Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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An action research projectfor curriculum developement
at Strømmen Upper Secondary school:
: Partners: Teachers and pupils at study track Health
and Social Subjects, year 1 Reasearchers/teacher trainers from
Akershus University College,
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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BackgroundProblem i Norwegian Upper Secondary
school, vocational tracks: High rate of drop out Lack of vocational relevanvce Lack of meaningsfulness
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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Objectives:The project is part of the school`s strategy for:
strengthen relevance and meaningfulnes develope teacher competance both as individuals and as team develope the school organisation as a learning organisation. to develop the entire educational programme of 4 years, including
both shool -and workbased learning to spread experineces from one part and level of the school`s learning
environment tol the rest.
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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Production of learning tasks, and extracts from dialogues with participating teachers and pupils
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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The teachers formulated the following principles for curriculum development:
Development from prior practice
Learning tasks shall take occupational areas of the health/social world of work as a point of departure
Adapted learning - each pupil shall experience a learning process adapted to their learning abilities and interests
Each pupil shall experience relevances and meaningful learning processes
The education shall be holistic and coherent
The shool organisation must be charcterized by flexibilty, as to for example timeschedule.organising of teachers work etc
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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Methodological approach
•Dialogue•Work-shops and reflection sessions together with the •participating teachers for
•analyzing, discussion and intepretation of curricula•planning, implementing and reflection over teaching and learning sesssions.
1.The teachers plan, execute and evaluate their pupils learning activities. They also reflect upon their own teaching.
2: 1.The researchers facilitate and support the teachers`learning process. Included is presentations and discussions around central themes as differentiation, evaluation, new challenges for the teacher role, and principles for producton of learning tasks.
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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•FOKUS:
•Endring fra tidligere praksis
•Synliggjøring av yrker innen utdanningsprogrammet i oppgaveteksten
•Tilpasset opplæring
•Relevans og mening
Example of a learning task taking the world of work as a point of depa\rture. Developed autumn 2006
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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Eksempel på oppgave utarbeidet av lærere på Strømmen videregående skole, tidlig høst 2006
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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Feed back from teachers in a working session, october 2006:
”We talk a lot more about the different occupations this education qualify for.”
When we have been working with communication, we try to relate this to communication in different occupations.
When we are working with hygiene, we link this to what is nessecary in the different occupations regarding clothes, hair and skin
In the years before this reform, we did nothing of the kind. Now thisis embedded in our daily activities.
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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Main points from an evaluation dialogue with pupils spring 2007:
They experienced a successful integration of practice and theory
Teaching sessions and learning tasks were geared towards future occopations
They learned a lot when they were allowed to cooperate and to give oral presentations
They experienced improved reflection competence and that the different parts of the content were related.
They learned ”best” when they were ” in practice”, but they also experienced that the subjects learned at school were useful when they were out in practice.
They experienced and apprciated to be part of decision making
Ellen Bjerknes. Elisabeth Syverstad. Umeå, november 2007
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Feed back from teachers to the way we work spring 2007
”It feels good to have time to reflect upon what we are doing and to receive feed back that we are on the track.”
”Dialogues like this provide new energy”