Perspectives on Writing Curricula Implementation: Insights From an International Survey

Curricula are an important but neglected part of the context of writing instruction; they mediate between policies, instructional practices, and student learning. Acknowledging the key role of teachers in interpreting and implementing curricula, we examine structural and contextual conditions that impact their agency in the “curriculum work” they do. Drawing on our international online survey of experts’ ( N = 46) views of writing curricula, we note teachers’ role in development; the nature of writing curricula and where it is located; teacher agency and the support they receive, for interpretation and implementation; and the resulting perceived degree of alignment of enactment with the official curriculum. Teachers’ role in the development of writing curricula is largely indirect, through consultation or participation of a small, selected number. Teachers are seen to have considerable agency in implementation; more than half of our respondents considered teachers had a fair amount or a great deal of autonomy. While responses suggest that a majority of curricula are relatively rich in terms of the theoretical perspectives they represent, some are narrow, and the coherence of others, with multiple perspectives, is questioned. Importantly, teachers reportedly receive limited support for implementation, while two thirds of our respondents considered teachers received only a small amount of preparation to teach writing. The data reinforce the need for the provision of quality, relevant resources, and opportunities for professional learning to support ongoing curriculum work of teachers in interpretation and implementation.