IntroductionMany innovations have taken place in the secondary and primary school curriculum in the Netherlands over the past few decades. These innovations have been inspired by the continuing necessity to update both subject matter and teaching methods, as well as by recurring innovations in the education system. As a result, educational goals, subject matter and teaching materials in every subject significantly differ from those used forty years ago. Developments in many curriculum domains can be interpreted in terms of broader waves in curriculum innovation transcending national borders: an initial stage in the 1960s, in which 'the structure of the discipline' was central, a second stage in which the emphasis was on learning in real-life contexts, and a more recent stage in which socio-constructivist ideas have influenced the way learning processes are being organized. A focus on active learning and a focus on authentic learning are typical of innovations of the latter kind. Innovations aim at education that is geared to the needs of the learner and at learning from real-life (or simulated) problems and assignments. Besides the traditional cognitive educational goals, new learning goals are strived at, such as learning to learn, collaborating in groups, learning to communicate, learning to do research. These innovations have recently evoked a lot of discussion, among others about the status of knowledge and of the school subjects / disciplines. Innovators themselves often also struggle with questions concerning the structuring of learning processes, such as: how to build a curriculum based on authentic tasks; how to guarantee that carrying out such tasks indeed evokes the intended need for knowledge and skills in students; and how can coherence and structure develop in knowledge that is acquired in this way? Schools are experimenting with different solutions and also different solutions are proposed by educational scientists (e.g. an inquiry-based curriculum, or working with big ideas in a community of learners). In this master class some of the historical roots of recent curriculum innovations are discussed, and research is presented that tries to contribute to and evaluate such innovations in different curriculum domains. Questions concerning the content of these innovations and the methodology of the research (like design research) will be addressed: how do researchers try to find evidence for the success or failure of innovations? Although questions in various curriculum domains and in different school types may be different, bringing together scholars who are involved in innovations in different domains can be productive. The core of the master class will therefore consist of a number of lectures by scholars involved in research focussing on innovation in various curriculum domains, ranging from history to chemistry or in a specific innovation affecting several curriculum domains. Course ObjectivesAfter having completed this master class, the PhD candidate has acquired
Moreover the participants
Course ProgrammeThe master class involves four days of face-to-face meetings. These meetings will include
Lecturers Co-ordinators of the master class are prof. dr. Joop van der Schee and prof. Dr. Monique Volman (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). They will form the permanent staff. Seven active senior members of ICO will participate by giving lectures. Also representatives from educational practice (teachers and students) will be invited to explain issues from an educational practice perspective. Prof. dr. Joop van der Schee Prof. dr. Monique Volman
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