Topic 8:
Curriculum
Change and
Innovation NAZIHAH HISHAM
SYAFIQAH ZAKARIA
MASITAH ZULKIFLY

Overview
 Contexts of Curriculum Change
 Strategies of Evaluation
 Planning and Implementation
 Factors Affecting Change in ELT in Malaysia
 The Teacher as Agent of Change

Definition of Change
 Embracing the concepts of innovation, development,
renewal and improvement in curriculum.
 A process not an event; requires time, energy and
resources.
 Achieved incrementally and entails development in feelings
and skills in using new programmes.
 Lead to improvement.
 Making the different in some way, to give it a new position
or direction. Often means alteration to its philosophy by
way of its aims and objectives, reviewing the content
included, revising its methods and re-thinking its evaluatory
procedures.

Definition of Innovation
 An intentional and deliberate process to bring out
desired effects and change. (Harris et al., 1995)
 Any improvement that is deliberate, measurable,
durable and unlikely to occur frequently.

Curriculum Innovation and
Change
 Curriculum innovation is defined as deliberate
actions to improve a learning environment by
adapting a method of presenting material to students
that involves human interaction, hands-on activities
and student feedback, according to the Annual
Review of Applied Linguistics.
 Changes in curriculum may involve innovation, but in
general, change in terms of curriculum involves
adapting a new educational method and not
necessarily a method with human interaction.

Curriculum Change and Innovation
Curriculum Change Curriculum Innovation
Dictated by the changes in the
economic, social and technological
aspects of a society.
Ideas or practices that are new and
different from those that exist in the
formal prescribed curriculum.
Has magnitude and direction and
takes place within a definite time
frame.
Occurs when human and material
resources are created, selected,
organised and used in ways where
the outcomes are higher
achievement of curriculum goals
and objectives.
May occur in response to external
events
Always planned.
Become meaningful and effective if
they are planned and organised.

Sources of Change and
Innovation
 National imposition
 Societal needs
 Technology
 Stake- holder views

Contexts of Curriculum Change
 Occur when the central authority decides to
adopt a new idea.
 Usually made known through a circular.
 Example: Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah
(KSSR).
 The desire of authorities at various levels to
deliberately change established practices.
 To tackle existing problems
 Identify new problems
 Seek ways in dealing with those problems

 Due to development of technology.
 Adaption on the use of computers in education.
 Using online technology in lessons.

Types of Curriculum Change
 Hardware change
 New classrooms
 Equipment
 Books
 Playgrounds
 Software change
 Affect the content of the curriculum
 Related to the methods of delivery of curriculum

Forms of Changes
 Substitution
 Alteration
 Addition
 Restructuring

 Substitution.
 new textbooks, new equipment, replacement of
teachers and administrators.
 Alteration.
 Change in existing structures rather than a complete
replacement of the whole curriculum, syllabus or
course of study.
 Addition.
 Introduction of a new component without changing old
elements or patterns.
 Ex: audio- visual aids, workshops and equipment.

 Restructuring.
 Rearrangement of the curriculum to implement
desired changes.
 Sharing of resources among a group of schools
or institutions.

Strategies of Evaluation
 A strategy of innovation refers to the planned
procedures and techniques used in the desire
for change.
 Participative Problem- Solving
 Planned Linkage
 Coercive Strategies

Participative Problem-
Solving
 This strategy focuses on the users, their needs and
how they satisfy these needs.
 The system identifies and diagnoses its own needs,
finds its own solution, tries out and evaluates the
solution and implements the solution if it is satisfactory.
 The emphasis is on local initiative.

Planned Linkage
 The intermediate agencies, such as schools, bring
together the users of the innovation in this model.
 Hoyle (1993), linkage process is based on the link between
the school and the various specialized/ centralized
agencies linkage centres may be in form of Professional
Centres, Resource Centres, ICT Centres, ect.
 These agencies are the linkage point between the national
agencies of curriculum development, change and
innovating schools, to provide consultancy services and to
offer in- service training for teachers and users.

Coercive Strategies
 Work on the bases of power and coercion by those in
authority, using laws directories, circulars and others.
 Change is accomplished through application of power
with those holding greater power enforcing compliance
by those with less power.
 An already- prepared curriculum, developed by
government educational sectors such as National
Curriculum Development Centre in the form of a
syllabus document, was given to teachers to
implement.
 MOE generally used these strategies.

Models of Curriculum
Change and Innovation
 Tanner and Tanner (1980), suggest 3
principal models which demonstrates how
change takes place.
 The research, Development and Diffusion
Process Approach or Model
 Problem- Solving Model
 The Social Interaction Approach

The Research, Development
and Diffusion Model
 Innovation is thought out at the head or centre and
then fed into the system.
 The processes of change as a logical sequence of
phases in which an innovation is;
 Invented or discovered
 Developed
 Diffused
 Disseminated to the user

Problem- Solving Model
 Also called problem reduction model.
 Built with the user of the innovation in mind.
 The user of the innovation will follow the steps
below:
1. Determine the problem
2. Search for an innovation
3. Evaluate the trials
4. Implement the innovation

Social Interaction Model
 Involves the transmission of knowledge by social group of
school.
 Change proceeds or diffuses of new ideas, practices or
products through formal or informal contacts between
interacting social groups.
 Stresses the importance of interpersonal networks of
information, opinion, leadership and personal contact.

 The spread of new ideas or practices through
contacts between and among teachers within a
school, among schools, between teachers and
supervisors, among all others (education bodies)
 Based on:
 Awareness of innovation
 Interest in the innovation
 Trial
 Adoption for permanent use

Factors Affecting Change
in ELT in Malaysia
 Poor results of the national English exam.
 Malaysia might ‘lose its economic competitiveness and find
it hard to progress in the industrial and technical fields’.
 English education benefited a selected few who were
referred to as the ‘elitist class of Malayan’ and side-lined the
others especially the Malays from the rural areas.
 A major agenda on a national unity.
 Old curriculum was thought to be too subject content-
biased, too much emphasis on rote- learning, too exam
oriented, and excessive dependence on textbooks.

 Globalization
 Major role in determining the educational as well as
curriculum reforms in Malaysia and other countries around
the globe.
 Revolution in information and communication
technologies (ICT) made globalization possible and
knowledge became highly portable.
 The need for skills like languages, mathematical
reasoning, scientific logic and programming has
emerged as the front runners of a nation’s development
and English is the language of globalization, internet,
trade and science
 Education Ministry inline with Malaysia’s aspiration to
produce knowledge workers and to compete with other
developing countries.

Planning and
Implementation
According to Bishop 1986 there are 4 factors;
1. The change agent - teachers, school heads, local
authorities or the ministry of education
2. The innovation - executing the change itself; put it into
use/operation
3. The system users– relates to the person or group of
people at which the innovation is directed
4. Time – innovation is a social process which takes place
over a period of time.

The Innovation Process
1. Identify a problem
dissatisfaction / need that
requires attention
5. Evaluate the proposed solution
2. Generate possible solution 6. Review the evaluation
3. Select a particular and
appropriate solution or innovation
7. If the innovation has solve the
identified problem, implement it on
a wide scale
4. Conduct a trial 8. Adopt the innovation or search
for another solution

Innovation Planning
Elements to be considered
1. Personnel to be employed
2. Specification of the actual task
3. Strategy or procedure to be used
4. Equipment needed
5. Conducive environment
6. Cost and time involve
7. Social context
8. Sequencing of activity
9. Rational for undertaking the innovation
10. Evaluation of the consequences of the innovation

Teacher as Agent of
Change
 Use various pieces of technology by learning to be
constructivist that can incorporates technology into
their curriculum
 Develop own professional learning, encompass
strategies and interpersonal skill
 Update and improves the culture of the school
 Becomes more collaborative, reflective, flexible, and
more responsive to the development of their own
professional learning

Conclusion
 When curriculum innovation or change is made in the
classroom;
 It can enhance the social skills of students and focus on
unique methods for teaching historical, technological,
organizational or political lessons.
 May encourage students to use online tools, multimedia
software applications or hands-on lab experiments and
outdoor archaeology adventures.
 Encourages educators to defy the norm and think outside of
the box to reach all types of learners with individualized styles
instead of focusing on lessons that are effective for just a few
average students in a classroom.