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Curriculum Change and Teachers' Responses: a NSW Case Study

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Curriculum Change and Teachers' Responses: a NSW Case Study Curriculum change and teachers’ responses: a NSW case study Linda Merewyn Lorenza A thesis submitted for fulfillment requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The Sydney School of Education and Social Work Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences The University of Sydney 2018 i Statement of originality This is to certify that to the best of my knowledge, the content of this thesis is my own work. This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or other purposes. I certify that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work and that all the assistance received in preparing this thesis and sources have been acknowledged. Linda Merewyn Lorenza ii Abstract This thesis reports on the findings of a study into NSW Arts teachers’ perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts in the Australian context. From 2015 Australian schools began to engage with a national curriculum in the Arts. There are considerable implications for both practice and policy. Teachers’ willingness to adopt a new curriculum and adapt to change is a mitigating factor. This research focussed on NSW drama, music and visual arts teachers’ perceptions of curriculum change from the state curriculum they currently teach, to the incoming Australian arts curriculum. Research was qualitative and employed a case study approach (G. Thomas, 2010) including the use of in-depth interview and document analysis. The opinions of the case study participants in this particular study reflect some and oppose other views expressed in consultation reports, which reflect the wide consultation conducted by the Australian Curriculum Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) during the development of the Australian arts curriculum. The thesis investigates the teachers’ understanding of curriculum change in their particular Arts discipline area through the lens of six influences on Arts education raised by Elliot Eisner in his seminal paper, “Arts education policy?” (2000). It argues that outside forces within the school, pre-specified outcomes and testing impact the teacher’s capacity to teach the Arts. Teachers’ backgrounds and personal interest in the artform, accompanied by ongoing skills and knowledge development, contribute to teacher competence to teach the Arts. iii The thesis concludes that the teachers were positive and excited about the new curriculum, identifying similarities to their current state syllabus and potential to change practice through the Australian arts curriculum. These findings provide a benchmark of NSW teachers’ responses to the incoming Australian Curriculum in the Arts. iv Acknowledgements I acknowledge the generosity, enthusiasm and curiosity of my research participants Gina, Mel, Paula, Mary, Sarah, Craig, Dean and Errol. For assistance with proofreading and editing, I gratefully acknowledge the patience and persistence of Dr Robert Howard. I also humbly thank Dr Michael Patton, Dr Joseph Toltz and Mrs Jan Sullivan for generously giving their time and intellect to reviewing and challenging my evolving drafts. I thank my family and my colleagues for enduring my increasing absence as I undertook this academic journey, which I began with the enthusiastic support of my father, Paul Merewyn Greenwood, himself a passionate educator, and in whose memory I was determined to complete it and thus continue my career in the Arts. I thank Professor Michael Anderson for his broad conceptual view and Associate Professor Robyn Gibson for her astute eye for detail, and both for their collegial conversations and willingness to explore ideas. I also thank Professor Lina Markauskaite for her tutorials on the use of NVIVO and expert advice regarding qualitative data analysis. Finally, I thank Dr John Hughes for seeing the potential in me to take on post- graduate research in the field of arts education. v Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... v Contents ........................................................................................................................ vi Prologue ......................................................................................................................... 1 The researcher: my story .............................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 7 Definitions of terms specific to this study ................................................................ 13 Chapter 2 Review of literature ............................................................................ 16 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 16 Curriculum background ................................................................................................. 17 Twentieth century curriculum – clarity of science or creativity of the Arts ........ 17 Twenty-first century curriculum – siding with the Arts .............................................. 19 Orientations of curriculum ........................................................................................................ 19 Accountability, but twenty-first century skills ................................................................. 20 Enter Elliot Eisner: Six influences of which testing is one ........................................... 24 The American determiners of curriculum .......................................................................... 25 The British determiners of curriculum ................................................................................ 26 The Australian determiners of curriculum ........................................................................ 26 Desperately seeking the ‘enjoyable act of learning’ ............................................. 27 Curriculum development in the Arts: rigorous or functional ........................... 29 Curriculum development in Australia ....................................................................... 30 The Arts in Australian curricula .................................................................................. 32 The accountability focus ................................................................................................ 36 Teachers, the interpreters of curriculum ................................................................ 38 vi Chapter 3 The context of the research: Curriculum development in Australia and NSW ................................................................................................... 43 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 43 A step towards a national approach ........................................................................... 43 The politics of education in NSW: The NSW education act 1990 ...................... 45 Decision making: the education authority or the Minister ......................................... 45 Syllabus .............................................................................................................................................. 46 Key learning areas including the Arts .................................................................................. 46 Time allocation ............................................................................................................................... 47 NSW primary arts syllabus ....................................................................................................... 48 NSW secondary arts syllabuses ............................................................................................... 49 Development of professional associations: giving arts teachers a voice ...... 50 Developing the Australian curriculum: 2008 to 2014 ......................................... 51 Curriculum shaping ......................................................................................................... 52 Step 1: Initial advice paper for the Arts ............................................................................... 52 NSW response to the initial advice paper ........................................................................... 52 Step 2: Draft Shape Paper: The blueprint for the Australian arts curriculum .... 53 NSW response to the Draft Shape Paper ............................................................................. 53 Time allocations ............................................................................................................................. 54 Experiential learning ................................................................................................................... 55 Language: Strand organisers .................................................................................................... 56 Continuum of learning ................................................................................................................ 56 Step 3: Draft Australian curriculum: The Arts .................................................................. 57 NSW response to the Draft curriculum ................................................................................ 59 Time allocation ..............................................................................................................................
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