Curriculum For Wales: The Hidden Curriculum

 

The Hidden Curriculum - Barri Moc

Curriculum for Wales is now a complete document and following the Senedd election results and a Labour portfolio for education most likely, there is now strong certainty, if there was ever any real doubt, that it's full steam ahead for Curriculum For Wales!

Source

From the definition above the term 'curriculum' can be interpreted differently depending on context and it often needs further qualification to be understood. However, there are definite aspects that are inherent when discussing 'curriculum' in an educational context. Knowledge and skills, standards/objectives, assessment, content, sequences, lesson plans, schemes of work, materials, resources, assessment, activities and all the stuff that goes on in our schools and in our classrooms. It really is refreshing that deep and meaningful discussions and reflections about research informed pedagogy are underway as Curriculum for Wales heads towards the start-line, but will it be enough?

There is an additional and important consideration here that isn't included in the definition above but is clearly assumed within Curriculum for Wales. Whilst there are lots of discussions and activities about knowledge and skills, consideration of lesson content, sequencing, methodology and assessment, there is a huge aspect that is of equal importance and needs to be teased out in going forward. This is The Hidden Curriculum! 

'Hidden curriculum' here refers to the stuff you cannot really plan for without considering the bigger picture and wider context of education from policy to practice. In order to tease this out a little more, here's a little scenario that arises often in many classrooms, and even across phases to varying degrees:

I've been teaching for a long time and I've observed that some learners seem to be able to listen, process, understand, interact, wrestle with challenge and make impressive progress both in terms of acquiring knowledge and application of skills. On the other hand, there are learners who are disaffected, bored, not interested, distracted or poorly behaved where progress is often hindered and this can also hinder the learning of others. Of course this is a continuum of extremes and many learners are situated along it at different points and can often change their position depending on a huge range of variables and factors such as the weather, relationships, home life, background knowledge, educational and life experience, well-being and health etc. The struggle for me has always been that this vast mixture of learners are all present in the same lesson. Even with the best lesson sequences planned out with engaging resources and the latest thinking on how to deliver that content, it may not be sufficient to bridge the gap between these two extremes. It's a struggle!

Barri Mock - Teacher and Subject Lead

This is a 'hidden curriculum' because it goes beyond the knowledge and skills that can be planned for within a lesson sequence. Sure, teachers in the classroom will select content and activities with the aim of including everyone and will strive to ensure there is challenge and support to involve all learners in being successful and promote progress, but this is not sufficient to realise the lofty goals of the 4 Purposes in and of itself. I'm not suggesting this has not been a factor in the co-construction phase and it is obviously implicit within the document itself and this 'hidden curriculum' is more about the vision, culture, ethos, routines, identity, behaviour, attitudes and ownership of the learning within our schools themselves. It's the day to day stuff, the language, the timetable, the pastoral support, the interactions, the extra-curricular opportunities, the systems and the organisation and structure of the school and what it stands for.

How do we foster positive dispositions to learning? How do we cultivate curiosity, creativity, resilience, critical thinking and problem solving? How do we invite another into exploring identity and sense of place in the world? How do we go about equipping an individual to deal with the harsh realities of life and remain positive and philosophical in moving forward? How do we reconcile poverty with wealth and the different experiences this can bring? How do we create an environment where failure is seen as a positive step in learning? How do we ensure the self-efficacy of all learners and promote equity? These are questions that go right to the heart of the 4 Purposes and yet they will not be written into any schemes of work because the craft of the teacher working within a community ethos and culture is in the realm of professional learning, leadership and the shared purpose and understanding of a meaningful education.

The reality on the ground will remain the same for most teachers! Learners will continue to have different backgrounds and experiences and a wide range of knowledge, skills and abilities on which to draw. On one hand this is amazing as there's lots to share but it's also problematic. Let's take reading for example! What if a learner, for whatever reason, cannot read upon reaching Y7? What about those who don't care or feel the 'visible curriculum' is not relevant to them? What about those learners who cannot understand the cultural references within lessons that others do? What about learners who do not possess the dispositions required to function in the classroom? What about the bullies, racism and peer pressure that is rife due to social media? What about tolerance, understanding, patience and respect? What about celebrating diversity and being inclusive of all? Can these things be addressed sufficiently within the 'curriculum plans' and subject schemes of work and lesson sequences and experience, or is there something else, some other layer of thought and planning we need to engage with? Do we also need to address the 'hidden curriculum'?

In designing Curriculum for Wales within each school/cluster/region there is a need to consider things such as school vision, ethos, culture, intention, purpose, identity and expectation. The passing on of information between phases over and above academic data also needs careful consideration, particularly in view of dispositions and attitudes to learning in order to address any issues. We need to arrive at a place where the start of a new phase is not a complete blank slate, but a continuation of the journey. We also need to address meta-cognition, motivation and relationships through careful investment of time and expertise in the 'hidden curriculum' if we are to achieve the desired outcomes of this bold curriculum adventure. In addition to this, we need to go a little further and ask where the responsibility for addressing these very important points rests? How do we cultivate the best culture, environment and dispositions from classroom through faculty, school, cluster, regional and national level so that Cymru is given the best chance of moving forward and to realise the lofty goals of the 4 Purposes and Curriculum for Wales? 

#15MFCymru 

 

Curriculum for Wales - The 4 Purposes

 

Curriculum For Wales - The 4 Purposes

#15MFCymruTeam

The aim of this post is to take a deeper look at The 4 Purposes within Curriculum for Wales.

The aim is to address the questions above and stimulate some thought and discussion around enacting Curriculum for Wales at a School, Areas of Learning and Experience or even subject level.

In short, the Four Purposes provide us with the What! This is the big picture! The shared vision that links us all together in a common endeavour. So let’s dive in!

The above quote from the Curriculum For Wales documentation clearly illustrates the 4 Purposes are the starting point and aspiration for the whole curriculum. A clear purpose to enable all learners to become ambitious, capable, enterprising, creative, ethical and informed, healthy and confident people equipped to take a fully functional and effective role in society.

On one hand, these look appropriate and sensible aspirations for all learners that many would find it hard to disagree with. Yet, on the other hand, they can seem hugely challenging and ambitious beyond reality given the issues surrounding poverty and levels of literacy in general. On the surface they're obvious but considering the lengthy process to arrive at them and the huge distilling process and deep consideration to agree upon them, this is now the vision for all learners and the driver for the curriculum changes.

One of the issues that immediately arises is do all schools in all sectors have a shared understanding of the fully-loaded purposes contained here? What is a purpose? What does it mean and how does it align with curriculum thinking and planning to take such a central place in the curriculum documentation?

A quick search of the word provides these definitions that may, or may not, help us to grasp at a deeper level why they’re central to everything.

The reason, motive, impetus, grounds for, point of and cause for the curriculum is to mould and release these creative, enterprising, informed and healthy individuals into society. It is therefore primarily the What of the curriculum. It’s the big picture, the driver, the impetus, the reason and the motivation for the whole endeavour.

In a nutshell, the 4 Purposes are in-fact one purpose with four facets that interlink and intertwine to realise the whole vision. The Learner possessing these dispositions as a result of their experience through the system.

It’s also interesting to consider the verb form of the word purpose here too! Intention, aim, plan and overall design for the purpose of education is the ground of Curriculum for Wales; and the 4 Purposes are the centre piece. Let’s dig a little deeper and explore each aspect of the whole purpose in more detail.

• Expectations and challenge
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Questioning
• Problem Solving
• Communication in Welsh and English
• Explaining ideas and concepts
• Using number
• Interpreting Data
• Applying mathematical concepts
• Using digital technologies
• Analysing information
• Researching
• Evaluating critically

= LIFE LONG LEARNERS

• Knowledge and application of knowledge
• Creation of ideas and products
• Thinking creatively
• Reframing and solving problems
• Identifying and grasping ideas
• Taking measured risks
• Working collaboratively with roles and acting responsibly
• Expressing emotions and ideas in a variety of ways
• Giving time, effort, energy, knowledge and skills to benefit others

= TO PLAY A FULL PART IN LIFE AND WORK

• Finding, evaluating and using evidence to form views and opinions
• Contemporary issues 
• Values
• Democratic responsibilities and rights
• Actions and consequences when making decisions
• Knowledge of self, community, culture, society and the world both now and in the past
• Respecting others and rights within a diverse society
• Sustainability

= Citizenship of Wales and the World

• Values – spiritual and ethical
• Wellbeing – mental and emotional 
• Confidence, resilience and empathy
• Application of knowledge to inform lifestyle - diet, exercise and mental health
• Finding information to support lifestyle and decisions
• Physical activity
• Measured decisions for lifestyle and risk management
• Participation
• Relationships
• Overcoming hardships
• Knowledge and skills to be as independent as they can be

= LEAD FULFILLING LIVES AS VALUED MEMBERS OF SOCIETY

Let's pause and take a breath for a minute! The 4 Purposes are far from being buzzwords or small aspects of the curriculum. They are, in reality, the very detailed reasons, motivations and desire for the curriculum. As we consider the design process, all the planning and development should be driven by these over-arching purposes, reasons and motivations for our young people as they journey through the system.

This does not mean we will all have to address every aspect individually and nor should we consider them in isolation from each other. For example, each purpose contains knowledge in some form or measure. Knowledge is the foundation or basic starting point for learning and the whole curriculum and they're clearly established within the purposes themselves. The ability to apply knowledge in new contexts also repeats itself often, so the purposes in fact encapsulate the whole range of learning approaches and experience. There's lots of scope from direct instruction to project based learning and these purposes do not favour one above the other but both at the appropriate time for a specific purpose. This is further illustrated in the subsequent skills requirements and pedagogical principles within the document.

How does all this fit into any serious discussion about developing Curriculum for Wales?

It really doesn’t matter which graphic, blog, article, webinar or discussion you encounter concerning Curriculum for Wales, the Purpose of the curriculum is central. It purposefully puts the Learner at the centre and rightly so. However, as we look at how this will be achieved, we can also see the Purpose, therefore the Learner, is also the centre of the SLO model and all we do as educators to enact the curriculum going forward. In looking at the SHARED VISION section of the model, it is clear that we need to have a collective, deep and clear understanding of the purpose of the curriculum in order to address how to enact it meaningfully. Does this have implications for Professional Learning?

To conclude this quick post, I thought it would be reasonable to address in more detail what the 4 Purposes are not and suggest some further reading! There are lots of myths and misconceptions, where some have some validity and others are obvious false dichotomies. Check out the links below about Dispelling Myths! For instance knowledge v's skills or direct instruction v's inquiry based learning. The fact is clear, the document itself and The 4 Purposes, as I hope I’ve illustrated, are broad enough that schools can and should select from the best of all approaches (best bets) and the 12 pedagogical principles as they design learning experiences that are suitable for their context. The difficult discussions are really about mapping potential SOW against the Purposes of the curriculum and What Matters statements before launching into considerations of other aspects. There are so many difficult discussions and decisions yet to be had about content and assessment and how we achieve cohesion  across the whole learner experience.

We cannot and should not try to measure the 4 Purposes or teach them in isolation from each other. The purposes are the embodiment of our learners.  Check out the Character Dispositions post below!

A final thought! How do we as educators and establishments model these dispositions effectively? Do you think we've made a good start?

The Curriculum for Wales – Dispelling the Myths – Part 1. | Curriculum for Wales Blog (gov.wales)

The Curriculum for Wales – Dispelling the Myths – Part 2 | Curriculum for Wales Blog (gov.wales)

Character dispositions. Teach them. Model them. Develop them. Celebrate them. But, please, don’t measure them. | teacherhead

Update:

Since writing this post, the following research paper by Jane Gatley has been shared with us so we are adding it here for those interested. It creates another line of thinking with regard to the 4 Purposes as an aims based curriculum approach and the AoLE's as a subject based approach to curriculum which leads to some tension between the two.

Can the New Welsh Curriculum achieve its purposes? - Gatley - 2020 - The Curriculum Journal - Wiley Online Library  

Here we go! Curriculum For Cymru!

Opinion - B. Mock

 Curriculum For Cymru - Curriculum And Assessment Bill

The Senedd has voted to pass our Curriculum and Assessment Bill, meaning the new Curriculum for Wales will be introduced in 2022. Thank you to everyone involved in this historic moment for education in Waleshttps://t.co/RUYYRmLa0n pic.twitter.com/4FoUTEgIUZ

— Kirsty Williams (@wgmin_education) March 9, 2021

An 'historic moment' for education in Cymru has been reached with the passing of the Curriculum and Assessment Bill on the 9th March, 2021.  Curriculum for Cymru will be introduced in 2022; so here we go! 

It's been a very long time in the making and has had it critics and supporters along the bumpy road to this historic point. Lots of work, time, effort and financial backing has gone into this endeavour and no one can realistically fault the desire or ambition contained within it. We all agree we want the best education possible for our young people and wider community and this radical approach and fundamental change from a top-down to a bottom-up curriculum, which gives schools and teachers agency to design learning experiences for their own context, is both exciting and challenging. It's a monumental shift in education and culture and whatever our views, concerns or expectations, it is here and we must make it work. The pressure is now on!

The scope and ambition of Curriculum For Cymru is huge and its implications are wide. It contains a vast panacea of content, items, foci and considerations. Some aspects are very wordy and vague.  These will need unpicking by schools and educators in order to implement these changes and realise the desired culmination of this whole process. However, without any shadow of a doubt, the challenge and opportunity are now a reality and enshrined in law.

Change on this scale is radical! There are still some pieces of the puzzle that need to be clarified and developed but whether the ducks are all lined up effectively or not the intense discussions and decision making processes begin/continue within and between schools to get ready for the big launch.

I'm hoping that now the political machine has completed its course, we can move away from the 'selling' of Curriculum For Cymru as an idea and leave behind the tiresome soundbites and flashy neon lit terminology and start to grapple with establishing a common understanding of the document and flesh out the bones on what it might, could, should look like. We need to move away from defending it to critiquing and challenging it to expose its weaknesses and potential flaws and ensure we do not make a mess of this opportunity.

I also hope that now the reality of Curriculum For Cymru is here, we can start to address the fundamental need for better cross-phase collaboration. We need to have a much better and more focussed view on the whole-journey within the system and particularly around the issue of reading instruction. Closer working practices between phases is crucial to the curriculum's success and time and space must be carved out for this to happen. 

Professional learning is another crucial factor to address. The current disparity between consortia on what's available to teachers is just plain silly. All teachers need access to the best PL. To be a research informed curriculum creator and a responsive and reflective practitioner is now the desire for all teachers. Co-construction and collaboration in this regard needs to be at work right throughout the system and not just for those who work in certain areas.

And finally, what about accountability? We need accountability as the whole system is paid for by public funds and we are answerable to the public. Delivering high quality education for all learners is the only baseline in this regard. Let's face it, the data only driven accountability system has led us down a dark road of which we need to recover both in terms of 'gaming' and 'confidence'. This does not mean throwing out the data but putting it in the right proportion to other measures that give us equally valid data such as pupil voice, SOW, lesson planning and progress against plans etc. There's lots of work still to be done here!

To make this work, we need to start/continue having those difficult conversations without fear of rocking the boat or feeling like we are not allowed to voice concerns. We are honed with effort and challenge through interaction with others who pose alternative questions and view-points. Do not confuse debate with petty arguments! We need to hear those dissenting voices and encourage critique as this is the way to sharpen our intellect, expertise and understanding and ultimately get this right. Curriculum For Cymru: Here we go! 

Amser a ddengys

Barri Moc