Curriculum Change 1

The curriculum at all levels of education must be adjusted to accommodate the new and

different interests represented in the expanded school population, through the use of aggressive

and informed programmes of educational guidance (OECD, 1966). A process which is referred

to as Curriculum Change.

Quality evaluation in schools is the primary reason for a change in the curriculum and primarily

involves four (4) core changes: firstly there is restructuring of the curriculum, the use of new

curriculum materials, changes in teaching practices and lastly, changes in beliefs or

understandings of how the curriculum affects learning. (Fullan, 1991)

It is therefore defined as a generic term that subsumes a whole family of concepts such as

innovation, development and adoption which can be planned or unplanned (Marsh & Willis,

2003). However whatever the reason for the curriculum change, it is imperative to be aware of

many factors which may play a role in influencing curriculum change.

This paper will seek to examine four (4) of these factors that can influence curriculum change.

Two of the factors from above will be used to discuss how they could influence curriculum

change in the local education system and finally, the paper will discuss three (3) different ways

in which teachers at the primary level might respond to a curriculum change regarding the

Integration of Technology. The four (4) factors that will be discussed are the Needs of the

Society, Classroom Teachers, Cultural Change and Students while the two (2) chosen are

Cultural Change and Students.

Exploring the needs of the society is an extremely critical aspect as essentially schools

are part and parcel of the society and exist for society. Schools through the teaching of the

curriculum can shape and mould society and society in turn can impact the curriculum.
Curriculum Change 2

Therefore curriculum change must address two (2) fundamental questions: To what extent should

curriculum consider the world outside of school? and How do changes in society affect

curriculum?

As noted by McNeil (1995) through Learning Domain, knowing the social foundations of

curriculum is crucial in making decisions about the content of the curriculum and eventually

what happens in the classroom. He further states that the curriculum once embracing the needs

of the society should be able to prepare students for the present and the future. In other words, a

curriculum which is reformed should address the current and immediate needs and wants of

learners by responding to social conditions locally, nationally, regionally and even globally.

One such example of the influence of the needs of the society relates to the American society

where there was a social emphasis on the advancement of science and industry in which this

approach influenced the curriculum theories of other thinkers of the time. This influenced their

curriculum change to be progressive and feature a focus on learning by doing rather than rote

learning and dogmatic instruction (Wikibooks, 2014).

In Barbados, as noted by Dan. C. Carter in his report “The Challenges to the Barbados Education

System in the 21st Century”, he expresses how Barbados attempted to adapt the curriculum to

facilitate the ongoing changes in the society. He notes of how the Daily Newspapers are

generally replete with calls for the inclusion of various topics to be included such as tourism,

conflict resolution and sex and family life education etc. However it is evident that while these

issues are critical, the reality is that the curriculum cannot be the panacea for every problem.

Nonetheless, some of these issues have influenced Barbados’ curriculum and was reflected in its

2000 Curriculum Reform with the inclusion of Health and Family Life Education, Spanish as

part of Tourism and Social and Emotional Learning skills. Essentially while the societal needs
Curriculum Change 3

are too numerous to include in curriculum changes, the best selection can be made to ensure that

the best outcome is derived for the students whose socialization plays a major role in the

curriculum.

Additionally at the 1997 CARICOM Heads of Government Summit in Montego Bay, Jamaica, it

was envisaged that curriculum change in response to negative societal attitudes and which

considers the needs of the society, would see a transformation in the Caribbean society that

would allow for the evolution of a new Caribbean person. Moreover a curriculum change would

allow students to possess certain positive attributes and embrace positive values and morals that

would lend to harmonious living, respect for cultural heritage, appreciation of family and

kinship, responsible behaviour and the ability to think critically and logically.

Classroom Teachers are seen as major factors and change agents of curriculum change.

Classroom teachers hold the key to informing the relevant curriculum developers, designers or

improvers about what works, what does not work, what should be included, what can be

discarded etc. based on their knowledge and expertise and since they interact with and

manipulate the curriculum every single day. Additionally in order for the curriculum change to

be implemented in schools, the change must occur in the very same classrooms which these

classroom teachers manage (Marsh & Willis, 2003).

Changes in the curriculum can see the teacher’s task becoming more complex and foreboding

depending on the teaching and learning abilities and capabilities of their charges. In which case

teachers may request greater monetary rewards, improved job security and more affordable

health insurance against stress-related illnesses. These demands which teachers may request can

have significant negative implications for the way in which they respond to developing and

implementing curriculum change if their desires are not considered or implemented.

Curriculum Change 4

Another important element to consider is that while the classroom teacher is in a good position to

guide the curriculum change process, we have to be careful and guard against it being changed to

offer negative impacts. Elmore argues that today, it appears that educators are more expert in

managing change than in determining the values and benefits of change desired and

accomplished. He further states that more people seem to manage change to be in compliance

with local, state and federal demands than to enact curricular change that will actually increase

the quality of individual and social life for the benefit of all (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2009).

Despite these considerations, by and large teachers will work for the benefit of their charges and

influence curriculum change in a positive way to enhance the teaching and learning process.

The third factor relates to Cultural Changes and represents an example of rapid change.

This rapid change is occurring in the increasing diversity of groups within the general society as

it becomes more multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious. Hence it is vital that curriculum

understands and reflects these changes. As stated by Ornstein & Hunkins (1998), “the

complexion of our students is changing from one colour to various shades of colour and this

adding of colour and cultural diversity will continue into the foreseeable future.” As the world

moves towards becoming a global village, society will become even more diverse with people

bringing in new values, new languages and a new way of life.

Addressing cultural change is a challenge for educators. According to Learning Domain (2013),

one concept that has interested educators is assimilation/ integration of the groups. In the 60’s

and 70’s what is referred to as the ‘melting pot’ approach was used in effecting curriculum

change. It involved blending minority groups with the majority. It was hoped that a national

identity would evolve from these varied attributes. However, in practice the culture of the
Curriculum Change 5

majority became dominant. The other approach was the ‘salad bowl’ where the concept is that

people of diverse backgrounds are lumped together but maintain their own unique features.

In the curriculum developers’ challenge to respond to cultural changes, their change efforts must

be responsive to students’ diverse social and cultural values and at the same time be capable of

creating a national identity based on core values and practices. According to Schon (1993)

through Learning Domain, it may be necessary to have different programmes, different

pedagogical approaches, flexible curriculum and even varied educational environments to

address the needs of all students. He further advocates that no society can afford to socially or

economically marginalise any student and the curriculum must nurture students to become active

participants in a dynamic and emerging society.

The final factor to be examined is Students. The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs

and Culture in a 2001 National Report of Barbados, outlined the objectives of the curriculum to

center on the students and be geared towards the development of children and the establishment

of a strong educational foundation. Beyer and Apple (1998) have noted that “the study of the

child’s own instincts, through processes and interests would become the source of the

curriculum. Once data on the child’s and the adolescent’s stages of development could be

processed, a scientifically attuned curriculum could be derived”. Leading the way in this

direction was one of America’s most eminent psychologists, G. Stanley Hall. As leader of the

child-study movement in the late 19th century, Hall most clearly represented the position that the

issue of what should be taught could be derived from careful collection of data on the child’s

natural interests as well as the modes of thought most characteristic of children and adolescents

at various stages in their development (Beyer & Apple, 1998).

Curriculum Change 6

Additionally other advocates of this form of curriculum change continued to claim that when

children have the opportunity to engage in real problem solving within the school setting, they

would form habits of thought that would stand them in good stead in their later lives. In contrast,

social efficiency oriented education charged that the ‘activity curriculum’ (child-centred) did not

ensure that children and adolescents would really learn what they need to know because the

curriculum was dictated by the sometimes fleeting and sometimes trivial interests of children.

Although social efficiency education contained within it a strong anti-academic bias, it was

serious business. It prepared one directly and efficiently for what life held in store. By contrast,

child-centred education seemed to a great many hard-headed school people to be largely

frivolous (Beyer & Apple, 1998).

However it still holds that students are a large contributing factor to curriculum change (in terms

of such elements as what they want to be taught, how they want it to be taught to them, where to

teach them and what materials they like to use) despite the varying views expressed.

Cultural Changes could influence the curriculum in the local school system in both a

negative and a positive manner. As previously referred to ‘the melting pot’ and ‘the salad bowl’

approach are strategies which will determine the impact to be derived. The melting pot lends

itself to children having no identity for their country of birth in which case it would lead many of

them to embrace other cultures and cause our heritage to diminish since it is always easy to

follow whatever comes along in some instances. Whereas the salad bowl is the more preferred

which keeps the child’s identity in tact whilst learning about other cultures.

In Barbados, cultural changes have more potential for influencing the curriculum in a positive

way as developers establish how imperative it is to preserve and affirm local culture and to

bolster national identity in the face of increasing cultural invasion. The approach taken is more
Curriculum Change 7

or less the salad bowl approach as we move forward to ensuring that our heritage is preserved

through authentic and local experiences in teaching while also creating awareness of the cultural

groups. Such a change can be seen in the Social Studies curriculum which is also integrated

across other areas and which includes such topics as African Awareness, Our Regional

Neighbours and Our Culture which also includes other major ethnic groups and their culture.

(Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture, 2001)

What could also enhance this focus is to include in the curriculum additional aspects such as:

Teachers could be encouraged to write books and utilize books which would include and expose

the local and other cultures, resource persons with strong heritage ties to varying cultures can

also be linked to schools to support this area and huge celebration activities should be mandated

in each school to highlight various cultural events across the calendar for Barbados as well as

various countries. Cultural Expos and cultural exchanges arranged with other countries could

also be programmes adopted so that there is a feeling equality and for students to acknowledge,

understand and respect other cultures.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also endorsed

these sentiments but have noted that instead of tailoring single subjects to ensure cultural context

relevance, the entire curriculum should be transformed “to give children, youth and adults the

type of quality education that promotes appreciation of diversity, richness and dynamism of our

cultures….. (UNESCO, 2000).

The attention is now turned to students who can influence the local education system in a

very positive way to assist with the quality of education in Barbados. Schools exist to transmit

information which is necessary and desirable for students in order to prepare them for life while
Curriculum Change 8

students are expected to learn the designed content and follow appropriate guidelines (Sturges,

1976).

However in many countries including Barbados, students present a great challenge with the

implementation of the curriculum for varying reasons. Boyce (1975) recognized that a

distinction must be made between students who would embrace and be motivated to learn the

curriculum versus those who reject the curriculum, lack motivation, possess learning difficulties

and the physically and intellectually challenged, just to name a few. Boyce refers to the first

group of students as ‘missionary colonial’ which features students who wants what the school

has to offer and student motivation draws and holds students while the second group he terms as

‘tribal- village’. This group of students require that all the members take an active role in their

schooling and it requires strong adult and peer support.

This approach can be a way forward in which students could influence the curriculum in

Barbados. We are well aware that these two (2) distinct groups exist in Barbados and hence a

curriculum change would cater to these two groups individually and might be a good way

forward for Barbados. Such a change can really see students’ needs and wants being addressed

in unique ways especially as it relates to those who present challenges and would need extra

support towards recognizing the importance of school, boosting motivation and establishing

learning abilities. Parents must play a vital role in the curriculum for these students as well if it

is to succeed. This also lends itself to embracing child-centred environments and the inclusion of

individual development plans for students which are efforts already being adopted in Barbados.

Students can also influence curriculum change through the use of research to determine the

students’ interests on such areas as selection of textbooks, manipulatives, assessment methods

and learning activities and strategies. This can be adopted as curriculum change efforts seek to
Curriculum Change 9

improve the provisions made for individual students within the system to ensure that equity and

diversity is achieved. This is capable of working quite well as Barbados’ curriculum is already

based on the fact that children learn at different rates, have different learning styles, respond to a

variety of stimuli and learn best what interests and is meaningful to them.

Kilpatrick who was quoted by Beyer & Apple (1998) supports this concept as he states that “the

idea of “learning how to learn” with its emphasis on student initiative and active involvement in

decision making remained a controlling purpose of change”.

Research has shown that computer technology is an effective means of widening

educational opportunities. Webber (2003) notes that the impact of technology is one of the most

critical issues in education while according to Flanagan and Jacobsen (2003), technology

integration is seen as a cross-curricular rather than a separate course or topic in itself. It is

therefore used as a tool to support the educational objectives such as skills for searching and

assessing information, cooperation, communication and problem solving which are important for

the preparation of children for the knowledge society (Drent & Meelissen, 2001).

Integration of Technology at the primary level may cause teachers to respond to its

implementation in different ways. Following will be a discussion of three (3) of these ways.

Firstly, teachers might respond in a positive manner and be quite excited and enthusiastic about

such a change because of the manner in which it can effectively and successfully facilitate the

teaching and learning process. The integration of technology can enhance student learning

across the curriculum because of its ability to engage the thinking, decision making, problem

solving and reasoning behaviours of students (Grabe & Grabe, 2001). We are currently living in

an information age or technologically driven life and therefore these are cognitive behaviours
Curriculum Change 10

which the children need to learn, develop and master. For the teachers, the behaviours propel

learning and the technology enhances the delivery of their instruction. Additionally it can assist

with teachers’ tasks, for example the use of Abusstar, to mark registers and complete reports,

where the production of reports is much easier at the end of the term.

The second way in which teachers may respond is of a negative nature. Since not all

teachers may be technologically savvy, they may reject this change because in one instance they

may have no interest in technology or the resulting knowledge which can be learnt or on the

other hand, they may feel that in their opinion the system which has been used for so many years

(chalk, chalkboard, pencil and paper, physical books) was working and working well for them

and hence does not see a need to change methods for achieving tasks and delivering lessons.

Therefore as a result of the teachers having no desire to change their focus and learn about new

developments or opportunities in learning, much of the technological equipment or materials

would be left unused, much to the detriment of the emerging children of today’s world.

Finally, the last way in which teachers might respond to Integration of Technology relates

to resistance due to the lack of support and resources. This speaks to omission of a clear guide

on how the technology is expected to be integrated into lessons as well as an absence or

inaccurate detailed blueprint of the steps and methods and procedures involved in the teaching

and learning process.

If teachers are unsure about what to do and how to use the technology, it will not be integrated

and students will reap the negative effects. Support in the form of human resources is another

factor since there are a limited number of teachers in schools who are knowledgeable about

technology and are capable of offering assistance. For example, in Barbados, each school
Curriculum Change 11

generally only has one person versed in this area which means that much of what a teacher can

do is left to plenty of self-learning. Teachers may or may not be keen about this and could result

in frustration and the unsuccessful implementation of this curriculum change. Another aspect

relates to resources in the form of limited equipment to offer equal learning to all students

coupled with difficulties with securing an internet connection, which are huge problems in

Barbados and greatly hinders the use of technology and the growing potential of students in the

area.

Curriculum change is an important element to the educational system and it needs to

respond to educational developments and various factors which affect the development of

children, however it is evident that it needs the assistance of all in order to make it successful in

achieving its core purpose.