NEWLY-DEVISED CURRICULUM
Shih Chieh Lu’ Abstract: The rapidly changing nature of Taiwanese society had brought many challenges for its education Starting from 2008, in Taiwan, the crude birth rate (CBR) was at a staggering number of 1.05, the lowest ranking globally Taiwan has adequate ranks in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), but students generally do not find the joy in discovering new knowledge on their own What’s more, 60% of future professions have yet to be invented According to the present conditions of our education sys- tem, our society holds high expectations for the Newly-Devised Curriculum The curriculum stands for comprehensive learning with three main ideas in mind: taking the initiative, engaging the public and seeking the common good Core characteristics include lowering the course credits in sum for students to earn, developing ingenious required subjects in school based on its features, creating learning portfolios to continuously track students’ progress, arranging flexible learning, etc The new curriculum if starting to be implemented in schools would bring many visions to life
Furthermore, Taiwanese students’ awareness to any significant changes within or between schools ranks first in the world; which led to the frus- tration of many teachers in entry-level, to even try and give it a shot once more due to previous failed attempts Confidence-wise, the teachers are doubtful if the practice of the new curriculum will receive a certain degree of support Regarding the challenges of putting the curriculum into practice, we believe a shift in direction for our curriculum doesn’t equate to success; but if we don’t change, we will never succeed Hope every educator can view students as the central role of our education, capable of autonomous 1 Doctoral student, Department of Educational Policy and Administration, National Chi Nan
Trang 2learning and self-teaching
Keywords: Newly-Devised Curriculum; school-devised required subjects; learning portfolios; flexible learning; a decline in fertility rate
1 Introduction to the Newly-Devised Curriculum 1.1 The Origin of Newly-Devised Curriculum
From the curriculum of the 95" Taiwan year of the republic to the temporary substitute of the 99" Taiwan year, leading up to the Newly-Devised Curriculum of the 107" Taiwan year has been a journey that spanned over nearly 12 years The education policies in all countries change roughly every decade completes a cycle, which is to meet the demands of the future generation and rectify the common flaws within the previous curriculum Advocating for a new curriculum every decade is to cope with the needs of our ever-shifting society, which is prevalent in all countries
By examining the widespread success of the education in Western Civilization, it provides fascinating insights on how some of these countries craft their core beliefs based on the importance of literacy within their national curricula:
1 New Zealand: (A) cognitive thinking; (B) the use of language, signs, and text; (C) self-management; (D) socialise with others; (E) participation and contribution
2 France: (A) ability to apply French in daily life; (B) ability to utilize foreign languages in everyday life; (C) basic literacy on mathematics, science, and technology; (D) ability to apply necessary information and communications technology in life; (E) cultural literacy; (F) social and civic literacy; (G) self-motivation
3 Spain: (A) communication literacy; (B) mathematical literacy; (C) active engagement and literacy regarding the world of physics; (D) literacy on processing information and digital database; (E) social and civic literacy; (F) learning useful studying skills; (G) self-motivation
Trang 3As well as referencing the essential skills indicator published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), that would further aid us in the near future: Knowledge, Attitudes & Values and acquiring Skills through Competencies in able to reach Action
What do children have to learn?
Figure 1: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): The Learning Framework of 2030
Richard Riley, former U.S Secretary of Education, expressed his beliefs that: “The ten jobs we desperately need in our world are still unknown within the next six years We must educate our students to devote time in jobs that don’t yet exist, using technology that hasn’t been brought to life, and solving issues that could have never been imagined.” Hence, in the midst of our unpredictable society: research and development capabilities, ability to innovate, creativity, communication techniques, decision-making, collaboration, adaptability, productivity, critical thinking problem-solving skills, etc., are highly valued as the ingredients to individual and national successes Only by strengthening our human resources, do we increase the nation’s competitiveness
By integrating learned intelligence in life would help to make our world a better place to live in Plus, there are still many challenges in education brought forth by the ever-shifting society we inhabit in:
Trang 44 Ranks well on PISA and TIMSS for Science and Mathematics, but fall short on the interest to learn and overall self-confidence
5 60% of future professions have yet to be invented
6 The world is flat—what you might understand today could be useless in tomorrow What’s important is the ability to adapt and learn
7 The globalisation, localisation, and individualisation of the education landscape
Now in the early stages of the 21“ century, what’s the most challenging task for us is to deviate our fixate from competency-based skills towards Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and the likes of the 7Cs, also known as The Equation of 21* Century Learning We need to progress from having competency-based learning as the core of our education to employing inquiry-based learning for students to analyse and organise aspects of an issue in a comprehensive manner For this reason, in the November of the 103 year, our Newly-Devised Curriculum published its general framework in summary, and over the subsequent three years issued the individual guidelines for each subject The implementation of the Newly-Devised Curriculum national wide in the 108" year is the most awaited, for the significance of literacy will finally be put in the center of our discussion
The Equation of 21* Century Learning is to multiply the 3Rs with the 7Cs, which would equate to the critical formula for effective studying in our present times
The 3Rs stand for: (1) READING (2) WRITING (3) ARITHMETIC The 7Cs stand for:
CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING CREATIVITY & INNOVATION
CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
COLLABORATION TEAMWORK & LEADERSHIP
COMMUNICATION INFORMATION & MEDIA LITERACY COMPUTING & ICT LITERACY
Trang 51.2 The Significance and Core Values of the Newly-Devised Curriculum
The full title of the Newly-Devised Curriculum is 12-year Basic Education Curriculum Its purpose is to integrate the previous 9-year compulsory education from elementary to junior high with the high school curriculum that didn’t connect seamlessly together, causing concerns for students who wish to complete the high school program as well The curriculum is ready to be implemented in the 108" year and is now suitable for all students below Grade 9, the last year in junior high for the Taiwanese education system Explanations regarding the significance and core of the new curriculum are listed down below
The Ideals of the Newly-Devised Curriculum:
The 12-year compulsory education was built upon by our faith for comprehensive learning, in pursuance of cultivating the minds of students to become more resilient over time Taking the initiative, engaging the public and seeking the common good are the three main ideas encompassed within our primary goal It stresses that students are self-motivated learners, who should be guided consistently by our schools to evoke their passion for learning and remain open-minded to interact with the self, the other and the world By taking actions to create welfare for humanity and nature, one step at a time would bond themselves with each other through the pursuit of common goods
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Figure 2 The Main Ideas of the Newly-Devised Curriculum
1.1.2 The Goals of the Newly-Devised Curriculum on Education
1 Inspire one’s inner potential
Trang 64 Develops one’s cognition towards the importance of civic responsibility 1.2.2 The Core Values of the Newly-Devised Curriculum
1 Adjustments Made on Overall Course Credits: The required learning hours of the high school subjects were reduced, and a third of the overall credits now took in consideration of the ones earned from elective courses Besides, high schools need to develop their independently- devised required subjects based on the identity and characteristics of the school, respectively These subjects would add another four to eight credits within the overall sum
National Core Competencies: The core competencies are the primary and central characteristics of the Newly-Devised Curriculum It revolves around the continuous preparation for oneself to adapt better in various situations and face the underlying obstacles being posed throughout life With the right mindset, students could perform better in real-life scenarios by bringing their academic resourcefulness to the table School-Devised Required Subjects: The Newly-Devised Curriculum demands every high school to develop their own required lessons, to continue building their visions for the school and distinguishing features; which would take up four to eight credits in total School-devised compulsory subjects are interdisciplinary courses that would be in need of every high school student to participate Project-based assessments, the conduct of researches and outdoors learning would be prevalent for these subjects
Trang 75 Flexible Learning: The schools can now utilise their advantages to meet students’ needs in learning such as training for athletic purposes, organize time for independent studies, enhance understanding of certain subjects or even conduct events surrounding the unique features of the school These events can be based on students’ interests and psychological development, considering the present conditions and historical background of the school, expectations of the parents and utilizing the resources from the communities
1.3 The Journey of Advocating for the Newly-Devised Curriculum
Starting with its involvement in the National High School Program of Optimization for Quality Education, the journey of promoting the Newly- Devised Curriculum has been a nationwide movement ever since By being requested to utilize the funds provided by the curriculum to meet the goals set by the guidelines, high schools and vocational schools had become its best places to advocate such beliefs When the general curriculum of the 103" year was published, the curriculum was explained and discussed thoroughly in regular workshops, carried out individually for the directors of academic affairs from all over the country Subsequently proceeding to the cultivation of new teachers for our system, then clarify each topic of the Newly-Devised Curriculum, and at last introduce the tools and charts needed to develop each stage of the curriculum on the drafts to enable a comprehensive vision for the schools to take consideration The semi-annual conferences held to give guidance on the current progress of optimizing the education in school proves to be beneficial Professionals of particular expertise would help schools to overcome their doubts and barriers
However, during the process of bringing the Newly-Devised Curriculum to life, it was delayed for a year from complete implementation Back when the general curriculum subsequently issued its frameworks for each subject, it was being challenged by the active supporters of populism They raised doubts over the ratio of the encompassed members within the team that drafted the framework for Social Studies, thus postponed the practice of the Newly-Devised Curriculum The issue caused many educators to adopt a wait-and-see attitude towards the possibility of the realization of the Newly-Devised Curriculum
Trang 8courses by teachers and an open-minded approach towards self-studying, which has drastically differed from our traditional, dated values concerning the field of education Whether on the scope of quantity and quality, it has demonstrated our educational values in multidimensional education, here are some points to further illustrate and support our beliefs
1 Lowering required credits for graduation in the high school program from 160 to 150 can reduce students’ stress with studying and devote more time to their respective fields of interests
The overall required credits in sum have decreased from 198 to 180 Leaving space for the schedule for time to commit to self-studying sessions or classes designed under the ideals of Curriculum Differentiation to tailor to one’s needs
Credits for elective courses take up from 54 to 58 By introducing diversity into our studying content, it can let the students develop their course of learning through their respective advantages
School-devised required subjects are worth from 4 to 8 credits in total, which the school can accomplish their vision to further develop their characteristics as a whole, locating its core feature through time, and shaping the ideal image of a student, which could eventually be achieved by following the school’s mission statement
Trang 9Table 1: Comparing the Newly-Devised Curriculum with the Old Version
General High School Curriculum of the 99th year v.s 12-year Basic Education Curriculum
Categories for the 99th year LÔ Description
Course Structure Curriculum Curriculum
198 Required Course
Decreased 18 credits for room
Credits to arrange flexible hours of
learning
Regular Compulsory 138 118 Setting up students for group
Subjects discussions and learning
w Elective Courses 6O 54-58 Emphasis on counseling vv - O 4-8 Schools can provide students
School-devised with a variety of options, and Compulsory Subjects develop its distinguishing
features
w ; O period 12-18 Two to three periods per
: m
Learning periods sẽ
Requirements for Graduation 160 150 0.91 times 160, then
Some Changes are Already Happening
Self-Teaching
Teacher +Textbooks Independent Learning Asking for Results Competitive Learning Process matters too [9/1909 10 wera] lÌ
Purposeful Educatlon Meaningful Education
Chasing for Grades IÏIIlÍI Exploring New Ideas ii!
Figure 3: The Difference between the Newly-Devised Curriculum and the Old One
2 Analyzing the Present Conditions of Schools in Taiwan
Trang 10(1) Deeply-Rooted Perception Under the Influence of Credentialism
“Exams in Taiwan are thirsty for blood and hungry for killing,” such thought occurred to the mind of Lin Shih-Hwa, the associate professor of Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) He said exams are not the solution to our problem; instead, it is the use of teaching that would reap benefits for all If reviews are inevitable, then we should adopt diversified criteria in practice to value each facet of the learning process The Humanistic Education Foundation (HEF) has announced to assemble an Observing Body for Encouraging Normalization in Education, to achieve the vision of making our education obtain human qualities and respect for its learners
According to research coordinated by HEF, the usage of junior high reference books, mock exam papers and the frequency of holding quizzes during morning recess are still a prevailing situation in most schools Although the MOE has stated not to use any sorts of reference books or papers in school to prepare in advance for the entrance examination; 69.64% of the interviewed junior high students stated that teachers use reference books in classes, and 97.38% of the schools they went to have teachers employing reference books into their courses Also, studies showed 95% of the interviewed junior high students have quizzes during morning recess, and a staggering 33% of these students take these quizzes every day during this particular time in the morning
Trang 11(2) The Impact of The Decline in Fertility Rate
The society of Tatwan has now come face to face with two critical challenges: a decline in fertility rate and population ageing, especially with the alarming trend of declining fertility rate is the most noticeable by all, impacting the education in our nation So far, Taiwan’s CBR remains as the lowest in the world at the rate of 0.83% The decline in fertility rate has caused less than the births of roughly 15 thousand newborns in a year Not to mention within the next five years, there would only be an approximate amount of 10 thousand children enrolling in the elementary school program as first graders The impact will be immense for every facet of our education system, posing as an urgent matter for us to figure a solution out within the unmarked territories
The decline in fertility rate will result in a decrease of labouring population, economic stagnation and the vitality of our society, which would negatively impact our nation as a whole Such trend would prove to be a critical problem for the existing planning we have arranged for education in the future, such as employing small classes or the ideal ratio between teachers and students per school would all have to be modified excessively to meet the changes in the future Here are the impacts on school education due to the decline in fertility rate:
(A) A decrease in the number of homerooms and students; facing merge with another school or even worse to be shut down
(B) A sharp decline in an available source for students, accompanied with the problem of an increased gap in academic performance between urban and rural areas
(C) Severe imbalance within the supply of teachers; the problem of having an excess of teachers on the waiting list still exists
(D) Education resources are reduced; the management and running of a school had become exceptionally difficult
(E) Driving the principals’ change on certain perspectives educational-wise; alteration within the model of business for school
Trang 123 Implementing the Daring Visions Proposed by the Newly-Devised
Curriculum
The goals of the Newly-Devised Curriculum include the strengthening of students’ adaptive development in life, fulfilling the promise to educate students within a multidimensional learning model, and raise students to become life-long learners forever by garnering the core competencies and interdisciplinary skills to succeed in our society To execute such visions, we must revolutionize our thinking on approaching with teaching and course design
Recently, many impassioned educators within the field of our education are fighting for the future to a better 12-year Compulsory Education in favour of the students’ learning The commitment of teachers from entry level to the superior officials had been translated into firm beliefs to stand for the bold visions of the Newly-Devised Curriculum Below are its main features listed:
3.1 Emphasis on Students’ Rights to Learn in the New Courses
The course design of the Newly-Devised Curriculum underscores the students’ rights to education and returns their autonomy in learning back to them from the country In doing so, the inclusion of an interactive literacy-based education shall defeat the dated perceptions on viewing academic excellence as the only credentials to one’s success or not The clear separation between subjects that rarely intersects with one another to spice up the learning process and the lack of hands-on experiences in school are warnings as to why we need diversified education in our lives It would accomplish the purpose of viewing students as independent and core learners of our time Courses in the future must accentuate on seeing students as the embodiment of such, gradually learning how to use their senses and available methods to gain a deeper understanding of a world through cognitive thinking
3.2 Approach to a Multidimensional Education
In the past, students could only choose between pursuing a path on science- related subjects or ones that orientated towards social studies The implementation of the Newly-Devised Curriculum can let the students plan their studying schedule based on their interests and competence By organizing an independent studying map, everyone would end up with a unique version on their own, which would allow them to have more than two choices only Every student can decide how they want their studying process to be, providing flexible learning for all in the
Trang 133.3 Empowering Teachers with Freedom to Organize Their Teaching
The Newly-Devised Curriculum grants the schools 1.2 to 1.5 times the space for elective courses, which would push for a shift in culture on embracing multidirectional learning in school For teachers, they would have the creative control over the development of the courses In the past framework of education, every class in the schedule has to be authorized and clarified by the MOE; resulted in teachers have little to no space to teach in ways that will engage all students together However, not only is there an increasing amount of elective courses if the Newly-Devised Curriculum was implemented, but the school must set the total amount of credits for these courses from 54 to 58 Teachers will be able to inspire and challenge students with much more freedom at hand
3.4, Literacy-based Course Design
The spirit of the Newly-Devised Curriculum is for the teachers to understand
the characteristics of the students, the visions of the school and understand the
big picture, what students desperately need to succeed in the future Without a clear grasp on the ideal of the curriculum, there will be no success in practice A literacy-based course design does not have a fixed framework As long as we recognize the goals students pursue in studying and formulate a most effective method; then we shall succeed in raising the bar for literacy Here are four of its main principles: 1 Integrate knowledge, skills, and attitude in learning effectively (Integration) 2 Supply contextualized scenarios for students to learn and grapple with (Contextualization)
Provide adequate learning methods and strategies (Strategical Learning) 4 Apply academic resourcefulness in real life (Application)
Four Principles of
Trang 143.5 The Management of A School through its Core Characteristics
The decline in fertility rate has brought elaboration into the school’s education system, trying their best to separate themselves from others in this competitive field The schools must try and survive under an ever-heating battlefield, where the slightest difference to being defeated or not can be judged by the difference in the quality of the education For schools, the only way is to develop and strengthen their characteristic to triumph other schools over specific fields and use quality education to continue the visions laid out by the schools That is why many schools nowadays are utilizing such methods to attract students to attend their school in the short run, but locate their voice in the field in the long term
4 The Challenges for Schools to Practice the New Curriculum
What the Newly-Devised Curriculum will bring forth is a comprehensive change as a whole Not only does it stress on the importance of characteristics for the schools to apply, creative freedom for teachers and the changes brought to students’ learning, but also alter our way of perceiving education in Taiwan
These issues will undoubtedly raise doubts for the students and concerns for the parents Besides, if the teachers working on the front line of education do not know enough about the Newly-Devised Curriculum, how would the students reap the rewards from the initially planned learning? To better cope with these issues, we have discovered these facets of challenges for the implementation of the Newly-Devised Curriculum
4.1 Students’ Self-Management and Discipline
Trang 15some students might waste all the precious time when it could’ve been used for studying The training in self-discipline is in some ways cannot be forced, which is why only by the help of teachers and students’ high will to cooperate, can we help bring our education back on the right track
4,2 Career Challenges in the Future
When we have devised a study plan tailored for the students’ needs and respect them as the ones who control their learning; they would have the choice to pursue their interests and record their compelling experiences on the learning portfolios, which can be their best tool to apply for colleges or universities Then we will discover that the Newly-Devised Curriculum is suitable for students who know what to pursue However, for the students who do not have a distinct goal in mind, the blurred focus within the wide range of options will persist throughout their entire course of learning, which is disadvantageous for them to do well in the future During the stage of transferring from junior high to high school, career counselling takes up a huge responsibility in clarifying and locating the students’ voice in their future
Table 2: Testing Results of PISA
Trang 16PISA — Total Variation in Mathematics Performance for Different Countries, Compared and Contrasted
Figure.5 PISA - Total Variation in Mathematics Performance for Different Coun- tries, Compared and Contrasted
4.4, Teachers’ Doubts Regarding the Newly-Devised Curriculum
Behind every person’s success, there’s a journey of drawing rich experiences along the way and reasons why he or she succeeded Many teachers in Taiwan are being raised under the system through the likes of our education system, which determined who are the best out of all students Therefore, teachers also believed the way for students to achieve success, is through the ones that have passed on to them The blind pursuance for Credentialism in our society has also encouraged parents to let their children attend cram schools, in able to attain academic excellence in the process
(1) Past Experiences with the Old Curriculum
Trang 17(2) Not Familiar with the Intention and Content of the Newly-Devised Curriculum
Multiple teachers oppose to the Newly-Devised Curriculum is not because of the flaws within the framework, but criticizing it based on their dispirited experiences in the past In fact, the Newly-Devised Curriculum is very detailed in thoughts and carefully lay out the necessary stages to be implemented over the course of 12 years It planned for the expected learning goals and capabilities that shall be achieved in certain stages and expanded the collection of content for our students to learn Some subjects also made the suitable moderations to cut down on their learning hours so that students can conduct independent studies on their own On the other hand, it also decreased some required content to be taught inside of the school for the teachers Thus, when teachers are complaining about the shortage of teaching hours, the sensible thing to do is to understand the essence of the curriculum and engage with the conversation
(3) Our Field of Education will be Severely Changed
Adjusting to a change can be a piece of cake when it disrupted our lives in an insignificant way; but when the shift comes with a massive move, we would probably not be able to cope with it The Newly-Devised Curriculum made drastic changes on all aspects of our education system, which forced every interested party of the system out of their comfort zones Therefore, there will be an equal force of resistance and opposition towards the Newly-Devised Curriculum, without ever knowing the level of difficulty in executing such policy Often, only the principals, directors and supervisors in each office understand clearly of the strengths and weaknesses to employ the Newly-Devised Curriculum in our schools It would decrease the ideal outcomes we had expected from the curriculum, because of the difference between the educators’ thoughts in mind The essential factors that drive and shape our society and the drastic changes in the field of education will prove to be barriers we must conquer
4.5 The Adjustments within the School Administration
Trang 18teachers, they are being offered with regular hours for work, and no issue with working overtime Unless there are classes opened during winter or summer vacation, or else they are guaranteed with a much more complete holiday The precarious balance in structure can cause considerable problems in the future Almost every school has to find people regularly every year to fill in the positions in the administration
4.6 Principals’ Support for the Newly-Devised Curriculum
The term for principals is four years in Taiwan; therefore most principals would take in consideration on the development of the school within the time of their term Normally, principals will maintain the enrollment rate in school and the number of classes opened per grade, as their markings of demonstrating excellent performance in school In other words, maintaining the number of classes would help stimulate the growth of the enrollment, which would lead us back on the path of pursuing Credentialism once more If the Newly-Devised Curriculum wants to be implemented with efficiency, principals’ wholehearted support is critical to its prosperity in our schools
5 Conclusion and Further Suggestions
5.1 Conclusion
The revolutionary moves brought upon by the Newly-Devised Curriculum have differed from the traditional approach to education The curriculum will be the first organized system inspired by cognitive thinking Not only by handing the responsibility of the students back to them, but also adjust the lessons to fit into the framework of a literacy-based education, accompanied with a fix in total learning hours and the inclusion of school-devised required subjects
The creation of the Newly-Devised Curriculum is a direct reference to the essential skills indicator published by UNESCO: Knowledge, Attitudes & Values and acquiring Skills through Competencies in able to reach Action
Core Changes of the Newly-Devised Curriculum: adjustment in overall required credits, literacy-based education, school-devised required subjects, learning portfolios and flexible learning
Trang 19Visions of the Newly-Devised Curriculum: the creation of new courses based on our emphasis towards the students’ nght to education, learning in a multidimensional environment, empowering teachers with creative freedom over their teaching framework, literacy-based course design, and developing the image of the school based on its core characteristics
5.2 Suggestions
Schools should continuously monitor on students’ growth in mastering self- management and self-discipline
Aiding the students in finding a sharp focus for their career development in the future, and provide adequate guidance for the students to organize their course of learning
Educate teachers to better grasp the content and essence of the Newly- Devised Curriculum, without holding a biased and subjective view towards it
The Newly-Devised Curriculum should be implemented slowly with steady progression, which can avoid a massive wave of opposition if practised immediately in all schools
Due to the different scale of schools around Taiwan, the Newly-Devised Curriculum should consider the differences between each school and proceed to assist them
Changes in the administrative affairs occur too often in schools, so there should be an appealing incentive for teachers to participate in such work We can only push our ideal image of education framework forward by doing so
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