Teaching and Learning in General Lower Secondary Education
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Published on Eurydice (https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice) Curriculum, subjects, number of hours Compulsory secondary education is divided into two cycles: first cycle: 1st, 2ndand 3rd (ISCED 2) second cycle: 4th (ISCED 3). It has a preparatory and guiding nature for either general or vocational education. Curriculum refers to the regulation of the elements that determine the teaching and learning processes for each type of provision. It comprises the following elements: objectives of each type of provision and educational stage competences or skills to implement the contents of each type of provision and educational stage in an integrated manner, in order to achieve the proper performance of activities and the effective solving of complex problem contents, that is, the set of knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes which contribute to the achievement of the objectives of each type of provision and educational stage as well as to the acquisition of the competences teaching methodology, which comprises the description of teaching practices as well as the organisation of teachers’ work assessable learning standards and outcomes criteria to assess the degree of acquisition of the competences and the achievement of the objectives of each type of provision and educational stage. The curriculum for compulsory secondary education establishes the same key competences as in primary education: linguistic communication mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology digital competences learning to learn social and civic competences sense of initiative and entrepreneurship cultural awareness and expression. Regarding the competences: their effective acquisition and integration into the curriculum is achieved through the design of integrated learning activities that enable learners to progress towards the learning outcomes in several competences at the same time, as many of them overlap and interlock there is not a one-to-one relationship between the teaching of certain areas or subjects and the development of some specific competences. Each area or subject contributes to the development of different competences and, in turn, each competence is achieved as a result of the work in various areas or subjects. Regarding the design of the curriculum: in order to ensure common training for all students, it is the responsibility of the government, through the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training [1], to design a basic curriculum that guarantees that certificates are official and valid throughout the country the education authorities complete the curriculum for their respective regions. For more information, see Administration and governance at central and/or regional level [2] educational institutions also play an active role, developing and completing the curriculum in order to adapt it to their context and pupils. For more information, see Administration and governance at local and/or institutional level [3] teachers draw up the teaching plan for each class-group. Organisation of the first cycle of compulsory secondary education (1st, 2nd and 3rd year) The Act on the Improvement of the Quality of Education organises compulsory secondary education into subjects, which are in turn divided into three sets: core subjects, specific subjects and subjects that are freely structured by the Autonomous Communities. The organisation of the first cycle of compulsory secondary education (1st, 2nd and 3rd year) is the following: core subjects: 1st and 2nd year: biology and geology (1st year) physics and chemistry (2nd year) geography and history (1st and 2nd year) Spanish language and literature (1st and 2nd year) mathematics (1st and 2nd year) first foreign language (1st and 2nd year) 3rd year: biology and geology physics and chemistry geography and history Spanish language and literature mathematics (students can choose between mathematics for the academic subjects or mathematics for the applied subjects) first foreign language specific subjects (studied every year): physical education religion or ethical values (to be chosen by the student’s family or legal guardian) students take at least one and a maximum of four (depending on the offer of the educational institutions, in accordance with the regulation and programming of the offer established by each educational administration): classical culture plastic, visual and audio-visual education introduction to entrepreneurship and business activity music second foreign language technology religion or ethical values, whichever that has not been previously chosen subjects that are freely structured by the Autonomous Communities: co-official language and literature, in those Autonomous Communities that have such co- official language. It is handled in the same way as the area of Spanish language and literature. The regional regulations may exempt students from studying or undergoing an evaluation on this subject subject areas from the set of specific subjects that have not been taken by the student or subject areas to be determined by the education authorities of the Autonomous Communities. They may be different in each year. Only in the first year of ESO, in order to facilitate the transition of students between Primary Education and ESO, the educational authorities and, where appropriate, the schools, may group the subjects in areas of knowledge. The minimum number of teaching hours corresponding to the set of core subjects, calculated globally for the first cycle of compulsory secondary education, cannot be less than 50% of the total number of teaching hours generally established by each education authority for the first cycle. Organisation of the second cycle of compulsory secondary education (4th year) The second cycle of compulsory secondary education also organises subjects into three sets. Due to the preparatory nature of this year, students can choose one of the following options: 1. academic subjects as an introduction to Bachillerato, with the following organisation: core subjects: all students have to take them: geography and history Spanish language and literature mathematics for the academic subjects first foreign language. students take at least two of the following options: biology and geology economics physics and chemistry Latin specific subjects (studied every year): physical education religion or ethical values (to be chosen by the student’s family or legal guardian) students take at least one and a maximum of four (depending on the offer of the educational institutions, in accordance with the regulation and programming of the offer established by each educational administration): performing arts and dance scientific culture classical culture plastic, visual and audio-visual education philosophy music second foreign language Information and Communication Technologies religion or ethical values, whichever that has not been previously chosen a subject from the core subject group which has not been previously chosen. Subjects that are freely structured by the Autonomous Communities: co-official language and literature, in those Autonomous Communities that have such co- official language. It is handled in the same way as the area of Spanish language and literature. The regional regulations may exempt students from studying or undergoing an evaluation on this subject. subject areas from the set of specific subjects that have not been taken by the student or subject areas to be determined by the education authorities of the Autonomous Communities. 2. applied subjects as an introduction to vocational training, organised as follows: core subjects: all students have to take them: geography and history Spanish language and literature mathematics for the applied subjects first foreign language students take at least two of the following options: science applied to professional activity introduction to entrepreneurship and business activity technology specific subjects: physical education religion or ethical values (to be chosen by the student’s family or legal guardian) students take at least one: performing arts and dance scientific culture classical culture plastic, visual and audio-visual education philosophy music second foreign language Information and Communication Technologies religion or ethical values, and a maximum of four (depending on the offer of the educational institutions, in accordance with the regulation and programming of the educational offer established by each educational administration) subjects that are freely structured by the Autonomous Communities: co-official language and literature, in those Autonomous Communities that have such co- official language. It is handled in the same way as the area of Spanish language and literature. The regional regulations may exempt students from studying or undergoing an evaluation on this subject. subject areas from the set of specific subjects that have not been taken by the student or subject areas to be determined by the education authorities of the Autonomous Communities. The education authorities and, where appropriate, educational institutions may establish pathways in order to help students choose among the different options within core subjects. The minimum number of teaching hours corresponding to the set of core subjects is established in the same way as in the first cycle of the stage. Percentage of teaching hours per subject in ESO (2019) Language, Writing and Literature 16,6 Mathematics 12,8 Natural Sciencies 11,5 Social Studies 10,2 Second Language 11,5 Physical Education and Health 6,6 Religion/Ethics/Ethical Values