A melange or a mosaic of theories? How theoretical perspectives on children’s learning and development can inform a responsive pedagogy in a redeveloped primary school curriculum

Abstract

We are living in a rapidly evolving society, where cultural, ethnic, religious, and linguistic diversity is the norm. Parallel to this changing societal zeitgeist is the development of an increasing awareness and understanding of society’s responsibility to understand and accommodate individuals with diverse abilities. Education systems reflect the societal context in which they operate and consequently our primary schools are microcosms of this kaleidoscopic societal tapestry. Undeniably, we are living in a very different society to that which prevailed at the time when the Primary School Curriculum (1999) was developed (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) 1999). This welcome diversity enriches our classrooms and challenges us to craft a responsive pedagogy underpinned by a robust theoretical framework focused on what we know from research about children’s learning and development. Importantly this diversity has implications for curriculum design, development and implementation.