Teachers' experiences of support for curriculum making a new subject, psychology

Abstract

AbstractThis article reports teachers' experiences of support for curriculum making a new secondary school subject, psychology, as part of major curriculum reform, including the introduction of external examinations. Seven teachers participated in meetings at eight timepoints over two years. Content analysis identified five themes. Participants described support across different sites of curriculum making: (1) Connectedness with teachers at school, (2) Guidance from the curriculum authority, (3) Collegiality with psychology teachers, (4) Student engagement, and (5) Heavy investment of their own time to lead the way. Proactive and reactive support that acknowledged teachers' backgrounds and provided time and space for guidance and dialogue was inadequate at the beginning and tended to remain that way. Opportunities for collaborative curriculum making were less likely for teachers in regional areas, new to science, or the only teacher in the school. The teachers understood curriculum making a new subject as a complex and collective endeavour. The findings of this study emphasise the importance of cultivating supportive structures and processes across school, curriculum authority and curriculum‐broker sites for teachers and valuing the teacher's central role as curriculum makers in establishing a new subject in an externally driven curriculum.