Session Information
23 SES 05A, The Changing Forms of Knowledge in Contemporary Curriculum Reconfigurations (Part 1)
Symposium to be continued in 23 SES 6A Joint session with nw 13
Time:
2008-09-11
08:30-10:00
Room:
B1 116
Chair:
Lyn Yates
Contribution
The discussion examines the knowledge – policy relation in French speaking Belgium. It first describes Belgium as a consociational democracy. That is a society largely organized around distinct strong integrated pillars (catholic / laic), each providing a wide range of services (education, training, health services, health insurance, social care, family planning, leisure). We then argue that this very specific politico-institutional arrangement has deep implications for the way knowledge circulates (or not), and is used (or not) both within pillars and across the policy community. We argue that consociational democracies are not likely to generate a knowledge-driven policy community (as knowledge could threaten peace, some things are better left unknown), while at the same time, each pillar might be knowledge-intensive internally (for purpose of identity-building). Recent changes within this arrangement partially originated outside Belgium and were brought about by statistics and transnational discourses. Although they face deep-seated obstacles, these recent changes may have major consequences for the re-invention of policy-making in the sector of education, and in Belgium more generally.
Case studies on curriculum texts were undertaken to explore this politico-institutional arrangements and its recent changes. Globalization and transnational discourses have forced the elites from different pillars to get together and to think together about reforming curriculum. While curriculums had always been entirely left to the free will of each pillar, the latter recently agreed on common guidelines stating that curriculum should shift from knowledge-based curriculum to competence-based curriculum. Although each pillar is now obliged to follow these guidelines, they are still responsible for translating them into their own curriculum texts. Lexicometrical analysis of curriculum texts showed wide diachronic (1985 versus 2000) and synchronic (between pillars) variations in curriculum texts. Diachronic variations are interpreted in the light of globalization. Synchronic variations in year 2000 are interpreted in light of the traditional segmental autonomy of each pillar: when translating common guidelines into specific curriculum texts, each pillar re-introduce its own values and its own cultural references (including its own understanding of the role of knowledge) in their texts.
References
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