Teacher involvement in curriculum design: need for support to enhance teachers’ design expertise

TLDR

Teacher involvement in curriculum design has a long tradition, yet teachers face problems due to restrictive conditions and a lack of knowledge and skills needed for collaborative design. The study aims to provide support to enhance teachers’ design expertise, addressing the gap in understanding what support is needed for novice teacher designers. An exploratory study with six teachers and six facilitators reflected on an enacted design process, the problems encountered, and the support offered. The findings reveal three gaps in teachers’ design expertise—curriculum design, pedagogical content knowledge, and curricular consistency—and underscore the importance of supporting teacher designers during the design process to improve design quality. The research was conducted by scholars from the ELAN Institute for Teacher Education and Science Education, University of Twente, whose interests focus on curriculum development and teacher design expertise.

Abstract

AbstractTeacher involvement in curriculum design has a long tradition. However, although it fosters implementation of curriculum reforms, teachers encounter various problems while designing related to conditions set for the design process, and lack the knowledge and skills needed to enact collaborative design processes. Providing support to enhance teachers' design expertise is essential, since most teachers are novice designers. However, little is known about the nature of the support offered to improve teachers' design expertise. In this explorative study, six teachers and six facilitators offering support reflected on an enacted design process, the problems they experienced and the support offered. The findings indicate three gaps in teachers' design expertise related to three domains (1) curriculum design expertise, (2) pedagogical content knowledge and (3) curricular consistency expertise. The outcomes of this study illustrate the importance of supporting teacher designers during the design process and enhancing teachers' design expertise. By offering (tailored) support to teachers, the enacted design process and the quality of the design materials are expected to improve.Keywords: curriculum designdesign expertiseteacher designerteacher as curriculum maker Additional informationNotes on contributorsTjark HuizingaTjark Huizinga is a PhD student at the ELAN Institute for Teacher Education and Science Education, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands; email: [e-mail]. His interests are in the domain of (school-based) curriculum development and teachers' design expertise.Adam HandelzaltsAdam Handelzalts is assistant professor at the ELAN Institute for Teacher Education and Science Education, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Twente, The Netherlands; His interests are in the domain of (school-based) curriculum development, Data-informed decision making and teachers' professional development.Nienke NieveenNienke Nieveen is senior researcher at the research department of SLO [Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development]; Her interests are in the domains of (school-based) curriculum development, educational design research and curricular competences of teachers and school leaders.Joke M. VoogtJoke M. Voogt is associate professor at the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Twente, The Netherlands; Her interests are in the domain of curriculum development and innovation in national and international settings.