Research project funded by the Swedish Research Council.
Mathematics, as well as other school subjects, are often described both in terms of content (e.g., algebra) and competencies (e.g., reasoning). The competencies are generic processes that function as both goals and means for the students' learning and therefore they have a dual role in the curricula. Previous research shows that it is very challenging for teachers to interpret and concretize this role. The aim of the project is to explain how the dual role of competencies is put into practice, that is, from written policy document to implemented curriculum in the classroom.
Professor Candia Morgan, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, England.
School subjects are often described in terms of both content and competencies. This structure began to be introduced internationally in various frameworks and curricula 30-40 years ago but has developed and spread to many countries and subjects and is therefore today very common worldwide. The basic idea is that it is insufficient to formulate the goals of a substance in terms of content alone (e.g., arithmetic or photosynthesis). It is necessary to also formulate an aspect of the subject that relates to the process or activity involved in practicing the subject and the skills needed in this process, that is, the competences needed to successfully use the subject (e.g., reasoning or communication).
In the Swedish curricula, the competencies (Sw. förmågorna) are described separately from the central content, in all subjects. Competencies are complex phenomena, because they can exist both as goals and means. They are means for students' learning of the content, for example, students can understand something better by trying to explain it to a peer (communicate). At the same time, the competencies are also goals for the students' learning, for example, the students should learn to communicate the subject more generally and can then learn this by practicing explaining something to a friend.
The competencies thus have a dual role in the curriculum documents and this dual role needs to be interpreted and concretized by both teachers and textbook authors. Previous research shows that this is a major challenge and not at all an easy task, but existing research does not give us answers as to exactly why or how this challenge arises and can be handled.
The purpose of the project is to explain how the dual role of competencies is recontextualized via the curriculum chain, that is, from written policy document to implemented curriculum in the classroom. Since competencies occur in curriculum documents all over the world, and specifically in all subjects in Sweden, the project will provide an understanding of an important part of the difficulties that teachers and textbook authors face in their practice. In addition, the project will provide insights into the process of implementing complex curricula more generally, which can provide support for the implementation of different types of reforms within the school.
To study in depth how the dual roles of competencies are implemented, we choose to focus on one subject and one competency: mathematical reasoning competency. We choose the subject of mathematics because it is included as a core in curriculum documents worldwide. In addition, reasoning competency is central to mathematics, which is evident in many school mathematics frameworks and curricula around the world. We will analyse data from both Sweden and England to be able to compare between countries and thus more easily find patterns and correlations. Through preliminary studies, we know that mathematical reasoning as goal and means is presented in different ways in the curricula in Sweden and England, and therefore it is a good choice to compare these countries.
We will examine policy documents, textbooks, teachers’ talk (interviews) and lessons in both countries using discourse analysis. The analysis will thus focus on how texts and teachers talk about and deal with reasoning as both goal and means, and map the transformations between the different discourses produced in policy documents, textbooks and lessons. Finally, we look more comprehensively at reasoning as goal and means within each country, but also between countries, in order to be able to describe and understand the transformation from curriculum to practice. This way, the project will create an understanding of the mechanisms when the dual role of competencies is interpreted and put into practice.
