Curriculum Making in Post-16 Education The Social Conditions of Studentship

It is widely agreed that the post-16 curriculum in England and Wales is inadequate, mainly due to the successive reforms of various governments.YTS was a reaction to problems of youth unemployment, CPVE and BTEC embraced a 'broad' concept of vocationalism, and even with the introduction of NVQ and GNVQ the A-level retains its gold-standard in the eyes of many. The post-16 curriculum that has emerged is hardly coherent. So how can teachers translate an externally imposed curriculum into a meaningful learning experience for students?Drawing on solid research in post-16 education, this book makes explicit the nature of flaws in policy, and provides an account of how teachers and students construct their roles. It puts forward the case for a radical reappraisal and identifies appropriate aims and organising principles for a post-16 curriculum for the future.Martin Bloomer is currently Dean of the Faculty of Education at Exeter University.

Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. The Context of Educational Practice Chapter 3. Knowledge and the Prescription of Learning Opportunities Chapter 4. Knowledge and Learning in Practice: Vocational Courses Chapter 5. Knowledge and Learning in Practice: A-level Chemistry Courses Chapter 6. Knowledge and Learning in Practice: A-level History Courses Chapter 7. Studentship and Learning Careers Chapter 8. Towards s Reconstruction of the Post-16 Curriculum Chapter 9. Towards a Curriculum for the Future Notes Bibliography Index