Educational Leadership Essay: University Curriculum Analysis

This essay delves into the evolution of curriculum, examining its changing nature over the past few decades, influenced by research and advancements in learning methodologies. It explores the role of curriculum leadership in balancing administrative and instructional responsibilities, emphasizing the importance of adapting to the changing needs of students and the shift from industrial to IT-related economies. The essay also discusses various curriculum theories and their connection to culture, highlighting the significance of diversity and postmodern perspectives in shaping educational practices. It references key studies and frameworks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject, including the role of leaders in curriculum development and the need for continuous adaptation and reinterpretation of educational approaches.

Running head: EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Answer 1
From gaining an understanding of different concepts and theoretical viewpoints in the
readings, it is evident that the nature of the curriculum has changed over the past few
decades. This is due to the fact that in from the past decade, there has been developed in
terms of research-based and classroom-proven practice of learning complemented by
discoveries in learning and learners and teachers that stated to be incompatible thus, paving
the way to more methods in teaching and researching. According to Sumara, Davis &
Laidlaw (2001), the dominant concept of curriculum is due to the subject or content taught by
teachers to the students. Thus, selecting the content is one of the most vital decisions in
curriculum-making, which is a logical method of evaluation. The changing needs of students
require expansion of the role of teachers beyond the learning prospect and include co-
investigator, facilitator, coordinator, and guides. The changes within the educational
institutions occurred at a rapid rate as the background shifted from an industrial economy to a
global IT-related economy. In the modern context, the schools do not design the curriculum
based on knowledge or demand of outcome, a traditional model of the process that includes
disconnected and discrete bodies of information (Jorgenson, 2006). The shift in dynamics had
resulted in addressing the change, and thus, implementation of sustainable change was made.
The advancement in the research related to learning and teaching in the last decade was more
than found previously. It is supported by the existing studies and tested in the classroom for
mitigating the jargon and shortcomings with the use of theories and concepts.
Answer 2
As a practitioner and leaders in the current field, a general perspective of Curriculum
leadership was developed. Lunenburg (2011) opined that curriculum leadership plays a
critical role in helping and supporting the school community for attaining the predefined

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goals and objectives. As stated by Parkay et al., (2014), the curriculum is the experiences that
the student goes through within a program of an educational setting. The role of curriculum
leadership is to balance the administrative and instructional elements and responsibilities
critically. Therefore, it is stated to be multi-faceted and composite in nature; thus, it is
embedded within a formal aspect of the authorities; however, it has a functional role that
helps in affecting the achievement of students, including professional development,
curriculum development, and professional accountability. It requires inquiring about the
current curriculum of the educational institutions in writing and creating the material that is
more than effective in nature. The leaders are found to answer various kinds of questions that
needed to respond before the development of a curriculum. Therefore, it needs to have a new
vision, mission, and long-term objectives to effectively understand the needs and demands of
the educational system and use deep thinking experimentation. As per the study of (), the
previous and current efforts in curriculum improvement with the alignment of the goals and
objectives that forms a base of planning. Planning is also an important responsibility of
curriculum leaders that allow in the assessment of the current trend in the education sector
and effectively addressing the past challenges faced by the teachers and students.
Answer 3
As per the common understanding of the theories, it can be stated that those are
connected to culture. The culture is eclectic and situational that indicates there are variations
in historical aspects, geography, context, relationship, and interpretation. As per Sumara’s
view of the postmodern world, it is stated to be complex in nature. It is seen that in order to
sort the curriculum theorising in Canada, it is important that it should have a sense of
diversity that includes people, territories and climatic factors (Alsubaie, 2016). The idea of
ecological postmodernism has risen due to highlight in the academic sector within the past
few decades. Even though it is derived from different sources, it is principally obtained from

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science, arts, and humanities that is compatible with the existing frameworks. The prospect of
postmodernism is temporary and contemporary at the same time as it is constantly changing
and emerging as a metaphor rather than logical reasoning. This indicates that there is a deal
with the conflicts related to history, language, geography and memory. The theories are more
concerned with the ways used for the adaption of humans on a continuous basis to gain new
experience in the condition as well as reinterpret from history (Taylor & Richards, 2018).
Therefore, it reasonably expects that there is a scope of boundless reinterpretation or
assessment of the antecedents and conditions stated. There is no option of universal truths or
underlying theme in this world except consideration of culture and diversity.

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References
Alsubaie, M. A. (2016). Curriculum Development: Teacher Involvement in Curriculum
Development. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(9), 106-107.
Jorgenson, O. (2006). Why curricular change is difficult–and necessary. Independent
School, 4, 3-10.
Lunenburg, F. C. (2011). Theorizing about Currículum: Conceptions and
definitions. International journal of scholarly academic intellectual diversity, 13(1),
1-6.
Parkay, F. W., Anctil, E. J., & Hass, G. (2014). Curriculum leadership: Readings for
developing quality educational programs. Prentice Hall.
Sumara, D., Davis, B., & Laidlaw, L. (2001). Canadian identity and curriculum theory: An
ecological, postmodern perspective. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue
canadienne de l'education, 144-163.
Taylor, P. H., & Richards, C. M. (2018). An introduction to curriculum studies. Routledge.