The linguistic construction of curriculum and the assessment of subject specific knowledge

Abstract

In this paper I will report on a research project which analysed the discourses of curriculum statements of the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia. The project involved the detailed text analysis of the statements for Biology, English and Geography. Text analysis is an evidence-based procedure for gaining insights into what is valued and what is foregrounded in curriculum. The project examined how the subjects were construed linguistically, and investigated the internal coherence of the documents with reference to stated aims, objectives and assessment criteria. This study suggests that the use of curriculum documents involves numerous semiotic events. It argues that understanding the role of the discourse of disciplines in assessment, as well as interpreting the metalanguage of assessment, is crucial for teachers, students and assessors. In the paper I will propose the framing of subject-specific criteria for assessment in terms of the discourses of disciplines, rather than in general terms such as content, which in any case requires linguistic referents.