Curriculum Developme

nt- Nestor P. Campayan

What is a Curriculum?

It refers to the sum of learning stated as educational ends, educational activities, school subjects and or topics decided upon and provided within the framework of an educational institution or in a less formally organized set up.

Curriculum - also refers to all learning opportunities the student decides to pursue and experience.

The term curriculum refers to the sum of learning stated as educational ends, educational activities, school subjects and/or topics decided upon and provided within the framework of an educational institution or in a less formally organized set up (such as in a summer cooking or swimming class) for student achievement. Curriculum also refers to all learning opportunities the student decides to pursue and experience.

Curriculum is available to the student at two levels:

At the first level, a wide range of opportunities to learn or learning opportunities are planned and provided for the student.

At the second level, each individual student exercises some control over his own curriculum.

The definition of a Curriculum is influenced by modes of thoughts, pedagogies, political as well as cultural experiences. The numerous definitions indicate dynamism that connotes diverse interpretations of what curriculum is all about.

1. Traditional point of view of CurriculumIn the 20th century,

Curriculum – is the body of subjects or subject matter prepared by the teachers for the students to learn. It was synonymous to the “ course of study” and syllabus,

Robert M. Hutchins views Curriculum as “permanent studies” where the rules of grammar, reading, rhetoric and logic and mathematics for basic education are emphasized. Basic education should emphasize the 3 Rs and college education should be grounded on liberal education.

Arthur Bestor as an essentialist, believes that the mission of the school should be intellectual training, curriculum should focus on the fundamental intellectual disciplines of grammar, literature and writing. It should also include mathematics, science, history and foreign language.

Joseph Schwab believes that discipline is the sole source of curriculum. Curriculum is divided into chunks of knowledge we call subject areas in basic education. To Phenix, curriculum should consist entirely of knowledge which comes from various disciplines. Schwab coined the term discipline as a ruling doctrine for curriculum development.

*** Curriculum can be viewed as a field of study. It is made up of its foundations (philosophical, historical, psychological, and social foundations) domains of knowledge as well as its research theories and principles.

Most of the traditional ideas view curriculum as written documents or a plan of action in accomplishing goals.

2. Progressive Points of View of Curriculum

John Dewey believed that curriculum is the total learning experiences of the individual. Thought is not derived from action but tested by application.

3. Caswell and Campbell viewed curriculum as “ all experiences children experiences have under the guidance of the teachers.”

4. Smith, Stanley and Shores believed that curriculum is a sequence of potential exercises set up in the schools for the purpose of disciplining children and youth in group ways of thinking and acting.

5. Marsh and Willis view curriculum as all the “experiences in the classroom which are planned and enacted by the teacher, and also learned by the students.

Points of View on Curriculum Development

From the various definitions and concepts presented, curriculum is a dynamic .

Development connotes changes which are systematic. A change for the better means any alteration, modification or improvement of existing condition.

Ralph Tyler Model: Four Basic Principles

Popularly known as”Tyler’s Rationale posited four fundamental questions or principles in examining any curriculum in schools.

Considerations that should be made:1. Purposes of the school2. Educational experiences related to the

purposes3. Organization of the experiences.4. Evaluation of the experiences.

On the other, Hilda Taba improved on Tyler’s

Rationale by making a linear model. She

believed that teachers who teach or

implement the curriculum should participate

in developing it. Her advocacy was commonly

called the grassroots approach. She

presented seven major steps to her model

where teachers could have a major input.

These steps are as follows:

1. Diagnosis of learners needs and expectations of the larger society.

2. Formulation of learning objectives3. Selection of learning content4. Organization of learning content5. Selection of learning experiences6. Organization of learning activities7. Determination of what to evaluate and the

means of doing it.

*** Thus as you look into curriculum models,

the three interacting processes in curriculum

development are planning, implementing

and evaluating.

The Subsystems of Curriculum

3 Subsystems of Curriculum: The formal curriculum which refers to the

school philosophy, aims and objectives, subjects, and activities. At the classroom level, available lesson plans, guides, teaching modules , unit plans, course syllabi, learning continuums and similar plans may be prescribed or may offer options to the learner. The formal curriculum is the primary, clearly acknowledged focus of the curriculum.

The extra-class or curriculum extension which includes:1. co-curricular activities like various student organizations, the school newspaper, programs, convocations, socials and the like, and..2. special school services such as the library, the guidance center, the entire educational technology center, the health clinic, the school canteen, and the like is designed to support the formal curriculum.

To the hidden curriculum which may either be supportive of or contradictory to the formal curriculum and the extra-class curriculum. The hidden curriculum consists of the policies, rules and regulations, and the school climate. School policies, rules, and regulations affect the norms of behavior, beliefs, attitudes and practices, and relationships among the students, students and teachers, and teachers and administration and ultimately, what a student learns.

The Hidden Curriculum

The Three Subsystems of Curriculum

The Formal Curriculum

The Extra Class

Or Curriculum Extension

Types of Curriculum Operating in Schools

From the various concepts given, Allan Glatthorn (2000) describes seven types of curriculum operating in the schools. These are:

1. Recommended Curriculum- proposed by scholars and

professional organizations.

2. Written Curriculum- appears in school, district,

division or country documents.3. Taught Curriculum

- what teachers implement or deliver in the classrooms and schools4. Supported Curriculum

- resources-textbooks, computers, audio-visual materials which support and help in the implementation of the

curriculum.

5. Assessed Curriculum- that which is tested and

evaluated.6. Learned Curriculum

- what the students actually learn and what is measured.

7. Hidden Curriculum- the unintended curriculum.

Major Foundations of Curriculum

1. Philosophical2. Historical3. Psychological4. Social

Philosophical Foundations of Curriculum

Philosophy provides educators, teachers and curriculum makers with framework for planning, implementing and evaluating curriculum in schools. It helps in answering what schools are for, what subjects are important, how students should learn and what materials and methods should be used. In decision making, philosophy provides the starting point and will be used for the succeeding decision making.

Ralph Tyler’s Framework shows that philosophy is one

of the five criteria in selecting educational purposes.

School Purposes

Suggestions from Subject

Specialists

Studies of Contemporary Life

Use of Psychology of

Learning

Use of Philosophy

Studies of Learners

Four Educational Philosophies

1. Educational Philosophy – Perennialism- to educate the rational person; to

cultivate the intellect2. Educational Philosophy – Essentialism

- to promote the intellectual growth of the individual and educate a competent person.

3. Educational Philosophy- Progressivism- to promote democratic and social

living

4. Educational Philosophy– Reconstructionism- to improve and reconstruct society

Education for change.

Criteria for an Acceptable Curriculum

1. Relevance – is satisfied by a given curriculum when it is related to some goal(s) accepted and sought by the learner, when it responds to “some purpose that is related to..[ his life]” as Postman and Weingartner (1969) assert.

2. Effectiveness- refers to the capability of a program of instruction to produce desired result.

3. Feasibility- refers to practicability.

Historical Foundations of Curriculum

** Why is it important to know the historical foundations of curriculum?

- Curriculum is not an old field. Philippine education came about from various foreign influences. Of all foreign educational systems, the American educational system has the greatest influence on our educational system.

Curriculum Theorists:1. Franklin Bobbit (1876-1956) – presented

curriculum as a science that emphasizes on students’ need. Curriculum prepares students for adult life.

2. Werret Charters (1871-1965) – believes curriculum is a science.

3. William Kilpatrick (1971-1965)- Curricula are purposeful activities which are child-centered. The purpose of the curriculum is child development and growth.

4. Harold Rugg (1886- 1960)- believes curriculum should develop the whole child. It is child-centered.

5. Hollis Caswell (1901-1989)- sees curriculum as organized around social functions of themes, organized knowledge and learner’s interest. He believes that curriculum is a set of experiences.

6. Ralph Tyler (1902-1994)- believes that curriculum is a science and an extension of school’s philosophy. He believes that curriculum is always related to instruction.

** The historical development shows the

different changes in the purposes, principles

and content of the curriculum. The different

changes are influenced by educational

philosophy, psychology and pedagogical

theories. This implies that curriculum is ever

changing putting knowledge and content from

many fields of disciplines.

Psychological Foundations of Education

** Psychology provides a basis for the teaching

and learning process. It unifies elements of

the learning process and some of the

questions which can be addressed by

psychological foundations of education.

Theories:

1. Behaviorist Psychology- learning should be organized in order

that students can experience success in the process of mastering the subject matter. The method is introduced in a step by step manner with proper sequencing of task which is viewed by other educational psychologists as simplistic and mechanical.

2. Cognitive Psychology

- learning constitutes a logical method

for organizing and interpreting learning.

Learning is rooted in the tradition of subject

matter and is similar to the cognitive

development theory

3. Humanistic Psychology

- are concerned with how learners can develop their human potential. Observers view humanistic psychology as the third force learning theory after behaviorism and cognitive development theory. It believes that curriculum is concerned with the process not the products, personal needs not subject matter, psychological meaning and environmental situations.

In summary, psychology has a great

influence in the curriculum. Learners are not

machines and the mind is not a computer.

Humans are biological beings affected by their

biology and their cultures. The psychological

foundations will help curriculum makers in

nurturing a more advanced, more

comprehensive and complete human learning.

Social Foundations of Education

Schools exist within the social context. Social culture affects and shapes schools and their curricula. Society as ever dynamic is a source of very fast changes which are difficult to cope with and to adjust to. In order for schools to be relevant, school curricula should address diversity, explosion of knowledge, school reforms and education for all.

The relationship of curriculum and

society is mutual and encompassing. Hence, to

be relevant, the curricula should reflect and

preserve the culture of society and its

aspirations. At the same time society should

also imbibe the changes brought about by the

formal institutions called schools.