Tímarit um menntarannsóknir - 01.01.2009, Page 112

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curricula on teaching practices. Next the
Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for
foreign languages is discussed with particular
attention given to the teaching objectives for
English at the compulsory level.
The effects of curricula on teaching
During the last 50 years curriculum theory
has focused on objective-based teaching in
which decisions about what and how to teach
are based on the overall purpose of education.
The current curriculum model consists of
several interrelated factors that influence the
goals, methods, and outcomes of teaching.
The model delineates the relationship between
what curriculum theorists call the intended
curriculum, the implemented curriculum,
and the attained curriculum (Mullis et al.,
2007; Rúnar Sigþórsson, 2008). The intended
curriculum is the official policy set by the
government or educational institution, which
outlines the learning and teaching objectives,
the instructional content, recommended
teaching methods and the organizational plan
for instruction.
On the other hand, the implemented
curriculum is what is actually taught in
classrooms and how it is taught. The
implemented curriculum is influenced by
several aspects such as teachers’ education,
their professionalism and beliefs about teaching
and learning, and the support they receive
for professional development. Exterior factors
also influence the implemented curriculum, for
example, national tests and external evaluations,
as well as demands from society, other school
levels, and the job market.
The attained curriculum, however, is what
students have learned, their experiences
and attitudes about learning. Individual
characteristics of students (motivation, self-
confidence, learning styles and strategies)
have a great effect upon their learning and
personal development within the classroom.
Curriculum theorists agree that because there
are so many contributing factors, there is no
guarantee that the intended curriculum will
match with the implemented and attained
curricula. However, it is the goal and role of
both policy makers and practitioners to ensure
that all the necessary conditions for effective
teaching and meaningful learning are in place
in schools.
The 1974 law regarding compulsory school
education marked a new direction in public
education in Iceland under the catch phrase
of “one school for all”. From this time
on the focus of compulsory education has
been on meeting the needs of all individuals
and guaranteeing their cognitive, social and
physical development. Under this premise, the
role of compulsory schools is to provide pupils
with opportunities to increase their knowledge
and skills, develop independent thinking
skills, and learn to work both independently
and cooperatively (Lög um grunnskóla nr.
63/1974). Four national curricula for the
compulsory school level have been adopted
since 1974 (in 1976, 1989, 1999 and 2007).
They all share a strong emphasis on the use of
a variety of teaching methods which take into
account the individual needs and abilities of
all pupils. The curricula have also called for a
shift in the role of the teacher away from being
an authority figure with all the knowledge to
being a facilitator in the learning process that
encourages the pupils to be active in their own
learning.
Although the Ministry of Education has
published four sets of curricula for the
compulsory school level since 1974, few
studies have looked at the impact of the
curricula guidelines on teaching during
this time. A few small-scale studies have
drawn attention to teaching methods used in
compulsory school subjects other than English
(Hafsteinn Karlsson, 2007; Sigurgeirsson,
1992; Kristín Aðalsteinsdóttir, 2002; Kristín
Jónsdóttir, 2003; Rósa Eggertsdóttir, 1993).
Findings from these studies suggest that new,
adaptive teaching methods have not been
widely adopted in compulsory schools in
Iceland. On the contrary, the studies reported
that traditional whole class instruction
Samúel Lefever