This field study attempts to analyse the development of an integrated
humanities programme at a recently built open space high school in the
A.C.T. during the first three years of its existence.
The school opened shortly after the beginning of the A.C.T. Educational
System and the staff were imbued with the idealism and innovative climate
that prevailed at this time. There was an absence of system constraint
that co-incided with the political proclamation of school based curriculum
development.
This field study is the story of what can happen when a staff is plunged
into the deep end of innovation without the necessary support systems.
Nevertheless some of the innovations have stabilised, with some promise
of permanency, during these first three years.
Open View began with a radical curriculum from the beginning:
i) a child centred curriculum
ii) vertically integrated teaching groups
iii) non-streaming of students
iv) open access curriculum
v) an individualised teaching programme
vi) little traditional class group teaching
vii) staff participation in decision making
viii) a mini-school structure based on a strong pastoral system
ix) non competitive continuous assessment
x) a large degree of subject integration
All of these innovations can be viewed in the humanities programme.
A controversial programme such as humanities has had a radical effect
upon the rest of the school. Hence in tracing the development of the
humanities programme, the field study indirectly traces the development
of the total school.
The innovation that has particular relevance to educationalists is
the development of the mini-school structure and the combination of
the pastoral and the academic through the teaching teams of the minischools.
The principal theme of this field study is the effect that
the mini-school and subject integration has had on traditional roles
such as that of the subject seniors and the assistant principals.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218867 |
| Date | January 1980 |
| Creators | Cumming, Kenneth Ward, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Kenneth Ward Cumming |
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