Mandated Curriculum Guides: A Blessing or a Curse in the Lives of Beginning Teachers?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 95
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Perspectives on Content Area Learning, Mandated Curriculum, and Notions of Student Success

Abstract

In today’s accountability-driven climate, many school districts strive to ensure standards are met by regulating day-to-day instruction with mandated curriculum pacing guides and materials. Although research indicates that novice teachers welcome the structure afforded them by required curriculum because it helps them decide what to teach, these teachers have also been shown to desire flexibility and autonomy when implementing curriculum in their classrooms. Based on a case study of beginning teachers, this session explores three primary grade teachers’ experiences with mandated curriculum guides and the subsequent professional dilemmas they encountered. The study raises questions about appropriate levels of curricular oversight for new primary grade teachers where developmentally appropriate practice is essential, and offers implications for teacher educators and school leaders.

Authors

• Michelle Bauml, Texas Christian University

• Sherry L. Field, Arkansas Tech University