National curricula
The current national curricula in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can be found here.
The National Curriculum, England
The Curriculum, Scotland
Curriculum for Wales
The Curriculum, Northern Ireland
To a large extent the curriculum for schools has been placed in a linear form within each subject - and this is, of course, backed up by formal assessment procedures. There are several disadvantages in this approach, some of which are articulated by Ernest.
- Ernest, P. (1991) The Philosophy of Mathematics Education, London: Falmer.
However, focusing on implementing a broadly constructivist approach in the classroom, Selley shows how this is not necessarily incompatible with highly structured national curricula. McNamara, and Woods & Jeffrey, reflect the scope of the teaching role in the modern primary school, whilst Paechter provides a re-conceptualisation of the field of curriculum and its negotiation.
- Selley, N. (1999) The Art of Constructivist Teaching in the Primary School, London: David Fulton
- McNamara, D. (1994) Classroom Pedagogy and Primary Practice, London: Routledge
- Woods, P. and Jeffrey, B. (1996) Teachable Moments: The Art of Teaching in Primary Schools, Buckingham: Open University Press
- Paechter, C. (2000) Changing School Subjects, Buckingham: Open University Press
Osborn et al document teachers' reactions to the first introduction of the National Curriculum, and the companion volume, Pollard and Triggs, describes the impact of its introduction on pupils' experiences of life in classrooms.
- Osborn, M., McNess, E. and Broadfoot, P. (2000) What Teachers Do: Changing Policy and Practice in Primary Education, London: Continuum.
- Pollard, A. and Triggs, P. (2000) What Pupils Say: Changing Policy and Practice in Primary Education, London: Continuum.
For a radical, revisionist view of the primary curriculum that questions the basis of many national curricula, again see Quicke; and for a seminal perspective from a renowned American educationalist, see Eisner. Another American perspective, this time on the implicit and explicit influences on the culture of the curriculum, is provided by Joseph.
- Quicke, J. (1999) A Curriculum for Life: Schools for a Democratic Learning Society, Buckingham: Open University Press
- Eisner, E.W. Cognition and Curriculum Reconsidered (2nd. Edition), London: Paul Chapman
- Joseph, P.B. (1999) Cultures of Curriculum, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Key issues in contemporary vocational education are explored in:
- Watkins, E. J. (2009) Invisible Students, Impossible Dreams: Experiencing Vocational Education 14-19.
- Coffield, F., Hodgson, A., Spours, K., Finlay, I., Edward, S. and Steer, R. (2008) Improving Learning, Skills and Inclusion: The Impact of Policy on Post-Compulsory Education, Abingdon: Routledge.
- Spours, K. (2009) Education for All: The Future of Education and Training for 14-19 Year Olds, Abingdon: Routledge.
- Felstead, A., Fuller, A., Jewson, N. and Unwin, L. (2009) Improving Working as Learning, Abingdon: Routledge.
- Wolf, A. and Evans, K. (2011) Improving Literacy at Work, Abingdon: Routledge.'
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