1. This article is written from McFadden’s dissertation. What was McFadden trying to study (What was his research question)?
McFadden and Roehrig (2015) were studying the impact of involving teachers in an elementary-based, STEM- integrated curriculum development and the challenges that Teacher Design Teams (TDTs) face during curriculum design. They also investigate the adjustments that enable collaborative curriculum designs. The research question was:
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“What processes of collaborative curriculum design enables teacher design teams to develop a STEM-integrated curriculum?” (McFadden & Roehrig, 2015, p. 3)
2. The team instituted a “stopping rule” (McFadden, 2015, p. 14) to keep surplus ideas from entering the curriculum. But detours are part of curriculum design (p. 16). The author states that the “team’s personalized stopping rule . . . tended to limit curriculum options rather than drive the team’s thinking toward new possibilities” (McFaddden, 2015, p. 16). What is your opinion on a stopping rule during team discussions?
Team Engineering to the Rescue introduced to a stopping rule to limit the issues under consideration. In team discussions, a wide range of ideas can be raised; at some point, it might appear like the discussion is wandering far from its purpose. A stopping rule avoids a scenario where the discussion lacks a clear direction. However, a stopping rule limits the ideas that members can raise. Also, it can be challenging to determine which views are relevant.
Whether a stopping rule is necessary depends on the discussion. In a curriculum design discussion where diverse ideas are needed, enforcing a stopping rule might harm the quality of the outcomes. But in specific studies, such as when discussing the appropriateness of a particular policy, a stopping rule is suitable
3. McFadden suggests providing support when teachers navigate from the designing stage to the mapping stage. Do you think it is necessary to guide teachers towards discovery?
Curriculum mapping is an important step of curriculum development; it allows the teacher to identify inconsistencies and gaps in the content being taught. Curriculum mapping can be a detailed and complicated process, so it is necessary for administrators and curriculum development experts to support teachers as they navigate from the designing phase to the mapping phase.
As indicated in the dissertation, the extent and nature of the support given to teachers during curriculum development affect the resultant curriculum. Unlike curriculum development experts, teachers may not be well versed in the intricacies of curriculum development, so they need to be guided. Furthermore, teacher priorities during curriculum development may be different from those of career development experts and other stakeholders. They should, therefore, be guided on the direction the curriculum evaluation should take.
The support given to teachers should be balanced; it should not too much that the teachers lose autonomy, and it should not be too little that they lose direction.
4. The literature review in McFadden’s actual dissertation discusses some reasons that teachers should learn about curriculum design. Maybe one could list these as benefits of teachers being involved in curriculum design. What are some benefits McFadden’s dissertation discusses?
One of the benefits of involving teachers in curriculum development is that they learn as they develop the curriculum. Once a curriculum is designed; teachers play a pivotal role in its implementation. Taking part in curriculum development, therefore, helps them grow professionally.
Furthermore, the involvement of teachers in curriculum development increases the quality of the curriculum. Students are the end target of any curriculum, and teachers are acquainted with the students’ needs. The teacher’s input on curricular goals and constraints is, therefore, valuable.
Finally, when teachers are involved, the curriculum can be developed with the end in mind. Once a curriculum has been completed, the input of the developers is limited in the implementation phase. Since teachers are actively involved in the curriculum implementation, they can plan with the end in mind during the design.
5. McFadden (2015) discussed the following:
Conversations during curriculum design
Coaching supports
What conclusions were drawn from the data?
McFadden and Roehrig (2015) drew the following conclusions from the data
It is important to help teachers leave their comfort zone during curriculum development. This involves coming up with strategies that make active classroom teachers value the curriculum. Also, teacher development teams should be given an avenue to express their understandings and perceptions of the curriculum under development in the mapping phase rather than discussing the content standards in the design stage.
McFadden (2015) also concluded it is crucial to give teachers support as they navigate from the design phase to the implementation phase. This will help them to actively participate in shaping the content of the messages they found worth delivering in the design phase.
Reference
McFadden, J. R., & Roehrig, G. H. (2015). Exploring teacher Design teams endeavors while creating an elementary-focussed, STEM-integrated curriculum. International Journal of STEM Education , 1-22
