Abstract The competency‐based education (CBE) curriculum has reformed the education system of Bangladesh, shifting from traditional to skill‐oriented learning. Although CBE has been widely discussed, little attention has been given to the challenges faced by teachers in low‐resource contexts like Bangladesh. This study explores the challenges teachers face in implementing CBE in low‐resource contexts. Using a qualitative research method grounded in a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, in‐depth interviews were conducted with 23 teachers through a semi‐structured questionnaire. The findings show that while CBE has changed teaching, assessment and learning practices, teachers struggle with limited training, resource shortages, large class sizes, complex assessment systems, negative parental attitudes and technological gaps. Transitioning to student‐centred learning demands new teaching skills and continuous adaptation. To ensure successful implementation, the government should provide regular professional development, better resource support and manageable workloads. Moreover, a bottom‐up approach involving teachers, parents and other stakeholders is essential for collective understanding and sustainable adoption of the CBE system.

Abstract This article presented an ecological curricular model for teaching and learning English as an international language (EIL). The model focussed on the various types of presentational, interpretive and interpersonal communication and highlights the interplay of communication and interlocutors' cultural perspectives, practices and products. Furthermore, the model underscores the benefits of using EIL for authentic purposes, content learning, language comparisons and use beyond classroom walls. The model is premised on the proposition that English is currently a vital language used in all corners of the globe. While it acknowledges all the varieties of English in the inner, outer and expanded circles, the model does not endorse any variety, nor does it subscribe to a monolithic view of English. Rather, it emphasises learners' needs and purposes for using English and endorses teachers' agency, competencies and local resources. The model recommends cooperative learning (CL), differentiated instruction (DI) and situated assessment and evaluation as instructional frameworks to promote EIL proficiency. Contributions to EIL curriculum theory include focus on communication and linking its types to cultural pragmatics and authentic use in social, academic and professional settings. Implementation challenges pertain to EIL partial neutrality, local language ecologies, national teacher standards, assessment politics and the constraints of differing accountability regimes.

Abstract Transnational guidelines on skills and competencies for lifelong learning, along with curriculum reforms to promote curriculum flexibility and autonomy in schools, are pressing teachers to be engaged in curriculum and pedagogical innovation focused on student‐centred approaches favourable to developing learner autonomy. Drawing on a design research project focused on self‐regulated learning, in this article, we explore how an initiative aimed at fostering pedagogical innovation through peer observation and feedback amongst students has the potential to promote teacher agency in engaging in sustained innovation. The project was developed in four Portuguese schools, and data collection involves a wide set of materials, including notes from participant observation, a series of focus groups and written reports produced by participating teachers in the first cycle of the project (school year 2023–2024). Stemming from content analysis of thematic nature, results suggest that keeping strategies rather open to local adaptation, as well as involving teachers in the different phases of the intervention, including the model design, has prompted their sense of agency. Also, teachers value the existence of an extended community, mainly researchers and teachers of other subjects, to whom they could communicate during the development of the project to explore ideas and discuss practices.

Abstract ‘Pendulum swings’ from one vision of curriculum to another are increasingly frequent and are likely to rise in number, given the growing polarisation in society. However, such swings have rarely been the focus of academic discussion. We know little about the initiating conditions and the processes which characterise them, and there has been insufficient consideration of their effects. Our aim in this article is therefore to create an analytic frame for the study of curriculum pendulum swings. We develop this through an initial comparative study of recent curriculum reform in three jurisdictions—England, Wales, and Aotearoa New Zealand. We propose a framing through five axes to help think about rapid curricular reform and examine the extent to which these three jurisdictions ‘swung’ between these axes. Our analysis revealed some common features of these pendulum swings: (1) they were underpinned by an initial, oversimplified educational ‘crisis narrative’ that challenges the legitimacy of the extant curriculum; (2) solutions to this ‘crisis’ were framed in binary terms; and (3) social actors beyond the government (such as think tanks and teachers' professional organisations) often had significant influence, including at times, leading to a ‘counter‐swing’. We conclude with some critical reflections, inviting others to strengthen or critique our initial framings and analysis to advance a new focus in curriculum studies.

Abstract Teachers' affective commitment to the school organization significantly impacts the success of curriculum change and the quality of education provided. The present study explores the relationship between three key factors and teachers' affective commitment to their high school: their agency in curriculum implementation, their relationships with school leaders, and their decision‐making autonomy. The research involved surveying 223 high school teachers in Oslo, Norway's capital, with data analysed through structural equation modelling. The findings reveal strong statistical associations between teachers' experience of autonomy and their affective commitment to the school organization. Additionally, a modest connection is observed between teacher agency in curriculum implementation and their relationship with school leaders. However, weak connections are found between teacher agency in curriculum implementation and affective commitment and between teacher agency and autonomy. These results highlight the significance of autonomy and its link to teachers' affective commitment while also emphasizing the importance of principal–teacher trust, particularly through its relation to teachers' autonomy. This article provides empirical insights into the factors that influence teachers' affective commitment to their school organization, underscoring the interplay between autonomy, agency, and trust in influencing teachers' attitudes and dedication. The article concludes by discussing the implications of these results for future research and practice, shedding light for potential areas of further investigation.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.