Teachers hit by ‘curriculum anxiety’

TEACHERS working in Scotland’s schools are being caused “considerable anxiety” by the introduction of the country’s new curriculum, according to a new report.

Researchers working at Stirling University’s School of Education said that while Curriculum for Excellence had been “broadly welcomed” by teachers, many were struggling to understand their own role in delivering it.

Academics are studying the introduction of the new curriculum as part of a year-long project which follows the work of six experienced teachers in two secondary schools and one primary.

The researchers, Dr Mark Priestley, Professor Gert Biesta and Dr Sarah Robinson, said teachers were the “agents of change” in schools, but said many were finding the shift to the new curriculum difficult.

Introduced last year, Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) aims to transform education for children aged 3-18, increasing flexibility within their studies and drawing closer links between subjects.

The report states: “The shift from a prescriptive curriculum dominated by assessment and quality improvement strategies to a more open-ended, developmental role for teachers is causing considerable anxiety. It is clear that the broad principles of CfE are broadly welcomed by many teachers.

“However, there is anxiety about unclear expectations on assessment, and worries that the new system will rely more on teachers’ professional judgment than formerly. Many of these worries emanate from perceptions of professional risk, and a lack of confidence amongst teachers faced with implementing change, often while lacking the cognitive and physical resources to do so.”

The report concludes that in order to make teachers more effective in delivering the new curriculum, schools need to reduce “complexity” and ensure teachers are not “caught between a rock and a hard place as they enact policy”.

However, it welcomes the introduction of the curriculum, arguing that more “prescriptive” curricula are unable to keep pace with rapid social change.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Since the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence, teachers and pupils have adapted very well to what, for many, was a new way of working. However, there is still more to do to maintain its ongoing success.”