the primary school. Melbourne, Australia. Cambridge University Press. pp. 37-51
Chapter Title

Understanding the curriculum

Book Chapter CategoryTextbook (chapter)
ERA Publisher ID1418
Book TitleLearning to teach in the primary school
Authors
AuthorDowden, Tony
EditorsHudson, Peter
Page Range37-51
Chapter Number3
Number of Pages15
Year2013
PublisherCambridge University Press
Place of PublicationMelbourne, Australia
ISBN9781107672826
Abstract

The curriculum is crucial to every educational setting. At first glance, the official curriculum, which usually comes packaged in a formidable array of official documents, might seem dry or boring but in reality it is a springboard to powerful and effective classroom teaching. Understanding the basic principles of curriculum design is an important first step. for a preservice teacher, towards making sense of curriculum documents and creating engaging units and lessons for children and young people. This chapter is limited to the discussion of a handful of key topics, with a view to equipping you for further specialised reading at a later stage. These topics are: the curriculum stakeholders, national and state curricula, constructing local curricula at the level of the school and the classroom, understanding that the curriculum constantly changes and examining student-centred approaches to curriculum design and construction.

Keywordscurriculum; children; student teachers; lesson plans
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020390307. Teacher education and professional development of educators
520102. Educational psychology
390102. Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development
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Byline AffiliationsFaculty of Education
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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