The Worldview Travel of A Hakka Primary School in a Taiwan Mountain County-A Study of Cooperative Action Research of Curriculum Development on Global Education

Yen, Pey ru,

yenpeyru@ms3.ntcu.edu.tw

Assistant Professor of Department of Education & Graduate Institute of Curriculum and Teaching, NTCU.. , Taiwan.

TEL：886-4-22183053

Personal Website: http://ws3.ntcu.edu.tw/yenpeyru/

Chang, Shih-Wang.

me0860@yahoo.com.tw

Abstract

• The article mainly explored the connotation of curriculum development on global education in a Hakka primary school in a Taiwan mountain County.
• And then, the author developed the curriculum syllabus and lesson plan and infused the global education into the Taiwan G1-6 curriculum.
• Further, the writer tried hard to carried up the curriculum development and solve the problems of global education curriculum.
• Finally, the researcher provided the conclusion and suggestions about the curriculum practice in a Hakka primary school on global education in order to give the new thinking approach of our distinguishing curriculum.

Abstract

• The study used the Cooperative Action Research and the research plan adopted the four fundamental elements of Grundy’s(1987) plan, action, observation, reflection of the reflection of circulating spiral.
• The research method mainly used the qualitative research and data analysis, participative observations, hemi- structure interview, documents analysis and compositions collection and analysis.
• In addition, the research fields focused on the whole school and based on the units of the class. Finally, the author provided the conclusion and suggestions of cooperative action research of curriculum development of A Hakka Primary school in a Taiwan mountain County on global education.
• Keywords: cooperative action research, curriculum development, global education, Hakka education, worldview education

A Summary of the Research �1. The background

• The early discourses about global education of Taiwan was mainly from the ideas that were mentioned in social science and the contents of the notions focused on the worldview education and multicultural from educational sociology mostly.
• In fact, some scholars in Taiwan have already suggested to infuse the worldview education into social science studies, and then there were much promotion about the brief conceptions only on research papers.
• However, most of the discourses focused on the learning of foreign language and computer technology.
• In Mainland China, many researcher used the notions of globalization to explore the contents and relationship about interaction and dynamics between nations and capitalism, cosmopolitanism, commercial competition.

A Summary of the Research �1. The background

• The conception of globalization mostly discussed with the effect form the expansion of internationalization, capitalism, cosmopolitanism, commercial competition, and how the education changed under the great impact of globalization and the essential shifts of the grand economical system.
• In addition, many data mentioned the international competition and cooperation from the aspect ion of economics and adapted many educational news and issues.
• In summary, most of them discussed global views in economical model and values to explore the ideas of global education.

​

1.2. The motives

• Therefore, the research planed to explore the real curriculum development strategies of global education by this one-year cooperative action research and illustrated the outlines of global education by the ‘class’ units of the whole primary school.
• Moreover, the writer tried to realize the difficulties and problems that happened in the process of curriculum action research and then, to deliberate the solution and solving projects.
• Therefore, the results of the research can provide the alternatives for the primary school that wants to develop special courses.

1.2. The motives

​

• Consequently, the aims of the research was to explore that:
• 1.how can the global education infused into Taiwan G1-9 Curriculum?
• 2.What were the projects and process of the curriculum and teaching development?
• 3.How to solve the problems and difficulties of the curriculum ? How to improve the global citizenship?
• 4.What was the results and conclusions to curriculum practice?
• 5. How to promote, share and popularize the experience to the other schools? That were all the motives of the research.

1.3. The aims

• In order to improve the Taiwan G1-G9 curriculum in global approach, the aims of the research were as follows:
• （1）to explore the contents of the curriculum development of the primary school on global education;
• （2）to develop the curriculum plans and teaching projects infused by global education in a primary school.
• （3）to carried out the TaiwanG1-9 curriculum and teaching on global education and solved the problems.
• （4）to provide the conclusion and suggestion of rationale and practice on curriculum development and teaching on global education.

1.3. The aims

• To sum up, the research planed to investigate what the reasons and causes that we should paid attention to global education, why and how the global education infused into the currently Taiwan G1-9 curriculum and what the methods and strategies were.
• At the same time, the author put global education into practice in Taiwan Hakka school.
• The report also mentioned the surprising conflicts and curious interaction between the Taiwan Hakka culture and the thoughts of global education.
• T he researcher hoped to give another thinking approach or alternatives about Taiwan curriculum.

3. Research method and design

• This research firstly investigated the rationale , experiments and practice of school curriculum development for global education, and tried to infuse the global education into curriculum practice in order to construct curriculum of a Hakka primary schools in Taiwan mountain area and tried to give practicable suggestions for primary school curriculum development of global education.

3. Research method and design

• The study applied the action research method, and collected the data by literature review, interviews, classroom teaching observation, documents analysis, and video recorded and analysis and etc.
• In addition, the author infused the global education into the curriculum of almost all of the subjects of the primary school from grade 1-6.
• Moreover, the writer used six objectives and aspects to establish the curriculum contents of global education, used ‘ topic-integration method’ and used the spirits of the multidisciplinary educational philosophy, the mutual connection of multi- subjects, the global views of inter-subjects and the multi-models of teaching and learning for global education.

3.1. The object of the study

• The object of study is a small Hakka primary school in Taiwan Mountain. The location of the primary school was far from the city center or metropolis, and was also situated at the hillside of suburban districts.
• There are many small Chinese peoples lived there, for example, the Fukien people, Atayal Tribe, and Sai-shine Tribe, however, the most population of the residents was Hakka people that has it’s special culture and language.
• In the cooperation of curriculum action research, the primary and the university research team worked together, the teachers of the primary school are the researchers, observers, curriculum designers and actors （teaching the curriculum）of the study.

4. The validity and ethics of the study

• In order to improve the validity, the researcher also invited the other primary school teacher that had some teaching and research majors to be the faithful study friends who would give forthright admonitions and sincere study advices.
• The writer used diverse data collection and management, including the data analysis, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, document analysis and collection of the students’ works.
• The writer adapted the the method of ‘triangulation’ to proof the qualitative data.

4. The validity and ethics of the study

• In addition, all the members in the research group are all volunteers and the research leader respected all members’ own choices and asked all the school members（principle, directors, teacher of the primary school） for opinions and promises before the study.
• The study results only used for academic research and all the names of research members are anonymous（the teachers, school, matters, students and etc.）in order to keep the ethics of the study.

6.The conclusions and suggestions of the study

• The process of the study formed the five stages of research actions:
• （1）the origin of the beginning: the chaotic, messy and confused situation of the research group;
• （2）the initial stage of the study: different persons had different opinions;
• （3）the stage after the initial stage: much more difficulties and waiting for help, especially from the aspects of the persons, matters, time, place, things ( and money);
• （4）The middle of the study process: surprising and amazing for the challenges and interaction from the Hakka culture and global education;
• （5）the end of the study: solved the problems and overcome the all difficulties.
• （6）after the study: a turning point of the action research.

6.1The conclusions are follows：

• Firstly, we can used the six objective-aspects to construct the contents of global education, including: the cultivation of the world citizenship; the ability of solving the global issues; the awareness of international dependence and cooperation; realization of the differences of muti- culture; the ability to improve the world peace; the capability to keep the balance of local and global into win-win situation.
• Secondly, we can use the spirits of the multidisciplinary educational philosophy of Camak, the ‘Topic Integration’ of multi- subjects, the global views of inter-subjects and the multi-models of teaching and learning for global education.

6.2 The suggestions are follows

• 1. The cooperation of the University and the primary school were a good model to help a school to develop the special curriculum because the professional team from the university can give the assistant to keep the break from the global knowledge and teachers, to help to provide the teaching projects and curriculum designs.

6.2 The suggestions are follows

• 2. The action of the curriculum and teaching on global education can give teacher conference and encouragement to carry out the new topic/ pattern of curriculum development methods, and can construct the new cognition of global education.
• 3. The common notions of global education were very important form the initial stages of the research process, and if all of the members had the similar agreement of the definition, it can solve most of the problems of curriculum action research, and different opinions of members.

​

6.2 The suggestions are follows

• 4. It’s necessary to have a sharing platform and system to share the outcomes and productions of the research to all the members and to promote the awareness of the importance of the global education ideas. In addition, to have a academic community to share and support the teachers and to change the deep structure of society was essential to establish the new thoughts.

6.2 The suggestions are follows

• 5. We can used the suitable elements of Hakka culture to connect to global education: Hakka people paid much attention on children’s education, respected other civilization and can learn the best parts of other culture. Therefore, we can link the culture beliefs of Hakka and global education together.

Footnote

• 2.the research literature were all abbreviated for the limited pages.
• 5. the literature of the results and discussion were all abbreviated for the limited pages.
• Ps. Parts of literature of the conclusion and the suggestion were abbreviated for the limited pages; the whole article will publish in the pattern of academic article and books in Taiwan. Please see more information in Yen, Pey-ru personal website: http://ws3.ntcu.edu.tw/yenpeyru/

Appendix ：Picture 1 of teaching and learning on global education

附圖16-6-3 A primary student’s drafting pictures of Egypt

註：另為本研究編碼照2006/1/20-33資料來源：陳雪芳老師拍攝

附圖16-6-4 A primary student’s drafting pictures of Egypt pyramid

註：另為本研究編碼照2006/1/20-34；資料來源：陳雪芳老師拍攝

Appendix ：Picture 2 of teaching and learning on global education

附圖17-1-3 A primary student’s introduction of American Broadway stage play

註：另為本研究編碼照2006/3/27-3

資料來源：陳雪芳老師拍攝。

Appendix ：Picture 3 of teaching and learning on global education

附圖17-1-4 A primary student’s introduction of Japanese Noh（日本古典劇 ）

註：另為本研究編碼照2006/3/27-4

資料來源：陳雪芳老師拍攝。

Appendix ：Picture 4 of teaching and learning on global education

謝謝聆聽� Thank you for your listening

國立台中教育大學教育系暨課程與教學研究所助理教授

• 顏佩如Yen, Pey ru
• yenpeyru@ms3.ntcu.edu.tw

TEL: 886-4-2218-3053

Further information

• The curriculum practice of global education –curriculum development and curriculum infusing of a primary school