Good Essay About Critical Analysis Of Australian Curriculum Documents (Drama)

Introduction

Australian Curriculum is based on embracing the educational needs based on a framework incorporating ideologies founded on 19th-century concepts. Queensland has been recommending the essence of developing an overreaching framework for the Australian Curriculum. For instance, the implementation of the F-10 Australian Curriculum was initiated in 2011 and at the end of 2013, all Queensland school were involved in the implementation of the Phase 1 learning. The implementation started in areas such as; Science, History, Mathematics, and English with these schools implementing Geography back in 2014 (Queensland Response, 2014). Thus, extensive professional development and resource development has been the embrace toward supporting teachers with the curriculum planning, assessing, and reporting. Based on such developments, it is evident that although Australian Curriculum has largely evolved in relation to extensive consultation for each discrete aspect of the curriculum. These efforts have failed due to lack of discussion on how it all fits together. For instance, the F-10 Australian Curriculum appears to embrace three distinct elements. They are; discipline-specific content descriptions and the achievement standards or the sixteen learning subjects/areas, a learning continuum of seven general capabilities and idea organizing of the three cross-curriculum priorities. Despite the fact that there exist some relationships with each other, each of these elements is normally written in different ways through the use of differing structures. The outcome of such a system is continuing perception that the curriculum structure tends to negate theories related to middle schooling (3 to 6) years.
Based on the depicted analysis above, it is evident that Australian Curriculum is founded and running under various concepts that fail to integrate the diverse needs of the stakeholders in relation to achieving the set objectives. The following analysis provides a detailed analysis on Australian Curriculum-Drama. The study explores the depicted aspect based on self-actualization based on the Conflicting Concepts of Curriculum described in Eisner and Valiance (1974). The analysis examines the extensive literature sources on the issue of self-actualization hence drawing the theories and the philosophies underlining with the issues related to the curriculum. In addition, the analysis examines, describes, and also provides some of the concepts that conflict the curriculum in relation to self-actualization and how it influences drama educational goals. Thus, through the use of Eisner and Valiance (1974) “Conflicting Concepts of Curriculum" self-actualization lens, the implications of Australian Curriculum – Drama is availed based on the outcomes. This is facilitated by exploring different curriculum documents containing the information related to the depicted variables. The study concludes by offering some of the implication and implementing curriculum in Queensland schooling contexts that aligns with the findings towards boosting the curriculum outcomes to align with the expected outcomes (Valiance 1974).

Drama Rationale

Drama reflects the expressions and also the explorations of the personal, social, and cultural worlds via role and situations that entertain challenges, and also challenges. It falls under an extension of the rational of arts learning areas hence falling as one of the widely used and significant aspect of learning in the respective institutions and the community, in general. Through the activities attached, students can create meaning through being drama makers, audiences, and performers where they not only enjoy, but also analyze their personal stories and the points of view. Drama entails the ability to engage, inspire, and also enriching all the students through exciting the imagination and also encouraging students on the essence of reaching their creative and also expressive potential.
The effectiveness of the curriculum to facilitate such undertakings in the school settings is likely essential towards defining the outcome of this type of art. According to Richards, (2008), lack of a system that motivates and encourages students to realize the essence of engaging through inspiring is likely to fail on enriching all the students while ensuring they reach their expressive and creative potential. The notion attached to the depicted concept aligns with increasing arguments on the need to ensure students can reap on the full outcomes of a given curriculum (Richards 2008).
Self-actualization falls under the five orientations of Curriculum as provided by (Eisner & Valance, 1974). Based on the stipulations of self-actualization that is also termed as curriculum as consummator experience entails the personal significant in relation to the need for personal integration. It depicts the functionality of the curriculum as based on providing individuals with satisfaction based on the consummator experiences for every individual learner. The orientation of the curriculum is based on riding an effective means on personal development and liberation. Based on the concepts attached to the depicted notion in relation to drama requirements, enhancing the orientation towards ensuring self-actualization through drama activities are essential towards child development and growth. Self-actualization concept is normally centered on the child, autonomy and also growth-oriented such entities align with the arguments presented the essence of drama in learning institutions where children engage, interact and also enrich their creativity. However, such entities are not evident in the drama as a form of art in Australian Curriculum where such activities are not fully integrated (Eisner & Valance, 1974).
The self-actualization largely emphases on the content compared to other curriculum orientation approaches such as the curriculum technology approaches or the cognitive approaches where it largely examines what is actually taught in schools. The analogy attached to such notions depicts cases where schools not only opt to teach different areas based on the fact that they are technologically empowered or due to integrated cognitive abilities but avail outcomes that aligns with the expected outcomes for the students. Drama entails enabling the students to participant and also imagine while exploring their worlds individually and also collaboratively. The outcomes of such undertakings in relation to the level of satisfaction can easily be examined based on the fact that the students can learn based on different entities. The entities such as movement, geniture, voice/speech, and language should be a level of satisfaction while also taking different roles indicating the imaginary and also real worlds.
According to Moody (2012), drama acts a significant learning tool where students not only engage their learned skills in the classroom, culture aspects, but also the individual talents and creativity towards communicating with the world. However, such aspects are not largely embraced as drama as a form of art in Australian Curriculum has not been fully embraced. Thus, the arguments presented on the issue of self-actualization as conceptualizing on education as a form of liberation towards helping individuals discover things about themselves. It is evident that such assumptions have not been embraced in the current system hence questioning the effectiveness of the system towards providing maximum outcomes based on the desired needs.
The assumptions availed by self-actualization as availed by the founders tends to align with the concepts that need integration in current Australian Curriculum. The curriculum should be depicted as a significant and potential area where enriching experience its right. However, the fact that the current system fails to embrace such aspects raises concerns about the effectiveness of the system in contrast to addressing some of the challenges facing the community. For instance, despite drama being a vital tool towards encouraging innovation and creativity, the current system fails to realize such benefits and integrate measures aimed at ensuring the full benefits. The undertakings are reaped in relation to the expected outcomes. Self-actualization extends beyond the widely practiced notion on how the curriculum should be organized as evident in the current system. Instead, the system advocates the need to enact or formulate goals of education through dynamic personal process terms. Thus, it tends to differ with the other orientation that directs on how the organization of the system is vital to ensuring that the goals or the outcome of the education are largely embraced. The current system in relation to drama based learning aspect reflects some of the conflicts concepts in relation to the outcomes anticipated under self-actualization. This is evident in some of the institutions that have embraced the concept of drama; they tend to focus more on how it is organized other than the expected outcomes. Thus, the required outcomes tend to be ignored at the expense of ensuring the system is fully organized.
Drama as depicted above, drama has capacity to inspire, engage, and also enrich every student through exciting the imagination and also encouraging students on how to reach their creative and also expressive potentials. Thus, the notion attached to drama aligns with aspects reflected on the self actualization where the students are not only able to evaluate their personal skills and talents, but also acts a source of self-fulfillment in relation to Abraham Maslow theory. Self-actualization falls under Maslow Hierarchy of needs based on the fact that it entails the tendency, of ensuring an individual, is fully actualized on capability in the respective settings (Numan, 2005). The notion attached to such undertakings is not fully embraced in the current system where the Curriculum tends to disregard such entities. Hence, providing students with a system where full actualization in relation to abilities presented in arts such as drama has not reached full exploitation.
Based on the self-actualization assumptions, personal growth is vital in every curriculum where the system is not only consummator experience in itself but also essential as a form of reform. It advocates on the essence of breaking bonds towards embracing change in relation to the development of personal integrity and also autonomy viewed as problematic in the face of the broader social pressures, on the other hand. Thus, it acts a Reconstructionist in a very personalized sense. Apart from such aspect lacking on the drama aspect, they also lack under in the current schooling and curriculum where demand in such settings through curriculum enters fully into the child’s life. The current education system fails to be a pervasive influence where it has been inadequately handled and very stultifying to improve the curriculum. Change is paramount towards incorporating some of the expectations not only of the students, but also other stakeholders in the society. The outcome should be a curriculum that is better orchestrated toward fulfilling its desired and expected potential. The curriculum to be one of the leading liberalizing processes in the society through the provision of a more integrated experience where learning entities such as drama as a firm of art are incorporated.
Comparing the Australian Curriculum in relation to the application and the emphasis of innovative and creative learning approaches such as the use of drama in relation to the assumptions reflected on self-actualization. A clear insight can be drawn on some of the lacking aspects of facilitating the achievement of the expected outcomes. Thus, the current curriculum content tends to position on the curriculum on accommodating the dynamic changes in the regional and the global market thus acting as an end in itself.
The current curriculum is not transcendence hence failing to offer context of gestating, expecting, engendering, and also celebrating some of the moments of singular awareness and the inner illumination. It occurs especially when an individual comes into the consciousness with his/her inimitable personal being. Such entities can easily be evaluated in drama based aspect where the students can move, speak, and also act with confidence. In addition, innovation and creativity are some of the issues likely to facilitate self-actualization lacking in the current system hence failing the outcomes of different learning approaches such as drama. The lack of encouragement on imagination among students is not only likely to limit their ability to engage and inspire, but also fail to act as a tool for further discovery.
The assumptions presented in the depicted analysis above indicates some of the theories and the philosophies attached to Conflicting concepts of Curriculum based on the lens of self-actualization in relation to drama in Australian Curriculum. Based on the depicted analysis, it is evident the system fails to incorporate the theories and the concepts attached to self-actualization in relation to ensuring the expected outcomes of drama are availed to the student in different learning institutions. Thus, there is the need to change the current curriculum to a curriculum of transcendence through providing the content of gestating, engendering and expecting. In addition, celebrating singular monuments of awareness where the students can illuminate on into the consciousness of their inimitable personal being.
Current and future challenges in education system due to lack of self-actualization pose a threat to potential students especially those seeking to explore their talents through arts such as drama as indicated. This is a threat to society in regards to quality and need to offer education services to the public meeting the expected outcomes locally and internationally. The benefits attached to introducing a curriculum where education is vastly based on the various attached developmental opportunities availed to the state by the highly educated citizens. The paper availed self-actualization orientation in relation to concepts of conflicting curriculum that are likely to cripple the ability of any nation to avail quality accessibility of education to the students. This reflects marginal outcomes in relation to the capacity of these students to explore their abilities outside the current system. There is a need for change where self-actualization forms the center piece in relation to addressing some of the challenges depicted above where the outcomes are more emphasized other than technology or how well the system is organized.

Implications

Education is universal and inalienable, with a large number of children across the globe seeking to access education; those in learning institutions are not reaping the full benefits of education. Lack of effective tools and solutions to address the dynamic issues in school and students talents of actualization contradicts with the global goal of improving all aspects of quality education and ensuring every citizen in every society access quality education. Through quality design management, effective tools and solutions for the current Australian Curriculum can be enacted in schools. Thus, students can be developed towards improving education and increasing innovation and interest by focusing on areas such as drama that plays a vital role in relation to self-actualization in learning institutions. The current increasing emphasis on self-actualization education based on recent technical and scientific breakthroughs in information technology, neuroscience, human genome, Nanotechnology, 3-D printing although justifiable. Lack of supportive tool to support this model is likely to have minimal results in relation to the intended goal; driving economic vitality in the global perspective.
Designing efficient and more dynamic tools aimed at improving the current curriculum in Australia. School education in the region can meet the set global standards with marginal results through; engaging and inspiring students, encouraging imagination, innovation, bringing students who have diverse interests. In addition, promoting critical thinking towards solving problems and also exceeding the rote memorization of figures and facts achieved. The outcomes in the global society should implement tools such as encouraging sustainability, improving world economy, quality leadership among other global benefits. The designed tool should; engage (project-based learning), connect (integrated studies), share (cooperative learning), and expand (comprehensive assessment) among others. Such tools involve; students, teachers, schools and the community. Such projects should revolve around designing a toolkit aimed at solving the proffered challenges applicable by every stakeholder in learning environment and incorporating some of the indicated ideas above.
The strategies and initiative availed in the analysis part offer potential considerations to stimulate further discussions towards decision-making and policy formulation in relation to the ensuring self-actualization is centered in Australian Curriculum. These initiatives can be used by the respective stakeholders effectively and efficiently to formulate decisions that can be used to offer remedies to some of the currently experienced challenges and the anticipated future challenges. However, the success of these initiatives and strategies largely depends on the ability of the respective authorities and stakeholders to share a common interest in relation to solving the challenges while averting the fruitless debates. The current challenges and the future anticipated challenges are capable of crippling every nation dream to avail the youth with quality in education accessibility that is a threat to the nations’ economic and regional competitiveness. However, there are practical and applicable solutions to these challenges as proffered in the above analysis. Conflicts in Australian Curriculum extend beyond the examined drama based approach hence raising questions on the quality of the education. Based on the proffered analysis above, there is the need to enact changes in the current curriculum where self-actualization based aspects are centered as implemented in Queensland schooling context. Thus, the full benefits and outcomes are widely advocated other than how organized the system is towards meeting set results. Self-actualization should be centered in the planning, and implementation in Queensland schooling context not only of the drama-based approach but also on the overall education.

References

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