Acknowledgements

This document was prepared with the assistance of many educators. In particular, Saskatchewan Education wishes to recognize the contribution of the representatives from:

• College of Education, University of Saskatchewan. Faculty of Education, University of Regina;
• League of Educational Administrators, Directors, and Superintendents;
• Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation;
• Saskatchewan School Trustees Association.

A special thanks is extended to:

• the staff and administration of the schools that piloted these materials and the inservice component of the program; and,
• the authors of foundational papers that provided the background for this document -Dr. Gladene Robertson, University of Saskatchewan and Dr. Hellmut Lang, University of Regina.

Preface

Striving for the best is not a matter of reaching into the dark, for we see a clear picture in front of us, a vision of an exemplary school as all Saskatchewan schools can be. The vision is the driving force that makes us all believe the best is worth working for.
	Directions: The Final Report. Saskatchewan Education, February 1984 (p. 5).

Directions: The Final Report (1984), prepared by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Curriculum and Instruction, described a vision for the future of education in Saskatchewan. The Core Curriculum model that was developed in response was intended to align curriculum and instruction, to achieve fluency in scope and sequence from kindergarten to grade twelve, and to accommodate all stages of student growth and development.

The Curriculum and Instruction Review addressed broad issues related to curriculum, instruction, and teacher-learner interaction. The following describes the potential growth of each:

• Curriculum: from static, hierarchical, and segregated, to dynamic, egalitarian, and integrated.
  
• Instruction: from teacher-directed and transmissional, to student-centred and transactional.
  
  
• Teacher-learner interactions: from controlled, competitive, and conforming, to empowering, co-operative, and divergent.

It should be recognized that these are directions for transition that can move along a continuum. All curricula are not at the same state of transition, nor are all professionals at the same place in their instructional practices or their interactions with students. If the components of the Core Curriculum are to be integrated, transitions as outlined above need to occur.

Core Curriculum, the framework for the achievement of educational goals through classroom instruction has as its main components the Required Areas of Study and the Common Essential Learnings. Core Curriculum also recognized the need for an Adaptive Dimension and an opportunity for Locally Determined Options in Curriculum. These components, particularly the Common Essential Learnings and the Adaptive Dimension, find expression, interpretation, and implementation through instructional practice. For this reason, a range of instructional approaches is required if teachers are to meet the objectives of Core Curriculum and the instructional needs of students.

Instructional Approaches: A Framework for Professional Practice is one in the series of documents developed to support the Core Curriculum. Its purpose is to:

• affirm the integral position of instruction in meeting the objectives of Core Curriculum;
• provide support for teachers in extending their range of instructional practices;
• provide support for teachers in meeting the challenges associated with major curriculum change; and,
• provide curriculum writers with a design for integration of curriculum and instruction.

Instructional Approaches: A Framework for Professional Practice, while intended to be a useful and practical document, is neither a comprehensive study of instructional practice, nor a "how-to-do-it" guide. Rather, this document is intended to be of assistance to educators by:

• generating discussion among teachers about instructional approaches;
• promoting reflective thinking among teachers about instructional decisions;
• affirming the art, as well as the science, of teaching; and,
• acting as a catalyst for further professional development.

This document begins by examining the context within which instruction occurs. The first chapter describes the foundations upon which this document has been developed. Chapter Two introduces a framework for instructional approaches and describes the components of the instructional framework. In Chapter Three, the relationship of the Adaptive Dimension to instructional practice is described. Chapter Four examines a variety of factors that practitioners must consider in the selection of instructional approaches. Chapter Five takes a reflective look at the challenges educators face in the development of a repertoire of instructional approaches, and the available options educators have to meet these challenges.

Throughout this document the reader will find the heading, "Reflective Questions." The questions are intended to foster both individual reflection, and discussion with colleagues. These sample questions may cause other questions to be asked and, thus, provide an initiative for further professional development in the refinement of teaching practices.