Abstract:
This presentation will explore the ways in which the stage 6 (years 11 and 12) English syllabus in NSW has been shaped by particular beliefs about literature teaching and learning, and how teachers in two Sydney high schools have experienced its implementation. A series of questions will be addressed, such as: What are some of the ways in which practitioners have thought, and are now thinking about the nature of the subject 'English' in the senior years? What impact do the theoretical assumptions behind this syllabus have on student learning? Can the aims of the new curriculum be realised within the utilitarian, competitive ethos of the senior years? The presenter will reflect on the research data collected from two Sydney high schools. Material from teacher interviews and classroom observations will be introduced as a way of exemplifying some of the practical challenges for teaching that have arisen since the implementation of the syllabus in 1999.