The Role of Curricula in Shaping Student Outcomes

Group Submission Type: Panel Session

Proposal

This panel seeks to understand the role of curriculum in shaping girls’ education, socio-political engagement, equitable opportunities, and peacebuilding. The first paper examines how design thinking curriculum can provide middle and high schools girls with the skills and confidence needed to pursue a career in STEAM. The second paper explores the representation of Black social movements in textbooks in the U.S. and Brazil. The third paper studies the effectiveness of different ESL curricula and textbooks offered in public-private partnerships in Pakistan in producing the desired learning outcomes in public primary school students. The fourth paper delves deeper into the curriculum and national policies which shape the mindset of the youth which has led Pakistan to be amongst the lowest ranked countries on the Peace Index and evaluates an alternative curriculum.

This panel is motivated by a desire to understand the factors that influence curricula and the impact that they have on shaping student mindsets and opportunities. How students connect with these different curriculum designs can provide critical insight into how curricula can not only be more inclusive, but also be progressive. A more deliberative effort to connect curricula with specific social outcomes can inform future curriculum design and content-generation techniques.

The papers use a variety of theoretical and methodological frameworks for their analyses. They include survey and text analysis of textbooks, extracurricular programming, curriculum policy, and language instruction design. The papers also analyze national policies that have influenced the curriculum over the years, examine the key stakeholders which were involved in curriculum building, and explore the motivation behind the curriculum. The methods also include quantitative data (pre surveys, post surveys, focused group discussions) from randomized control trials and difference in difference methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of programs as possible alternatives.

Sub Unit

• SIG: Inclusive Education

Chair

• Darius Gordon, Stanford University

Individual Presentations

• Inspiring middle and high school girls to pursue STEAM careers through design thinking curriculum - Audra Wingard, Stanford University

• Teaching “Black Lives Matter” and “Movimento Negro”: A comparative analysis of Black social movements in U.S. and Brazilian secondary school textbooks - Darius Gordon, Stanford University

• Examining the role of curriculum in determining tolerance levels of students in conflict affected areas: Evidence from Pakistan - Sarah Mirza, Stanford University; Sunair Zakir Hassan, Stanford University

• Government research funding and research productivity in India - Akshay Jain, Stanford University