Exploring the role of ‘brokers’ in developing a localised curriculum

ABSTRACT

There is a move in some countries, including England, towards less curriculum control by government. This stands in contrast to a national curriculum which may be universally applied in all schools within a state/country. National curricula tend to use either content-based (subject mastery) or process (skills)-based models. More localised curricula have the potential to be more issue- and problem-centred using local resources and people as part of their building blocks. However, marketisation and globalisation typified by Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ‘effect’ on national policies have discouraged teachers' creativity and curriculum innovation and negated teacher agency. Unfortunately, schools and community partners can find it hard to work together because of logistical, communication and cultural impediments, which gives significance to the role of curriculum brokers who can bridge these divides. This paper offers a case study of two brokers in order to describe, understand and conceptualise their role in curriculum development. The wider implications for curriculum development are outlined.

KEYWORDS:

• Brokers
• community curriculum
• local curriculum
• boundaries
• boundary crossing
• student engagement

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the assistance and support of the network members supporting Enquiry and Project Based Learning in north-east England, whose activities underpin the realm of work reported here. Further we are grateful to ESRC for the Impact Acceleration Funding and Newcastle University's Institute of Social Renewal for funding for one of the publications reported.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. See https://openlab.ncl.ac.uk/things/bootlegger/

2. See https://openlab.ncl.ac.uk/phd-projects/digital-tabletops-and-collaborative-learning-digital-mysteries/

3. Teaching Schools in England have responsibilities for teacher training, professional development and supporting other schools.

Additional information

Funding

We are grateful to ESRC for the Impact Acceleration Funding and Newcastle University's Institute of Social Renewal for funding for one of the publications reported.

Notes on contributors

David Leat

David Leat is the Co-Director of the Research Centre for Learning and Teaching (CfLaT) at Newcastle University and Professor of Curriculum Innovation. He was author and editor of the influential Thinking Through series of books, and in subsequent projects, he has been involved in research on Learning2Learn, metacognition, and teacher coaching. His current projects revolve around enquiry/project based curriculum and community curriculum making, in which teachers, students and school partners have far more control over and responsibility for the curriculum.

Ulrike Thomas

Ulrike Thomas is a Research Associate in the Research Centre for Learning and Teaching (CfLaT) at Newcastle University. Before embarking on a career in research she was a primary school teacher for 9 years. Her interest in community curriculum and enquiry/project-based learning has developed as a result of her involvement in a range of research projects which have examined the impact of innovative pedagogy and curriculum on students and teachers.