From curriculum frameworks to classroom practice: the mediating role of curriculum guides

ABSTRACT Background: Making the transition from high-level curriculum frameworks to detailed teaching practices is rarely straightforward. It is a particular challenge when schools are required to interpret broad international frameworks such as the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) alongside national curriculum requirements. Purpose: This study investigates the role of a school curriculum guide as an intermediary between a curriculum framework and teachers’ lesson planning in one Australian IBPYP school. The study examines how school-level curriculum documents can support the translation of curriculum framework principles into classroom planning. Method: The study employed qualitative document analysis (QDA) of a school curriculum guide and five teacher lesson plans across learning areas. Bernstein’s Theory of Pedagogic Discourse informed the research design and analysis, focusing on processes of curriculum recontextualisation between framework, school-level planning and classroom-level planning. Findings: The school curriculum guide functioned as a mediating tool by translating curriculum principles into actionable planning components, standardising Unit of Inquiry (UoI) lesson plan formats and supporting alignment with national curriculum requirements. However, variations were observed in the integration of curriculum expectations, and gaps were identified in the articulation of inquiry cycles and assessment strategies. This suggests that while the school curriculum guide can support structural coherence; curriculum mediation remains shaped by teacher interpretation and contextual factors. Conclusion: The study highlights the important role of school curriculum guides in mediating between curriculum frameworks and classroom practice. By conceptualising curriculum guides as recontextualising agents, the study contributes to curriculum studies by illustrating how school-level documents support curriculum translation in complex educational settings. The findings offer practical implications for curriculum guide development and identify teacher support needs in contexts where multiple curriculum frameworks operate.