Evidence-based research crucial for proper curriculum reform

Let’s identify the country’s curriculum-designing experts and recruit their help. Let’s conduct serious research before designing the new curriculum. This reform, after all, which will really have huge impacts. It is going to reshape a generation or perhaps two. 

Before we focus too much on the expected benefits of the curriculum reform, we must understand that the desirable results will be achieved only if we can design a proper curriculum. How can we get a better curriculum for Thai children? First, we must get experts and analysts to review the successes or failures of past curricula. It is important that we know about the weakness and strong points of each one before we can see where improvements can be made. Only with a proper review will we learn valuable lessons from the past. 

Although the review may take time, it’s worth it. Don’t forget the results of a curriculum will not be clear over-

night or over months. It will take years, if not decades, for the results to be seen. And whether the results are good or bad, we cannot roll back. That’s why we had better spend time on making a careful plan now than regret it later. 

If the ministry does not already have evidence-based reports in hand for efficient curriculum reform, it should start looking for experts now and recruit their help. Form a team, including those with expertise in curriculum design. Assign them to review and collect all evidence-based documents related to curricula used by Thailand to date, and compare them with those of other countries.

Generally, the curriculum framework refers to what is taught to students and how students are taught. Therefore, different stakeholders – teachers, policy-makers, children and parents – can participate in different roles and influence this curriculum discussion process.

An OECD report on curriculum in the educational system said that “curriculum specifies what kind of knowledge, skills and values... It may express not only what should be taught to students, but also how the students should be taught. Thus, the new curriculum may take a form of new content, concepts, sequencing, time allocation or pedagogy” [Kärkkäinen, K. (2012), “Bringing About CurriculumInnovations: Implicit Approaches in the OECD Area”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 82, OECD).

Kenneth Leithwood, in his 1981 "Dimensions of curriculum innovation”, proposed that it is crucial to understand the nine specific dimensions for curriculum innovation (as cited in Kärkkäinen, K (2012), “Bringing About Curriculum Innovations: Implicit Approaches in the OECD Area”, OECD Education Working Papers, No 82). So, we may analyse the current curriculum based on the following:

1 Platform – beliefs and assumptions behind curriculum decisions.

2 Objectives – the intended outcomes of student performance.

3 Student entry behaviour – competency requirements for a particular programme.

4 Assessment tools – test items and test forms.

5 Instructional material – written, visual, audio or other.

6 Learner experiences – different learner profile descriptions.

7 Teaching strategies – patterns of teacher behaviour.

8 Content – facts, concepts, principles or generalisations and thought systems.

9 Time – a way to “indicate preferred patterns on emphasis” as of former dimensions.

Through review, we should be able to find the conditions that enhance or hinder education development in Thailand. After that, research results should be distributed transparently nationwide for all stakeholders to study and give feedback. This way, they can contribute to the reform and make it better.

The ministry’s curriculum team should start the review process by collecting or calling for evidence from around the country that documents the successes and failures and best practices in classrooms or schools.

In terms of curriculum planning, there are many issues: such as defining course content, specifying the instruction time period, choosing textbooks, selecting the teaching method, and assessing students.

It is essential to be clear about the purpose that the curriculum is expected to serve; this will support the best possible selection of curriculum content.

The aims and purposes of the curriculum should be framed by the awareness of fundamental educational processes for the national curriculum and system-wide educational aspirations at the school-level curriculum. In fact, the curriculum should constitute a core of essential knowledge to allow more scope for curricular provision determined at schools or communities.

I am not an expert in curriculum design, but an educator with good intentions for Thailand and Thai children. From my research instinct, I would remind the ministry that it will need to conduct evidence-based research for its plan to reform the curriculum. This should cover relevant evidence from all of Thailand as well as other countries. Only after this is completed, can we elaborate further on the direction or the details of the new national curriculum. 

Priyakorn Pusawiro, Learning Scientist Computer Engineering Department King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi.  [email protected]