Ecosystems approach to curriculum change

An ecosystems approach means designing and implementing a curriculum using principles of quality curriculum design, while navigating and responding to the complex dynamics of a variety of concerned and influential parties, to the benefit of student outcomes. Curriculum reform is among the most politically and institutionally demanding forms of education change. This paper argues that reform outcomes depend not only on high-quality and responsible design in the interest of students, but also to a significant extent on the ecosystem in which they are interpreted and enacted. This ecosystem – a living web of actors, relationships, routines, resources and infrastructures spanning multiple levels – is always present, whether or not it is acknowledged. Synthesising principles of effective curriculum design, country cases and insights from the OECD Future of Education and Skills 2040 initiative, the paper details ecosystem strategies that improve the odds of success: nonpartisan multistakeholder dialogue to build legitimacy; strengthening agency; using collective impact; and aligning pedagogies, assessment and teacher standards with curriculum intent. An ecosystems approach does not simplify reform, but it illuminates interdependencies and strengthens coherence, rigour, focus, trust and adaptive capacity, increasing the likelihood that curriculum designs translate into meaningful learning outcomes.