Academics from Stirling University found “confusion” in the way official documents defined knowledge as part of the roll-out of CfE. The report, co-authored by Professor Mark Priestley, from the university’s school of education, could be seen as implicitly reinforcing the view from some specialists that subjects are being “dumbed down” or marginalised under the CfE overhaul.
An ambivalent approach to the importance of knowledge contrasts with clear directives on skills such as leadership and problem-solving, and this is potentially “undermining”, the report states.
“These inconsistencies create a subtle but pervasive sense of confusion about the purpose of the curriculum. We suggest that these mixed messages reduce the certainty, or at least the clarity, of expectation that teachers emphasise knowledge.”
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