ABSTRACT

This paper reports a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) exploring the nature, causes and epistemic effects of knowledge recontextualization in the ‘official’ Key Stage Five History curriculum in England. “Recontextualization” refers to inevitable changes that occur to knowledge as it is ‘pedagogized’, due to the value-laden practices and contexts which enact and shape curriculum-making. Five accredited examination specifications and three ‘generative’ policy documents were analysed using Fairclough’s methods and interpreted through a Bernsteinian theoretic lens. Five problematic forms of knowledge recontextualization will be discussed: canonization; commodification; de-diversification; knowledge made static; and epistemic inconsistency. The application of CDA to everyday ‘official’ curriculum artefacts illuminates the role of micro-level ‘language-in use’ in bringing particular constructions of subject knowledge into being. It is suggested that not all these recontextualizations were intentional, nor fully explainable through macro and meso structural factors. Some had been enacted ‘by accident’ in the contingencies of fragmented and negotiated local practice. Epistemic and discursive ‘literacies’ are suggested as key to engendering agentic practice within the official curriculum-making community, as well as enabling teachers to select and pedagogically mediate specifications in line with local epistemic aims.

摘要

本文报告了一项批判性话语分析 (CDA)，探讨了英国“官方”关键第五阶段历史课程中知识重新语境化的性质、原因和认知影响。“重新语境化”是指知识在“教学化”过程中发生的不可避免的变化，这是由于制定和塑造课程制定的充满价值的实践和语境。使用费尔克劳的方法分析了五份认可的考试规范和三份“生成”政策文件，并通过伯恩斯坦的理论镜头进行了解释。将讨论五种有问题的知识重新语境化形式：经典化；商品化；去多样化；知识静态化；和认知不一致。CDA 在日常“官方”课程产品中的应用阐明了微观层面的“使用语言”在使学科知识的特定结构形成中的作用。这表明并非所有这些重新背景化都是有意的，也不是可以通过宏观和中观结构因素完全解释的。有些是在分散和协商的地方实践的偶然情况下“偶然”制定的。认知和话语的“文学”被认为是在官方课程制定社区内产生能动性实践的关键，以及使教师能够根据当地认知目标选择和在教学上调解规范。也无法通过宏观和中观结构因素完全解释。有些是在分散和协商的地方实践的偶然情况下“偶然”制定的。认知和话语的“文学”被认为是在官方课程制定社区内产生能动性实践的关键，以及使教师能够根据当地认知目标选择和在教学上调解规范。也无法通过宏观和中观结构因素完全解释。有些是在分散和协商的地方实践的偶然情况下“偶然”制定的。认知和话语的“文学”被认为是在官方课程制定社区内产生能动性实践的关键，以及使教师能够根据当地认知目标选择和在教学上调解规范。