Teachers, Resources, Assessment Practices: Role and Impact on the Curricular Implementation Process

The role of resources in the implementation of curricular reforms is analysed in this chapter. Different types of resources, both material and non-material are discussed. All the evidence points to a strong dependence on cultural, social and educational contexts, nevertheless, common characteristics and invariants are identified. Textbooks arise as an important resource to promote a good alignment with the curricular reform, not only considering their content but also their methodological approaches. They are strongly influenced by external high-stakes assessments, which can be coherent or not with curricular reforms. A common issue about the use of digital technology is the challenge of handling teachers’ knowledge and development, with continuous support, and not only providing the tools. This kind of aid is also considered as a resource itself, and, thus, we address some experiences with counselling or supporting groups or guiding leaders and their interaction with the rest of the resources in the curricular implementation.