This course gives students an understanding of the philosophical and ideological bases of curriculum design and development in Scotland. This will give them an understanding of how the Scottish primary school curriculum works, and how to implement and evaluate it. Students will learn how to assess pupils in schools with an emphasis on formative assessment.

One x 2-hour lecture weekly, plus problem-based learning seminars.

None

Essay (40%)

Curriculum Planning Task (60%)

To sensitise students to important issues relating to the bases of the curriculum and how it is developed; to give them a thorough grounding in the Scottish primary curriculum; to understand the principles and practice of assessment, with special emphasis on the links between assessment and learning.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

ILO 1: Explain the philosophical and ideological basis of key curriculum and assessment design developments relevant to the primary sector in Scotland.

ILO 2: Evaluate the relationship between curriculum developments in Scotland and the pedagogical, assessment and managerial practices of the primary classroom.

ILO 3: Apply an understanding of curriculum expectations and effective approaches to assessment to design learning experiences that achieve positive and equitable outcomes for learners in the primary school context.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.