Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to examine the way in whichcourses in psychology were developed and introduced to the curriculum of
secondary colleges in the Australian Capital Territory. It is a case
study in curriculum change viewed from the perspective of a participant-observer.
Briefly the study attempts to analyse the process of curriculum
change within a sociological framework. The second section deals with
the history behind, and subsequent introduction of similar courses in
Tasmania, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and their
significance to the curriculum innovation under study. The third
section deals with the background to the case study, the context in which
the project was undertaken and the factors which gave rise to it. Emphasis
is given to the negotiations which must go on in reconciling the differing
perspectives of those groups directly involved in the change process. The
process of accreditation and the influence this had on the structure of the
courses is also examined. The problems inherent in developing and
establishing a curriculum innovation are dealt with in considerable depth.
Finally the process of curriculum change is analysed in the context of the
currently available research literature on models and strategies for change
in education. Implications are drawn for future studies in this field.
Hopefully this report will contribute to the various theoretical models
and strategies of change to be found in curriculum theory.
| Date of Award | 1976 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |