Changes to the established framework of education are always fraught with certain disruptions in the academic process, yet these alterations are also essential to the improvement of education quality. Therefore, shaping the curriculum is critical to the further progress of learners and their ability to develop the necessary skills (Hart Research Associates, 2015). However, due to reluctance among teachers toward implementing the said changes, the educational system may fail to deliver the expected results and prompt gradual academic progress in learners (Mangelsdorff, 2014; AAC&U, 2015). Because of unwillingness among Kuwait teachers to accept curriculum changes and view them as the crucial component of progress, the Kuwait educational system suffers significantly, which calls for a radical change.
The attitudes among educators toward alterations in the current curriculum are likely to be initially negative due to the immense changes that their teaching strategy is going to suffer. Apart from acquiring the abilities associated with the use of newly suggested tools in the context of a curriculum, teachers will also need to recontextualize the role of these tools in the teaching process (Samsa, 2018; Johnstone & Soares, 2014). Therefore, innovative technology and epically informational one (IT), such as interactive media tools, should be seen as the focus of the analysis.
Among the options that allow reducing the level of reluctance toward change among Kuwait teachers, one should mention the opportunities for introducing options for education and training. A recent study showcasing the efficacy of the identified approach among teacher librarians indicates that, by educating the specified experts, one will be able to create a comfortable environment for their work in a new setting with new requirements (Samsa, Thomas, Lee, & Neal, 2012).
Specifically, the author mentions seven competencies that require particular attention and should be seen as the end goal of the training process (Looi, Sun, Kim, & Wen, 2018). These include “1. relation of media to instructional systems; 2. administration of media programme; 3. selection of media; 4. utilisation of media; 5. production of media; 6. research and evaluation; 7. leadership and professionalism” (Abdullah, 1998, p. 33). As the proposed framework shows, it is critical for teachers not only to learn to apply the skills associated with the use of technology but also to understand its role in the context of the teaching process.
In addition, teachers need to develop positive attitudes toward the integration of innovative technology and modern media into the academic setting to seek new ways of introducing students to specific information and train the necessary skills. For instance, educators have to build the skills and competencies necessary to create and apply the learning strategies such as contact learning, working in a student club, and creating educational fairs and competitions (Mutalib et al., 2013; Whitheead, Selleger, Kreeke, & Hodges, 2014). The suggested approaches, however, require shaping the curriculum, which means that teachers’ attitude toward a flexible curriculum and the introduction of changes therein is critical toward successful learning.
Furthermore, the shift toward a flexible curriculum is likely to entail a gradual alteration in the teaching strategies used by educators, thus allowing learners to explore new grounds in studying specific subjects. For instance, the development of the techniques such as an experiment and analogy, as well as the application of different types of media to illustrate a specific idea, will help make the learning process more exciting for students (Brower, Humphreys, Karoff, & Kallio, 2017; Weise & Christensen, 2014). As a result, the target demographic is likely to become more motivated to learn and acquire new knowledge.
Moreover, the change in the curriculum will lead to the realignment of teachers’ priorities, encouraging them to develop pragmatism, the ability to care collegially, and the skill of understanding students better (Küçükaydın, & Sağır, 2017). Consequently, teachers will value their learners to a greater extent, which will lead to a positive shift in the current dynamics of teacher-student relationships (Galambos, Curl, & Woodbury, 2014). Therefore, the willingness among teachers to accept the proposed change and explore the options associated with the use of innovative technologies defines the successful integration of positive changes into the current curriculum and the subsequent improvement of the learning process.
Understanding the willingness to comply with standardization, which can be currently observed among a range of educators, is also crucial for the promotion of a flexible curriculum and the introduction of innovative techniques into it. Hardy (2018) argues that standardization allows keeping the existing system in check, at the same time maintaining order and sustaining the required performance rates. Cydis (2014) shares his opinion, claiming that new competencies should be integrated into the existing framework.
Therefore, to enhance progress within the existing framework, one should incorporate the idea of unceasing learning into the current framework of teachers’ education and competency upgrade (McIntyre‐Hite, 2016; Jankowski & Giffin, 2016). Thus, the premise for a positive shift will be created. Furthermore, teachers will be given a plethora of opportunities for professional learning.
The politics of promoting decentralized curriculum are likely to encourage the specified change and lad to a rapid improvement in the Kuwait educational setting. According to Burns (2003), the identified strategy will improve the current accountability rates and encourage teachers to develop independence needed for managing the available resources for the benefit of learners. Therefore, the specified changes to the curriculum and the promotion of innovative tools, especially the ones that involve interactions among learners, are highly recommended.
With the specified advances, the educational system of Kuwait will improve significantly, students gaining more agency and being motivated to learn more. In addition, the identified changes to the current academic curriculum will allow of greater flexibility and the promotion of a shift in the quality of learning.
The described change is especially important in the Kuwait setting. Because of the presence of a range of rural areas, where children have limited educational choices, teachers have to use all available resource to improve the range of knowledge and skills that they teach to the target demographic (Lizer, 2013). Herein lies the importance of integrating innovative tools and especially interactive media into the academic process. Moreover, the incorporation of the proposed tools will increase the chances for collaboration between teachers in Kuwait. As a result, interdisciplinary communication will occur, thus souring the creation of innovative approaches to teaching.
Since the introduction of changes to the existing curriculum is crucial for the promotion of students’ success in Kuwait schools, teachers’ reluctance toward changes needs to be managed by developing supportive programs. The specified devices will allow improving the current situation, which can be described as drastic due to the negative effect that teachers’ resistance has on students’ performance. The resulting rise in the quality of education will allow setting the environment in which students will advance significantly.
References
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