Current curriculum reform in Wales provides an opportunity for teachers to have greater freedom to develop pedagogical approaches that meet the needs of their pupils. The Successful Futures report recommends that teachers should have a greater autonomy in choosing how to deliver the curriculum, and ensuring it is done so in a manner that is meaningful and relevant to their pupils. Strengthening teachers' agency in relation to pedagogy, however, can sometimes be difficult to achieve because, for example, of perceived issues around workload and accountability. There are many 'off-the-peg' or ready-made solutions to the challenges of curriculum reform, and in many cases, schools are responding to such challenges using ready-made or bespoke approaches. This paper explores the nature of the tensions between the drive to empower professional contributions to curriculum reform, and increase autonomy for teachers, and the existing professional practices. In particular, as an example of the tensions, the paper considers how and why one school selected a commercial mindfulness package to contribute to the newly defined Health and Wellbeing Area of Experience, and the implication of this choice on teacher autonomy and pedagogical practice.
Mae’r broses bresennol o ddiwygio’r cwricwlwm yng Nghymru yn cynnig cyfle i athrawon gael mwy o ryddid i ddatblygu dulliau addysgegol sy’n cwrdd ag anghenion eu disgyblion. Mae’r adroddiad Dyfodol Llwyddiannus yn argymell y dylai athrawon gael mwy o ymreolaeth wrth ddewis sut i ddarparu’r cwricwlwm, a sicrhau bod hynny’n cael ei wneud mewn ffordd sy’n ystyrlon a pherthnasol i’w disgyblion. Fodd bynnag, weithiau gall fod yn anodd cryfhau galluedd athrawon mewn perthynas ag addysgeg o ganlyniad, er enghraifft, i broblemau a welir mewn perthynas â llwyth gwaith ac atebolrwydd. Mae nifer o atebion parod ar gael i heriau a wynebir wrth ddiwygio’r cwricwlwm ac, mewn llawer achos, mae ysgolion yn ymateb i heriau o’r fath drwy ddefnyddio dulliau parod neu bwrpasol. Mae’r papur hwn yn edrych ar natur y tensiynau rhwng yr ymdrech i gryfhau cyfraniadau proffesiynol at ddiwygio’r cwricwlwm, ac i gynyddu ymreolaeth athrawon, a’r arferion proffesiynol presennol. Yn benodol, i ddangos enghraifft o’r tensiynau, mae’r papur yn ystyried sut a pham roedd un ysgol wedi dewis pecyn ymwybyddiaeth ofalgar fasnachol i gyfrannu i’r Maes Dysgu a Phrofiad Iechyd a Lles sydd newydd gael ei ddiffinio, a’r goblygiad o’r dewis hwn i ymreolaeth athrawon ac ymarfer addysgegol.
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