Quality content includes relevant curriculum and learning materials developed in the context of national goals for education. A relevant curriculum is both a mirror of what goes on in the community and a window into the rest of the country, the world, and a better, more peaceful future for all people. It is relevant and sensitive to both boys and girls. The curricula and materials should ensure that learners can read, use numbers and be able to use life skills in real life. The latter should include knowledge about rights, gender, health, HIV/AIDS prevention and peace. Quality content is appropriate to children’s level of learning and in languages that both students and teachers understand. Governments should adopt relevant, student-centred and non-discriminatory curriculum plans that are easily understood by teachers.

It also means that girls are often told to take certain courses and not to take others. For example, girls may be told that they shouldn’t take science or mathematics courses. If they are able to enroll in those courses, the textbooks and teaching are often geared to the boys. Learning to identify gender bias in the curriculum is a critical component of quality education for all.

Teaching girls skills for life—good decision-making and self-confidence, for example, and how to identify gender bias—is also crucial to empowerment. These skills will enable girls to better apply their knowledge throughout their lives.

McREL: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning

A compilation of content standards for K-12 curriculum in both searchable and browsable formats.

http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/

How Children Learn

This is one of series of booklets that provides principles for a particular aspect of education. Principles discussed in this booklet on How Children Learn include Active involvement, social participation, meaningful activities, relating new information to prior knowledge etc. The booklet is freely available in print and online at:

http://www.ibe.unesco.org/International/Publications/EducationalPractices/
EducationalPracticesSeriesPdf/prac07e.pdf

Gender, Culture and Learning Eileen Kane Advancing Basic Education and Literacy, USAID 1996

This document presents an analysis of the differences in how boys and girls learn and the implications of those differences for the design and delivery of classroom instruction. Overall boys and girls are more alike than different in their cognitive abilities and learning processes, although there are a few differences that appear consistently across cultures. The study draws on the literature from anthropology, psychology, and biology to present conclusions and recommendations for educators.

http://www.usaid.gov/economic_growth/abel2/gcl.htm

Dimensions of Learning

Dimensions of Learning is a comprehensive model that uses what researchers and theorists know about learning to define the learning process. Its premise is that five types of thinking -- what we call the five dimensions of learning -- are essential to successful learning. The Dimensions framework will help you to

 

maintain a focus on learning; study the learning process; and plan curriculum, instruction, and assessment that takes into account the five critical aspects of learning.

http://www.mcrel.org/products/dimensions/whathow.asp

Gender Issues in Curriculum Content

Weaving Gender Equity into Math Reform

This site seeks to assist staff developers, curriculum writers, and workshop leaders in expanding the equity content of their workshops, videos, and written materials for teachers.

http://www.terc.edu/wge/challenge.html

Gender issues and physical activity

http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/pdhpe/index.cfm?u=
3&i=17&rnk=6&qry=gender+issues+in+curriculum%3f

Curriculum Reform: an example

http://education.qld.gov.au//corporate/newbasics/docs/nbandklas.doc

This paper reviews, for one state of Australia, the move to an approach to curriculum development that reduces "old" key learning areas to four "new basics":

Improving Student Achievement in Mathematics

Douglas Grouws & Kristin Cebulla IBE, UNESCO 2000 - This is one of series of booklets that provides principles for a particular aspect of education. Principles discussed in this booklet on Mathematics include:Opportunity to learn, Focus on meaning, Opportunities for both invention and practice, openness to student solution methods and student interaction, etc. The booklet is freely available in print and online at:

http://www.ibe.unesco.org/International/Publications/EducationalPractices/
EducationalPracticesSeriesPdf/prac04e.pdf

Literacy

Literacy: Emergent Literacy

The term literacy relates to both reading and writing and suggests the simultaneous development and mutually reinforcing effects of these two aspects of communication. Literacy development is seen as emerging from children's oral language development and their initial, often unconventional attempts at reading (usually based on pictures) and writing (at first, scribbling) -- hence the term emergent literacy. Within an emergent literacy framework, children's early unconventional attempts at reading and writing are respected as legitimate beginnings of literacy.

http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/em_lit0.html

100 Children Turn 10

This two-volume report offers a longitudinal study of literacy learning from the year prior to school to the fourth year of school.

http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/Publications/2002/100childturn10/100childturn10.htm

Interview on 100 Children Turn 10...

Saturday 28 September 2002

Barbara Comber of the University of South Australia, on the results of a Commonwealth-funded five-year study of literacy learning among 100 children in schools across the country.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/ling/stories/s686857.htm

Listen to the Interview

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/ling/audio/lfranca_28092002_2856.ram

The impact of HIV/AIDS on Education systems in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region and the response of Education Systems to HIV/AIDS: Life Skills Programmes.

Gachuhi D, 1999.

http://www.unicef.org/programme/lifeskills/assets/gachuhi.pdf

Education for All

from UNESCO

http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/pead/CadAIDGB.html

Focusing Resources on Effective School Health

UNESCO/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank, 2000. A FRESH start to improving the quality and equity of education.

http://www.schoolsandhealth.org/FRESH.htm

Girls and HIV/AIDS

http://www.unicef.org/programme/lifeskills/priorities/girls_hiv.html

C om p e n d i u m     m e n u Introduction · Advocacy · Policy and Planning · Training Best Practices and Strategies: [ What Learners Bring · Content · Processes · Environments · Outcomes ] Action Research · Lessons Learned · Partnerships and Networks

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