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The teacher and the school curriculum (EDUC.107)

Reporter: CHIARA MARIA CHRISTIA C. ABRIS & EDNALYN PEÑARANDA

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CHAPTER 1:
CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS
MODULE 1:
THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND THE TEACHER

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WHAT IS CURRICULUM?

The term curriculum refers to the lessons and academic content taught in a school or in a
specific course or program. In dictionaries, curriculum is often defined as the courses offered by
a school, but it is rarely used in such a general sense in schools. Depending on how broadly
educators define or employ the term, curriculum typically refers to the knowledge and skills
students are expected to learn, which includes the learning standards or learning objectives
they are expected to meet; the units and lessons that teachers teach; the assignments and
projects given to students; the books, materials, videos, presentations, and readings used in a
course; and the tests, assessments, and other methods used to evaluate student learning. An
individual teacher’s curriculum, for example, would be the specific learning standards, lessons,
assignments, and materials used to organize and teach a particular course.
When the terms curriculum or curricula are used in educational contexts without qualification,
specific examples, or additional explanation, it may be difficult to determine precisely what the
terms are referring to—mainly because they could be applied to either all or only some of the
component parts of a school’s academic program or courses.
In many cases, teachers develop their own curricula, often refining and improving them over
years, although it is also common for teachers to adapt lessons and syllabi created by other
teachers, use curriculum templates and guides to structure their lessons and courses, or
purchase prepackaged curricula from individuals and companies. In some cases, schools
purchase comprehensive, multigrade curriculum packages—often in a particular subject area,
such as mathematics—those teachers are required to use or follow. Curriculum may also
encompass a school’s academic requirements for graduation, such as the courses students have
to take and pass, the number of credits students must complete, and other requirements, such
as completing a capstone project or a certain number of community-service hours. Generally
speaking, curriculum takes many different forms in schools.
It is important to note that while curriculum encompasses a wide variety of potential
educational and instructional practices, educators often have a very precise, technical meaning
in mind when they use the term.

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What is Curriculum Essentials?

Curriculum Essentials are resources designed to provide a “quick start” for the students.
Teachers need to plan and assess student learning using diverse curricular concepts that are
organized in somewhat different ways. These resources present the essentials–the big ideas,
the foundational processes, practices and skills–in a consistent visual format that still respects
the unique nature of each discipline.
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These resources help educators:

 manage and organize outcomes

 see links among the curriculum areas
 maintain a strong focus on foundational learning
Curriculum Essentials provide a pathway into the provincial curricula for different subject
areas and are versatile resources that:
 provide a quick overview of grade-level learning for teachers new to a grade or subject
area
 identify concepts, skills, processes, practices and competencies that are foundational to
subsequent learning
 help planning for student learning and assessment of and for learning
 facilitate cross-curricular and cross-grade connections

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 assist planning in multi-level classrooms

 present opportunities for literacy and numeracy learning
 highlight links with the Provincial Report Card categories
 identify the ways of thinking and doing that are characteristic of a discipline and that
will be developed across the grades
 support other aspects of curricular thinking, such as identifying “essential questions”
and “enduring understandings”
 help learning support and EAL teachers identify relevant topics for vocabulary
development and other literacy supports.
Curriculum Essentials do not replace curriculum and do not eliminate or sequence outcomes.
They provide a view from above the terrain, helping educators see pathways and signposts
through the curriculum, while encouraging pedagogical choices informed by knowledge of
specific learners, context, and resources. Curriculum Essentials clusters outcomes into essential
concepts or “big ideas” and highlights the foundational skills and ways of thinking that students
need to develop along the way. Once educators have the overview of the curriculum, the
provincial curriculum documents provide specific details and support for implementation.
The organization of various essentials may not be the only way that curricular outcomes can be
organized, but they are presented as a catalyst for deeper conversation about curriculum.
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The Curriculum Essentials documents can be used as a collaboration tool for school teams to:

 discuss planning for teaching and learning

 reflect on instructional and assessment practices
 examine the continuum of learning in each discipline and plan for individual student
needs.
All curriculums share one goal: to help students learn. No matter what country or district your
school is in, student outcomes start with a solid plan.
But a curriculum does much, much more than guide lessons in math, reading and history. It can
benefit schools just as much as students, from teachers to administration. And it can help
schools connect with parents and the community around them.
Not just any curriculum, though. A good curriculum.
So, what does a good curriculum look like, and how can you make sure you’re putting the best
plans in place for your students and your school? Before we show you what a good curriculum
map looks like, let’s dive into the 7 reasons why your curriculum matters.

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What does good curriculum can do?
1. It both creates and reflects culture and identity.
On a broad level, a curriculum reflects the national culture in which a school operates –
different countries have different expectations of their students, even if teaching practices are
similar. But it can also reflect and define the culture at the school level as well, from the specific
needs of the neighborhoods they serve to the topics where you want to differentiate yourself.
2. It keeps up with a changing world.
A good curriculum is never a one-and-done initiative. Revisiting it regularly allows you to not
only review how things are going, but also make room for new topics that are relevant today. In
fact, the World Economic Forum tout’s curriculum as a key player in helping educators keep up
with the speed of changing trends, technology and skills students will need in the future.
3. It makes learning (and teaching) consistent.
Internal consistency happens when students inside your school can expect to walk away with
the same set of skills, whether their teacher is a veteran in the profession or learning the ropes.
Consistency should also stretch across a district, state or province, or country as well – a
student in fifth grade should expect to graduate with the same foundational knowledge and
skills, no matter where they learn.
4. It opens the doors for collaboration.
Having regular discussions about curriculum creates opportunities to get all stakeholders
involved: teachers, administration, parents and communities. Getting input from everyone will
help identify where you’re strong and what gaps you need to address. It also gives teachers a
platform over which they can share best practices, knowledge and resources with each other.
5. It saves schools money.
Textbooks aren’t cheap, but they’re commonplace because they’re convenient – they provide a
pre-built progression of knowledge that’s hard to ignore for busy teachers. With a strong
curriculum in place, schools can break away from an over-reliance on textbooks and take a
more active and dynamic role in choosing better (and cheaper) texts.
6. It helps teachers align.
A good curriculum also connects teachers from across grade levels and subject areas to look at
the big picture of student learning. Teachers can work together to plan a progression of topics
that build off of ones that came before and connect across disciplines. The result? You reinforce
knowledge over time and make sure that students are prepared for what’s coming next.
7. It provides measurable targets.
Data matters. If you aren’t setting specific goals around how your students are learning, how
will you determine whether your curriculum is successful? That’s why a good curriculum sets
measurable outcomes and tracks progress throughout the year. Teachers get a better view of
what’s happening in the classrooms, students know where they stand and parents are kept up-
to-date.

Under some definitions, curriculum is prescriptive, and is based on a more general syllabus
which merely specifies what topics must be understood and to what level to achieve a
particular grade or standard.
A curriculum may also refer to a defined and prescribed course of studies, which students must
fulfill in order to pass a certain level of education. For example, an elementary school might
discuss how its curricula is designed to improve national testing scores or help students learn
fundamental skills. An individual teacher might also refer to his or her curriculum, meaning all
the subjects that will be taught during a school year. The courses are arranged in a sequence to
make learning a subject easier. In schools, a curriculum spans several grades.
On the other hand, a high school might refer to their curricula as the courses required in order
to receive one’s diploma. They might also refer to it in exactly the same way as an elementary
school and use it to mean both individual courses needed to pass as well as the overall offering
of courses, which help prepare a student for life after high school.
A curriculum can be seen from different perspectives. What societies envisage as important
teaching and learning constitutes the "intended" curriculum. Since it is usually presented in
official documents, it may be also called the "written" or "official" curriculum. However, at a
classroom level this intended curriculum may be altered through a range of complex classroom
interactions, and what is actually delivered can be considered the "implemented" curriculum.
What learners really learn (i.e., what can be assessed and can be demonstrated as learning
outcomes or competencies) constitutes the "achieved" or "learned" curriculum. In addition,
curriculum theory points to a "hidden" curriculum (i.e., the unintended development of
personal values and beliefs of learners, teachers, and communities; the unexpected impact of a
curriculum; or the unforeseen aspects of a learning process). Those who develop the intended
curriculum should have all these different dimensions of the curriculum in view. While the
"written" curriculum does not exhaust the meaning of curriculum, it is important because it
represents the vision of the society. The "written" curriculum is usually expressed in
comprehensive and user-friendly documents, such as curriculum frameworks or subject
curricula/syllabi, and in relevant and helpful learning materials, such as textbooks, teacher
guides, and assessment guides.
In some cases, people see the curriculum entirely in terms of the subjects that are taught, and
as set out within the set of textbooks, and forget the wider goals of competencies and personal
development. This is why a curriculum framework is important. It sets the subjects within this
wider context, and shows how learning experiences within the subjects need to contribute to
the attainment of the wider goals.
Curriculum is almost always defined with relation to schooling. According to some, it is the
major division between formal and informal education. However, under some circumstances it
may also be applied to informal education or free-choice learning settings. For instance, a
science museum may have a "curriculum" of what topics or exhibits it wishes to cover. Many
after-school programs in the US have tried to apply the concept; this typically has more success
when not rigidly clinging to the definition of curriculum as a product or as a body of knowledge
to be transferred. Rather, informal education and free-choice learning settings are more suited
to the model of curriculum as practice.
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Why is curriculum important?
As you were learning how to become a teacher, the weighty tomes of curriculum were likely set
out in front of you, and they probably looked daunting at best. Each subject area has its very
own roadmap (or epic saga, really!), and despite the lengths of these materials, it’s extremely
important that you become best buddies with any curriculum documents you are given.
But why exactly? You hopefully have a little freedom in your classroom to take things in a really
unique direction here and there, but the curriculum should always be your compass. Here are
the top four reasons to treasure curriculum.
Top 4 reasons why curriculum is important
1. A steady, organized path
Your curriculum is essentially a series of activities and learning outcome goals related to each
subject. It serves as a great map, outlining where you need to go and how to get there.
Curriculum docs are not created overnight: Aa great deal of thought, time, effort, and expertise
go into their development, so don’t try to reinvent the wheel.
If you’re feeling passionate about putting your own special flair on your teaching, don’t fret!
While the curriculum charts the path and provides ideas along the way to support your
teaching, there is always room for interpretation. Let the curriculum serve as a guide path and
sprinkle in your own style as you go. And hey, who doesn’t love a good blackline master or
curriculum activity? They’ve been created to help you and your students, so go ahead and use
them!
An example of the steady path of structure that a curriculum provides lies in its framework.
Larger learning goals are broken down into more specific ones and desired outcomes. In this
way, you can see the big picture and better understand how smaller lessons help you teach
overarching concepts.
A fifth-grade student in a physical education class may be required to learn ‘movement.’ That’s
fairly vague. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll see that your students are to learn how to
detect errors in movement, carry out movement sequences, and perform transport skills, along
with a few other pieces of the puzzle. Once you see the structure (or organization) of the
learning outcome, everything becomes clearer.
2. Progress!
A well-crafted curriculum serves as a reference to ensure that you’re on the right track. Its
components are designed to develop concepts, from a basic level to increasingly complex topics
or skills.
It’s important to remember that a curriculum is not an isolated signpost for a single school year.
Rather, it’s a part of a much bigger puzzle that’s connected to the curriculum for every other
grade. Students make progress from year to year. By following the curriculum with your
students, you’re preparing them to continue on their journey the next year, and each year
after, in a more logical and organized fashion.
While learning how to write important sight words and read basic texts are all the rage in one
grade, in the next grade, students may be writing longer pieces in the form of short stories and
reading more independently with lengthier texts. While adding and subtracting are the crucial
skills to learn in the first few years of school, they give way to multiplication, division, and
eventually, algebra and calculus as students build upon their foundations.
Progress is essential and curriculum docs allow this sequential learning to take place.
3. Common goals
The goals for each subject area aren’t just for students — they’re also for teachers. We have
goals set out in the curriculum for what we need to teach in a given year, and our students have
goals for what they need to learn. Clearly, there’s a lot of overlap there; shared goals make it
easier for instructors to align their teaching methods with students’ academic needs to ensure
that they succeed.
Beyond creating shared goals between teachers and students, curriculum also standardizes the
learning goals for an entire school and provides a clear path for students to progress from one
grade to another. Students must meet certain core competencies before moving on to
advanced subjects, such as mastering algebra before ever attempting calculus. Without such a
standardized curriculum in place, instructors would have to create their own learning objectives
and somehow coordinate with one another to ensure that their students are on track.
Perhaps more importantly, students who complete high school and achieve all the learning
objectives set out for them will be ready for post-secondary education or the workforce with a
similar baseline of skills, making it easier for employers to identify truly qualified candidates.
4. Always changing
Finally, embracing curriculum is worthwhile for yourself and your students because it’s not
something static. Docs are regularly revisited and updated to reflect the current needs of
students and society at large.
These updates and changes are the results of collaboration and research. Your students will
benefit in major ways from the latest information and from having emphasis placed on the skills
that are really needed in today’s world.
Certain skills or learning goals may fall out of favor over time (hello, cursive writing!) and are
generally replaced with more pertinent goals. As a teacher, you know that there simply isn’t
enough time in a school year to learn everything. Thus, it’s especially important to zero in on
the most pressing needs and goals for students.
These days, tech skills are high on the list of needs. Students have to be tech-savvy in order to
do well in the modern world, and teachers and schools have a responsibility to prepare them
for just that (although, my six-year-old is probably surpassing me in the tech-savvy realm at this
point … Okay, so maybe we need to teach these basic skills so that our kids and students can
help us out with technology in a few years!).
The importance of curriculum development in enhancing teaching and learning
Another positive and important shift in curriculum has been one of global citizenship. Students
are learning more about how to exist and contribute in a world that is increasingly intertwined
and interconnected. Global issues affect everyone in a different manner than in the past.
Largely due to technology, we’re connected in a way that was not experienced by previous
generations, and students need to be able to navigate their role and journey in this global
community.
All this goes to show that curriculum must and does change regularly, making it an even more
essential foundation on which to base our teaching methods. By effectively using curriculum,
you’ll be helping your students stay on top of the latest in-demand skills and to have a more
coherent learning path.

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What is the relationship between the teacher and the curriculum?
Teacher-Curriculum Relationships
These relationships involve teachers becoming more aware of their practices, their student’s
learning, and the connection between their practices and their student’s learning. In other
words, the teacher is trying to ensure fit between student understanding and curriculum.
Regarding knowledge surveys, teachers would know they are providing a pedagogical tool that
supports learning and offers needed visibility for students.
In addition, once teachers have laid out course content in their knowledge surveys, they can
look ahead and anticipate which learning strategies would be the best match for upcoming
material. Realizing ahead of time the benefits of, let’s say, using structured group work for a
particular learning module, teachers could prepare themselves and their students for that type
of activity.
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The Importance of Teachers Involvement in Curriculum Development

Teachers cannot be taken for granted or viewed simply as skilled technicians who dutifully
realize a given set of teaching in accordance with the directives of a distant authority. Without
doubt, the most important person in the curriculum implementation process is the teacher.
With their knowledge, experiences and competencies, teachers are central to any curriculum
development effort. Better teachers support better learning because they are most
knowledgeable about the practice of teaching and are responsible for introducing the
curriculum in the classroom.

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Reasons why are Teachers are Important in the Implementation of Curriculum

 Teachers/educators are the major pillars in the teaching and learning

process.
 A teacher does more than just implement curriculum. While curriculum specialists,
administrators and outside education companies spend countless hours developing
curriculum it is the teachers who know best what the curriculum should look like.

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 Teachers know their students better than others involved in the curriculum process.
While the state often dictates the skills covered by the curriculum, a teacher can provide
insight into the types of materials, activities and specific skills that need to be included.
 A teacher can gauge whether an activity will fit into a specified time frame and engage
students. All teachers should be allowed to provide input during the creation stage.

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 Teachers must implement the curriculum in their own classroom sticking to the plan
that has taken so much time, careful planning and effort to create.
 Reflection on a curriculum allows teachers and others involved in the process to find any
weaknesses in the curriculum, and attempt to make it better.
 If another party has already developed the curriculum, the teachers have to make an effort to
know and understand it. So, teachers should be involved in curriculum development. For
example, teacher’s opinions and ideas should be incorporated into the curriculum for
development. On the other hand, the curriculum development team has to consider the
teacher as part of the environment that affects curriculum (Carl, 2009). Hence, teacher
involvement is important for successful and meaningful curriculum development. Teachers
being
the implementers are part of the last stage of the curriculum development process.

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The Teachers Role in Curriculum Development

The teacher involved in curriculum organization has many roles and responsibilities. Teachers
want to enjoy teaching and watching their students develop interests and skills in their interest
area. The teacher may need to create lesson plans and syllabi within the framework of the
given curriculum since the teacher's responsibilities are to implement the curriculum to meet
student needs (Carl, 2009). Many studies support empowerment of teachers through
participation of curriculum development. For example, Fullan (1991) found that the level of
teacher involvement as a center of curriculum development leads to effective achievement of
educational reform.

Therefore, the teacher is an important factor in the success of curriculum development

including the steps of implication and evaluation. Handler (2010) also found that there is a need
for teacher involvement in the development of curriculum. Teachers can contribute by
collaboratively and effectively working with curriculum development teams and specialists to
arrange and compose martial, textbooks, and content. Teacher involvement in the process of
curriculum development is important to align content of curriculum with students needs in the
classroom.

In short, no curriculum will be perfect, a finished product cast in stone, or free from criticism,
but to be effective it must be accepted by teachers and must be deemed educationally valid by
parents and the community at large (“Guide to curriculum development,” 2006). Curriculum
development should be viewed as a process by which meeting student needs leads to
improvement of student learning. In addition, it cannot be stagnant. Curriculum must be a living
document that is in constant flux. It must be adaptable to changes in the educational
community
and in society in general. Only then will it be able to be an effective change agent in the
educational process.

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Preparation for Teacher Involvement in Curriculum Development

Because teachers have to be involved in curriculum development, the teacher should be
provided with appropriate knowledge and skills that help them to effectively contribute in
curriculum development operation.

As a result, teachers need training and workshops, which are geared toward professional
development to be able to contribute to curriculum development. On the other hand, there is
an important point to make efficient in involvement teacher in curriculum development that is
teachers have to be empowered in the process of curriculum development (Carl, 2009). This
means teachers should have improvement and increasing in many points of them, such as
experience and autonomy. Thus, teachers play an integral part in the process of developing the
curriculum; then students’ outcomes.

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LESSON 1:
CURRICULUM IN SCHOOLS

The curriculum is implemented by teachers and depends on the quality of teaching and learning
strategies, learning materials and assessment. Only those teachers who are trainees can play an
effective role in defining and implementing the curriculum.

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Saber-Tooth Curriculum

A book written by Harold Benjamin (1939)

The book is a metaphorical and historical account of the development of an educational

system. This paper addresses, through the “lens” of Pediwell, the critical need to examine the
foundations of how curriculum and instruction evolve, and how we address learning to learn in
preparation for a lifetime of change in the 21st century.

It was said that the curriculum then, was seen as a tradition of organized knowledge taught in
schools of 19th century. And two centuries later, the concept of a curriculum has broadened to
include several modes of thoughts or experiences.

No formal, non-formal or informal education exists without a curriculum. Classrooms will be

empty with no curriculum. Teachers will have nothing to do, if there is no curriculum.
Curriculum is at the heart of the teaching profession. Every teacher is guided by some sort of
curriculum in the classrooms and in schools.
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What is saber tooth curriculum all about?

The Saber-Tooth Curriculum recounts how a Paleolithic school curriculum became obsolete
when the Ice Age came. The new conditions demanded a different curriculum to be taught to
the community so it might survive and prosper. However, all attempts to introduce relevant
skills into the curriculum met with stern opposition. “But that wouldn’t be education,” the
elders of the tribe argued when the subjects were suggested that would enable the tribe to
cope with living in the snowy wastes. The inevitable result was that the tribe did not survive!
Through his satire, Pediwell argued for the idea of learning to learn (or at least flexible and
transferable Neolithic skills) as an important dimension of any curriculum.

The Saber-Tooth Curriculum teaches us that a curriculum should preserve the past, but not be
limited by it. Integral to curricular and teaching success are program and experiences that
exemplify the design and organization of a “360-degree curricular focus” that engages, informs,
and creates an environment in which students study the principles of healthy interactions. This
permits the education programs and schools to focus attention on the development and
support of healthy, well-integrated human beings.

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In our current Philippine educational system, different schools are established in different
educational levels which have corresponding recommended curricula.

The educational levels are:

1. BASIC EDUCATION
 This level include KINDERGARTEN, GRADE 1 TO GRADE 6 FOR ELEMENTARY, and
for secondary, GRADE 7 TO GRADE 10 FOR JUNIOR HIGHSCHOOL, AND GRADE 11
TO GRADE 12 FOR SENIOR HIGHSCHOOL. Each of the levels has its specific
recommended curriculum. THE NEW Basic education levels are provided in the K
to 12 Enhanced Curriculum of 2013 of the Department of Education

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2. TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

 This is post-secondary technical vocational educational and training. For the
TechVoc tract in SHS of Deped, DepEd and TESDA work in close coordination.

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3. HIGHER EDUCATION
 This includes the Baccalaureate or Bachelor Degrees and the Graduate Degrees
(Masterate or Doctorate) which are under the regulation of the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED).

The Philippines has a national curriculum developed by the Department of Education. Schools in
the Philippines are divided into Kindergarten, Elementary, Secondary and Senior High, as also
implemented in Abu Dhabi Philippine schools. Compulsory core subjects in both Elementary
and Secondary schools include languages, Mathematics, Sciences, ICT, Physical Education and
the Arts. However, in Grades 7 and 8, Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) subjects are
also introduced. In Senior High schools, the choice of career track defines content of subjects;
typical tracks include Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, Sports, and Arts and Design.
Students select a specialization track based on their aptitude, interests and school provision.

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TYPES OF CURRICULA IN SCHOOLS

Recommended Curriculum
This refers to what scholars propose as the most appropriate curriculum for the learners.
Different professional organizations or various disciplines in different universities may propose
curriculum innovations or alternative curriculum content as a result of their researches and
societal trends.
All the curricula found in our schools are recommended. For Basic Education, these are
recommended by the Department of Education (DepEd), for Higher Education by Commission
on Higher Education (CHED) and Vocational Technical Education by Technical Education, Skills
Development Authority (TESDA). These three Government Agencies oversee and regulate
Philippine Education. The recommendations come in the form of memoranda or policy,
standards and guidelines. Other professional organizations or international bodies like UNESCO
also recommends curricula in schools.
This type of curriculum stems from what experts in education suggest. Recommended
curriculum can come from a variety of different sources, including nationally recognized
researchers, policy makers and legislators, and others. It focuses on the content; skill sets and
tools educators should prioritize in the classroom.
For example, in the Philippines, the curriculum being implemented by the Department of
Education (DepEd) or the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) is an example of a
recommended curriculum.

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Written Curriculum

This refers to the official curriculum embodied in approved state curriculum guides. It is the
curriculum prescribed by the government.
A written curriculum is what is formally put down in writing and documented for teaching.
These materials can include an educator’s instruction documents, films, text and other
materials they need. These materials come from the larger school district or the school itself.
Often, they contract or employ a curriculum specialist to develop a plan that meets specific
goals and objectives.
This includes documents based on the recommended curriculum. They come in a form of
course of study, syllabi, modules, books, instructional guides among others. A packet of this
written curriculum is the teacher’s lesson plan. The most recent written curriculum is the K to
12 for Philippine Basic Education.
Examples: the kindergarten curriculum standards, CHED Memorandum order no.20, series of
2013(for Gen. Education), TESDA modules and competencies, course of study, syllabi, modules,
books, instructional guides among others; lesson plan; and the K to 12 for Philippine Basic
Education.

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Taught Curriculum
This type of curriculum refers to how teachers actually teach. This is a less predictable and less
standardized type of curriculum because how an educator delivers material can vary from one
to the next. It can also change based on the types of tools a teacher has at their disposal. This
can include experiments, demonstrations and other types of engagement through group work
and hands-on activities. Taught curriculum is extremely critical for students in special education
or those who require another kind of specialized support.
From what has been written or planned, the curriculum has to be implemented or taught. The
teacher and learners will put life to the written curriculum. The skill of the teacher to facilitate
learning based on the written curriculum with the aid of instructional materials and facilities
will be necessary. The taught curriculum will depend on the teaching style of teacher and the
learning style of learners.
Whatever is being taught or an activity being done in the classroom is a taught curriculum.

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Supported Curriculum

A supported curriculum involves the additional tools, resources and learning experiences found
in and outside a classroom. These include textbooks, field trips, software and technology, in
addition to other innovative new techniques to engage students. Teachers and other individuals
involved with the course are also a component of the supported curriculum.
Supported curriculum is described asa support materials that the teacher needs to make
learning and teaching meaningful. These include print materials like books, charts, posters,
worksheets, or non-print materials like PowerPoint presentation, movies, slides, models,
realias, mock-ups, and other electronic illustrations. Supported curriculum also includes
facilities where learning occurs outside or inside the four-walled building. These include the
playground, science laboratory, audio-visual rooms, zoo, museums, market or the Plaza. These
are the places where authentic learning through direct experiences occurs.

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Assessed Curriculum

Taught and supported curricula have to evaluated to find out if the teacher has succeeded or
not in facilitating learning. In the process of teaching and end of every lesson or teaching
episode., an assessment is made. It can either be assessment for learning, assessment as
learning or assessment of learning. If the process is to find the progress of learning, then the
assessed curriculum is for learning, but if it is to find out how much has been learned or
mastered, then it is assessment of learning. In either way, such curriculum is the assessed
curriculum.

An assessed curriculum is also known as a tested curriculum. It refers to quizzes, tests and other
kinds of methods to measure students’ success. This can encompass a number of different
assessment techniques, including presentations, a portfolio, a demonstration as well as state
and federal standardized tests.
When students take a quiz or the mid-term and final exams, these evaluations are the so-called
assessed curriculum.

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Learned Curriculum
A learned curriculum refers to what students walk away with from a course. This includes the
subject matter and knowledge they learned from a course, but it can also include additional
changes in attitude and emotional wellbeing. Teachers need to shrink the gap between what
they expect students to learn and what students actually do learn.
How do we know if the student has learned?
We always believe that if a student changed behavior, he/she has learned. For example, from a
non-reader to a reader or from not knowing to knowing or from being disobedient to being
obedient. The positive outcome of teaching is an indicator of learning.
These are measured by tools in assessment, which can indicate the cognitive, affective and
psychomotor outcomes. Learned curriculum will demonstrate higher order and critical thinking
and lifelong skills.
A learning outcome can be manifested by what students can perform or do either in their
cognitive, affective,

(Slide 32)

Hidden Curriculum

This curriculum is not deliberately planned, but has a great impact on the behavior of the
learner.
Peer influence, school environment, media, parental pressures, societal changes, cultural
practices, and natural calamities are some factors that create the hidden curriculum. Teachers
should be sensitive and aware of this hidden curriculum. Teachers must have good foresight to
include this in the written curriculum, in order to bring to the surface what are hidden.
A hidden curriculum is often challenging for students from different backgrounds or cultures,
who can struggle to adjust or feel negatively judged. A hidden curriculum can also be influenced
by how money, time and resources are allocated within a school or school district. For example,
if students are taught French as part of their coursework, instead of Spanish or Arabic, their
takeaway may be that French is a more valuable language to learn.

In every teacher’s classroom, not all of these curricula may be present at one time. Many of
them are deliberately planned, like the recommended, written, taught, supported, assessed,
and learned curricula.

However, a hidden curriculum is implied, and a teacher may or may not be able to predict its
influence on learning. All of those have significant part on the life of the teacher as a facilitator
of learning and direct implication to the life of the learners.
Now, that we are fully aware that there are several types of curricula operating in every
teacher’s classroom, it is then very necessary to learn deeper and broader about the role of the
teacher in relation to the school curriculum.

Excluded Curriculum

The excluded curriculum is also known as the null curriculum. It refers to what content is not
taught in a course. Often an educator or curriculum specialist believes that a certain skill or
concept is less important or does not need to be covered. Sometimes what is left out,
intentionally or unintentionally, can shape students as much as what is included.
For example, students might not be taught about an ongoing debate among experts in the field
or not encouraged to think critically about a text.

For an educator or someone involved with the field, it’s critical to understand how these types
of curriculums work together, complement each other and overlap. Blending these approaches
and adopting a wide range of tools, resources and kinds of experiential learning is critical. This is
especially true for teachers who want to better reach more students in their classrooms.
For example, on its own, the assessed curriculum can seem one-dimensional. However, this is a
critical layer to add to the written and taught curriculum because it evaluates how successful
those curriculums are. Without an assessed curriculum, a teacher might not realize what
concepts students are struggling with. In addition to giving teachers, administrators and parents
insights, it also lets the student understand how well they are understanding what is being
taught and how they are progressing and growing.