Hidden Curriculum In Australia

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.

An educator who understands issues of diversity and difference will make the classroom a more enriching environment for all of the students in it, and will ensure those students who are adversely affected by such diversity and difference are given the opportunity and encouragement to overcome challenges they face. Socio-economic disadvantage among students has an impact in the classroom in terms of the ability of a child to gain an understanding of the knowledge and skills required to be a successful student. Gender issues can be one of those concerns in a classroom that, unless they are quite obvious, can be almost disregarded because they are not acknowledged as a concern, for example, asking boys to move chairs. Stereotypical roles can be ingrained in an educators psyche. Cultural diversity is becoming more prevalent in our classrooms; it is the educator’s responsibility to ensure the classroom is a welcoming and diverse environment. When considering how to approach these issues in a classroom and incorporating support for students, an educator would benefit from consulting the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) or the Australian Curriculum (AC). These documents provides frameworks for working with diversity and ensuring students succeed within their given circumstances with the support of both their educator and their school. It is imperative educators understand the effects of socio-economic disadvantage, gender issues and cultural diversity when creating an

It is essential that educators create safe, welcoming environments that promote learning for all students in a classroom and to do this they must acknowledge issues of diversity and difference and know how to approach these issues. There are two key documents that guide educators in their planning and implementation of curriculum; The Australian Curriculum and The Early Years Learning Framework. Using these two documents to create learning programs, educators must enact an inclusive curriculum that empowers all students, regardless of differences. For educators to understand and address issues of diversity and differences such as socio-economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, language barriers and stereotypes around gender and sexuality, they must look at their own philosophy, values and beliefs around these issues.

Although one’s culture is based on their experiences they have had, it is also based on values of family and education that help shape one’s opinion and view.

One interesting thing I discovered about the Australian Curriculum is how diverse it can be. I left school ten years ago and the curriculum which has developed since then appears to be more inclusive of student’s backgrounds, interests and personal needs. The curriculum acknowledges that students of diverse backgrounds will interpret the curriculum in different, yet still meaningful ways. I believe this is an important concept that will enable me to teach more effectively as I will be able to view my students as individuals and help them experience diversity and knowledge of other cultures through my interpretation of the intended curriculum and how I enact

It is important for educators to understand issues of diversity and difference to ensure no students are disadvantaged and all students are treated equally. While the Australian Government provides educators with curricula, the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) for Kindergarten educators and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) for primary and high school educators, these curricula should be seen as guidelines and not black and white. Educators will constantly run into situations that the EYLF or the ACARA do not have an answer for. Therefore it is important for educators to have a strong understanding of the diversity and differences among their students. Having the ability to understand and recognise

The million-dollar CEO of the next big hypothetical corporation makes more money in a single week than all the factory workers he employs make in a single year. Life is swell, work is swell, everything is swell, and although the work is tedious and difficult at times, he manages to make it and then some. A less privileged high school reporter obtains the advantage of interviewing him for an hour or so, and she takes this time to fully dissect exactly how and why he got into the position that he did. He takes a moment to think of full-fledge answers that would make sense, but comes to the conclusion that he does not know why or how he got into his spot, disappointing the young reporter. Later on that day, he ponders on certain aspects of his

Schools also have a hidden curriculum in which values and norms of behaviour are transmitted. For example, wearing a school uniform and keeping to a set timetable can all be seen as activities that encourage particular standards of behaviour which could be viewed as producing disciplined future workers. Therefore the hidden curriculum implies that pupils not only learn formal subjects such as English or physics but also receive hidden messages about their class, ethnicity and gender from their experience of schooling. Through the choice of teaching strategies and characteristics chosen to be employed by educational institutions it indirectly conveys to students the norms, values and expectations. This is what we refer to as the hidden curriculum. As we will later explore there are many that argue the hidden curriculum and processes within schools help to produce inequalities between children of different social classes. Whitty and Young (1976) view the

The philosophy of HPE within the Australian Curriculum is to promote healthy and active lifestyle choice for students now and into their future through a strengths-based approach. ACARA (2015e) expand that this approach supports students to develop their understanding, knowledge and skills about healthy, safe and active choices. When a teacher critically selects information to promote positive health and wellbeing, this confirms to students that they can improve their health and wellbeing within their unique situation. The current unit titles suggested by James, conjure negative associations with health and well-being. By renaming these units and using positive language, students will see their strengths and view themselves and others in a

Significant learning can only occur in a setting based upon mutual trust and understanding within a culture of inclusiveness or to put it simply “Seek first to understand, then to be understood (Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion | TED Talk | TED.com, 2013) The Australian Curriculum has been designed with the specific goal of addressing the needs of all students and their individual learning needs (ACARA, 2010) while the Early Years Learning Framework lays out ‘cultural competence’ however the specifics are left to the classroom teacher and their school to decide. Australia claims that it is a multicultural society, tolerant of differing views and cultures, however the reality is quite different with the Index of Social Cohesion report by Scanlon Monash finding that attitudes toward different cultures has worsened in the last four years( Ewing, R p 75) . With forty four percent of citizens either immigrants or the first generation of immigrants without consideration and integration of different cultural norms into the classroom room learning experience these children may be left behind (Lawrence, Brooker & Goodnow, 2012 p 75), . Children of low socio-economic backgrounds fare worst of all in all measurable outcomes including lower literacy and numeracy skills, reduced higher education enrolment and graduation rates (Gorski, 2013 p). The Australian Curriculum has been designed with the specific goal of addressing the needs of all students and their individual learning

An initial concept of the curriculum formed by Tenorio is that curriculum is not just the books and lessons but everything, the relationships, interactions and inspirations teachers have with students, students have with parents, schools have with the wider community (Churchill, 2011). This definition explains in broad terms how curriculum influences everyone’s lives in certain ways, however it does not explain what the curriculum does, how it is constructed or how it works in a school setting. The Australian Curriculum (AC) defines curriculum as used to develop successful learners. Who are confident, active and informed citizens and “is presented as a progression of learning from Foundation to year 10 that makes clear to teachers, parents,

Australia is a diverse, multicultural nation with about 44% of Australians being born overseas or are the children of one parent born from other countries, Lawrence, Brooker, & Goodnow, (2012, p.75). This has led to an increase in students from diverse backgrounds to populate schools making classrooms hotspots for issues of diversity and difference. Teaching diversity requires a holistic approach to schooling that needs to permeate all aspects of the curriculum and all school practices. The Australian Curriculum recognises that all students are entitled to inclusive education from Foundation to Year 12, Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA), (2012). It is critical for teachers and educators to identify and apply pedagogy that

The review of the Australian Curriculum, undertaken by Kevin Donnelly and Ken Wiltshire recommended that students in Prep to Year 2 should focus on English, Math, History and Science and the arts content of the curriculum should be reduced. This means that the core content of the arts curriculum of music, visual arts, drama, dance and media arts would be not introduced until Year 3. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-13/the-conversation-expert-verdict-on-the-curriculum-review/5809706). There is evidence for both sides of the reduction of creative arts for the Australian curriculum and this essay will attempt to address possible issues and solutions to the reduction of the arts.

Hidden curriculum centrals around the idea of incorporating values that are not specified in students’ learning. Research demonstrates that these are unwritten rules that students learn through reading nonverbal social cues of those around them (Schiro, 2013). Students would learn about unspoken topics that are usually communicated outside of the classroom walls. These topics consist of life lessons, character building, and how to interact with peers. Research by Schiro (2013) supports that the influence of peers is an important component of hidden curriculum. Due to the classroom being a social environment, students are inclined by the social acceptance from their peers (Schiro, 2013). For example, working in groups is extremely difficult

It is vital that teachers understand about the hidden curriculum. Often students who come from a low socio economic background can struggle and find it hard when it comes to the hidden curriculum. Having students struggle with the hidden curriculum can impact their learning in other areas of the curriculum, such as summative assessments. Teachers have the opportunity and responsibility to help foster and build upon skill such as social and life skills. By helping students with skills like these will not only build upon their academic skills, but outside of school as well. By having a balance of these life skills as well as intelligence and ability, students will be able to be successful throughout their education. If life skills can be developed and established it has been stated that students are more likely to be successful in the future (Crosswell, Bahr, Pedergast and Newhouse-Maiden 2010 p101). This can be done by building positive student-teacher relationships. This can help students to start to express their ideas and talents through the hidden curriculum. Research has shown that young adolescents need to have a caring school environment, serve with other young adolescents, have a caring family and also develop positive relationships with other community