The Attainment of Quality Education through Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) during the Covid-19 Pandemic School of Education, University of the West Indies EDCU2013: Introduction to Curriculum Studies October 13, 2021 Quality Education| Philosophy in Education| Curriculum | SDG4 2 The dramatic shift from face-to-face to online learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the limitations of my previous philosophy of education, which would have put me at a disadvantage in providing a quality education for my students. In revamping my philosophy of education, I reflected on what it meant to provide my students with quality education. I have adapted my perspectives on quality education from the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), which aims to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all" (UNESCO, 2016). Quality education is one that is beneficial to the student’s holistic development, in preparing them for life at any given age or stage. It caters to their emotional needs, mental state, cognitive development, physical capacity, and socialization, irrespective of their ethnicity, race, gender, socioeconomic status, or geographic location (Slade, 2017). In addition, quality education ensures an environment which is conducive to learning, exhibiting an emotionally, physically, and virtually safe atmosphere for learning to take place. My philosophy in education has been modified during this season of uncertainty and is no longer limited to actions that can only be achieved within the walls of a physical classroom. I believe that for me to effectively support quality education, I first must equip myself with the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary, so I can effectively engage with my students. Knowledge considers my mastery of the content so I can accurately share information in the teaching-learning experience. My skill set during this pandemic, reflects how quickly and efficiently I adapted to the use of virtual tools to continue the teaching and learning exchange. Finally, I believe that my enthusiasm during my engagement with my students will spark their interest, motivating them to participate in the learning exchange. I also believe that I am responsible for creating a positive learning environment which students are willing to respectfully engage, sharing their thoughts, opinions, and ideas. In this capacity, I would act as a facilitator in my efforts to promote critical reasoning, allowing Quality Education| Philosophy in Education| Curriculum | SDG4 3 them to use the wealth of knowledge they possess, through their diverse experiences, and the new knowledge gained to understand themselves and their roles in society. My philosophy in education also embodies the belief that I should build constructive relationships with my students so I can facilitate their individual needs through differentiated instructions. Each child is unique and learns at different paces and through different methods. Therefore, it is my responsibility to be proactive and creative as I utilize the curriculum to guide my choice of activities and methods of delivery. This will motivate students to be engaged, whether face-to-face or virtually, as they will recognize their needs being met. As I reflect upon my teaching career, it is evident that to fulfil my philosophy in education, I must consider the role the curriculum plays in supporting my beliefs. According to Brown (2006, as cited in Nolet & McLaughlin, 2005), the curriculum is "all student school experiences relating to the improvement of skills and strategies in thinking critically and creatively, solving problems, working collaboratively with others, communicating well, writing more effectively, reading more analytically, and conducting research to solve problems" (p.5). This definition encapsulates my view of curriculum and of course, there are many contributing factors involved when planning to achieve such a framework. Two factors to consider when implementing the curriculum are the economy and the environment. The economy accounts for the availability of resources to aid in promoting quality education. The stakeholders who contribute to the development of the curriculum, such as the government or Ministry of Education, should supply both information related materials and physical resources to schools. Information-related resources include textbooks, stationery, and teaching aids such as charts. Physical resources include the structures put in place to facilitate the implementation of the curriculum, such as classrooms, libraries, sports fields, courts, and laboratories. Quality Education| Philosophy in Education| Curriculum | SDG4 4 The environment is another factor which affects the curriculum decision making process. Both the physical and cultural environment of the school are considered. The goal is to provide an environment conducive to learning which considers the condition of the classroom and school structure. Having adequate facilities will employ a motivating atmosphere for both students and teachers. The culture of the community surrounding the school also has an impact on how the curriculum is shaped. Some schools are in volatile areas prone to crime, while others are in rich socioeconomic environments. As a result, the curriculum must function in a way that takes the diversity of the environment into account. The cultural environment in the school also accounts for the relationships shared by staff and students, to facilitate a conducive work and learning atmosphere. In addition, during this Covid-19 pandemic, the curriculum decision making process would also include the virtual environment, considering how efficiently it is used to promote quality education. As a literacy specialist, I recognize that economic and environmental factors are impacting the achievement of SDG4, especially during the current pandemic. SDG4 targets speak of eliminating barriers that may prevent access to quality education, such as location, lack of resources, and socioeconomic conditions. My role as a teacher of literacy is to skilfully incorporate a variety of instructional resources and strategies to fill the gaps in the processes of reading and writing, across subject areas. However, the lack of accessible resources, such as technological devices, to include WIFI, is not available to all students because of their poor socioeconomic conditions and their geographical location. Equity is also a target in SDG4. However, sometimes schools in deep rural communities do not get the support they need for students to access and participate. This support could include the provision of adequate physical facilities or textbooks for students, to be provided by the relevant government; thus widening the students' gaps in literacy. Quality Education| Philosophy in Education| Curriculum | SDG4 5 In my efforts to achieve SDG4, I have adapted practices from the behavioural learning theories through the works of Thorndike, Skinner and Pavlov, which influences the way I interact with my students in the literacy classroom. According to Ornstein (et al., 2003 as cited in Syomwene et al., 2013) "Behaviourists emphasize the learners' active engagement and reinforcements and rewards that encourage continuing effort over time". As the theory suggests that learners actively engage, I implement strategies in my literacy classroom to facilitate students' gaining practice in the content and to improve learning and retention. I include literacy strategies such as Modelling, Read Aloud and Shared Writing for students to interact meaningfully with the subject. Another tenet I have adapted from the behavioural theories is to systematically introduce the content to my students in an effort to minimize any misconceptions and lose their interest in learning. According to Kochhar (1992 as cited in Syomwene et al., 2013) "teachers should keep up the interest of the pupils in the lesson by presenting easier and simpler materials to be followed later by complex and difficult material." The behavioural learning theory also considers the attitudes that students have towards learning, which can be impacted by different factors. One such factor is the child’s readiness to learn. Kochhar (1992 as cited in Syomwene et al., 2013) "states that the child’s readiness to learn is determined by his/her attitudes to school and school subjects." Therefor my role as a teacher of literacy, as stated in my philosophy, is to create a classroom climate (or virtual space) which is conducive to learning, so that I can foster positive attitudes in the teaching and learning transaction. The behaviourists also speak about readiness in the context of teachers knowing if students have any illnesses or physical, mental, or social incapacities. As a teacher of literacy, I use observation, diagnostic testing, or other means to gain access to any deficiencies my students may possess, so I can plan accordingly or recommend them to relevant specialists. It would be remiss of me to mention the behavioural learning theory Quality Education| Philosophy in Education| Curriculum | SDG4 6 without highlighting the importance of reinforcement. "The teacher's function, according to the behavioural learning theory, is to make use of negative reinforcers to end unwanted behaviour and positive reinforcers to strengthen wanted behaviour" (Syomwene et al., 2013). I have implemented the use of stickers, tokens, and praises to encourage students’ engagement in my classroom and also implement strategies to refute unacceptable behaviours. Through the behavioural learning theories, I have managed to facilitate my students more efficiently because I understand some of the many factors that may contribute to their behaviours, thus improving my efforts to work with other stakeholders in achieving SDG4. Quality Education| Philosophy in Education| Curriculum | SDG4 7 References Nolet, V., & McLaughlin, M. J. (2005). The Nature of Curriculum. In Accessing the General Curriculum: Including Students With Disabilities in Standards-Based Reform (2nd ed., p. 5). Corwin. https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upmbinaries/44334_1.pdf Slade, S. (2017, February 22). What Do We Mean by a Quality Education? HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-do-we-mean-by-a-qual_b_9284130 Syomwene, A., Kitainge, K., & Mwaka, M. (2013). Psychological Influences in the Curriculum Decision Making Process. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(8), 173– 180. https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/viewFile/5201/5319 UNESCO. (2016). Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) | Education within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). https://sdg4education2030.org/the-goal
