MODULE 1

CURRICULUM AND THE TEACHER

Module Introduction:
The goal of a successful educational program and thus effective curriculum development
should be to meet the needs and current demands of the culture, the society, and the expectations
of the population being served. Therefore, curriculum development and the educational reform
process continually under goes review, revision, and constant change (Johnson, 2001).
Curriculum development can be challenging, therefore the involvement of all stakeholders,
especially individuals who are directly involved in student instruction, are a vital piece in
successful curriculum development and revision (Johnson, 2001).
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. 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.
DAY 1
LESSON NO. 1
LESSON TITLE Curriculum in School
DURATION/HOUR 3 Hours
Specific Learning At the end of this lesson, the students have:
Outcomes:  Grasped the different curricula that exist in the schools
 Enhanced understanding of the role of the teacher a a curricularist
 Analyzed the significance of curriculum and curriculum development in the
teacher’s classroom.

TEACHING LEARNINGACTIVITIES

Activity: Take off

Have you read “The Sabre-Tooth Curriculum by Harold Benjamin (1939)? Take some time to read it and
find out what curriculum is all about during those times. Search story in the internet then answer the following
questions:

1. Does the Sabre-tooth Curriculum still exist at present? Give examples of your evidence.
Answer:
For me yes, the saber tooth curriculum still exists until now because our educational system
teaches students on how to do particular tasks on their own and we let them do the things which
can help them to use their minds as well as their skills.

2. Describe the curriculum that exists as described in the article.

Answer:
The curriculum that was being described on the article actually expresses a message in a
form of the premise “we should teach them on how to catch a fish using their hands rather than
using a net.” In which it implies that we teachers/future teachers, we must teach the young on how
 to manipulate their cognitions, we should let them think and we should let them do things on their
own rather than treating them with all their needs and wants.

3. What does the author mean, when he said “ A curriculum should be timeless?” Explain.
Answer:
It simply means that our education system should fit with the needs of the time and serve a
purpose. Ultimately, these curricular decisions should be made by our society to fit our needs,
rather than by individual teachers, school buildings, or districts.

4. What is the significance of curriculum in a classroom?

Answer:
The importance of curriculum in a classroom it enhancing teaching and learning and give
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.

Analysis:
Let us know how far you have known about curriculum?

1. What is curriculum of today’s Philippine Education?

Answer: The new curriculum education of Philippines is a K to 12 Program covers kindergarten
and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of junior high school,
and two years of senior high school [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and
skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills
development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

2. Why is curriculum keeps on changing?

Answer: Curriculum needs to change because everything changes.  The classroom is not a bubble. 
In fact, it is the best place to reflect on and learn from what is going on in the world. Curriculum
needs to change because technology advances that have occurred outside of the classroom have
a huge impact on what happens inside the classroom.

In our current Philippine education system, different schools are established in different educational levels
which have corresponding recommended curricula. The educational levels are:
 Basic Education
 Technical Vocational Education
 Higher Education

Answer what is asked:

1. Describe each educational level.
Answer: Basic Education, Technical Vocational Education and Higher Education.

2. What are the levels of Basic Education?

Answer: This level includes kindergarten, Grade 1 to 6 for elementary, and for secondary, Grade 7 to 10, for
the Junior High School and Grade 11 and 12 and for the Senior High School. Each of the levels has its
specific recommended curriculum.

3. What are the programs you knew under Tech-Voc Ed?

Answer: For the Tech Voc track in Senior High School (SHS) TVL – HE and ICT of DepEd, DepEd and
TESDA work in close coordination.
 4. What are the programs you knew under Higher Education?
Answer: It includes the Bachelor Degrees and the Graduate Degrees ( Masterate and Doctorate).

5. Are post studies included in CHED?

Answer: The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) oversees both public and private higher
education institutions as well as degree-granting programs in all post-secondary educational
institutions in the country related to accreditation, quality assurance and active partnership and
support for professional advancement of the Philippines Higher Education sector.

Abstraction:
In whatever levels of schooling and in various types of learning environment, several curriculums exist. Allan
Glatthorn (2000) as mentioned in Bilbao, et al (2008) classified them as Types of Curricula in Schools.

The following represents the many different types of curriculum used in

schools today
In every classroom, there are several types of operating curricula.
Type of Curriculum Definition

1. Overt, explicit, or Is simply that which is written as part of formal instruction of

written curriculum schooling experiences. It may refer to a curriculum
document, texts, films, and supportive teaching materials
that are overtly chosen to support the intentional
instructional agenda of a school. Thus, the overt
curriculum is usually confined to those written
understandings and directions formally designated and
reviewed by administrators, curriculum directors and
teachers, often collectively.

2. Societal As defined by Cortes (1981). Cortes defines this curriculum

curriculum (or social as:…[the] massive, ongoing, informal curriculum of family,
curricula) peer groups, neighborhoods, churches, organizations,
occupations, mass media, and other socializing forces that
“educate” all of us throughout our lives. 24

This type of curricula can now be expanded to include the

powerful effects of social media (YouTube; Facebook; Twitter;
Pinterest, etc) and how it actively helps create new
perspectives, and can help shape both individual and public
opinion.

3. The That which is implied by the very structure and nature of

hidden/implicit/cover schools, much of what revolves around daily or established
t curriculum routines.

Longstreet and Shane (1993) offer a commonly accepted

 definition for this term – the “hidden curriculum,” which refers
to the kinds of learnings children derive from the very nature
and organizational design of the public school, as well as from
the behaviors and attitudes of teachers and administrators…. ”
46

Examples of the hidden curriculum might include the

messages and lessons derived from the mere organization of
schools — the emphasis on: sequential room arrangements;
the cellular, timed segments of formal instruction; an annual
schedule that is still arranged to accommodate an agrarian
age; disciplined messages where concentration equates to
student behaviors were they are sitting up straight and are
continually quiet; students getting in and standing in line
silently; students quietly raising their hands to be called on;
the endless competition for grades, and so on. The hidden
curriculum may include both positive or negative messages,
depending on the models provided and the perspectives of the
learner or the observer.

In what I term floating quotes, popularized quotes that have no

direct, cited sources, David P. Gardner is reported to have
said: We learn simply by the exposure of living. Much that
passes for education is not education at all but ritual. The fact
is that we are being educated when we know it least.

4. The null That which we do not teach, thus giving students the message
curriculum that these elements are not important in their educational
experiences or in our society. Eisner offers some major points
as he concludes his discussion of the null curriculum. The
major point I have been trying to make thus far is that schools
have consequences not only by virtue of what they do teach,
but also by virtue of what they neglect to teach. What students
cannot consider, what they don’t processes they are unable to
use, have consequences for the kinds of lives they lead. 103

Eisner (1985, 1994) first described and defined aspects of this

curriculum. He states: There is something of a paradox
involved in writing about a curriculum that does not exist. Yet,
if we are concerned with the consequences of school
programs and the role of curriculum in shaping those
consequences, then it seems to me that we are well advised
to consider not only the explicit and implicit curricula of
schools but also what schools do not teach. It is my thesis that
what schools do not teach may be as important as what they
do teach. I argue this position because ignorance is not simply
a neutral void; it has important effects on the kinds of options
one is able to consider, the alternatives that one can examine,
and the perspectives from which one can view a situation or
 problems. …97

From Eisner’s perspective the null curriculum is simply that

which is not taught in schools. Somehow, somewhere, some
people are empowered to make conscious decisions as to
what is to be included and what is to be excluded from the
overt (written) curriculum. Since it is physically impossible to
teach everything in schools, many topics and subject areas
must be intentionally excluded from the written curriculum. But
Eisner’s position on the “null curriculum” is that when certain
subjects or topics are left out of the overt curriculum, school
personnel are sending messages to students that certain
content and processes are not important enough to study.
Unfortunately, without some level of awareness that there is
also a well-defined implicit agenda in schools, school
personnel send this same type of message via the hidden
curriculum. These are important to consider when making
choices. We teach about wars but not peace, we teach about
certain select cultures and histories but not about others. Both
our choices and our omissions send messages to students.

5. Phantom The messages prevalent in and through exposure to any

curriculum type of media. These components and messages play a
major part in the enculturation of students into the
predominant meta-culture, or in acculturating students into
narrower or generational subcultures.

6. Concomitant What is taught, or emphasized at home, or those experiences

curriculum that are part of a family’s 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 the family’s preferences.)

7. Rhetorical or Elements from the rhetorical curriculum are comprised from

Recommended ideas offered by policymakers, school officials,
curriculum administrators, or politicians. This curriculum may also
come from those professionals involved in concept
formation and content changes; or from those educational
initiatives resulting from decisions based on national and
state reports, public speeches, or from texts critiquing
outdated educational practices. The rhetorical curriculum
may also come from the publicized works offering updates
in pedagogical knowledge.

8. Curriculum-in-use The formal curriculum (written or overt) comprises those

or Taught curriculum things in textbooks, and content and concepts in the district
 curriculum guides. However, those “formal” elements are
frequently not taught. The curriculum-in-use is the actual
curriculum that is delivered and presented by each teacher.
From what has been written or planned, the curriculum has to
be taught or implemented.

9. Received or Those things that students actually take out of classrooms;

Learned curriculum those concepts and content that are truly learned and
remembered.The positive outcome of teaching is an
indicator of learning.

10. The internal or Processes, content, knowledge combined with the

assessed curriculum experiences and realities of the learner to create new
knowledge. While educators should be aware of this
curriculum, they have little control over the internal curriculum
since it is unique to each student. Educators can explore this
curriculum by using instructional assessments like “exit slips,”
reflective exercises, or debriefing discussions to see what
students really remember from a lesson. It is often very
enlightening and surprising to find out what has meaning for
learners and what does not.

11. The electronic or This is described as support materials that the teachers
Supported need to make teaching and learning more meaningful.
curriculum
Those lessons learned through searching the Internet for
information, or through using e-forms of communication.
(Wilson, 2004) These types of curriculum may be either
formal or informal, and inherent lessons may be overt or
covert, good or bad, correct or incorrect depending on
ones’ views. Students who use the Internet and electronic
media on a regular basis, both for recreational and
informational purposes, are bombarded with all types of
media and messages. What types of messages are they
being exposed to through varied social media and online
interactions?
When they are researching subjects and topics online and
gathering information they are often bombarded with all
types of ads, images and messages. Much of this
information may be factually correct, informative, or even
entertaining or inspirational. But there is also a great deal
of other e-information that may be very incorrect, dated,
passé, biased, perverse, or even manipulative.

The implications of the electronic curriculum for educational

practices are that part of the overt curriculum needs to
include lessons on how to be wise consumers of
information, how to critically appraise the accuracy
 and correctness of e-information, as well as how to
determine the reliability of electronic sources. Also,
students need to learn how to be artfully discerning
about the usefulness and appropriateness of certain
types of information.

As well, when it comes to social media and interactions just

like other forms of social interaction, students need to know
that there are inherent lessons to be learned about
appropriate and acceptable “netiquette” and online
behaviors, to include the differences between “fair and
legal usage,” vs. plagiarism and information piracy.

In today’s world, of all the types of curriculum listed on this

page, the electronic curriculum needs to be actively
appraised, discussed, and considered by today’s
educators.

Application:

Directions:
1. Google from Youtube any classroom activity/ demonstration teaching video to observe a classroom
situation.
2. Focus your observation on the presence or absence of the types of curricula and their descriptions. Record
your observations using the matrix provided.

TYPE OF CURRICULUM WHAT OBSERVATIONS DID I GET?

- The curriculum is recommended by the basic education since
1. Recommended
the teacher is using a curriculum under DepEd.
- This curriculum is present in a way that the teacher writes his
2. Written
lesson plan under the curriculum he is using.
- The formal curriculum is also present because the written
curriculum is being taught by the teacher and the contents
3. Taught
from the curriculum guide is being taught and presented to the
students.
- The whole demonstration is supported with the materials and
the teacher shown different materials for the motivation and
4. Supported/Electronic
assessment. The teacher also used an electronic material as
support during the discussion and assessment.
- The teacher presented activities or assessment that will
5. Assessed
weigh the learning of the students.
- The curriculum being used by the teacher includes learning
that will take the students into the community and even at
home. The teacher is using a curriculum that the students
6. Learned learned an integrated value such as “Pro-People and Pro-
Nation” and it will be a knowledge/skill that is truly learned by
the students.

7. Societal/Social - The content of the lesson requires using of social media such
as youtube and google. There are also a group activities and
 discussion as a group.

3. Be guided with these questions for observations column in the table above:

1. What curricula are present in the classroom from my observation?

Answer:
Based on the demonstration video, the present curricula are recommended, written, taught,
supported or electronic, assessed, learned and societal or social curricula.

2. How do I describe what I observed?

Answer:
I can say that the whole demonstration is using a formal curriculum, where the teacher plans
and write the curriculum, implement and evaluate the curriculum.

3. Is there a type of a curricula not present in the classroom? Identify.

Answer:
There are some curricula that is not present in the demonstration, such as hidden, null,
phantom, and concomitant curriculum.

Self-Reflection:
Is it necessary for teachers to learn about school curriculum? Why? Write your answer on space below:

Answer:
Yes, because the teachers should be knowledgeable about school curriculum. They are the central
to any curriculum implementation process and should equip with knowledge, competencies and
experiences. They should be an effective teacher to produced effective learning and be responsible in
introducing the curriculum that fits in the classroom.

LESSON NO. 2
LESSON TITLE The Teacher As a Curricularist
DURATION/HOURS 3 Hour
Specific Learning At the end of this lesson, the students should have:
Outcomes:  Enhanced understanding of the role of the teacher as a curricularist in the
classroom and the school

TEACHING LEARNINGACTIVITIES

Activity:
Question:

What specific roles do teachers play as curricularists?

Instructions: Do this. Look at the words inside the box. Read each one of them. Which one describes the teacher as
a curricularits? Circle the word.
 Exciting
Building Facilitating
Frustrating Planning
Knowing

Recommending copying Initiating Growing

Evaluating
Innovating
Broadening Showing

Analysis: What’s on your mind?

Questions:
1. What do you understand about the following words:
1. Curriculum Curriculum refers to an interactive system of instruction and
learning with specific goals, contents, strategies, measurement,
and resources.
2. Instructions Is a detailed information telling how something should be done,
operated, or assembled. Instruction is a given in a form of task and
assessment.
3. Assessment The assessment is to gather relevant information about the
student performance or progress, or determine the student
interests to make judgment about their learning process.
4. Evaluation Is a systematic determination of a subject’s merit, worth and
significance, using criteria governed by a set of standard.
5. Teaching It helps or facilitates this learning process for others which could
and sometimes does take place without direct and intentional
teaching.
6. Learning Learning it involves understanding, relating ideas and making
connections between prior and new knowledge, independent and
critical thinking and ability to transfer knowledge to new and
different contexts.
 2. A classroom teacher is involved with curriculum continuously all day. But
very seldom has a teacher been described as a CURRICULARIST. Why do
you think?

Answer:
The curricularist teachers do initiate in order to improve the learning process. They are the
teachers who are exciting, facilitate students learning effectively and always having a plan how to
create a conjunctive learning environment. Teachers do a series of interrelated actions about
curriculum, instruction, assessment, evaluation, teaching and learning. Although the teacher did
not make a curriculum in past but they also called a teacher curricularist it’s because they are
writing lesson plan, implementing role in classroom, making test questionnaire, evaluating
students of their capabilities and skill, having a plan on how to make their teaching good.

Note: Curricularists in the past, are referred only to those who developed
curriculum theories. According to the study conducted by Sandra Hayes (1991),
the most influential curricularist in America include John Dewey, Ralph Tyler,
Hilda Taba and Franklin Bobbit.
Abstraction:
The word CURRICULARIST is used to describe a professional who is a curriculum
specialist (Hayes, 1991; Ornstein & Hunkins, 2004; Hewitt, 2006). A person who is involved
in curriculum knowing, writing, planning, implementing, evaluating, innovating, and initiating
may be designated a curricularist. A teacher’s role is broader and inclusive of other
functions and so a teacher is a curricularist.
So what does TEACHER do to deserve the label curricularist?
 The roles are those which a responsible teacher does in the classroom
everyday. Doing those multi-faceted work qualifies a teacher to be a
curricularist.
To be a teacher is to be a curricularist even if a teacher may not equal the
likes of John Dewey, Ralph Tyler, Hilda Taba or Franklin Bobbit.
Application:
Let’s do a simple survey.
Step 1: Look for at least 5 teachers you knew. Contact them on line to answer the
survey tool below.
THE TEACHER AS A CURRICULARIST SURVEY TOOL
Name of teacher: _______________________
School:________________________________ Grade Level: ____________
No. of Years Teaching: ________Degree Graduated:___________________
Circle YES or NO that will correspond to your self-assessment. Then Rank
the items which answered YES. Which activity do you do most of the time?
What activity do you do least of the time?
As a school teacher, Rank
1. I master the subject matter that I have to teach. __YES__ __NO__
2. I implement what I have planned for my teaching. __YES__ __NO__
3. I monitor and assess if my students are learning. __YES__ __NO__
4. I modify my activity to suit my learners in my __YES__ __NO__
classroom
5. I lead in the implementation of a new curriculum in __YES__ __NO__
my school.
6. I write instructional materials based on the __YES__ __NO__
recommended school curriculum.
7. I look for other ways of doing to improve teaching __YES__ __NO__
and learning in my classroom

Step 2: Consolidate the data of 15 teachers.

TOTAL
Respondents 1

Respondents 2

Respondents 3

Respondents 4

Respondents 5

RESPONSES

QUESTION YES NO
1 YES YES YES YES YES 5 0
2 YES YES YES YES YES 5 0
3 YES YES YES YES YES 5 0
4 YES YES YES YES YES 5 0
5 NO NO YES YES YES 3 2
6 YES YES YES YES YES 5 0
7 YES YES YES YES YES 5 0
OVER-ALL TOTAL 4.71 0.3
 0.3

YES
NO

4.7

Step 3: Make a report analysis about the survey you made.

Analysis:
In my survey being conducted, it was being found out that must of the teachers were doing their
best on how to improve the learning process of the leaners. Out of 5 teachers, two only answered that they
did not lead implement the new curriculum in their school and these two teachers are new and 2 years at
the service. I got majority answered “yes” of my respondent teachers because according to them the most
important to the teacher they monitored if their leaners were leaning and look for others ways how to
improve teaching and learning in their classroom.

Self-Reflection: After learning all about a teacher being a curricularist, go back to

the demo-teaching you viewed. With your observations on how
he/she played her role being a curricularist, what are your
REALIZATIONS/REFLECTIONS?
Answer:
The teacher that I’ve observed does all the tasks of being a curricularist. She is knowledgeable in
the school curriculum, write, plan, implement and evaluate the curriculum. During her demonstration, I
noticed that she presented the lesson by giving motivational activities and assessment to evaluate the
learning of her students following the curriculum she used, through that she played a role of being a
curricularist. I realized that being a curricularist is not an easy task; it requires broad knowledge and
systematic study to create an effective curriculum.
In addition, I also learned that curriculum is important and a very essential tool that the teacher must
have. In my realization that curriculum is anything that falls under the indication of the school that includes
coursework, classroom arrangement, instruction, assessment, student engagement, and community
involvement, Students learns in and out of the school. We need to teach students to become learners and
problem solvers for the 21st century. I will apply this learning on curriculum development to make and
implement the school curriculum effectively in the future.

RESOURCES: Curriculum Development for Teachers by Purita P. Bilbao, EdD et al

https://thesecondprinciple.com/instructional-design/types-of-curriculum/
https://users.ugent.be/~mvalcke/OWK_1415/toetsing/thesabertoothcurriculumshor.pdf

Instructor: Loveleah Brillantes-Albarillo, PhD