The dimensions of the Australian Curriculum

Summary

The Australian Curriculum is undergoing a review to streamline content, allowing teachers to focus on core concepts and deepen students' understanding. The curriculum's three dimensions—learning areas, cross-curriculum priorities, and general capabilities—are clarified to show they are not separate subjects but enrich the core content. The eight learning areas remain central, with general capabilities like literacy and numeracy developed through them. Cross-curriculum priorities, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, Asia engagement, and sustainability, are integrated naturally. The review aims to make it easier for teachers to integrate these elements, ensuring a knowledge-rich curriculum that benefits all students.

Takeaways

• 📚 The Australian Curriculum is under review to declutter and streamline teaching, allowing for deeper understanding of core concepts.
• 🔍 The review aims to clarify the relationship between the curriculum's three dimensions: learning areas, cross-curriculum priorities, and general capabilities.
• 🏫 The eight learning areas (English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Social Sciences, Arts, Health and Physical Education, Languages, Technologies) are central and not compromised by other curriculum elements.
• 🌐 Cross-curriculum priorities (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, Australia's engagement with Asia, Sustainability) enrich the curriculum rather than crowd it.
• 💡 General capabilities (literacy, numeracy, ICT literacy, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, intercultural understanding, ethical understanding) are developed through learning areas, not as separate subjects.
• 🔗 The curriculum's priorities and capabilities are not to be taught in isolation but are integrated into the learning areas where they are most relevant.
• 🔬 ACARA's new elaborations for Australian Curriculum Science demonstrate how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures can be integrated with core science concepts.
• 👨‍🏫 Good teachers can seamlessly integrate cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities into their teaching, enhancing student learning.
• 📈 The revised curriculum will improve content descriptions and elaborations to make it easier for teachers to develop students' capabilities and understanding of cross-curriculum priorities.
• 🌟 The Australian Curriculum remains knowledge-rich, ensuring all children have access to powerful knowledge to shape their future and contribute to society.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of the current review of the Australian curriculum?

The primary goal of the review is to declutter the curriculum, allowing more time for teachers to linger longer on topics to ensure all students understand what they are being taught and are given the opportunity to deepen their understanding of core concepts.

How does the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) aim to clarify the curriculum?

ACARA aims to clarify the curriculum by clarifying the relationship between the learning areas, cross-curriculum priorities, and general capabilities, ensuring they are not seen as add-ons but as enriching elements of the curriculum.

What are the eight learning areas in the Australian curriculum?

The eight learning areas are English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, The Arts, Health and Physical Education, Languages, and Technologies.

What are the general capabilities developed through the teaching of the learning areas?

The general capabilities developed include literacy, numeracy, ICT literacy, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, intercultural understanding, and ethical understanding.

How do cross-curriculum priorities integrate with the learning areas?

Cross-curriculum priorities such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, Australia's engagement with Asia, and sustainability are integrated into the learning areas, providing national, regional, and global dimensions that enrich the curriculum.

Why are cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities not taught as separate subjects?

Cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities are not taught as separate subjects because they are meant to be integrated into the learning areas to enrich the content being taught, rather than being additional subjects.

How do the new elaborations for the Australian Curriculum Science connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures?

The new elaborations acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have worked scientifically for millennia and continue to contribute to contemporary science, making learning more relevant and potentially increasing their participation in STEM subjects.

In what ways can teachers integrate general capabilities into their teaching of learning areas?

Teachers can integrate general capabilities by focusing on the content of the learning areas, such as developing literacy and numeracy primarily through English and Mathematics, and critical and creative thinking through subjects that encourage students to generate and evaluate explanations.

What is the role of good teachers in implementing the Australian curriculum?

Good teachers play a crucial role by integrating cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities into their teaching of learning areas in a seamless and authentic way, ensuring no disjointedness in the curriculum.

How will the revised Australian curriculum assist teachers in their teaching?

The revised curriculum will assist teachers by improving the quality of content descriptions and elaborations, embedding them where it is most authentic to do so, which should make it easier for teachers to develop students' general capabilities and enrich their understanding of cross-curriculum priorities.

What is the importance of the learning areas in the Australian curriculum?

The learning areas are central to the Australian curriculum as they form the basis of a knowledge-rich curriculum, ensuring all Australian children have access to powerful knowledge about the world, which is essential for shaping their future and that of their communities and society.