Curriculum Justification and Inquiry-Based Learning - Essay Example

Curriculum Justification Essay One Charles Sturt University April 2013 Words: Part One History will contribute to each of the key educational goals for young Australians; and, in each case, it will make some contributions that could not be realised in any other way. A high-quality history education for year 7-10 will help students gain a coherent understanding and knowledge of Australia’s past and that of the wider globe (Pahl, 2002). History in year 7-10 will inspire students’ curiosity to know about the Australian past. Education should equip students to think critically, ask perceptive questions, sift arguments, weigh evidence and develop perspective and judgment (Ground-Smith, Brennan, Mc Fedden, Mitchell, & Munns, 2009). History will help students to understand the complexity of people’s lives, diversity of societies, process of change, relationship between different culture or groups and the process of change, as well as their identity and the challenges of their time. As with many disciplines, history can contribute to the development of almost all the general capabilities (Ground-Smith et el, 2009). However, there are some general capabilities to which history in student will make a distinctive contribution, i.e. a contribution that really cannot be made by any other discipline (Husbands, Kitson & Pentry, 2003). The general capabilities are: creativity, thinking skills, and ethical behaviour. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, (AusVELS), clearly details all the areas of studies, levels and aims in teaching students the various timelines of history. AusVels explain how students learn about Australian history, local and national identities that shaped Australia (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2013). Another level 7-10 focuses on World history, here students learn to explore and question practices and values and interpret the happenings of past societies. My choice in teaching history is that it is a subject open to a diversity of learners. The Aus VELs curriculum in history supports learning for the different needs of students. In reply to a student, who placed a posting on the Forum of EMH441, Charmine, addresses the topic of teaching history. My reply to her article was the following: I have read your article on History and I find it very insightful. I fully agree with you about what are the advantages in teaching history to students. The inclusion of Australian history is also an important aspect for students to broaden their knowledge and also be able to make independent judgement of the events. I like you, believe that students who study history are able to critically think and analyse information via multi sources that promote understanding and investigation of societies and cultures. From this, students are able to make informal decisions and also challenge themselves in drawing evidences and make conclusions through human activity. The teaching of history in the NSW curriculum about Australian History makes an ideal learning for students and allows them to investigate into the human past. Part Two The presence of History in year 7-10 curriculum is to a larger extent necessary. History is a subject that enhances professional thinking; satisfies the need for identity; improves judgment; demonstrates what it means to be human; promotes democracy; give pleasure; provides instructive examples (Ground-Smith et el, 2009). History equips student to think critically, sift arguments, weigh evidence and develop perspective and judgment. Knowledge of Australia’s past, and our place in the world, history will as a subject will help the student to understand the challenges of our own time. The history subject proposes that through using and developing elements of existing good practices in year 7-10 classrooms a valuable contribution will be made in developing student’s sense of time (Phillips, 2002). By exploring incidents and elements in their own lives and through discussing and listening to stories, students will take fundamental steps to developing and understanding of time: 1) they will be able to develop a sense of time different from their own; 2) students will begin recognise sequence in events. History has been defined by Phillips (2002) as “the analysis and interpretation of past events that enables us to understand continuity and change over time” (p.23). This definition entails that creativity and exploration are important human abilities that should be encouraged in students in order to spell out how society and people changed over time (O’Toole, 2011). Learning History is rewarding for students as they learn and develop their own views about events, people and historical occurrences that will help students to develop judgement (Husbands, Kitson & Pentry, 2003). For example, learning about the legacy of ANZAC helps student learn and understand the events, people and dynamics of war that took place. Knowledge and understanding is an essential component in studying ANZAC as well as build historical inquiry skills which are important in year 7-10 history curriculum (Barry & King, 2003). From this subject, students will have gained knowledge, essential thinking skills that assist in their learning. Additionally, they will understand and appreciate legacies of past civilizations and different societies. History as a subject has a major contribution to make in the area of citizenship and civics. History is the discipline that teaches students to be democratic and it also the discipline that teaches students to make reasoned judgments about what is good for the country or society In conclusion, it is the great Philosopher Santayana George who said “those people who cannot remember their history are condemned to repeat it” Studying history is as important as our present and as our future, therefore it is important for year 7-10 students to understand it. Historical events that happened in Australia and the world occupy very important positions to which students can enhance learning and make reference. Therefore, history will play a vital role in how students view their present. Therefore, the experiences of the past will largely influence today’s decisions. Part Three Recently, the ABC News tells of an exhibition, being held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. The exhibition called ‘Remember Me’ is where photos show how people lived in times of World War One (WWI). From this exhibition, it is interesting for students to see and learn the lives of the diggers of WWI. The inclusion of this event in year 7-10 history curriculum will further assist students in gaining knowledge on Gallipoli and the contribution of Australian soldiers in WWI. This would provide an excellent opportunity to ask students on their thought about this event and if it is still important to celebrate the day of Anzac in the present day Australia. Although Anzac Day does not mark a military triumph, it does remind us of a very important episode in Australia’s history. Suffering was caused to Australia by the loss of its solders participating in WWI. But this Gallipoli campaign showcase attributes and attitudes- tenacity, bravery, ingenuity, practicality, loyalty to comrades and King- that helped Australia define itself as nation (Clark, 2006). The topic clearly makes room for enquiry to research on the topic interest and encourages students to develop historical inquiry skills, by examining not only the motives behind the events, but also the actions and the consequences that happened in the past. Hayden, Arthur & Hunt (2001) state that, “the study of the past events is of relevance to students’ lives, because it will clarify the relationship between historical knowledge and the present” (p.26). For example, year 7-10 students will be able to develop the ability to make reasoned and informed decision for the public good as citizens of culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world” (Hayden, Arthur & Hunt, 2001). Consequently, in remembering the events of war, students discover national identities and understand distinct cultural impacts that contributed towards the formation of a nation (Husbands, Kitson & Pentry, 2003). These recollections of events and the series of black and white photos also provide information about the national identity, the social settings that were prominent at that time. This exhibition is filled with collection of photos of WWI that assist students in undertaking historical inquiry process, evaluate societal settings and conflicting views about people’s behaviour. The exhibition is a valuable resource of information, the validity of evidence is seen in events, people and their attitudes in that time line. More so, historical literacy is fundamental to students’ learning. Clark (2008) explains, “Students, and teachers deserve a subject that expands their historical understanding and analysis, rather than limits it to a project of patriotism” (p.39). In teaching a unit about Anzac Day, to year 7-10 students, students would be asked to consider; if Australia today is fast becoming a multicultural-globalized nation; is Anzac Day still relevant to remember? These questions will require critical thinking and evaluating the past events and taking in consideration the changes of the digital age and its entire outcome. In teaching this unit, students will be encouraged to demonstrate their understanding from critical thinking from such exhibition which is a great opportunity to learn and evaluate the beliefs and attitude captured in those moments from photos, medals and written documents. Clark (2006) reports, “It’s a powerful commemoration where national myth and Australian history have become inextricable entwined” (p.5). Part Four Inquiry based learning is a process where students are involved in their learning, investigate widely, formulate questions and then build new meanings, understandings and knowledge. Study suggests that using inquiry based learning with students can help them become more independent, more positive, and more creative (Koechlin & Zwaan, 2006). Other research shows that inquiry based learning improve students achievements. Through inquiry based approach year 7-10 students will be able to increase their intellectual engagement and foster deep understanding through the development of minds-on, hands-on and ‘research-based disposition’ towards learning. Inquiry based learning system will encourage students to undertake the process of a historical investigation and critically assess and explore their findings (Barry & King, 2003). The questions year 7-10 students ask in inquiry based learning remind us that the search for meaning is fundamental to what it is to be human being. The urge for young people to inquire activates their thinking on many forms and on many levels. When a young people seek to make sense on the world around him or her, they wonder, they plan, they analyse, they create, and they reflect (Barry & King, 2003). At very heart, inquiry based learning is all about thinking. The benefits of inquiry based learning have been well documented. Those teachers who promote this type of approach into their teaching often describe the ease with which it allows for the integration of the year 7-10 curriculums. The aims that Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, is that in learning history (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2013), students have the “capacity to undertake historical inquiry, including skills in the analysis and use of sources, and explanation and communication” (Hayden, Arthur & Hunt, 2001). An option could be a bus trip to the exhibition, the use of videos and images which help students in their knowledge and learn about Australian culture and the contribution of men and women in the fight for democracy. Hayden, Arthur & Hunt, suggest (2001) states that, “the study of the past is of relevance to their lives is to clarify the relationship between historical knowledge and the present” (p.26). The use of historical pictures and the attitudes of people in that time line assist students in broadening their knowledge an help understand people views about defending democracy. For example, the exhibition, ‘Remember Me’. This exhibition provides an excellent source of information which assists students in inquiry leaning. year 7-10 students will be in a position to analyse and apply their knowledge on the interactions of people as well as clarify views on the Australian culture and acknowledge the contributions of the Australian men and women in battle for democracy (O’Toole, 2011). In addition, the historical pictures that have been displayed are valuable resources that will help students understanding the international relations Australia had with New Zealand in WWI. According to Ground-Smith et al (2009), inquiry learning promotes knowledge, values and attitudes in students and students are in a position to appreciate important ideas such as citizenship rights, government law, democracy, power concepts and civic duties which developed from the past to modern world history. An activity or task based learning is also another strategy that has been taught in this unit. Activity based learning focus on how students can use their own resources to learn most effectively (Koechlin & Zwaan, 2006). Activity based learning involves the use of the four skills combining the use of songs, games and rhymes which may be linked to a topic or theme (Marsh, 2010). Most school curriculum tends to combine activities and topics, especially within their workbooks. Activity based History learning for year 7-10 curriculum may highlight a particular theme or topic but it will be primarily be driven by the intrinsic interest of the task for the student. A research that was recently published by researchers from University of Illinois has confirmed that active students may, in fact, be smarter than inactive students (Pahl, 2002). According to the research, activity based learning will give a teacher a head start because this kind of a strategy provide valuable experiences to children which are essential part of emotional, social, physical and mental development of young people. This research was focuses on 7 and 10 years old students (Meyer, 2006). The main point of the research showed that active students, with similar backgrounds, will perform better on tests than their inactive students. In activity based learning, the student learns at his/her own pace (Marsh, 2010). For example, if a student has missed one day, he/she can come back and start from where they had left. This method has also been found to help students learn from each other and break down those barriers that may exist in the classroom when the students are placed in a group. Activity based learning strategy is possible where teachers support their students by giving them sufficient guidance and feedback (Meyer, 2006). For example, the teacher can encourage the students to participate in the exhibition, ‘Remember Me’ at Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Thereafter, the teacher can put the students in groups and create their own exhibition in the classroom. In this case, the teacher should explain all the activities that are to be completed, provide detailed directions for how to develop the task, and circulate within the classroom setting in order to answer questions and encourage student motivation. The teacher can assess the students’ tasks with a combination of checklists, objective tests, and rubrics (Blumenfeld, 2005). Through this task, the teacher assessed students’ prior knowledge and students will begin to generate related topics that are based on their own interests. Conclusion In conclusion, making history a core subject for students in year 7-10 improves judgment, helps understand changes in society and understand the practice of past behaviours. The exhibition of photos of WWI, ‘Remember Me’ is a crucial format of information, in comparison to today’s research methods in collecting information of events. Teaching this lesson about the Anzacs and also taking in consideration and its importance in modern day society makes for critical thinking, evaluation and creates points of view. The aim is to make students consider what values and beliefs were practiced in that time period and compare to present day if these values and beliefs are still strong and as important when Australia is becoming part of a globalized market. The comparing of these two different worlds and seen with different mediums allows students to evaluate and make their own judgement. A world history lesson on ANZAC and its importance and comparing its importance in a modern, multicultural nation is still relevant requires students to consider events, the meanings of medals, societal settings and the negative and positives of war. In teaching history, students will engage in historical inquiry skills that examine the occurrences and the conflicts of Australians as they moved towards democracy Reference Barry, K. & King, L. (2003). Beginning teaching and beyond. (4th ed). Sydney: Social Science Press. Blumenfeld, P. C. (2005). Motivating project-based learning: Sustaining the doing, supporting the learning. Educational Psychologist, 26 (3 & 4), 369-398. Clark, A. (2006). Flying the Flag for Mainstream Australia, Griffith REVIEW, 11,pp.107-112. Clark, A. (2008). The challenge of teaching Australian history, In, Australia Under Construction, nation building-past, present and future, Butcher, J. (ed.). The Australian University Press: E press. Ground-Smith, S. Brennan, M., Mc Fedden, M., Mitchell, J., & Munns, G. (2009). Secondary schooling in a changing world (2nd ed). Melbourne: Cengage. Hayden, T. Arthur, J. & Hunt, M. (2001). Learning and teaching history in the secondary school. A companion to school experience, (2nd ed). London: Routledge Falmer. Husbands, C. Kitson, A. & Pentry A. (2003). Understanding history teaching. Teaching and learning about the past in secondary schools. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Koechlin, C., & Zwaan, S. (2006). Info tasks for successful learning: Building skills in reading, writing, and research. Markham, ON: Pembroke Marsh, C. (2010). Becoming a Teacher, Knowledge, Skills and Issues, (5th ed). French Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia. Meyer, K. M. (2006). Enacting project-based science: Experiences of four middle grade teachers. Elementary School Journal. 94(5): p. 518. O’Toole, W. (2011). Events feasibility and development: from strategy to operations. London: Routledge. Pahl, R. (2002). Breaking away from the textbook: Creative ways to teach world history. Volume 2: The Enlightenment through the 20th century. Maryland: Scarecrow Press. Phillips, R. (2002). Reflective teaching of history 11-18 London: Continuum. Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority,(2013). About Rationale and Aims. Retrieved from http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au?The-Humanities/Overview/Rationale Read More