Plan a research-informed sequential unit of work which demonstrates some originality and creativity, supported by a rationale which references existing literature, policy and current school practice

ASSESSMENT

 

Assessed work % of final mark
Critically informed rationale

 

Plan a research-informed sequential unit of work which demonstrates some originality and creativity, supported by a rationale which references existing literature, policy and current school practice (3000 words equivalent).

 80%

ASSIGNMENT/COURSEWORK GUIDANCE

  • You should produce a six to eight lesson unit plan. A suggested format is given in appendix 2, but students may wish to adapt this.
  • This lesson plan should be accompanied by a research-informed scholarly justification of not more than 2500 words (not including references)
  • A possible structure for your scholarly justification is as follows (but students may wish to diverge from this.)
    • Why is this topic/theory/approach important (drawing on research literature)? Explain this both in terms of its value to children and the subject/ discipline.
    • What possible approaches exist to teaching this topic/approach (drawing on research literature)? How is this topic/approach currently taught in schools (drawing on experience and literature? Why might this topic theory/approach not be taught at present?
    • What difficulties/ pitfalls are associated with teaching and learning this topic/approach (drawing on literature)?
    • What significant research exists in your subject domain about this topic/approach and how would you incorporate it?  What significant educational research exists which might be relevant?
    • Why have you chosen the resources/ activities/ examples that you have?
    • How would you assess student understanding (drawing on research literature)?

 

Examples of possible projects:

 

  • The use of a film text in modern language teaching
  • The uses of literary theory in teaching English at Higher level
  • Thinking about causation in History
  • How postcolonial theory might inform the teaching of Religious Studies
  • Cultural perspectives and Mathematics

 

Please remember that the Harvard Stirling University (HSU) referencing style is used across all modules and programmes within the School of Social Sciences.

 

READING LISTS

 

These texts relate to curriculum in theory and practice. Subject tutors will point you to more subject specific readings.

 

Curriculum Theory

 

  • Eisner, E. (1985) The Educational Imagination: On the Design and Evaluation of School Programs. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., second edition
  • Kelly, A.V. ‘Curriculum Theory and Practice’ 6th Edition
  • Stenhouse, L. (1975) An Introduction to Curriculum Research and Development. London, Heinemann.
  • Tyler, R. W. (1949) Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Young, M., 2007. Bringing Knowledge back in: From Social Constructivism to social realism in the sociology of education. London: Routledge.

 

Disciplines and School Subjects

 

  • Fordham, M. (2016) ‘Teachers and the academic disciplines’, Journal of the philosophy of education, 50(3).
  • Goodson, I. (1997) ‘Chariots of Fire’, in The changing curriculum: studies in social construction. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
  • Goodson, I. and Ball, S. J. (1984) Defining the curriculum: histories and ethnographies. London: Falmer
  • Stengel, Barbara S. (no date) ‘’Academic discipline` and ‘school subject`: contestable curricular concepts.’, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 29(5), pp. 585–602.

 

School Curriculum and Knowledge

 

  • Apple, M. ‘Official knowledge: Democratic Education in the Conservative Age’
  • Flinders, F., Noddings, N., Thornton, S., (1986) ‘The Null Curriculum: Its Theoretical Basis and Practical Implications’ Curriculum Inquiry, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Spring, 1986), pp. 33-42
  • Hirsch, E., 2016. ‘Why Knowledge Matters: Rescuing our children from failed educational theories’. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Young, M., 1971. Knowledge and Control: New Directions for the Sociology of Education’. London: Collier.

 

The Scottish Context

 

  • Bryce, T. G. K., Humes, W. M., Kennedy, A. and Gillies, D. (2018) ‘Scottish education: 5th edition’. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
  • Davie, G. E. (1964) ‘The democratic intellect: Scotland and her universities in the nineteenth century’. Second edition. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
  • Donaldson, G. (2010) ‘Teaching Scotland’s Future – Report of a review of teacher education in Scotland.’ Scottish Government.
  • Paterson, L. (2003) ‘Scottish education in the Twentieth century’. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
  • Priestley M & Humes W (2010) ‘The development of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Amnesia and Déjà Vu’, Oxford Review of Education, 36 (3), pp. 345-361.
  • Smith, J. (2018) ‘Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence and History Teachers’ epistemologies: a case of Curricular Epistemic Socialisation’? In Scottish Educational Review 50 (1)