Curriculum Studies

Despite the assumption that the integration of ICT influences the entire school system, research focusing on ICT in schools is generally limited to the study of variables at classroom level. In contrast to these studies, the present research explores ICT integration from a school improvement approach. More particularly, it examines the local school policy with respect to ICT integration from both the principal’s perspective and perceptions of teachers. Furthermore, it studies the relationship between school policies and the actual use of ICT in the classroom. To answer the research questions, a representative sample of 53 primary school principals was interviewed. In addition, the interview data were supplemented with survey data of 574 teachers from the same 53 schools. What emerged from the analyses was that school-related policies, such as an ICT plan, ICT support and ICT training have a significant effect on class use of ICT. In addition, the findings from the interviews indicate that school policies are often underdeveloped and underutilised. The discussion section focuses on challenges to improve the potential of an ICT school policy.

We are facing unprecedented challenges – social, economic and environmental – driven by accelerating globalisation
and a faster rate of technological developments. At the same time, those forces are providing us with myriad new
opportunities for human advancement. The future is uncertain and we cannot predict it; but we need to be open and
ready for it. The children entering education in 2018 will be young adults in 2030. Schools can prepare them for jobs
that have not yet been created, for technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems that have not yet
been anticipated. It will be a shared responsibility to seize opportunities and find solutions.
To navigate through such uncertainty, students will need to develop curiosity, imagination, resilience and selfregulation;
they will need to respect and appreciate the ideas, perspectives and values of others; and they will need to
cope with failure and rejection, and to move forward in the face of adversity. Their motivation will be more than getting
a good job and a high income; they will also need to care about the well-being of their friends and families, their
communities and the planet.
Education can equip learners with agency and a sense of purpose, and the competencies they need, to shape their own
lives and contribute to the lives of others. To find out how best to do so, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) has launched The Future of Education and Skills 2030 project. The aim of the project is to
help countries find answers to two far-reaching questions:
● What knowledge, skills, attitudes and values will today's students need to thrive and shape their world?
● How can instructional systems develop these knowledge, skills, attitudes and values effectively?
This position paper describes the first results from this work. The initial framework was reviewed, tested and validated
in an iterative process involving a range of stakeholders from around the world. They ensured that the framework is
relevant across the globe, consistent with wider policies and can be implemented. We will finalise the framework by the
end of 2018. In 2019, we will change gears and begin to explore the translation of the framework into pedagogy,
assessment and the design of an instructional system.
Working with policy makers, academic experts, school networks, teachers, education leaders, students and social partners,
the framework provides a space in which to exchange ideas, compare proven and promising practices, discover cuttingedge
research and contribute to a new ecosystem of learning. If you’d like to join us, please get in touch.
Andreas Schleicher
Director for Education and Skills
OECD

This article reviews recent studies on English language teaching (ELT) in South Korea, where a
great deal of research has been produced in recent years in local journals. In this article we
review 95 studies from a pool of some 1,200 published between 2009 and 2014 on English
language teaching and learning, focusing on research within the public school context. Using
themes from the national curriculum as an organizing principle, the review covers selected
studies in the following areas: (1) second language teacher education, (2) communicative
language teaching, (3) language use and interaction in classrooms, (4) co-teaching with
native-speaking English teachers, (5) curriculum and materials analysis, (6) treatments of
teaching methods, and (7) assessment, testing and washback. We include commentary on the
research undertaken in each area and conclude by discussing the limitations of the review and
summarizing ideas for future research directions, perhaps the most important of which is
questioning whether or not there is enough research of reasonable quality being produced to
sustain roughly 60 journals publishing articles on English education in South Korea.