An exploratory case study of teachers' perceptions and interpretation of the curriculum reform in South Wales. (Area of Learning Experience: Languages, Literacy and Communication)

Elsey, S.J. (2024) An exploratory case study of teachers' perceptions and interpretation of the curriculum reform in South Wales. (Area of Learning Experience: Languages, Literacy and Communication). Other thesis, University of Worcester.

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Abstract

Curriculum reform in the twenty-first century drives changes forward in education so learners are better equipped for the opportunities and challenges they may face (Harris and Jones, 2021). There is considerable research into the effect and process of curriculum reform on school leaders in Wales and less research in South Wales, UK, on the professional self- efficacy of both primary and secondary practitioners within the future Area of Learning and Experience (AoLE) of Languages, Literacy and Communication (LLC).

The quality of teaching and learning in Wales has been under constant review. The context of this research is in South Wales at a time of systematic national change within a statutory education system due to the advances in technology and globalisation. This qualitative case study seeks to identify the key factors that have challenged or supported teachers' professional self-efficacy in the AoLE of LLC (Donaldson, 2015; Welsh Government, 2019) in implementing curriculum reform in contemporary school settings in South Wales. The eleven participants involved in the Curriculum Reform (Welsh Government, 2019) worked in two schools during the consultation phase of the New Curriculum: one primary school and its linked secondary school.

The findings are from data collection using three different methods: semi-structured interviews (a total of 18 interviews), an adapted pre-validated instrument for gauging professional self-efficacy (completed in the first and third phases of data collection) based on Roberts and Henson's (2000) 'Self Efficacy, Teaching and Knowledge Instrument for Science Teachers' (SETAKIST) and the use of visual narratives to capture the teachers' perspectives of curriculum reform within Welsh Schools as the third method of data collection that, to my knowledge, has not been used in this context. The research design uses a qualitative aspect, emphasising that it is exploratory research that questions human experiences and realities, generating rich, descriptive data. Teachers' perceptions were captured.

The data is presented in three main themes. The first theme, where policy informs practice, highlights external factors that impact the school environment of participants. Professional self-efficacy is the second main theme that provides insight into the two parts of teacher self-efficacy: themselves as a teacher and their knowledge of LLC.

Curriculum reform in the twenty-first century drives changes forward in education so learners are better equipped for the opportunities and challenges they may face (Harris and Jones, 2021). There is considerable research into the effect and process of curriculum reform on school leaders in Wales and less research in South Wales, UK, on the professional self- efficacy of both primary and secondary practitioners within the future Area of Learning and Experience (AoLE) of Languages, Literacy and Communication (LLC).

The quality of teaching and learning in Wales has been under constant review. The context of this research is in South Wales at a time of systematic national change within a statutory education system due to the advances in technology and globalisation. This qualitative case study seeks to identify the key factors that have challenged or supported teachers' professional self-efficacy in the AoLE of LLC (Donaldson, 2015; Welsh Government, 2019) in implementing curriculum reform in contemporary school settings in South Wales. The eleven participants involved in the Curriculum Reform (Welsh Government, 2019) worked in two schools during the consultation phase of the New Curriculum: one primary school and its linked secondary school.

The findings are from data collection using three different methods: semi-structured interviews (a total of 18 interviews), an adapted pre-validated instrument for gauging professional self-efficacy (completed in the first and third phases of data collection) based on Roberts and Henson's (2000) 'Self Efficacy, Teaching and Knowledge Instrument for Science Teachers' (SETAKIST) and the use of visual narratives to capture the teachers' perspectives of curriculum reform within Welsh Schools as the third method of data collection that, to my knowledge, has not been used in this context. The research design uses a qualitative aspect, emphasising that it is exploratory research that questions human experiences and realities, generating rich, descriptive data. Teachers' perceptions were captured.

The data is presented in three main themes. The first theme, where policy informs practice, highlights external factors that impact the school environment of participants. Professional self-efficacy is the second main theme that provides insight into the two parts of teacher self-efficacy: themselves as a teacher and their knowledge of LLC. Finally, reflexivity informing transformative design refers to how teachers use reflexivity to inform their practice.

In the findings, the participants highlighted areas common to both phases of education, for example, the significance of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) in bringing teachers together to design the new curriculum, the challenges in the transition of Literacy Languages and Communication (LLC) skills across the Key Stages and the amalgamation of subjects in this Areas of Learning and Experiences (AoLE). This notion has triggered a discussion around the component of Welsh/Cymraeg being situated within the aspect of languages and the opportunities and challenges around translanguaging. All teachers can be agents of change as they design and lead the new curriculum in Wales in their school.

In conclusion, I have devised a framework that depicts the synthesis of findings and research, mirroring the philosophy proposed by Donaldson (2015). This framework serves as a valuable starting point for schools nationally and globally grappling with the early stages of curriculum reform within their specific context.

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