Competencies and curricula: Two case stories of two-dimensional curriculum development

Tomas Hojgaard 1 * , Jan Sølberg 2
More Detail
1 Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
2 Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
* Corresponding Author
EUR J SCI MATH ED, Volume 7, Issue 1, pp. 50-60. https://doi.org/10.30935/scimath/9533
OPEN ACCESS   2110 Views   1161 Downloads
Download Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

Curricula around the world make more and more use of goals trying to capture different kind of processes for the students to master. In Denmark these ambitions have most recently been described in terms of subject specific competencies. However, bringing such ambitions into the actual teaching practices has proved challenging. KOMPIS was a longitudinal project aimed at developing and examining ways of dealing with some of these challenges in lower secondary Danish classrooms in collaboration with teachers. In this paper, we present aspects relevant to mathematics and science curricula. As a key point of this analysis we present a two-dimensional content model derived from KOMPIS that proved useful in supporting competence-based curriculum development and teacher planning. We argue that curriculum descriptions of competency objectives need to be clear and distinct as well as independent of subject matter to be operational.
Keywords: competence, mathematical competencies, science competencies, the KOMPIS project, two-dimensional content framework

CITATION

Hojgaard, T., & Sølberg, J. (2019). Competencies and curricula: Two case stories of two-dimensional curriculum development. European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 7(1), 50-60. https://doi.org/10.30935/scimath/9533

REFERENCES

  • Blomhøj, M., & Jensen, T. H. (2003). Developing mathematical modelling competence: Conceptual clarification and educational planning. Teaching mathematics and its applications, 22(3), 123-139.
  • Blomhøj, M., & Jensen, T.H. (2007). What’s all the fuss about competencies? Experiences with using a competence perspective on mathematics education to develop the teaching of mathematical modelling. In W. Blum, P.L. Galbraith, H.-W. Henn, & M. Niss (Eds.), Modelling and applications in mathematics education – The 14th ICMI-study (45-56). New York, US: Springer.
  • Bergqvist, E., & Bergqvist, T. (2017). The role of the formal written curriculum in standards-based reform. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 49(2), 149-168.
  • Brousseau, G. (1997). Theory of didactical situations in mathematics.Dordrecht, NL: Kluwer.
  • Christiansen, J. L., Hansen, N. J., & Madsen, J. (2013). KOMPIS – Kompetencemål i praksis: Dansk, matematik og naturfag 2009-2012 [KOMPIS – Competency objectives in practice: Danish, mathematics and science 2009-2012]. Holbæk, Denmark: University College Sjælland.
  • European Ministry of Education. (1999). The Bologna declaration of 19 June 1999. https://www.eurashe.eu/library/modernising-phe/Bologna_1999_Bologna-Declaration.pdf, (accessed September 2018)
  • Høines, M. J. (2006). Begynneropplæringen: fagdidaktikk for barnetrinnets matematikkundervisning [Beginner training: Pedagogical content knowledge for mathematics teaching of children] (2nd ed.). Bergen, Norway: Caspar forlag.
  • Højgaard, T. (2010). Communication: The Essential Difference Between Mathematical Modeling and Problem Solving. In R. Lesh, P. Galbraith, C. Haines, & A. Hurford (Eds.), Modeling Students' Mathematical Modeling Competences (pp. 255-264). New York: US: Springer.
  • Højgaard, T., Bundsgaard, J., Sølberg, J., & Elmose, S. (2010). Kompetencemål i praksis – foranalysen bag projektet KOMPIS [Competency objectives in practice – initial analysis for the KOMPIS project]. MONA:Matematik og Naturfagsdidaktik, 3, 7-29.
  • Højgaard, T., & Sølberg, J. (submitted). Competencies and Curricula: A case Story of Two-dimensional Curriculum Development. Paper submitted for presentation at the conference CERME 11 in Utrecht, The Netherlands, February 2019.
  • Innabi, H., & Sheikh, O. E. (2006). The change in mathematics teachers’ perceptions of critical thinking after 15 years of educational reform in Jordan. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 64(1), 45–68.
  • Jensen, J. H. (1995). Faglighed og pensumitis [Subject understanding and syllabusitis]. Uddannelse, 9, 464-468.
  • Jensen, T. H. (2007). Udvikling af matematisk modelleringskompetence som matematikundervisningens omdrejningspunkt – hvorfor ikke?[Development of mathematical modelling competency as the center point of teaching mathematics – why not?] (Doctoral dissertation). Roskilde, Denmark: University of Roskilde.
  • Larsen, C. A. (1969). Didaktik: om didaktikken som planlægningsvirksomhed og om dens systematiske placering i pædagogikken [Didactics: on didactics as a means for planning teaching and its systematic place in relation to pedagogy]. Copenhagen, Denmark: Royal Danish School of Educational Studies.
  • Lewis, J. L. (1972). Teaching School Physics. A UNESCO Source Book. Baltimore, Maryland, USA: Penguin Books.
  • Niss, M. (1999). Kompetencer og uddannelsesbeskrivelse [Competencies and descriptions of education]. Uddannelse, 9, 21-29.
  • Niss, M., & Højgaard, T. (to appear). Mathematical Competencies in Mathematics Education: Past, Present, and Future. New York, US: Springer.
  • Niss, M., & Jensen, T. H. (2002). Kompetencer og matematiklæring: Idéer og inspiration til udvikling af matematikundervisning i Danmark [Competencies and mathematical learning: Ideas and inspiration for the development of mathematics teaching in Denmark]. Copenhagen, Denmark: Ministry of Education.
  • Niss, M., Bruder, R., Planas, N., Turner, R., & Villa-Ochoa, J. A. (2016). Survey team on: conceptualization of the role of competencies, knowing and knowledge in mathematics education research, ZDM, 48(5), 611–632.
  • Rychen, D. S., & Salganik, L. H. (2003). Key Competencies for a Successful Life and a Well-Functioning Society. Cambridge, MA, US: Hogrefe & Huber.
  • Sølberg, J., Bundsgaard, J., & Højgaard, T. (2015). Kompetencemål i praksis – hvad har vi lært af KOMPIS? [Competency objectives in practice - lessons learned]. MONA: Matematik og Naturfagsdidaktik, 2, 46-59.
  • Undervisningsministeriet. (2009). Fælles Mål 2009 – Matematik [National Standards 2009 – Mathematics]. Copenhagen, Denmark: Ministry of Education.
  • Undervisningsministeriet. (2014). Fælles Mål 2014 [National Standards 2014]. https://www.emu.dk/omraade/gsk-l%C3%A6rer, (accessed September 2018)