The document discusses resourcing and supporting the Australian Curriculum. It provides context on Australia's performance in international assessments and how the curriculum was developed with an international perspective. It outlines how the curriculum simultaneously addresses core disciplines and 21st century skills through general capabilities. It also describes how the curriculum is presented electronically, allowing filtering by variables, and is linked to online resources to support teachers.

1. Resourcing and supporting the
Australian Curriculum
Barry McGaw
Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, University of Melbourne
Chair, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
The Curriculum Experience: Connect, Integrate, Lead
Australian School Library Association Biennial Conference
Hobart
September 2013

2. National view shaped by international context
Simultaneous treatment of disciplines and 21st century skills
Presenting the curriculum electronically
Linking resources to the curriculum for teachers
Outline of presentation

3. National view shaped by international
context

4. Countries ahead of Australia in PISA 2009
Canada
Finland
Hong Kong
-
Korea
-
-
-
Shanghai
Singapore
Reading Mathematics Science
Canada
Finland
Hong Kong
Japan
Korea
Liechtenstein
Macao
Netherlands
Shanghai
Singapore
Switzerland
Taiwan
-
Finland
Hong Kong
Japan
Korea
-
-
-
Shanghai
Singapore
OECD (2010), PISA 2009 results: what students know and can do, Fig. I.2.15, p.54, Fig. I.3.10, p134, Fig I.3.21, p.151.

5. Comparison of changes in PISA performances
Australia
-
Czech Republic
-
-
Ireland
-
Sweden
Australia
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
France
Iceland
Ireland
Netherlands
Sweden
5 countries
Significant decline
Reading
2000-2009
Mathematics
2003-2009
Science
2006-2009
13 countries 8 countries 11 countries
Significant improvement
No significant change
21 countries 22 countries
Australia +
39 countries

6. Numbers of countries significantly ahead of Australia
Level IEA OECD
PIRLS TIMSS PISA
Reading Maths Science Reading Maths Science
Year 4 21 17 18
Year 8 6 9
15-yr-olds 7 12 6
IEA – International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement
PIRLS – Progress in International Reading Literacy Survey
TIMSS – Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
PISA – Program for International Student Assessment

7. Comparison with the best – Yr 8 TIMSS mathematics
Adv
High
Inter.
Low37%
34%
20%
9%
Australia Korea
7%
16%
30%
47%
37% of Australian
students were at
or below Low.

8. Comparison with the best – Yr 8 TIMSS science
Adv
High
Inter.
Low30%
35%
25%
11%
Australia Finland
12%
35%
40%
13% 30% of Australian
students were at
or below Low.

9. Australia among high performing countries
High ranking due to high mean
BUT well behind the highest performers
AND evidence of decline, particularly at the top end
We need to raise expectations
In our schools
In our curricula
Conclusion from international comparisons

10. Simultaneous treatment of disciplines
and 21st century skills

11. Cisco/Intel/Microsoft Assessment and Teaching of 21st century
skills project
White paper defining 21st century skills
• Ways of thinking
– Creativity and innovation
– Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making
– Learning to learn and metacognition
• Ways of working
– Communication
– Collaboration and teamwork
• Tools for working
– Information literacy
– ICT literacy
• Living in the world
– Citizenship – global and local
– Life and career
– Personal and social responsibility
21st century skills for the 21st century

12. Are they uniquely 21st century?
Most have been important for centuries
The technology-rich environment is new
Nomenclature General capabilities not 21st century skills
Literacy
Numeracy
Information and communication technology capability
Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social capability
Ethical understanding
Intercultural understanding
Key questions
Do we have developmental continua for these capabilities?
What content would be required for their development?
Australian Curriculum view of 21st century skills

13. ATC21S Australian Curriculum
Ways of thinking
Creativity and innovation
Critical and creative thinking
Critical thinking, problem solving & decision making
Learning to learn and metacognition Personal capability
Ways of working
Communication Literacy
Collaboration and teamwork Social capability
Tools for working
Information literacy
ICT capability
ICT literacy
Numeracy
Living in the world
Citizenship – global and local Intercultural understanding
Life and career Ethical understanding
Personal and social responsibility Personal and social capability

14. Central place for content
Preserving the disciplines
• Disciplines are the result of several millennia of human effort
• Research on expertise shows importance of deep, domain-specific
knowledge
Attending to some current, cross-curriculum priorities
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
• Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
• Sustainability
Form of curriculum content
Content descriptions setting out learning entitlements
Content elaborations for teachers who would like more details
Achievement standards with annotated samples of student work
Can the same content serve the general capabilities?
Australian Curriculum view of knowledge disciplines

15. Structure of the Australian Curriculum
7 General
Capabilities
Sustainability
Asia and Australia’s
engagement with Asia
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Histories and Cultures
3 Cross-curriculum
Priorities
Can general capabilities be
covered in the cells?
Many cells will be empty.
Languages
CivicsandCitizenship
Economics,Business
TheArts
HealthandPhysicalEducation
Technologies
Geography
History
Science
Mathematics
English
11 Disciplines/Learning areas

16. Development process

17. First the big picture
Shape paper for the whole curriculum
Shape Papers for learning areas
Then the detail
Draft Curriculum – approved by ACARA Board for consultation
Final Curriculum – endorsed by ACARA Board, approved by Ministerial
Council
Curriculum development process

18. International benchmarking of the Australian Curriculum
Learning areas Systems against which development compared
English Canada (Ontario), England, New Zealand, US (California)
Mathematics Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore, USA (National Council of Teachers in
Mathematics Standards, American Statistical Society Guidelines)
Science Canada (Ontario), Finland, Singapore
History Canada, England, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore
Geography Canada (Ontario), England
The Arts Canada (Ontario), England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland,
Singapore, USA (National Art Education Statement, Framework for 21st
Century Skills)
Languages English-speaking systems: England, Scotland, American Council on
Teaching of Foreign Languages
Others: Canada (Ontario), Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore
Health & Physical Education Canada (Ottawa), England, Finland, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden
(Outdoor Education)
Technologies England, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, USA (Standards for
Technological Literacy)
Civics & Citizenship Canada (Ontario), England, Hong Kong.
Economics & Business Canada (Ontario), Scotland.

19. Current state of development of Australian Curriculum
Learning areas F-10 Senior Years
Phase 1
English Being implemented Integration underway
Mathematics Being implemented Integration underway
Science Being implemented Integration underway
History Being implemented Integration underway
Phase 2
Geography Final version approved by Ministers Integration underway
The Arts Final version approved by Ministers
Languages Consultations on drafts underway
Phase 3
Health & Physical Education Consultation on draft completed
Technologies Consultation on draft completed
Civics & Citizenship Consultation on draft completed
Economics & Business Consultation on draft completed
Work Studies (yrs 9-10) Consultation on draft underway

20. Presenting the curriculum electronically

21. This button opens
curriculum by learning
area, general capability,
cross-curriculum priority
and year.

22. Icons indicate general capabilities and
cross-curriculum priorities for which the
content descriptions are relevant.
Filter by year, strands,
general capabilities, cross-
curriculum priorities.

23. Icons for general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities

24. Use this view to display content and content elaborations.
Foundation year selected.
General capability & cross-
curriculum priority icons.

25. Display filtered on:
Year 4
Strand
Science understanding
General capability
Critical & creative thinking

27. Organising elements
The Critical and creating thinking learning continuum is organised into four
interrelated elements, each detailing differing aspects of thinking. The
elements are not a taxonomy of thinking. Rather, each makes its own
contribution to learning and needs to be explicitly and simultaneously
developed.
Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
Reflecting on thinking and processes
Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures.

28. Six levels cover the years F to 10.
Level 1 – Foundation
Level 2 – Years 1-2
Level 3 – Years 3-4
Level 4 – Years 5-6
Level 5 – Years 7-9
Level 6 – Years 9-10
In this display, 3 levels can be
seen at a time, either 1-3 or 4-6.
Asking why events make
people happy or sad.
Asking who, when, how and why about
a range of situations and events.

29. Linking resources to the curriculum
for teachers

30. Website of resources linked by meta-tags to the Australian Curriculum

31. Filtered on:
Grade/Year 4
Critical & creative thinking
Now select:
View elaborations and matching resources

32. Resources for students and teachers help with
personalisation of learning for students.
The resources can be filtered by type.
182 resources listed below.

33. Australia’s move to a national perspective
Influenced by needs of students moving between states & territories
Shaped by international context
Australian Curriculum
Includes 21st century skills as general capabilities
Is also, very importantly, organised by disciplines/learning areas.
Provides developmental continua for both
Electronic presentation
Allows users to filter the curriculum in various ways.
Allows ready connection with a database of electronic resources
Powerful confluence of developments that is supporting a
major curriculum change in Australia.
Review and conclusion

34. Thank you.