Theoretical Perspectives on

Curriculum

The term curriculum means

different things to different people,
and curriculum take many different
forms.

What is a curriculum?

What is curriculum? Educators have

sought for many years to determine
a proper definition of the word
curriculum. The end results of their
endeavors always seem to be the
addition of another new improved
def., more debate over the issue,
and further criticism of other
inadequate definitions.
(Michael Schiro, 1978)

What is a curriculum?
No curriculum can be neutral
(Ira Shor, Empowering Education,
1992).

Ryan & Cooper (1988) defined curr.

as all the organized and intended
experiences of the student for whic
the school accepts responsibility.

What is a curriculum?
Posner (1995):
Scope and sequence of intended
learning outcomes
Syllabus
Content Outline
Textbooks
Course of Study currere the
running journey with intended
outcome.
Planned experiences

What is a curriculum?
Process vs. Product
Content vs. instruction

Curriculum Model
Tyler Model:
What edu. purposes should the

school seek to attain?

What edu. exp. Can be provided
that are likely to attain these
purposes?
How can these exp. Be effectively
organized?
How can we determine whether the
purposes are being attained?

Behaviorist Perspective:

At the completion of the instruction

what should the learners be able to
do?

Proponents: Aristotle, Hume, Locke,

Thorndike, Tyler, Bloom
Mager,Skinner

Basic idea: Decide what the

learners should be able to do in
very specific measurable terms;
analyze those behaviors to identify
their prerequisite skills, provide
opportunity for students to
practice each skill with feedback to point of mastery, and
then evaluate the students
performance.

Teaching Methods: Instructors

need to take into account how
students acquire those behavior,
ie, the conditions of learningas they plan the instruction.
Learners - passive recipient
(tabula rasa)

Cognitive:

How can people learn to make

sense of the world and to think
more productively and creatively?
(Exp. is structured by the mind)
Proponents: Plato, Kant, Piaget,
Chomsky,Ausubel.

___________________________

Basic idea: Instruction should

allow students to construct their
own knowledge in purposeful and
meaningful activities requiring
decision-making, prob-solving,
and judgements.
Teaching Methods: activities that
enhance students cognitive and
thinking skills

Experential:
What exp will lead to the healthy
growth of the individual?
(Learning arises directly from
exp)

Proponents: Lock, Descartes,

Rousseau, Dewey.
Basic idea: Schooling is too
detached from the interests and
prob of the students, ie, their
ordinary life exp.

Experential:
Method: Based on std needs and
interests.
Learners: active participation.

Structure of Discipline:
What is the structure of the
disciplines of knowledge
Basic Idea: Too large gap between
school subject & schoarly
discipline.
Method: scientific inquiry.
Learners: are neophyte scientists

Constructivist - extension of
cognitive belief - It consider the
the engagement of students in
meaningful experiences
as the essence of learning.