An exploratory study of curriculum decision-making in higher education: A case analysis of an ESL teacher

Teachers in institutions of higher education have a very high degree of freedom to design curricula. They make decisions on learning objectives, content, content organization, teaching arrangement and learning assessment. The process of decision-making not only influences the quality of the curriculum, but also results in distinct learning outcomes.

This study aims to examine the factors that influence an ESL teacher's curriculum decision-making in the process of curriculum design. The degree of impact of each factor on decision-making and the sequence of these decisions are explored as well. This study firstly draws on curriculum decision-making literature (e.g., Roberts, 2014; Wang, 2000) to identify a framework for exploring an ESL teacher's decisions that comprises potential factors in the higher education context such as teacher's background (beliefs, training, teaching and learning experience), student's characteristics, institutional contexts, culture and social characteristics.

In-depth interviews were conducted in order to understand the process of curriculum decision-making and the factors that influence the decisions. Documents from the ESL teacher, including course outline, teaching and learning materials, and teaching reflection notes were collected and analyzed.

Initial data analysis points toward the conclusion that the process of curriculum decision-making is not in a lineal but an interactive manner. Moreover, the personal experience that derived from the ESL teacher's own higher education learning and teaching beliefs appears to be a significant element that influenced the teacher's decisions in the process of curriculum design. This indicates that quality curricula will bring about positive learning experiences, and in turn, lead to better curriculum decision-making.