From textbooks to an emergent curriculum : one school’s experience of reforming the Early Childhood mathematics curriculum

Abstract

Early Childhood education in Malta is presently going through a reform. The recently published policy document entitled Learning Outcomes Framework proposes a significant shift for Grades 1 and 2 (ages 5 – 7 years), namely, moving away from subject specific syllabi to a more flexible ‘emergent’ curriculum based on children’s experiences and interests. Through this approach, learning areas, such as mathematics, are targeted – directly or indirectly - as part of ongoing projects of inquiry, rather than in a structured way and as a stand-alone subject. This paper presents a case study of one school. The four Early Childhood educators therein were interviewed with regard to the change in the approach to addressing mathematics. While the teachers articulated clearly the purpose of an emergent curriculum, they expressed a number of concerns, which related to issues of collaboration, content coverage and progression, a tension with the traditional use of textbooks, and the need for training. The data illustrates the complexity of educational reform, and the importance of educators embracing the why, the what and the how of reform. I argue that school-based reflections and an ongoing in-house interpretation of the reform, might help schools embrace the change.