From Powerless to Empowered--Talking about the Development of School-Based Curriculum of Da Hu elementary School

• Main Authors: Jui-po Sun, 孫瑞鉑
• Other Authors: 陳惠邦
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2001
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/20877239508999723668

碩士 === 國立新竹師範學院 === 學校行政碩士班 === 89 === Abstract Recently In Taiwan, teachers at elementary and junior high schools have been facing the challenging educational reformation─the coming nine-year integrated curriculum in 2001. For all teachers, the most demanding and pressure-causing part is that this innovation requires far more cooperation among not only teachers of different subjects but teachers and school administration officials. The intense cooperation is thoroughly new to all faculty, who is used to working individually and independently. Being the principle of Hsinchu Municipal Da Hu Elementary School since September 1998, I have been devoting myself to the implementation of school culture innovation, equipping teachers with the abilities to adjust to the coming curriculum reformation successfully. To encourage the most amount of positive interactions between administration officials and teachers, and among teachers as well, we opened a sharing channel for all colleagues in the school to get together and discuss school issues democratically and freely. It has resulted in a more caring and cooperative working atmosphere, which leads to the solid basis for further curriculum reformation here. Before the formal nationwide curriculum reformation, we also conducted a pilot study on Small Group Teaching in 1999, wishing to self-develop the school-based curriculum, which is one main claim of nine-year integrated curriculum. In this study, we especially focused on two aspects--appreciating the unique environment surrounding Da Hu elementary school and facilitating teachers to form a powerful professional self-development group. To reach the goals, on one hand, our teachers designed some learning topics for teachers and students to explore possibly all faces of the community where the school is located. On the other hand, teachers here regularly attended meetings in which they discussed, shared and even debated on current school issues and anything concerned. Throughout the practice of school innovation in Da Hu elementary school, we have learned some precious experiences. Firstly, an effective school-based curriculum reformation relies on having a discussion channel available for all teachers at school. Secondly, it is also essential to the success of the school innovation that teachers, the implementers, enable to self-develop professional knowledge. Thirdly, the more support and resources teachers receive from both inner school administration and parents of students, the more promising the curriculum reformation will be. Most importantly, our teachers have gained the confidence not to over-depend on outside professionals, who are not the only authority, but the role of facilitators. Finally, we have noticed that it might be the most difficult part of the curriculum reformation─how to ensure the consistency of curriculum and how to conduct reliable curriculum evaluation.