Effective curriculum design and development

1. Effective curriculum design and development Evidence from research For further school friendly resources visit www.curee.co.uk

2. Key issues addressed by the study • This study identified seven key characteristics of curricula that provide effective learning experiences for pupils – curriculum experiences that • are context-based • link learning at school and in the home • build on learners’ existing knowledge, understandings and skills • enable learners to access the curriculum through structured group work and talk • foster a cross curricular approach to promote conceptual development • engage learners in assessment • challenge all pupils • It also explored professional development and the management of curriculum change

3. Providing context-based curriculum experiences • Key findings • International evidence showed that connecting the curriculum with the real world enhanced learners’ achievement, engagement and attitudes • Survey data showed that schools could do more to promote context-based learning – e.g. only around 30% of schools planned for it at KS3, 20% of teachers said they never used theme-based learning • Examples of context-based learning included setting mathematics problems related to pupils’ interests and/or the real world e.g. sports events

4. Linking learning in school with learning at home • A meta-analysis of 41 studies found that parental involvement had a large effect size of 0.74 on learners’ academic achievement • Examples of how schools effectively linked the school curriculum with home learning included • setting interactive homework activities • drawing on pupils’ experiences outside of school to support learning in lessons, e.g. bringing in food packaging to explore air miles

5. Building on learners’ existing knowledge, understandings and skills • Key findings • international evidence showed that effective curriculum planning depended on teachers having a good knowledge of their learners and their needs • teachers find identifying learners’ starting points a challenge due to lack of time to listen to and observe learners and some learners’ limited communication skills etc, showing the importance of CPD that enables teachers to overcome their perceived obstacles

6. Enabling learners to access the curriculum through group work and talk • International evidence strongly showed the importance of structured group work for learners’ confidence, achievement, engagement and conceptual development • Survey data showed that group work is becoming an increasingly common curriculum experience • Strategies used by successful schools and evidenced by research included • providing clear guidance or rules for group working • creating tasks which help learners develop the skills they need to work collaboratively and productively

7. Promoting conceptual development through cross-curricular learning • Key findings • cross curricular and thematic approaches helped overcome the difficulty learners sometimes had in transferring thinking and learning from one subject to another and promote learning gains • survey data showed a steady rise in teachers making connections between subjects • examples of cross-curricular approaches included drawing graphs (a skill learned in mathematics) in science and geography • involving staff in joint planning was an effective way for organising the curriculum for in-depth conceptual development

8. Engaging learners in assessment • Key findings • international evidence suggests that the publication of national test results may put pressure on teachers to ‘teach to the test’ which can limit learning • case studies of schools successfully engaging learners in their own assessment show that the approach can help teachers resist teaching to the test • assessment can raise achievement when assessment processes involve learners thinking and talking about their learning, and drawing on self and peer reflections as well as teachers’ perspectives

9. Planning appropriate tasks, planning for challenge • There was evidence that teachers experience a number of difficulties when trying to create progressively challenging curriculum experiences • International and focus group research showed a number of strategies that helped • building on learners’ starting points • structured group work • encouraging learners to take increasing responsibility for their learning by planning activities in advance that have points where the teacher can step back

10. Professional development and the management of curriculum change • International and case study evidence showed that structured CPD and curriculum development go hand in hand • CPD which produced learning benefits involved • peer and specialist support to structure professional learning • opportunities for collaboration and discussion focused on developing learner outcomes • ‘hands on’ leadership including modelling and careful structuring of development groups and tasks

11. How was the information gathered? • Two international literature reviews (one focused on curriculum design and development the other focused on challenge) • Large-scale, online surveys of learners’ experiences of the curriculum carried out over three consecutive years • Stratified surveys of the perspectives of teachers and leaders • Qualitative, multi-method, multi-site, school-based research • Focus groups of learners and school staff

12. What was the size of the study? • The literature reviews comprised 64 research reviews about curriculum design and development, and 45 studies about challenge • 15,060 learners from 334 schools were involved in the learner surveys and 252 learners were involved in focus groups • 570 teachers and middle and senior leaders were involved in the staff survey • 52 teachers were involved in focus groups focused on challenge • 100 teaching staff and 799 learners from 29 schools were involved in the school-based research

13. How can teachers use the evidence in this study? • The study showed the importance of enabling learners to make connections between the school curriculum and the real world and also pupils’ learning at home • Could you include a greater variety of context-based experiences, such as starting a topic with a visit to a museum and using simulations etc • Would thematic planning enable you to make connections with pupils’ out of school experiences, including learning at home?

14. How can school leaders use the evidence in this study? • The study showed how teachers need support in managing the demands of creating challenging curriculum experiences and planning progression • Could you identify and show the links between planning for challenge and assessment? (Strategies such as collaborative problem-solving and context-based learning will be helpful in this context) • Would your colleagues find it helpful to discuss the obstacles to diagnosing learners’ starting points and ways of overcoming them?

15. Study reference • CUREE and QCDA (2010) Monitoring the curriculum: evidence from research, practice and learners (unpublished report)