The Japanese Curriculum
1992 – 2003
THE ENACTED AND INTENDED
CURRICULUM
by
Sherry Hix
University of Georgia
Intended Curriculum
á
Ministry of Education
uses committees to revise framework of national curriculum.
á
Course of Study sets
goals and content for mathematics at each grade level.
á
Ministry publishes
Course of Study and Teaching Guide; they brief textbook publishers on changes.
Bridge between Intended and
Enacted Curriculum: Textbook
Publishers
á
Only six publishers
print mathematics textbooks.
á
Textbook publishers use
committees to write textbooks and teacher manuals.
á
The textbooks are
submitted to Ministry for approval; Ministry sends requested changes;
publishers usually conform to requests.
Textbooks, as a result, are very aligned to intentions of the Ministry.
á
School representatives
are then allowed to choose from these publishers which textbook to use. Process is very secretive; teachers
cannot know which publishers print which textbooks in order that the decisions
are fair.
Enacted Curriculum
á
Teachers use textbook
and teacher manuals to enact curriculum.
á
Teacher manual gives
teacher lots of information: key
questions to ask; rationales for problems chosen; connections of content;
explanation for mathematics concepts across grade levels; hour-by-hour lesson
plans; activities and important points to consider during instruction.
á
Enacted curriculum is
fairly standardized:
o
It is based on a
national curriculum.
o
Lesson study groups are
very public throughout the country and methods tested in lesson study setting
become part of knowledge base used by teachers.
o
Problem solving
methodology to teaching is used in many public teachings:
¤
Pose the problem
¤
Individual problem
solving (individual or group)
¤
Sharing and critiquing
solutions
¤
Summary.
Intended Informs Enacted and
Enacted Informs Intended
á
Ministry uses
suggestions from teacher groups and textbook committees to ÒtestÓ (tests are
performed in lesson study groups) revisions before enacting them.
á
Knowledge base for
teaching is public.
á
This creates a very
cohesive curriculum for teachers and students.