NATURE AND SCOPE IF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Meaning of Curriculum:
The term curriculum has been derived from a Latin word 'Currere' which means a 'race course'
or a runway on which one runs to reach a goal. Accordingly, a curriculum is the instructional and
the educative programme by following which the pupils achieve their goals, ideals and aspirations
of life.
It is curriculum through which the general aims of a school education receive concrete
expression. Traditional concept-The traditional curriculum was subject-centered while the
modern curriculum is child and life-centered.
Modern Concept of Curriculum:
Modern education is the combination of two dynamic processes. The one is the process of
individual development and the other is the process of socialization, which is commonly known
as adjustment with the social environment.
Cunningham - "Curriculum is a tool in the hands of the artist (teacher) to mould his material
(pupils) according to his ideas (aims and objectives) in his studio (school)".
Morroe - "Curriculum includes all those activities which are utilized by the school to attain the
aims of education.
Crow and Crow - The curriculum includes all the learners' experience in or outside school that
are included in a programme which has been devised to help him developmentally emotionally,
socially, spiritually and morally.”
T.P. Nunn - "The curriculum should be viewed as various forms of activities that are grand
expressions of human spirit and that are of the greatest and most permanent significance to the
wide world".
Explicit curriculum - subjects that will be taught, the identified "mission" of the school, and the
knowledge and skills that the school expects successful students to acquire
Implicit curriculum - lessons that arise from the culture of the school and the behaviors, attitudes,
and expectations that characterize that culture
Null curriculum - topics or perspectives that are specifically excluded from the curriculum
Extra curriculum - school-sponsored programs intended to supplement the academic aspect of
the school experience.
Scope of curriculum
1. Goals: The benchmarks or expectations for teaching and learning often made explicit in the
form of a scope and sequence of skills to be addressed;
2. Methods: The specific instructional methods for the teacher, often described in a teacher's
edition;
3. Materials: The media and tools that are used for teaching and learning:
4. Assessment: The reasons for and methods of measuring student progress.

Nature of curriculum
1. The instructional programme as indicated by the course offerings to meet the varies
requirements of a vast heterogeneous population
2. The courses of study, embodying outlines of knowledge to be taught
3. All the experiences provided under the guidance of the school

Close examination of them reveals the difficulty in deciding the basic nature of curriculum.
1. Is it thought of as a programme and pattern of offerings?
2. Is thought of to be a content of courses?
3. Is it thought of to be experiences through which knowledge is communicated?

• Curriculum is that which makes a difference between maturity and immaturity, between
growth and stasis, between literacy and illiteracy, between sophistication (intellectual,
moral, social and emotional) and simplicity.
• It is the accumulated heritage of man's knowledge filtered through the prisms of
contemporary demands and pressures.
• It is that wisdom considered relevant to any age in any given location.
• It is that we choose from our vast amount of heritage of wisdom to make a difference in
the life of man.

Some issues in curriculum

Some of the issues in curriculum are scope, sequence and integration or balance.

• Scope relates to what should be taught or learned.

• Sequence relates to when different parts of the curriculum should be learned with respect
to the other parts of the curriculum.

• Integration relates to how different strands of a piece of curriculum relate to other things

• Continuity relates to how previous learning and future learning relate in terms of
cumulative effects of learning.

Scope
• Scope refers to the breadth of the curriculum- the content, learning experiences and
activities to be included in the curriculum.

• The scope can be arrived at by answering the following questions:

• What do young people need in order to succeed in the society?

• What are the needs of the locality, society, nation and world?

• What are the essentials of the discipline?

Sequence
Sequence relates to when different parts of the curriculum should be learned with respect to the
other parts of the curriculum.
 There are many ways in sequencing:
Simple to complex
Chronological
Easy to difficult
Developmental
Prerequisite learning away
Close at hand to far
Whole to parts
Easy to difficult
Known to unknown

Balance or integration
The curriculum should integrate:
1. Cognitive, affective and psychomotor objectives and abilities
2. Knowledge and experience
3. Objectives and content
4. Child's activity and needs with the society needs and activity.
It should be related to the social environment of the students

• Curriculum development is a comprehensive, ongoing, cyclical process

• to determine the needs of a group of learners;
• to develop aims or objectives for a program to address those needs;
• to determine an appropriate syllabus, course structure, teaching methods, and materials

Determinants of curriculum
The major determinants of curriculum are as follows:

• Individual needs
• Cultural change
• Social change
• Value system

Individual Needs
The curriculum is determined by the needs of the learner for physical development,
intellectual development, social development, moral development and aesthetic development.
A holistic development of the learner is possible through a curriculum.
Therefore, the needs of the learner are a major determinant of the curriculum.
Culture
Culture is the totality of one's customs, norms, values, beliefs, techniques and practices
that characterize social living.
This is an important determinant of curriculum.
The beliefs, values and norms held by and propagated by a society is instrumental in deciding the
different aspects of the curriculum.
Every society tries to preserve and transmit its culture and education is a potent tool in this
regard.
Curriculum is therefore a very significant force in deciding the experiences that are to be included
in the curriculum.
Social Changes

• A change in the life style of a group, a community or a society is called social change.
• Social change includes technological changes, economic changes, political changes and
changes in values.
• The technological changes cause change in the style of living and therefore influences the
curriculum accordingly.
• Economic changes demand changes in curriculum by bringing about change in
occupational structure.
• Political changes have an impact on curricula. The policies of the government decide the
core features of a curriculum.
Values System
Values play a crucial part in the formulation and implementation of educational ideologies.
Generally, two kinds of values enter into curriculum making. They are:

• Ultimate values that determine the aims and purposes of education

• Instrumental values that are related to the means of education.
The ultimate values and instrumental values of a society decides the type of curriculum
appropriate for it.
 MAJOR CONCEPTS OF CURRICULUM

TYPES OF CURRICULUMS

FORMAL CURRICULUM

• Formal instruction of the schooling experience.

• Explicit curriculum includes those things in textbooks.
• The written curriculum is an important component of authentic literacy- the ability to
read, write and think effectively.

➢ The overt curriculum is the open, or public, dimension and includes current
and historical interpretations, learning experiences, and learning outcomes.
➢ Textbooks, learning kits, lesson plans, school plays etc.

INFORMAL CURRICULUM

• Implicit curriculum has to do with how particular assumptions about schooling and
learning manifest practice.
• They are also learning and modifying attitudes, motives, and values in relationship to the
experiences...in the classroom.
• Hidden curriculum is a side effect of an education.

NULL CURRICULUM
• The null curriculum is what is not taught.
• The null curriculum is what a multi-faceted concept.
• We do not teach, thus giving students the message that these elements are not important in their
educational experiences or in our society

ACTUAL CURRICULUM
• This to both written and unwritten syllabuses from which students encounter learning
experiences.
-Tanner and tanner 1975

Formal, Informal = Actual

CHILD CURRICULUM

► Experience curriculum - Establishes the relationship between school and society.

► Activity curriculum - empowers students through ownership of knowledge.

LIMITATIONS:

✓ Content not specific.

✓ No common curriculum is possible.

✓Transforming the experiences into organized knowledge is difficult-no proper guidance is provided.
CORE CURRICULUM
• This not an independent type of curriculum.
• Compulsory course of study
• Its relationship between life and learning.
• History, political structure, democracy, cultural, family, science.

BROAD FIELD CURRICULUM

• Fused curriculum - is combining several specific areas into large fields/areas.

• Integrated curriculum - several courses have been merged into one.

"Environmental pollution"-chemistry, physics, biology, geography.

CORRELATED CURRICULUM

• In this type of curriculum different subject of school are taught by correlating each other.
• Mathematics and science

TASK CURRICULUM

• John Dewey has suggested this type of curriculum.

• kelpertrik has given project-method teaching for this curriculum.
• Mahatma Gandhi emphasized on basic education. (i.e) 3H-education Hand, Head and Heart.

INTENDED CURRICULUM

• It serves as a documented map of theories, beliefs and intentions about schooling, teaching and
knowledge evidence in the development of teacher proof curriculum.
• Processes, content, knowledge combined with the experiences and realities of the learner to
create new knowledge.

OBJECTIVE CURRICULUM

• B.S BIOOM has suggested this tri polar process educational objectives-learning experience
change behavior

EXTRA-MURAL CURRICULUM

• It refers to those learning activities or experiences students are exposed to by their teachers but
which are not stipulated in the formal or official curriculum.

PHANTOM CURRICULUM

• The message prevalent in and through exposure to media.

CONCOMITANT CURRICULUM
 • This type of curriculum may be received at church, in the content of religious expression, lessons
on values, ethics or morals, moulded behaviors, or social experiences-based preferences. on a
family's preferences

OCCUPATIONAL CURRICULUM

• On the content to be covered within the three learning components.

Learning Components

-Knowledge

-Practical skill

-Work experience

TESTED CURRICULUM

• What is tested is a limited part of what is intended by policy makers, taught by teachers and
learned by students.
• The test curriculum is that set of learning's that is assessed in teacher-made classroom tests; in
district-developed, curriculum-referenced tests and in standardized test.

E-CURRICULUM (Electronic Curriculum)

• Those lessons learned through searching the internet for information or through using e-forms of
communication.
• CD-ROM, network, internet, intranet, video, audio, animation, e-mails, FB, YouTube.
 Types of Curriculums Operating in Schools
1. Recommended Curriculum
2.Written Curriculum
3. Taught Curriculum
4. Supported Curriculum
5. Assessed Curriculum
6. Learned Curriculum
7. Hidden Curriculum
8. Concomitant Curriculum
9. Phantom Curriculum
10. Null

1. Recommended Curriculum

• Most of the curricula are recommended

• Proposed by scholars and professional organizations
• The curriculum may come from a national agency or any professional organization who has stake
in education

2. Written Curriculum

• Includes documents, course of study or syllabi for implementation.

• Most written curricula are made by curriculum experts with participation of teachers.
• An example of this is the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) and the written lesson plan of each
classroom teacher made up of objectives and planned activities of the teacher.

3. Taught Curriculum

• The different planned activities which are put into action in the classroom compose the taught
curriculum.
• These are varied activities that are implemented in order to arrive at the objectives or purposes
of the written curriculum.
• It varies according to the learning styles of the students and the teaching styles of the teacher.

4. Supported Curriculum

• In order to have a successful teaching, other than the teacher, there must be materials which
should support of help in the implementation of a written curriculum.
• Support curriculum includes material resources such textbooks, computers, audio-visual as
materials, laboratory equipment, playgrounds, zoos and other facilities.
• Support curriculum should enable each learner to achieve real and lifelong learning.

5. Assessed Curriculum
• This refers to a tested or evaluated curriculum.
• Series of evaluations are being done by the teachers at the duration and end of the teaching
episodes to determine the extent of teaching or to tell if the students are progressing.
• Assessment tools like pencil-and-paper tests, authentic instruments like portfolio are being
utilized.

6. Learned Curriculum

• This refers to the learning outcomes achieved by the students.

• Learning outcomes are indicated by the results of the tests and changes in behavior which can be
either cognitive, affective or psychomotor.

7. Hidden Curriculum

• This is the unintended curriculum which is not deliberately planned but ay modify behavior or
influence learning outcomes.
• Peer influence, school environment, physical condition, teacher-learner interaction, mood of the
teacher and many other factors make up the hidden curriculum,

8. Concomitant Curriculum

• Things that are experiences that taught at home; those are part of family's a experiences, or
related experiences sanctioned by the family.
• This type of curriculum may be received at church, in the context of religious expression, lessons
on values, ethics or morals, molded behaviors, or social experiences based on on a family's
preferences.

9. Phantom Curriculum
• The messages prevalent in and through exposure to media

10. Null

• Is what is not taught. Not teaching some particular idea or sets of ideas may be due to mandates
from higher authorities, to a teacher's lack of knowledge, or to deeply ingrained assumptions and
biases.
 Curriculum from Different Points of View

Fragmentary, Elusive and Confusing modes of thoughts, pedagogies, political as well as cultural
experiences.

1. Traditional Points of View of Curriculum

2. Progressive Points of View of Curriculum

1. Traditional Point of View

• In the early years of 20th century, the traditional concepts held of the "curriculum is that it is a
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

-Basic Education should emphasize the 3Rs and college education should be grounded on liberal
education.

Arthur Bestor

-Curriculum should focus on the fundamental intellectual discipline of grammar, literature and writing.

Joseph Schwab

-Curriculum should consist only of knowledge which comes from discipline which is the sole source.

2. Progressive Points of View

• Curriculum is defined as the total learning experiences of the individual. This definition is
anchored on John Dewey's definition of experience and education. He believed that reflective
thinking is a means that unifies curricular. Thought is not derived from action but tested by
application.

Caswell and Campbell

- Curriculum includes "all experiences children have under the guidance of teachers".

Marsh and Willis

-Curriculum includes all the "experiences in the classroom which are planned and entered by the teacher,
and also learned by the students."

Smith, Stanley and Shores

-Curriculum is the sequence of potential experiences set up in schools for the purpose of disciplining
children and youth in group ways of thinking and acting."
 Summary

1. Curriculum is a dynamic process.

2. Development connotes changes which are systematic

3. A change for the better means any alteration, modification or improvement of existing condition.
Curriculum Development

4. To produce positive changes, development should be purposeful planned, and progressive

PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION

Philosophy provides educators, teachers and curriculum makers with framework for planning,
implementing and evaluating curriculum in schools.

It helps in answering what school 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.

The philosophy of a curriculum planner, implementer or evaluator reflects his or her life experiences,
common beliefs, social and economic background and education.

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 Philo sophy
• Studies of Learners

Four Educational Philosophies

• Perennialism
• Essentialism
• Reconstructionism
• Progressivism

a. Perennialism
Aim of Education

• To educate the rational person;

• To cultivate the intellect

Role of Education

• Teachers help students think with reason

Focus in the Curriculum

• Classical subjects, literary analysis and curriculum is constant

Curriculum Trends

• Use of great books and return to liberal arts

b. Essentialism

Aim of Education

• To promote the intellectual growth of the individual and educate a competent person

Role of Education

• The teacher is the sole authority in his or her subject area or field of specialization.

Focus in the Curriculum

• Essential skills of the 3 R's and essential subjects of English, Science, History, Math and Foreign
Language.

Curriculum Trends

• Excellence in education, back to basics and cultural literacy

c. Progressivism

Aim of Education

• To promote democratic and social living

Role of Education

• Knowledge leads to growth and development of lifelong learners who actively learn by doing

Focus in the Curriculum

• Subjects are interdisciplinary, integrative and interactive. Curriculum is focused on students'

interests, human problems and affairs

Curriculum Trends

• School reforms, relevant and contextualizes curriculum, humanistic education

d. Reconstructionism

Aim of Education

• To improve and reconstruct the society

• Education for change

Role of Education

• Teachers act as agents of change and reform in various educational projects including research

Focus in the Curriculum

• Focus on present and future trends and issues of national and international interests.

Curriculum Trends

• Equality of educational opportunities in education; access to global education

What kind of philosophical approach should curriculum specialists adopt while planning
curriculum?
Philosophy provides the basis of curriculum planning. Curriculum specialists should adopt an eclectic
approach and base the curriculum on a philosophy, which is feasible and serves the interest of students
and society.

LEGAL FOUNDATIONS
The 1987
Philippine Constitution
ARTICLE XIV
Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture, and Sports

EDUCATION
The State must provide quality education for all and does everything to reach out the farthest community
to educate each citizen of the country for free as much as possible. Provision for formal and informal
education in all kinds of citizen must be offered to respond to the needs of each individual and the society.
All educational institutions public, private, sectarian or non-sectarian must include the study of
constitutions and religion to promote nationalism, patriotism and inculcate values. Teaching and non-
teaching personnel have their own role to be educator on their own way. Everybody is free to choose the
course to be taken up in college as long as it is within its ability and capacity.

LANGUAGE
The national language of the Philippines is Filipino and it must be learned further than other language
evolves within the country. English is provided to facilitate instruction and further communication. Other
languages such as such Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on a voluntary and optional basis.
Researches must lead to development and preservation of Filipino and other languages.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Science and technology are essential for national development and progress. The State has to give priority
to research and development, invention, innovation, and their utilization; and to science and technology
education, training, and services. It must support indigenous, appropriate, and self- reliant scientific and
technological capabilities, and their application to the country's productive systems and national life.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
Psychological Foundation of Curriculum – Psychology provides a basis for the teaching and
learning process. It unifies the elements of the learning process and some of the question which
can be addressed by psychological foundation of education.

Three major groups of learning theories:

1. Behaviorist Psychology
2. Cognitive Psychology
3. Humanistic Psychology

Behaviorist Psychology – Learning should be organized in order that students can experiences
success in 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 psychologist as
simplistic and mechanical.

Cognitive Psychology – To the cognitive theorist, learning constitutes a logical method for
organizing and interpreting learning. Learning to the cognitive development theory. Teachers use
a lot of problems and thinking skills in teaching and learning, Theses are exemplified by practices
like reflective thinking, creative learning, intuitive thinking, discovery leaning and many more.

Humanistic Psychology – Humanist Psychologist are concerned with how learners can develop
their human potential; the process not the product; personal needs not the subject matter;
psychological meaning and environmental situations.

With which philosophy does humanist psychology overlap? It is based on EXISTENTIALIST

The psychologist foundation will help curriculum makers in nurturing a more ADVANCED, more
COMPREHENSIVE and COMPLETE human learning.

HISTORICAL – SOCIOLOGICAL FOUDATIONS

Historical Foundations of Curriculum- The historical development shoes the different changes
in the purposes, principles and content of the curriculum. The different changes are influences by
educational philosophy, psychology and pedagogical theories. This implies that curriculum is ever
changing putting in knowledge and content from many fields of discipline.

CURRICULUM THEORISTS
• Franklin Bobbit (1876-1956) – presented curriculum as a science that emphasizes on
• Warren Charters (1875-1952) – considered curriculum also as a science which is based
on students need and the teacher plan the activities.
• William Kilpatrick (1871-1965) – viewed the curriculum as purposeful activities which
are child centered. The purpose of curriculum is child development and growth.
• Harold Rugg (1886-1960) – curriculum should develop the whole child. He emphasized
social studies in the curriculum and the teacher plans the lesson advance.
• Hollis Caswell (1901-1989) sees curriculum as organized around social functions of
themes, organized knowledge and learner’s interests.
• Ralph Tyler (1902-1994) – believes that curriculum is a science and an extension of school
philosophy.

Why is history considered as the foundations of the modern curriculum? The civil rights
movements and technology change the face of the 20th century classroom. In the 1990s, the
computers invade the classroom around the world and now it the most important part of the
curriculum.

SOCIAL FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

School exists within the social content. Societal culture affects and shapes schools and their
curricula. In considering the social foundation of curriculum, we must recognize that school are
only one of the many institutions that educates society. The home, the family, community, likewise
educate the people in the society. But schools are formal institutions that address more complex
and interrelated societies and the world. Society as ever dynamic is a source of a very fast changes
which are difficult to cope with and to adjust to. Thus, school are made to help to understand these
changes. In order for school 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 be reflecting and preserve
the culture of society and its aspiration, At the same time, society should also imbibe the changes
brought about by the formal institutions called school.

Considering the changing contemporary society, we can consider: Structure of Family, Cultural
Diversity and Growth of Technology

CURRICULUM PLANNING
Why plan in the first place?
• Decide how and where to set priorities in the use of limited human and economic
resources.
• Decide how to accomplish not only your short-range goal but also your medium and long-
range goals.
• Build on strong and successful parts of the program. As well as to identify and improve
the weak parts.
• Reach agreements in the school community about what to do and how to do it.

Curriculum Planning – Is the process whereby the advance arrangement of learning opportunities
for a particular population of learners is created.

Needs and importance of Curriculum planning

• The need for exactness and Particularity in making decisions about ends and means
demands scientific curriculum planning.
• Curriculum planning develop well-coordinated quality teaching, learning and assessment
programs, which build student’s knowledge, skills and behaviors in the disciplines as well
as their interdisciplinary and/or physical, personal and social capacities.
• The full range of learning needs of students are addressed.

The bases of curriculum planning

• History
• Philosophy
• Social forces
• Psychology
• Religion
• Contemporary Issues

Lack of curriculum planning and framework will result to

• Sari-sari (hodgepodge)
• Pira-piraso (piemal)
• Tagpi-tagpi (patchwork)
• Sabog (lack of focus)
• Malabo (vague)
• Lakas ng kutob (gutfeel)
• Hula-hula (hunches)
• Gaya-gaya (Patterned from an existing model)
• Bahala na (by chance)
• Patama-tama (non-deliberate)
2 Major issues as to who plans the curriculum
1. National or state and local curriculum control
2. Relationship of laymen, academic scholars and elementary school and secondary school
and collegiate educators in curriculum planning, parents and etc.

National or state and local curriculum control – The existing uniformity and the national
influences in the curriculum are frequently cited as an argument for stringer national curriculum
control. However, many curriculum leaders have observed that the real progress in curriculum
development is on a broken front. Schools do not achieve minimum or other standards at the same
time. Neither do they develop with equal interest and success new venture in the curriculum. Due
to recognition to the role of local and regional experimentation in curriculum development must
be granted.

Role of stakeholders in curriculum implementation.

• Stakeholders are individual or institutions that are interested in school curriculum.
• These stakeholders shape the school curriculum implementation.

LEARNERS as the center of the curriculum

• The learner is places at the center.
• The learners are the very reason a curriculum is developed. They are the ones who are
directly influenced by it. Learners in all levels make or unmake the curriculum by their
active and direct involvement.

TEACHER as curriculum developers and implementers.

• A teacher is a curriculum maker. He/she writes a curriculum daily through lesson plan, a
unit plan or a yearly plan.
• The teachers address the goals, needs, interests of the learners by creating experiences from
where the students can learn.
• The teacher design, enriches and modifies the curriculum to suit the learner’s
characteristics.
• As a curriculum developer, teachers are part of textbooks, committees, faculty selection
boards, school evaluation committee or textbook writers themselves.

From a designers or technician to a decision maker.

• Teacher’s role shifts from a developer to an implementer.
• Which of the plans should be put in to action and how should it be done are decisions which
the teachers should make.
• Curriculum implementation is now giving life to the written materials. To do this, there is
the need of another actor, the learners. No curriculum will success without the learners.
Some of the considerations teachers should have in curricular implementation
• Choice of the activities.
• Methods to be utilized
• Materials to be used

A student’s view about the teacher as a curriculum maker and implementer.

• Teacher shapes the school curriculum by sharing the experiences that they have and the
resources they are capable of giving or imparting to the learners.
• But as the old saying goes. “what can you give if you have nothing to give? Applies to this
demand of teachers in curriculum implementation” –Marianna
Curriculum managers and administrators
• In a school organization, there is always a curriculum manager or school administrator, in
fact, for school principals, one of their functions is being a curriculum manager.
• They supervise curriculum implementation select and recruit new teachers, admit students,
procure equipment and materials needed for effective learning. They also plan for the
improvement of school facilities and physical plants.
Why are school administrators and curriculum managers important to curriculum
implantation?
• The school administrators play an important role in shaping the school curriculum because
that are the people who are responsible in the formulation of the school’s vision,
philosophy, mission and objectives.
• They provide necessary leadership in evaluating teaching personnel and school program.
Keeping records of curriculum and reporting learning outcomes are also manager’s
responsibilities. –Ceres

PARENTS as part of the curriculum planning

• Effective parental involvements in school affairs may be linked to parent educational
programs which is central to high quality educational experiences of the children.
• The parent’s involvements extend from the confine of the school to the homes. The parents
become the part of the environment of learning at home.
• In most school the parents Association is organized. This organization is provided by law.

2 factors in curriculum planning

1. Identifying relevant substantive decisions at increasing levels of specificity and precisions.
2. Checking for consistency between and among the ends and means decisions by a two-way
process of derivation and evaluation at each stage and by referring to data sources for basic
information.

Characteristics of curriculum planner

• Open-minded
• Willing to listen
• Ready to Adapt
Open-minded – Is an indispensable characteristic in those who plan the curriculum.
Understanding of the values of the past practices and of school community and traditions is
important. Must analyze and evaluate all aspects of the programs of school to make certain in
providing the best program. And to avoid hindering the acceptance of new ideas
Willing to listen – Well-founded criticisms on the curriculum and education must be listened to
by the curriculum planners. Remediation of the curriculum ills strengthen the school program.
Ready to adapt - There is a wisdom adopting relevant foreign educational practices and must be
not resist change and experimentation. Curriculum leaders should critically and thoroughly
educational practices in other countries seeking new plans, methods and programs that will be
useful in improving the curriculum of our country.

The use of research in curriculum planning – research affects curriculum in many ways.
1. Sound proposal presented for considerations, hypotheses to be tested by actual tryout in
school programs.
2. People who are engaged in curriculum planning can do their jobs effectively because they
are aware of the latest or least review, related studies about the curriculum change and etc.
 ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM PLANNING AND CURRICULUM CONTENT
Elements of Curriculum
• Aims and Objectives
• Content
• Evaluation
• Teaching strategies

Definition of Content - Content is defined as “Information to be learned in school, another term

for knowledge (a collection of facts, concepts, generalization, principles, theories)”. Content
comes in any from; (audio, text, and video) and it informs, entrains, enlightens or teaches people
who consume it.

Subject-Centered view of Curriculum - The fund of human knowledge represents the repository
of accumulated discoveries and inventions of man down the centuries, due to man’s exploration
of the world.

Learner-Centered view of curriculum - Relates knowledge to the individual’s personal and

social world and how he or she defines reality. Jerome Burner: “Knowledge is a model we
construct to give meaning and structure

Purpose of Content
• To help organize materials
• To help a sequential relationship of material
• To present material basic to a general understanding of a course
• To furnish a source of valuable information
• To present application

Content is:
• United with the goals and objectives of the basic education curriculum
• Responds to the needs of the learner
• Includes cognitive skill and affective elements
• Fully and deeply covers the essential to avoid “mile-wide-and-inch-deep” impression
• That is of use to the learners
• That is practical and achievable
• Facts are basic in the structure of cognitive subject matter. But content must go beyond
facts
• Working out a process of conceptual understanding means teaching and learning beyond
facts. This can be done by the use of the thematic or integrated approach
• Subject matter content integrates the cognitive, skill, and affective components
• The cognitive content includes facts, concept, principles, hypothesis, theories, and laws
• The skill component dwells on thinking skill and manipulative skills

Criteria for Content Selection

• Self – Sufficiency - According to Scheffler (1970) the prime guiding principle for the
content selection is helping the learners to attain maximum self-sufficiency in learning but
in the most economical manner.
• Economy - Means less teaching effort and educational resources, less learner’s effort but
more results and effective learning outcomes.
• Significance - Content or subject matter will contribute to basic ideas, concepts, principles,
and generalization to achieve the overall aim of the curriculum. It will develop learning
abilities, skills, processes, and attitude. It will develop the cognitive, effective, and
psychomotor skills of the learners. The cultural aspects will be considered
• Relevance to life - Learning experience must be related to the learner’s real-life situations
in and out of school
• Variety - Learning experiences must cater to the needs of different types of learners by
providing different types of experiences
 • Suitability - Learning experiences must be suitable to the learner’s present state of learning
and characteristics
• Validity - It relates to the authenticity pf the content selected. This refers to the relevance
of the stated learning experience to the stated goals of the curriculum Means two things, is
the content related to the objectives, and is the content true or authentic
• Interest - The content should suit the personality and intellectual capabilities of the
students. Is the content interesting to the learner? Or can the content be made interesting to
the learners?
• Utility - It is concerned with the usefulness of the content. Here the question is whether
the content selected is useful i.e., will lead to the acquisition of skills and knowledge that
are considered useful by society? Is the content selected such that learners can learn and
understand given their present level?
• Learnability - These criteria emphasizes on the optimal placement and appropriate
organization and sequencing of the content
• Feasibility - It compels the planners to analyze and examine the content in the light of the
time and resources available to the students, costs involved, socio-political climate, etc.

Other considerations that may be used in the selection of the learning content
As a guide, subject matter or content can be selected for use if these are:
a. Frequently and commonly used in daily life
b. Suited to the maturity levels and abilities of students
c. Valuable in meeting the needs and the competencies of a future career
d. Related with other subject areas
e. Important in the transfer of learning

Organization of the content

• It demands a thorough understanding of the teaching learning process
• Important aspects for this are:
a. Sequencing – it means putting the content and materials into some sort of order of
succession.
b. Continuity - content should provide continuity in learning and prevent loss through
forgetting. The students should be provided with experiences step by step.
c. Integration – learning is more effective when facts and principles from one field can
be related to another, especially when applying knowledge.

Selecting and Organizing Content

• Planning curriculum similar to guided tour
• Various of how to reach destination (broad program goals)
• Planning itinerary in advance aids in avoidance of confusion—saves time
• Broadest level involves selecting, structuring subject matter to be taught to reach broad
program goals
• Learning becomes development pf a series of connections among concepts that holds real
meaning and relevance for learner

Subject areas and its learning content

1. Communication arts - Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and effective use of
language.
2. Mathematics - Numeric and computational skills, geometry and measurement, algebra,
logic, and reasoning.
3. Science - All branches of natural sciences, exploration and discovery dealing with natural
phenomena and scientific investigation
4. Social Studies - Basic elements of Geography, History, Sociology, Anthropology,
Economics, Civics, Political Science, and Psychology
 5. Music - Basic music theory, practice in listening, singing, playing musical instrument, and
music preparation.
6. Physical Education - Health and physical fitness, individual team sports, spectatorship
and wise use of leisure.
7. Vocational Education – Psychomotor and manipulative skills in basic crafts and trades,
design, work ethic and appreciation of manual productive work.

APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM DESIGN

The Six (6) Features of a Curriculum
1. The Teacher
2. The Learners
3. Knowledge, Skills, Values
4. Strategies and Methods
5. Performance
6. Community Partners

Who Teaches? The Teacher

• Quality education requires quality teachers
• Good teachers bring a shining light into the learning environment
• Ideal companions of the learners
• With advances in communication technology, good teachers are needed to sort out the
knowledge from the information from the data that surround the learners and from the
wisdom from the knowledge

Whom do the teachers teach? The Learners

• They are the center stage in the educative process
• The most important factor in the learning environment
• There is no teaching without them
• Their diverse background should be accepted
• Their needs should be addressed and met
• They should be provided with learning opportunities and varied experiences

What do the Teachers teach? Knowledge, Skills, Values

• A “Curriculum Oriented to tomorrow” should be designed to help learners cope with the
rapid changes
• Educational process should lie not only in what they learn, but how they learn and how
good they will be in continuing to learn after they leave school
• Teachers should prepare his/her syllabus or a course of study as his vehicle for instruction
• Learning goals, instructional procedures are content must be clearly explained to students
• There must be balance of theory and practice
• Learner’s sustained interest in the subject should be made meaningful and relevant

How do teachers teach? Strategies and Methods

• Teachers should remember that there is no best strategy that could work in a million of
different student background and characteristics
• Teachers must use appropriate methodologies, approaches and strategies “capped with
compassionate and winsome nature” to objectives of the lesson
• Teachers should select teaching methods, learning activities and instructional materials or
resources appropriate to learners and aligned to objectives of the lesson
• Situations should be created to encourage learners to use higher order thinking skills
 • Utilize information derived from assessment to improve teaching and learning and adopt a
culture of excellence

How much teaching was learned? Performance

• Knowledge, skills and values to be developed by the learners serve as guiding post of the
teachers
• At the end of the teaching act, it is necessary to find out if the objectives set were
accomplished (in curriculum, these are called “learning outcomes”)
• These learning outcomes indicate both the performance of both the teacher and the students
• Learning outcomes are the product of performance of the learners as a result of teaching
• Performance is a feature of a curriculum that should be given emphasis
• The curriculum is deemed to be successful if the performance of the learners is higher than
the target set
• If the performance is low, then it follows that the curriculum has failed
• A good curriculum is one that results in high or excellent performance

With whom do we teach? Community Partners

• Teaching is a collaborative undertaking
• To be effective, teachers must draw upon the resources of their environment even if they
are the focal point in the learning process
• Teachers must establish relationship with parents, NGO’s, and their stakeholders
• Partnership is a means and not an end to be pursued
• An absence of partnership often means a poor definition of education ends
• As society changes, teachers will have a new beginning. An opportunity to recast their roles
in their communities, to change their attitude to their communities, to challenge the attitude
of their communities and societies about them

Approaches to Curriculum Design - The three major curriculum design models are the
implemented through the different approaches that are accepted by the teachers and curriculum
practitioners. How the design is utilized becomes the approach to the curriculum.

Child or Learner-Centered Approach

• This approach to curriculum design is based on the underlying philosophy that the child is
the center of the educational process
• Curriculum is constructed based on the needs, interests, purposes, and abilities of the
learners
• Curriculum is also built upon the learner’s knowledge, skills, learning, and potentials
This approach considers the following:
• A new respect for the child is fundamental
• A new freedom of action is provided
• The whole activity is divided into units of work
• The recognition of the need for using and exploring many media for self-discovery and
self-direction is embraced
Subject-Centered Approach - Anchored on the curriculum design which prescribes different and
separate subjects into one broad field.
This approach considers the following:
• The primary focus is the subject matter
• The emphasis is on bits and pieces of information which are detached from life
• The continuing pursuit of learning outside the school is not emphasized. Learning should
only take place inside the classroom
• The subject matter serves as means of identifying problems in living

Problem-Centered Approach – This approach is based on a curriculum design which assumes

that in the process of living, children experience problems. Thus, problem solving enables the
learners to become increasingly able to achieve complete or total development as individuals.
This approach is characterized by the following views and beliefs:
• The learners are capable of directing and guiding themselves in resolving problems, thus
they become independent learners
• The learners are prepared to assume their civic responsibilities through direct participation
in different activities
• The curriculum leads the learners in the recognition of concerns and problems and in
seeking solutions. The learners are considered problem solvers