The Role of Primary Teachers in the Implementation of School Curriculum in the Northern Territory of Australia:
A Case Study of Two Primary Schools in Darwin
1. Introduction
A school curriculum is the comprehensive program for learning that includes lesson content, educational materials and resources, and processes in assessing the achievement of learning objectives. School curriculum serves as guide to the key learning facilitators to ensure that children achieve their purpose of engaging in the educational institutions. However, the successful achievement of learning goals with the guide of the school curriculum is highly dependent on the role of teachers in complying with the curriculum. This applied research seeks to contribute to this information gap by using the case study method to investigate the role of teachers in school curriculum implementation in two primary schools in Darwin. Results should be able to determine the significance of the role of teachers in the implementation of school curriculum, the extent of compliance in the two schools, the problems or issues encountered in their role, and insights into the manner of optimizing the role of teachers in curriculum implementation.
2. Method
To meet the research objectives the qualitative method appropriately works as the research design of the study. Qualitative research elicits detailed verbal or written accounts and descriptions of cases, characteristics and situations. This research method follows the inductive approach. (, 2003; , 1999; and , 2006) Qualitative method is appropriate because the research seeks to come up with a comprehensive description of the role that primary teachers play in school curriculum implementation in the case of two schools in Darwin. The quantitative method would not be able to support the data requirements of the research.
Data collection method is through case study. Case study refers to “a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence” ( 2002, ). This can also be “a very worthwhile way of exploring existing theory. In addition, a simple, well-constructed case study can enable you to challenge an existing theory and also provide a source of new hypotheses.” (, & 2003, ). The case study method is useful in capturing a detailed or comprehensive depiction of the experiences of a limited number of respondents on this drug treatment. Case studies are also the appropriate method for researches seeking to determine the benefit and detriments of the drug regimen. This method is also important in organizing the broad range of data on a case and analysis of data by determining patterns and themes.
A representative sample of teachers for each school will be selected through purposive sampling based on the number of years that the teachers have been facilitating learning in the primary school to derive varied opinions on the role of teachers in school curriculum implementation from teachers with varying degrees of exposure to the school curriculum. The teachers selected to participate in the research will be gathered in a room to answer an unstructured/open-ended questionnaire. An unstructured is necessary so that the teachers can quality their answers or provide explanations to derive richer data.
Data requirement for the research includes both primary and secondary data. Primary data comes from the answers of the teachers to the unstructured questionnaire. Secondary data comprised of concepts, definitions, past statistics, and research results contained in raw data and published summaries to serve as the foundation and context for the research. Secondary data fall into three main subgroups: documentary data, interview-based data, and those compiled from different sources. Secondary data will be gathered through library and online research of books, periodicals, papers and researches.
In selecting qualitative over qualitative method as research design, the issue of validity as the strength of the qualitative method and reliability as the area of weakness of the method arises. Validity refers to the extent that a given instrument measures the construct that it was intended to assess. In quantitative research, validity pertains to ‘construct validity’, where construct refers to the concepts, hypothesis or questions predetermined to direct the data to be collected and the mode of data collection. (, 2000) Since the researcher actively introduces a cause or affects the achievement of constructs through the introduction of variable measures, this degree of involvement decreases the level of validity in quantitative research. In qualitative research, validity pertains to the establishment of ‘trustworthiness’ or ‘confidence’ in the findings. Since the researcher studies a phenomenon as it occurs in the natural environment or a close as possible to the natural environment, there is a higher degree of trustworthiness in the results of qualitative research. (, 1996)
Reliability pertains to accuracy or consistency of the data collection method to allow repeatability. Higher degrees of reliability occur when there is lesser bias from the researcher. In quantitative research, the instrument or measure is the primary means of data collection so that there is less researcher bias. In qualitative research, the researcher is the primary means of data collection and repository of the data collected so that there is a degree of bias intervening in the data gathering process.
This means that the strength of the quantitative method is reliability while the strength of the qualitative method is validity. Since both validity and reliability are important factors in whatever kind of study, the researcher holds the responsibility to ensure that the strength of a particular method is enhanced and its weaknesses addressed. Validity pertains to the establishment of ‘trustworthiness’ or ‘confidence’ in the findings (, 1996). Since the researcher studies a phenomenon as it occurs in the natural environment or a close as possible to the natural environment, there is a higher degree of trustworthiness in the results of qualitative research. Reliability pertains to the accuracy or consistency of the data collection method to allow repeatability. In qualitative research, the researcher is the primary means of data collection and repository of the data collected so that there is a degree of bias intervening in the data gathering process. Researcher bias is addressed by developing an objective questionnaire.
3. Analysis
Both descriptive and inferential data analyses will arise in the research. Descriptive results come from the collection of comprehensive data in the role of teachers in school curriculum in the two schools in Darwin while inferential data pertains to the recommendations on the means of optimizing the role of teachers in school curriculum implementation based on the problems or issues encountered by the teachers in actual school curriculum implementation. The combination of these two data analyses methods contributes to the richness of data.
4. Ethics
Confidentiality is the strongest issue that may arise in the research. Teachers may be hesitant to participate in the study or contribute their opinions because of concerns over their status with the school administration. Teachers concerns will be allayed by ensuring that the answers of the identities of the teachers will not be attached to their particular answers in the research. Questionnaires will also be kept confidential and open only to the researcher and the university professor in charge of evaluating the research paper.
5. Implications
School administration and teachers comprise the group with the highest level of interest in the research because of the insights derivable form the results of the study. Academically, the research also contributes to knowledge in the research topic. Findings will be shared to school administrations and teachers upon their request.
Questionnaire
____________________________________________________________________________
Preliminary Information
Name School
Age Years of Teaching Experience
Gender Years as Teacher in the School
____________________________________________________________________
Describe your role in implementing the school curriculum?
Is your role mandatory or permissive?
How important is your role in school curriculum implementation? Why?
What issues or problems arise in the assumption of your role in school curriculum implementation? Please elaborate.
What solutions can you recommend in addressing these issues or problems? Please elaborate.
References
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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