The response to the COVID-19 pandemic raises a question about the role of national curriculum frameworks in acquiring and applying knowledge about hygiene and prevention of disease. For curriculum designers, this means determining what children of different ages should learn about these topics and how they should develop and apply this knowledge.…

Curriculum policies internationally are increasingly concerned with the promotion of national competitiveness and economic development. This involves more emphasis on skills than on knowledge, on learning than on teaching and on school/teacher autonomy than regulation from the centre. At the local level such global influences are inevitably…

The introduction of a new curriculum in Indonesian schools seeks to bring about changes in Indonesian society as well as students' knowledge base. The curriculum is based on two layers of competencies: Core Competencies, and Basic Competencies. Core Competencies are applicable at all year levels and for all subjects. They include religious and…

Agency, understood as the capacity to act independently and to make one's own choices, is considered central to children's development. Thus, education, and hence education curricula, have a role in the development of learner agency. While curriculum development is a key focus for educational theory, research, policy, and classroom practice, the…

Curtin University introduced an interprofessional first year curriculum in the Faculty of Health Sciences in 2011. This curriculum, now delivered to over 3,300 first year health science students annually, consists of five common compulsory units, eight optional units (specific to several courses) and one discipline specific unit for each course.…

Intercultural competency (ICC) has been an extensively researched area within the past decade, given the broad consensus that this trait constitutes one of the key competencies of the 21st century manager. However, somewhat under-explored are aspects including the implications and effects that pedagogies such as blended learning have on the…

The fundamental premise of this paper is that a broad rather than a narrow definition of "competency" should inform discussions on "competencies-based education". Also, while we see value in drawing on a broad definition when designing curricula, we hold that it is not sufficient on its own for such design if education is to be…

This document is a revised version of the National Consumer and Financial Literacy Framework (the Framework) originally developed in 2005. It articulates a rationale for consumer and financial education in Australian schools; describes essential consumer and financial capabilities that will support lifelong learning; and provides guidance on how…

Although ideas about digital media and learning have become an important area for educational research, little attention has been given to the practical and conceptual implications for the school curriculum. In this book, Ben Williamson examines a series of contemporary curriculum innovations in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia that…

This document presents a framework for teaching language, literacy, and numeracy as the central elements of competence for work and social activity in Australia. The framework contains guidelines that set the overall agenda for curriculum and assessment, with which the needs of workplaces, educational institutions, and community groups can be…

The role of collaborative research to support curriculum change is discussed, drawing on experiences with the Australian Adult Migrant English Program during a period of extensive change. The research undertaken was to assess the impact of competency-based curriculum on classroom practice and course design. The research project engaged 30…

This publication contains six essays that offer a range of practical and theoretical perspectives on work-related curriculum. It is part of the study materials for the one-semester distance education unit, Curriculum and Competencies, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University (Australia). An introduction proposes a course design and pedagogy…

This publication contains materials from a conference to discuss modular approaches to curriculum design. The materials from the United States and five other countries address both national skills standards and modular systems of training delivery. An introduction provides brief summaries of the conference materials and the agenda. "National…

This book considers critically the many issues surrounding competency-based education and training (CBE/T) and provides practical advice on its appropriateness and application to educational and training programs. Part A places the whole issue of CBE/T in its appropriate contexts. Chapters 1-3 examine the concept of competence and its articulation…

The research presented in this paper is a study of the values underpinning the curriculum and teaching of current Australian degree-level youth work courses. The paper looks at the implications that values raise for the introduction of competency-based training in the youth and community services sector. The paper raises some of the potential…