The Revised Curriculum aims to empower our young people to develop their potential as individuals and to make informed and responsible decisions for living and working in the 21st century.

Our society today needs young people who are flexible, creative, and proactive – young people who can solve problems, make decisions, think critically, communicate ideas effectively and work efficiently within teams and groups. The ‘knowing of knowledge’ is no longer enough to succeed in the increasingly complex, fluid, and rapidly evolving world in which we live. In order to optimise life-long learning and potential success it is now widely accepted that young people need to have opportunities to develop personal capabilities and effective thinking skills as part of their well-rounded education.

These skills are an integral part of the Revised Curriculum for Northern Ireland. Increased flexibility in the curriculum in terms of content and time will offer teachers the opportunity to develop their pupils’ skills and capabilities concurrently with knowledge and understanding. It is hoped that this approach will actively engage students in their learning, making the learning a more relevant, enjoyable and motivational experience. Additionally, teachers will have opportunities to further develop their own skills as creative curriculum developers.

The following collection is not intended to be a definitive resource, but one which provides practical advice to teachers on a varied range of methods which they may wish to integrate into their daily learning and teaching activities. It is hoped that teachers will find it a helpful tool in planning and creating a stimulating, enriching, challenging and focused environment for both their pupils and themselves.