Australian Curriculum: Socio-Cultural Analysis

Critical issues facing educators today include; educational inequity, socio-economic status of students, cultural diversity, stereotyping, dominate cultural paradigms, and social disadvantage. Because of these issues, educators will be best prepared for classroom life if they find ways to adapt and modify the learning environment in order, to provide for inclusive regardless of the learners needs. All children in Australia are presented with the opportunity to attend schools which are designed to be inclusive for any and all abilities. Due to the diverse nature of the school age population in Australia classrooms are made up of an assortment of needs in relation to social, cognitive, and physical areas of learning.

Part: 1 Explanation and discussion of the curriculum design and development process currently used in Australian Secondary schools.

and understanding achieved through this priority will improve the ability of all young people to contribute positively in the ongoing development of Australia (Australian Curriculum, n.d)

Curriculum is designed to develop successful learners. Confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens (MCEECDYA, 2008, p.13). In 2008, the Australian Government promised to deliver a fair and equitable curriculum for the national’s educational system, taking the task away from the State and Local Governments. The purpose of this was to create an even level of education throughout the country whether in Hobart of Cape York, and to ensure our nations position into the 21st century. This essay will demonstrate the Nation’s curriculum, its structure and development ready for its initial implementation in 2011.

The Australian Curriculum incorporates observations as one of the fundamental skills that students are required to learn (Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], n.d., ACAVAM106). Observations, such as the observational drawing of leaves completed in topic two provide students with an opportunity to develop their visual literacy skills and inquire about the world around them (Dinham, 2014, p. 39). During the different stages of drawing development, students draw upon prior learning, which they have gained through observations, to express their thoughts and make meaning. In the same way, the artist Henri Rousseau, who’s jungle paintings have been described as “…primitive and naïve” drew upon his developing catalogue of prior learning to

In a society filled with gender stereotypes, children often adopt gender roles as they move from childhood to adolescence because of the many factors that influence their views to the point they will deny certain roles because it does not fit the gender bias. During the early years, boys and girls will usually be drawn towards gender specific activities. Playing house for example, they little boy will imitate going to work, while the little girl will imitate cooking in the kitchen and playing with the baby doll. Gender stereotypes are embedded in our culture as a social identity giving “norms” to how gender is defined. This paper is going to discuss the child’s earliest exposure to gender roles in the home from clothing, toys and expectations to society’s role in gender bias on early childhood development.

The Australian Curriculum for the Humanities and Social Sciences plays an important role in harnessing students’ curiosity and imagination about the world they live in and empowers them to actively shape their lives; make reflective, informed decisions; value their belonging in a diverse and dynamic society; and positively contribute locally, nationally, regionally and

A National Curriculum has been of some importance within the Australian Governments for some time. Previous national planned curriculums have been developed and failed a number of times. The Australian Governments with the guidance of the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians have developed ‘The Australian Curriculum’; A planned national curriculum from Foundation to Year 12 covering a variety of learning areas or subjects catering for Diversity, Differences and the needs of the 21st Century. The introduction of the Australian Curriculum is designed to supply all young Australians across the States and Territories an education that is of equal and high standards. This Essay will discuss the structure of the

Inclusion in education also caters for a variety of other students such as gifted and talented, students that speak English as a second language (EAL/D) or students that come from diverse backgrounds, including refugees. These children have a right to rigorous, relevant and engaging learning activities drawn from a challenging curriculum that addresses their individual learning needs. Teachers can use the Australian Curriculum flexibly to meet the individual learning needs of gifted and talented students.

Historically, early childhood education field has been a female dominated field for a long time. In the 19th century, there were major advances in educational opportunities for female, such as common school movement and multiple opportunities in higher education. Women started to play central roles in education, both as teachers and as learners (ref 7). There was also a feminist activism in the 20th century, which populated the idea that men are not safe to work with children. This was another factor that accelerated female dominance in the education field (ref 1 - p. 4). What is more critical about this issue is that there is the changing role of men in modern society, yet the early childhood workforce seems to ignore this change and stuck in the past family model (ref 1 - p. 3). Gender equity is one of the major issues of people in now days, but female dominance in the early childhood education field is accepted by the public and making people's wrong perception that women are naturally better than men for caring of young children (ref 2). Furthermore, it is a wrong assumption that female dominance in early childhood education has been just a gender equity issue. The gender dominance in early childhood education negatively influences the learning and development of children. For example, research indicates that early childhood educators' preference of particular play constraint the children's diversity of play choices (ref 2). For these reasons, gender

Education is a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences, which are important to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Moreover, it believes that in such areas as health, civic participation, political interest and happiness, education can improve people’s lives. It speeds up development of nation and country. Education is also about learning skills of life. Studies, which were made by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, show that educated people live longer and take participation in politics and in the community, where they live, more actively (OECD, Better life, Index.2015). However, one of the main problem of mankind is also education and starting formal schooling. In different countries, we can notice different education system and this essay will demonstrate similarity and differences of education system between England and Australia.

In the Australian schooling system, all educational lessons, activities and experiences need to be outlined by formal curriculum documents. Therefore keep in mind, it is crucial to implement lessons within the guidelines of what is seen as beneficial to students. Below is specifically selected philosophies of the Australian national curriculum, which are effective in heightening the contribution and engagement of students of low SES upbringings.

Validity refers to what is assessed and how well this corresponds with the behaviour or construct that it is intended to assess (Harlen, 2005, p. 247). In simple words, it is an extent to which an assessment accurately measures what it is intended to measure.

All students deserve to receive an education that is equal and of high quality. This is stated by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA, n.d.), along with the entitlement all students have to “rigorous, relevant and engaging” education that caters for students “individual learning needs” (ACARA, n.d. [a]). However in classrooms across Australia this is not realistic. Students do not all learn the same therefore for education to be delivered equally and of high quality educators need to develop an inclusive and adaptive philosophy to cater for all students inclusive of Aborignial and Torres Strait Islanders. The Australian Curriculum identified a learning gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and non-Indigenous students and have incorporated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures into the cross curriculum to bridge this gap (ACARA, n.d. [b]). Furthermore ACARA states in their measurement framework for schooling in Australia 2015 that a key performance measurement is equity with a focus on Indigenous status (ACARA, 2015, p.

This unit plan will provide the reader with six cohesive lessons that have been influenced by the curriculum area science in the Australian Curriculum and is supported by various other professional documents and literature. The aim of this unit is to engage upper primary students to develop their literacy skills in an area other than English. This unit plan has been designed for a class of twenty-seven students in year five, where six students have been identified as having English as an additional language or a dialect. In order to provide a quality and inclusive education, the unit has been designed to cater for this specific learning difference.