Schools as Curriculum Agencies : Asian and European perspectives on school-based curriculum development

Over the last decades, school-based curriculum development (SBCD) has been widely applied in many countries to bring about innovations in schools and classrooms. The notion of SBCD and its practice, albeit the diversity in terms of policies and cultures in different countries, stems from the need for a more participatory educational system, responsive to local concerns. This book provides readers with an update of the concepts related to SBCD and vivid cases about how SBCD has been conceived and implemented in six Asian countries (including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan) and seven European countries (including Austria, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, and The Netherlands). The differences and commonalities in rationales and practices within and between the Asian and European continents make stimulating, new comparisons possible, elaborating and deepening the knowledge base about SBCD. This is a timely collection for school leaders and teachers, policy makers, support groups, educational researchers and students, especially in the domain of curriculum studies.