Curriculum ideologies: Ideologies of English curriculum in Oman (PDF ...

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Curriculum ideologies: Ideologies of English curriculum in Oman Samira Al Hosni Indiana University Bloomington United States of America Abstract Ideologies adopted by educators in any society have a great influence on the whole education system. Such ideologies act as essential factors in shaping education goals, content, and curriculum. On the other hand, ideologies are also expected to provide educators, particularly curriculum designers and workers with a framework for organizing schools and classrooms. According to William Van Til as cited in March. J & Willis. G (2007: 28) '' our source of direction is found in our guiding philosophy.'' This paper aims to shed some light on the curriculum ideologies that best describe the English curriculum in Oman. The exploration of such ideologies is done through the analysis of Ministry of Education goals included in the first page of the English textbooks and through the analysis of some themes and topics listed in the English post basic textbooks. Omani teachers' views concerning what a curriculum might mean to them and how they see their role as teachers and their students' role in school curricula are explored too. A written interview which addressed some questions to teachers was designed and teachers' responses were analyzed. Ideologies that best describe teachers' views and perceptions are discussed. This paper also aims to discuss the issue of experiential learning concerning the English curriculum ideologies in Oman. The aspect of experiential learning is considered in the light of the analysis of the English post basic textbooks and the teachers' views provided in response to the interview questions. English language curriculum ideologies in Oman One of the goals of the Ministry of Education in Oman is to prepare students not only to use different linguistic skills and competencies but also to be able to realize the value of studying English at three levels; individualization, localization, and globalization. There is also an emphasis ''to create self- regulated learners who are well prepared for life- long learning'' www.ijellh.com

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(Ministry of Education, 2015:1). Besides, the Minister of Education in Oman argues that the new curriculum is designed to assist students' academic, mental, psychological, social and cultural progress. This curriculum also puts a great emphasis on arts and life skills in response to the educational philosophy of Oman which encourages the development of more balanced personalities in students. (Ministry of Education, 2015: 1). Based on the goals and the thoughts brought by the Ministry of Education in Oman, I can argue that the 'reconstructionism' is the ideology that best describes the curriculum and education in Oman. According to the Reconstructionism ideology, the social and the global issues are highly emphasized in education. Such matters are also highlighted by the Ministry of Education in Oman through the preparation of learners at a localized and globalized level and also through the building of the social skills of students. Moreover, the Ministry of Education in Oman aims to raise the students' awareness of the international and global events and problems which constructionism calls for to be part of the curriculum. The analysis of the textbooks revealed that there are themes which are allocated mainly to discuss issues relevant to a future career, jobs, continuous growth in global investment and economy. Such themes are designed in a way that encourages learners to think of their future job in a global challenging context with a great emphasis on the need to social skills development. Raising students' awareness of the global challenges is expected to have its positive impact on the society both economically and socially. George Counts, one of the Reconstructionist, as cited in March, C & Willis, G (2007:44) argues in his book ' Dare the School Build a New Social Order?' that social and economic issues should be taken into consideration by educators and should be included in the curriculum. He urged educators to consider ''the era's social and economic problems and use the school to help reform society''. Therefore, I believe that an ideology that best describes the English curriculum in Oman is Reconstructionism. In some other parts of the English textbooks, students are introduced to some problem-solving activities. For such activities, students are encouraged to think and analyze certain situations and draw conclusions. Progressivism as an ideology which encourages problem-solving and ' how to think' instead of ' what to think' activities can better describe those parts of the curriculum. Furthermore, the English curriculum in Oman focuses on getting students equipped with lifeskills that are necessary for future life. This leads me to say that the English curriculum in Oman www.ijellh.com

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is adopting in some of its parts an ideology of progressivism. Another reason for me to argue that progressivism can better describe some parts of the English curriculum in Oman is that it includes themes and topics from different disciplines such as science, history, geography, medicine, geology, etc… English language skills and social life skills are expected to be acquired through this variety of topics whereas the teacher's role is to guide students to analyze data and draw their conclusions. This is consistent with what Dewey and some other progressivists assert, and that is ''curriculum should be interdisciplinary, and teachers should guide students in problem-solving and scientific projects'' (March. C & Willis. G, 2007: 40) Teachers' Perceptions of Ideologies: Perennialism and Essentialism Since I believe that teachers' views and perceptions of the curriculum that they teach are essential and can indicate what ideology they adopted. I addressed some questions to teachers to explore their views and get some ideas about their beliefs. The questions targeted the same curriculum and textbooks I have analyzed. I was very surprised that most of the teachers considered school curricula to be a textbook that they should complete teaching within a period of time. For instance, one of the teachers stated '' it is a book that we have to finish at the end of the semester'' Another one said: '' it is a set of related topics discussed with tasks and explanation''. More surprising was that some teachers looked at curriculum as a tool of judgment used by 'supervisors' to judge or criticize teachers. A teacher expressed that idea by saying '' it is an instrument of judgment at the teacher''. About their role as teachers in a curriculum, most teachers thought of their role as a person who should transfer information to students and check students' understanding of the information. The teachers noted that they believe that the students' role is to revise the information and be able to discuss them, which I guess they mean to recall them. Based on teachers' responses, it seems that teachers are adopting some parts of both the perennialism and essentialism. Perennialism is a conservative educational philosophy that stresses traditional values, morals and religion training. The goal of education in perennialism is to develop a rational person by developing students' intellectual and moral characters. According to perennialism, the curriculum is one for all students, and it is subject centered. These ideas were in the teachers' responses and reflected their understanding of the meaning of www.ijellh.com

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curriculum. Teachers considered themselves as the primary source of knowledge and information which to a great extent indicates a perennialism way of thinking which views the teacher as a source of authority who presents a traditional way of teaching and thinking. Teachers also described the role of students as one of revising and understanding information. However, no teacher considered students' interests to be important as an essential factor that affects the students' role in exploring the new knowledge. It is evident that some of the essentialist ideological thoughts are reflected very clearly in the views of some teachers in Oman. For instance, according to essentialism, the teacher is responsible for the class and is the master while the students should work hard to absorb new facts or knowledge. Rickover as cited in March. C & Willis. G, (2007: 36) states that '' For all children, the educational process must be one of collecting factual knowledge….'' He also says that ''the student must be made to work hard, and nothing can make it fun''. Curriculum Ideologies concerning Experiential Learning Experiential learning, I believe, provides learners with an enormous amount of learning skills that help them to construct knowledge from experiences. Experiential learning is defined as "learning which combines mental, emotional, and physiological stimuli. This kind of learning involves observing, doing, or living through things" (Hansen, 2000: 27). It is associated with skill development, practical knowledge, and action. Experiential learning helps the learner become the initiator of learning because the student sets learning goals, goes through the experience, reflects, and transfers newly obtained knowledge to new situations. Dewy (1897: 78) states that "the teacher's business is simply to determine on the basis of larger experience and riper wisdom, how the discipline of life shall come to the child." Both the progressivism and reconstructionism ideologies considered life experience and engaging activities very essential for a classroom to build on. They rejected rote learning, lesson recitations, and textbook authority. They focused on the learner rather than the subject, emphasized activities and experiences rather than mere verbal skills. Ministry of Education in Oman seems to adopt the progressivism and reconstructionism thoughts about experiential learning as it stresses the importance of the development of the communication skills of students as part of required life skills. It also emphasizes the importance of preparing students to be competent to join a competitive global context regarding jobs and www.ijellh.com

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future career. To develop such skills, the Ministry of Education encourages students' involvement in real life experiences that provide them with the environment where they can practice and acquire such skills. Based on my analysis of the textbooks, I can argue that the English textbooks are rich with real life and authentic experiences that demonstrate the required skills in a given situation or experience. For example, there are topics about some well-known people who represent some achievements either on a local or international level. There are also topics on how to respond to a job interview questions and on how to write a CV. These themes to some extent motivate students to act in a situation that is very similar to the real life situations. Subsequently, students are expected to develop the required skills through individual experiences. Teachers in their responses to the interview indicate that real life experiences are included in the textbooks. They considered topics like; ' starting university,' civilization, writing reports, etc. as real experiences that encourage good learning. However, teachers have not explained how students might be involved in learning through experiences. I believe that providing real life examples is not enough to enhance learning. Students should be provided with opportunities that allow them to go through real life experiences to use their actual skills and have the chance to develop them. Learning through experience involves observing, doing, or living through things which hopefully should lead to skills development. Dewy (1897: 78) states that "the teacher's business is simply to determine by larger experience and how the discipline of life shall come to the child." He believes that education is responsible for providing the learners with the experiences rather than mere information. I think, it would be more useful if teachers in Oman considered some aspects of progressivism and reconstructionism to enhance learning through real life experiences rather than considering their role as knowledge ''transferor '' as one of them expressed. Conclusion and Recommendations All in all, it seems there is a need for a more consistent view concerning education goals between the Ministry of Education and the teachers. This investigation of the Ministry of Education ideologies revealed that a mixture of thoughts from the progressivism and reconstructionism are directing and leading the goals and the curriculum design and shape in Oman. On the other hand, teachers are adopting different ideologies from those approved by the www.ijellh.com

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Ministry of Education. Ideologies adopted by teachers reflect more the perennialism and essentialism ideologies but also a little of the progressive ideology. Having a conversation between teachers and the stakeholders in the Ministry of Education in Oman is highly recommended to reach an agreement on the goals to be achieved by education and accordingly reflecting a kind of thoughts that focus on students' role as an essential part of learning rather than mere receivers of knowledge.

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References: Counts, G. (1978). Dare the school build a new social order? Southern Illinois University Press. US Dewey, J. (1897). My Pedagogic Creed. School Journal. vol. 54 (January 1897), pp. 77–80. Retrieved from http:// www. Dewey. pragmatism.org/creed.html. Hansen, R. (2000). The Role of Experience in Learning: Giving Meaning and Authenticity to the Learning Process in Schools. Journal of Technology Education, 11 (2), pp. 23–32. Marsh, C & Willis, G. (2007). Curriculum: Alternative approaches, ongoing issues. Person Education.US. Ministry of Education. (2015). Engage with English. Grade12. Oman.

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