Kuwait National Curriculum Guidelines PDF

GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) ❾ The New Kuwait National Curriculum (KNC) In its simplest definition, curriculum is a system of learning experiences and opportunities planned and implemented for the development of children and young people through...

GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) ❾ The New Kuwait National Curriculum (KNC) In its simplest definition, curriculum is a system of learning experiences and opportunities planned and implemented for the development of children and young people through their education. The new 2015 National Curriculum represents a highly organized body of knowledge, skills and attitudes/values that learners are offered by the Kuwaiti educational system and that are useful for personal fulfilment and development as well as for future social inclusion and employment. The Kuwait National Curriculum defines what Kuwait learners are expected to know, be able to do, and how they should behave as values-oriented human beings and citizens forged as a result of their education. (KNC P.8) Competence-based Curriculum Like most current-day curricula in the world, the Kuwait National Curriculum is based on the competences children and learners are expected to acquire after completing their programme of education. In a competence-based curriculum, the aims of education are achieved by gradually developing a coherent system of key, general and specific competences. A curriculum that explains and plans the learning process in terms of developing learners' competences is called “competence-based curriculum”. (KNC P.8) 55 What are competences? Competences are defined as integrated systems of knowledge, skills and attitudes, values and beliefs developed through formal and informal education. They allow individuals to become responsible and autonomous persons, able to solve a diversity of problems and perform satisfactorily in everyday life-settings at the quality level expressed by the standards. Through the new Kuwait National Curriculum one develops three types of competences:  Key competences.  General competences.  Specific competences. Key competences Key competences represent a package (a system) of knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, beliefs, and personal/social attributes that all individuals need to acquire by the end of their Secondary Education, i.e. at the end of Grade 12. These competences are not generated by one of the subjects (e.g. Mathematics or Arabic). On the contrary, they are developed by the joint and simultaneous contribution of all subjects that learners learn over their schooling. This cross-curricular (i.e. non-subject specific) nature of the key competences is self-explanatory when it comes to some of their main features, such as: high level generality (synthetic character), consistency and sustainability over time. (KNC P.8) Table of Contents GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) These competences (e.g. Islamic and Ethical Competences, Communicative competence in Arabic Language, etc.) are the foundation of successful personal and social lifelong development, including further employability and career advancement. (KNC P.9) General Competences General competences, in contrast to key competences, are subject-specific. They define the most general subject-based knowledge, skills and attitudes/values integrated in learners’ expected outcomes by the end of grade 12, when a certain subject is taught (see the system of general competences of English taught in Kuwait education. (KNC P.9) Specific Competences Specific competences are sub-divisions of the above defined general competences and represent lower level, underlying stages in the development of the general competences related to a certain subject. The specific competences are structured and acquired by learners during a school year in the limits of certain subjects displayed in the Teaching Plan. Under each subject, the specific competences cover specialized, topic-based competences (knowledge, skills and values/attitudes) which learners are expected to demonstrate by the end of each Grade. (KNC P.9) Within the curriculum, the specific competences are clustered in the following four areas (ranges): A range of realities specific to the subject (i.e. a cluster of knowledge, facts, and information related to the subject). A range of operations specific to the subject (i.e., a cluster of skills and strategies related to the subject); A range of attitudes, somehow related to the subject (a cluster of attitudes, values, beliefs of all sorts, mobilized by the knowledge and skills acquired in a certain subject); A range of connections with other subjects and domains of knowledge (a cluster of associations of knowledge, skills, etc. from other areas of study and experience). (KNC P.9) Standards to be attained through the new Kuwait National Curriculum As a competence-based curriculum, the new Kuwait National Curriculum resorts to the concept of ‘standards’. The standards define the quality levels that learners achieve in developing their competences at different stages of the learning process. The Kuwait National Curriculum refers to two types of standards: Curriculum Standards and Performance Standards. The curriculum standards refer to the quality level to be achieved by learners in attaining the specific competences by the end of each grade. As they describe learners’ progress in learning, the curriculum standards are basic for all types of formative and summative classroom assessment. The performance standards are a measuring tool that defines the quality level to be achieved by learners in attaining general competences by the end of each of the school stages, Primary, Intermediate and Secondary. The measurement of the performance standards is basic for different types of national assessments and examinations. (KNC P.9) Table of Contents 56 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) Teaching and learning in a competence-based, learner- and learning-centered curriculum environment 1. Undertaking effective teaching The new Kuwait National Curriculum is, first and foremost, learner and learning-centered. This means that the focus of the educational process is on the student and her/his learning. (KNC P.32) Effective teaching strategies within a competence-based curriculum need to consider: the characteristics of the situation, the learner and prior learning, the student's internal motivation, interest, relevance and attitude. the learning environment created by the teacher (motivation, interest, relevance, attitude of the student). (KNC P.32) Thus, a teacher needs to: realize that learning should start from the students’ previous knowledge. This means it starts from what the student already knows and from what is relevant for the student’s personal development and the development of what may be considered agreeable social relationships. recognize that education takes place through individual study by students and group activities, both of major importance, depending on the context of the process. appreciate the importance of the curriculum standards (what the students are expected to achieve).This gives the teacher a better understanding of students’ gradual learning progression. It also allows the teachers to take the best measures in order to enhance every student's individual performance, even going beyond the curriculum standard where appropriate. develop a clear plan of action, indicating, step by step, how the students will concretely achieve these curriculum standards. With this in mind, teachers need to apply effective techniques to enhance students' on-going learning. apply teaching approaches that proved to be effective. (KNC P.32) Successful learning frequently takes place when the teacher: enhances student learning by employing different learning styles at different speeds of presentation and also at different dynamic levels. promotes learning via constant inquiry, effort and self-discipline. recognizes that learning develops relationships and abilities and contributes to acquiring competences (knowledge, skills and attitudes/values). Most recent teaching approaches aim at developing the students’ competences through gaining a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. This ensures that students can meet the challenges of today’s rapidly evolving world both in terms of functionality and employability. Learners need to acquire skills, process, analyse and interpret new knowledge independently in a flexible and creative manner, think critically, reflect on ideas, etc. Table of Contents 57 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) Experience demonstrates that the learner-centered teaching approach and active/interactive teaching methods effectively provide learners with these skills and abilities. (KNC P.32) 2. Key principles underlying learner-centered teaching Learner-centered teaching is an approach that shifts the focus of the activity from the teacher to the learner: it stresses how the students are to learn rather than what the teacher does to promote the learning. Key principles of learning-centered teaching are: Learners discover and construct the meaning from information and experience based on their unique perceptions, thoughts and feelings. Learning does not occur in a vacuum. More information does not necessarily mean more learning. Learners seek to create meaningful uses of knowledge regardless of the quantity of the information presented. Learners link new knowledge to existing information in ways that make sense to them. The remembering of new knowledge is facilitated when it can be tied to a learner's current knowledge. A learner’s ‘personality’ influences his/her learning. Learners have varying degrees of selfconfidence and differ in the clarity of their personal goals and expectations for success and failure and this affects their learning levels. Learners want to learn but personal insecurities and fear of failure often get in the way of learning. Individuals are naturally curious and enjoy learning. Learners like challenges and are most creative when the learning is challenging. Learners are individuals and not all learners are at the same stage of physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development. Learners also differ in their cultural backgrounds. Although the basic principles of learning apply to all learners regardless of these differences, teachers must take into account such differences between learners. The learning environment is important. Learners learn best in a friendly, socially interactive and diverse environment. Learners like positive reinforcement. Learning environments that support the self-esteem and respect of the individual learner tend to be more successful. Past experiences affect learning. Personal beliefs and impressions from prior learning color the learners' world views and their approach to learning. (KNC P.33) 3. Active learning within a learner-centered teaching Active-learning describes the learning as a process based on the lively and dynamic cognitive activity of students in collaboration with other students. The essence of this approach is that learning is not based on the memorization of new scientific knowledge or information, but on the systematic development of thinking, selfacquisition and learning skills. Under the guidance and facilitation of the effective teacher, students learn how to access, analyse and interpret information and draw logical and coherent conclusions by themselves. (KNC P.33) Faced with a challenge, students use problem solving and learning through dialogue ways to address the challenge and seek solutions. Very often, "problem-based learning" and “an interactive teaching method" are used as synonyms for the “active-learning approach”. Table of Contents 58 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) The main features of active/interactive learning are: an active cognitive attitude of students throughout the lesson, based on the activation of thinking; students are considered as discoverers and researchers: self-discovery and mastery of knowledge in the process of problem solving; the role of the teacher is a facilitator, creating the conditions for self-discovery and learning; the collaboration of students and teachers and thus joint problem solving, group interaction and feedback are significant; the challenge or problem-issue put forward at the beginning of the lesson forms the focus of learning; a tendency to emphasize inquiry-based learning (lessons are presented as “research” problems); students are guided to undertake different types of thinking, for example logical, critical, and creative thinking; stimulation of student’s autonomy and independence of thought are stimulated by the teacher; a focus on the creative application of knowledge for a meaningful and useful purpose; Extensive use of group work (not necessarily of one type), for example work in large groups, in pairs, in groups of intentionally selected diverse individuals etc.); a respectful and trusting style of relationship between students and teacher; Use of effective methods of organization and indicators of success of the learning activities; (for example, worksheets and handouts; forms of organizing the learning environment; various methods of determined achievement, etc.) (KNC P.34) The outcomes expected by students when successfully employing active learning include: Short-term mastery of information, Long-term retention of what has been studied, Depth of understanding of material learned, Acquisition of critical thinking or creative problem-solving skills, Development of positive attitudes toward learning, as well as Increase in learner engagement with the subject being taught, or level of confidence in knowledge or skills. (KNC P.34) 4. Making teaching effective by engaging students in active learning Engaging students and supporting them to develop knowledge, insights, problem solving skills, self-confidence, self-efficiency, and a passion for learning are common expectations associated with effective teaching. (KNC P.34) As teachers, you may ask, “When do children learn best?” According to current theories and practices, the learning will be motivated (“learning engagement”) best if: learners see a worthwhile end-product to the process; learning content is relevant to personal interest and choices; Table of Contents 59 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) learners learn by doing. Understanding is essential to effective performance and only through doing one can obtain true understanding. learners have a freedom to make mistakes safely. Learning by doing means that people run the risk of failure. Learning events or experiences must therefore ensure that individuals know that it is safe and permitted to fail, but teachers have to help them learn from their mistakes. learners receive feedback on their work and their educational progress. Learners need feedback on how they are doing but this is best provided by giving learners the means to evaluate their own progress, i.e. self-checking. learners have a freedom to learn in their own time and at their own pace. Learning will be more effective if trainees can manage their learning themselves in accordance with their own preferences as to how it should progress. (KNC P.34) Effective teaching needs to include learning approaches and activities in the three domains of learning: knowledge, skills and attitudes/values. These are also termed as cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains of learning. This can be considered as: cognitive (thinking) or ‘minds-on’ psychomotor (doing) but rarely doing without thinking leading to ‘hands-on, minds-on’ affective (feeling) or ‘hearts-on’. (KNC P.35) The possible difficulties in an active-learning environment and how they could be diminished Educational experiences for students should be challenging and enriching. Too-easy learning activities and too-easy assignments are not as effective at engaging students as activities and assignments that challenge them. When students are reflecting, questioning, conjecturing, evaluating, and making connections between ideas, they are generally engaged. The challenge here is to give a lesson that has an “inquiry character”/ a problem/a challenge, as well as a change in the traditional, dominant role of the teacher… and allows students to become equal participants in the educational process. This becomes possible by altering traditional roles of student and teacher in the educational process. The student’s position is that of “a discoverer” and “a researcher”. The students are placed in a learning context in which they should face a number of challenges, questions and issues that need to resort to inquiry and micro-inquiry in order to get to a solution. However, it is very important that the students clearly understand the purpose of the learning exercise as being a cognitive one; one that answers what, why and how s/he is performing and what kind of final result the students should achieve. (KNC P.35) The teacher’s position is a guide or facilitator. The teacher must create the conditions necessary for the students to be able to conduct their inquiry, help them to define their inquiry goals and facilitate their learning process by asking relevant questions and guiding the learners to, or in the direction of sources of information. This is a new type of leadership in teaching where the learning process is based on the joint activity of the teacher and the students which is oriented to the achievement of the learning objectives. In this case, the teacher doesn't dominate the class as a strong authority, and does not distance himself/herself from the students. The teacher systematically and purposefully works with the class, organizes the problem situations, promotes development of research tasks by students, provides technical assistance in solving them, Table of Contents 60 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) and points the way forward to the acquisition of knowledge. The teacher cooperates with the students, and guides them towards what they must learn and how to learn. (KNC P.35) To encourage learners’ active cognitive participation in active/interactive learning, it is necessary that: the teacher demonstrates special respect, trust and individual approach to each student; the teacher must demonstrate a high level of sensitivity to the classroom climate. During the active/interactive learning, a teacher should: have attitudes of mutual respect, trust and kindness with the learners; support learners and accept them as they are; motivate and stimulate learners by believing in their capability; avoid direct criticism of the learners, refuse to evaluate the answers as good or bad so the student should believe and be sure that any attempt to solve the problem will be discussed, evaluated as a creative idea and that the learners' ideas and abilities deserve serious and respectful attention. These attitudes expressed above will help to build confidence of each individual learner and create a feasible learning environment in the class. These are the keys to full participation of students in the educational process and the learners’ possibility to openly share their viewpoints. Through adherence to the above suggested teacher attitudes, students’ fear of failure or fear of ridicule will disappear --- and as a result, the cognitive activity of students will be maintained throughout the learning process. (KNC P.36) References  Kuwait NationalCurriculum (KNC); a guide for effective teaching of English language in grade one. Kuwait 2015  Kuwait NationalCurriculum (KNC); a guide for effective teaching of English language in grade one ANNEXES. Kuwait 2015 Table of Contents 61