Strengthening Teachers’ Curricular Capacities

• In Event: Notions of Context, Community, and Identity in Teacher Education

Abstract

Worldwide, countries and states vary in the amount of autonomy they offer to schools and teachers when it comes to curriculum decision-making. The Netherlands is one of those countries where schools and teachers have an active role in school-based curriculum development. Several studies have revealed the challenges these teachers encounter when using their curricular autonomy. This study examined and validated six curricular capacities of teachers needed in relation to curriculum design tasks of (student, novice and experienced) teachers. The paper ends with a discussion on how to bridge the gap between the high expectations related to the curricular capacities of teachers and the lack of coherent opportunities for curricular capacity building (in pre- and in-service education) of teachers.

Authors

• Nienke Nieveen, SLO - The Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development

• Monique Van der Hoeven, Stichting Leerplanontwikkeling

• Jan J. Van Den Akker, SLO, The Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development