Developing Curriculum for Deep Thinking The Knowledge Revival

This open access book discusses why the seemingly straightforward strategy of teaching children how to think deeply does not work and offers an alternative way forward for the curriculum to achieve these objectives. Over the years, the role of knowledge in the curriculum has, like a pendulum, shifted between two extremes, from highly visible to virtually invisible knowledge elements. Insights from cognitive and educational psychology, sociology, and curriculum studies are used to underpin the current knowledge revival that is widely being observed in education. A knowledge-rich curriculum is proposed by the authors as not only the soundest way forward to both effectively acquire knowledge and complex cognitive skills in school, but also as a crucial lever to achieve equitable opportunities for all students. In understanding how a knowledge-rich curriculum can enhance learning, three overarching principles are discussed: (1) content-richness, (2) coherence, and (3) clarity. These principles are illustrated through practical examples from schools and educators who have effectively integrated knowledge-rich curricula.

1.Introduction.- 2.How knowledge matters.- 3.Knowledge matters: a learning perspective.- 4.Knowledge matters: a sociological perspective.- 5.Knowledge matters: a democratic perspective.- 6.Knowledge and the curriculum.- 7.Everything starts with the curriculum.- 8.Curriculum as a pendulum.- 9.Towards the best of both worlds: a knowledge-rich curriculum.- 10.On Content-richness.- 11.On Coherence.- 12.On Clarity.- 13.What are the effects of a knowledge-rich curriculum.- 14.Concluding remarks.- 15.Executive summary.- 16. References.

Tim Surma is the head of the Center of Expertise Education and Learning at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium. With twenty years of teaching experience in compulsory education, he shifted to research focusing on evidence-informed teaching and learning strategies. He has published several articles and books on evidence-informed education and is renowned public speaker and advisor on the subject.

Claudio Vanhees is a senior researcher at the Center of Expertise Education and Learning, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium. He holds two Master’s in Language Studies, has ten years of teaching experience in compulsory and higher education, and obtained a PhD in Educational Sciences. His research focuses on language teaching, reading instruction, and curriculum development.

Michiel Wils is a researcher and teacher trainer at the Center of Expertise in Education and Learning at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium. With nine years of experience as a language teacher in secondary education and a background as an educational advisor, his research currently focuses on curriculum theory and development. He is actively involved in multiple projects aimed at advancing curriculum theory and development and is frequently consulted for his expertise in constructing knowledge-rich curricula.

Jasper Nijlunsing is a researcher at the Center of Expertise in Education and Learning at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium. He holds a Master's in Sociology and a second Master's in Educational Sciences. His research focuses on curriculum theory and development, both in compulsory education and teacher education. Currently, Jasper is working on several curriculum projects, including partnerships with kindergartens to develop knowledge-rich curricula.

Nuno Crato is a Research Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, Cemapre, ISEG at the University of Lisbon, Portugal. He was Portuguese Minister of Education from 2011 to 2015. During his tenure, Portuguese students achieved the best results ever on PISA and TIMSS. An active researcher, science writer, and educational essayist, he has received various honours, namely from the European Mathematical Society and the European Commission. He has published extensively on econometrics and statistics and worked on education policy analysis. Several of his books are translated and published in various countries, including the U.S., U.K., Italy, and Brazil, namely his Figuring It Out, his co-organized Data-Driven Policy Impact Evaluation, and his edited Improving a Country’s Education: PISA 2018 Results in 10 Countries.

John Hattie is Emeritus Laureate Professor at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is the world-renowned researcher and best-selling author of Visible Learning, Visible Learning for Teachers, Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn, Visible Learning into Action, 10 Mindframes for Visible Learning, Visible Learning Feedback and the Illustrated Guide to Visible Learning and co-editor of the International Guide to Student Achievement.

Daniel Muijs is a head of the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen’s University in Belfast, UK. He is an expert in educational effectiveness, with a particular focus on teacher effectiveness, and has published widely in this area. He also has a strong interest in quantitative methods and has published several textbooks on this subject. Daniel is co-editor of the journal School Effectiveness and School Improvement.

Elizabeth Rata is a sociologist of education and curriculum expert at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, where she is Director of the Knowledge in Education Research Unit (KERU). Her recent research is in curriculum design, particularly with the development of the Curriculum Design Coherence Model (CDC Model) and also in her contribution to the New Zealand Government’s introduction of a national knowledge rich curriculum. She has published widely in the politics of knowledge within the broader tensions between communitarian and liberal philosophies of education. The 2024 Research Handbook on Curriculum and Education edited by Professor Rata, brings together the various research strands she has pursued throughout her academic career.

Dylan Wiliam is emeritus professor of educational assessment at University College London, UK. After a first degree in mathematics and physics, he taught in urban schools for seven years, during which time he earned further degrees in mathematics and mathematics education. Wiliam is one of the world’s foremost education authorities. He has helped to su