School-Based Influences on the Implementation of Primary HASS Curriculum

School-Based Influences on the Implementation of Primary HASS Curriculum

In recent years, education authorities across the world have responded to accountability concerns by incorporating standardised curriculum, uniform teaching practices, prescribed learning materials, and a regime of high stakes testing. Few Australian studies have examined the impact of policy reforms on school-based implementation of curriculum from a teacher’s perspective. Humanities education in Australia has undergone several revisions in form and content, and is arguably the least researched school curriculum. This qualitative study aimed to examine school-based influences on the implementation of the Australian primary HASS curriculum by exploring two interconnected aspects of the process: the administrative decisions framing teachers’ planning, pedagogical practices and assessment; and teachers’ perceptions of their own capabilities and motivations towards the learning area. Utilising a multiple case study design, four state and two non-state schools were purposively selected to represent the variety of primary schools in one Queensland educational region. Data collected from semi-structured interviews, conducted with a curriculum leader and class teacher from each site, were thematically analysed to formulate six distinct portraits of school-based HASS implementation. A cross-case analysis was then conducted to explore commonalities and differences across each school’s systemic approach, and to highlight implications for administrative authority, autonomy and teachers’ agency in enacting HASS curriculum. New models were introduced to create a more nuanced understanding of the interrelated elements underpinning school-based curriculum implementation, and to shed light on how teachers’ agency relates to educational authority and professional self. The findings highlighted the relevance of each school’s specific context, the impact of leadership authority on teachers’ curriculum autonomy, and the pragmatic role teachers play in making policy measures work for their students.

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