1. National Educational Policy and External Support Systems as Conditions for Curriculum Implementation.
- Author
-
Stokking, Karel M.
- Abstract
During the 1970s, evaluation researchers realized that adoption of a curricular innovation does not ensure its implementation. This paper asks which strategies of educational policy and external support are relevant for implementing curricular innovations, particularly in the Netherlands. The first three sections discuss why and for whom implementation is a problem and describe policy instruments and support functions. Following this, section 4 summarizes available research regarding the actual effect of policy and support on implementation. In practice, policy goals are seldom carried out according to the crucial imperatives suggested in the literature. Such goals are seldom based on teachers' own knowledge concerning the need for curricular change and often lack implementation guidelines. Implementation is in the hands of noninfluential lower- and middle-level government officials who lack systematic control over financial and external support. Section 5 outlines the Dutch education system, which is predominantly pluralistic, decentralized, and autonomous regarding teacher appointments and textbook choices. The dissemination and implementation of innovations and curricula is a perennial problem. Section 6 summarizes study results concerning implementing the Netherlands' new primary curriculum during 1975-1988. Section 7 offers conclusions concerning implementation weaknesses (particularly involving enforcement), and section 8 recommends new research directions. Included are three references and three figures. (MLH)
- Published
- 1988