Revisiting the Roles of Teachers, Policy Makers, and Researchers in Curriculum Inquiry: Tensions, Perspectives, and Insights

• In Event: Collaborative and Community Action Research: Working Together for Change

Abstract

Our study describes how two researchers worked closely together with Singapore teachers and two policymakers at the Ministry of Education in a collaborative curriculum inquiry. We borrowed Reid’s (2006) curriculum deliberation to explore how teachers’ voices could be integrated into the design of the first prescribed Outdoor Education (OE) curriculum. In this paper, we modeled how the Conceptual Change framework could be practically applied as we confronted tensions, examined varying perspectives, and generated new insights that led to meaningful action; action including dialogues with the larger OE community (teachers, school leaders and other OE stakeholders) focusing upon local OE discourse. Our reflections compelled further deliberation on teachers’ knowledge contribution to curriculum and concurrent critical examination of policymaker and researcher roles.

Authors

• Yuen Sze Michelle Tan, University of British Columbia

• Matthew Jason Atencio, California State University - East Bay