Topic 3: Purpose of Curriculum

Learning Objectives
At the end of the topic, you will be able to:
1. identify the importance of having a curriculum; and
2. explain the importance of developing and implementing a curriculum especially for
the benefit of the learners, teachers, schools and the communities or organizations
where the learners belong and shall belong in the future.

Activating Prior Learning

Activity 3a: Look and Learn

Study the given photo. What do you see? Hopefully, you will tell that you see a path going into a place
that looks like the woods or a forest like area.

Imagine that you are going into the place alone. Do you think you would be able to know how to get into
the place without being afraid and being lost? Why yes or why not?

In school, do your teachers know what to teach and how to teach you with your lessons? On your end,
are you able to follow your teachers and learn well? Why yes or why not?

Your answer to the questions will help prepare you for topic 3. And to better answer the questions,
reflect on your lessons in topics 1 and 2.
 Presentation of Contents

We cannot deny that a school cannot run without a recommended curriculum duly prescribed and
approved by agencies such as DepEd for basic education, CHED for higher education, TESDA for
vocational and technical education and DOST for Science and Technology education in the case of the
schools in the Philippines. The school cannot also operate without the other types of curriculum. This
only proves that curriculum is truly important.

The notes on the importance of curriculum that follow mostly came from the article Developing
Curriculum from Steve Glenn (2018)

1. Administrators follow a detailed curriculum to help students achieve national standards of

academic performance. Public schools can lose public funding while private schools will lose
enrollees if their students fall substantially behind peers in other schools especially compared to
the performing ones.

In this case, the prescribed curriculum that the school adopts ensures that each school is
teaching its students relevant contents, is using appropriate materials and facilities and is
monitoring the progress of students from all types of backgrounds.

2. A school’s curriculum informs teachers what skills must be taught at each grade level to
ultimately prepare students for the next level of education or ultimately a job.
Understanding the big picture helps teachers align the learning objectives of their own
curriculum with the school’s curriculum. This is the reason why schools recruit and hire good
teachers who will help them with the taught curriculum. Children carry what they are taught at
a young age and throughout the rest of their lives and further use what they have learned to
influence society.

3. A curriculum outlines for students a sequence of courses and tasks that must be successfully
completed to master a lesson or topic, a subject or course and earn a diploma or degree
program. Students may be more motivated to study if they understand why certain subjects are
taught in the curriculum. A curriculum reassures students that they’re on the right track to
reaching their goals and honing desired skills.

The quizzes, long examinations, projects or requirements as part of the curriculum which are
planned and regularly given to students assess or evaluate how much they have been taught and
how much they have learned thus describing the assessed or evaluated curriculum as well as
the taught and learned curricula of the school.

4. In addition to teaching students academic skills, the curriculum is also intended to teach
students the importance of responsibility, hard work and responsible citizenship. Teachers,
in partnership with parents and community members, collaborate on the development of a
curriculum that will instil character in students and reinforce positive behaviour as well.
The teaching of these character and behaviours is not only reflected in the school’s prescribed
and written curricula but also unintentionally learned by the students through the school’s
hidden curriculum.

5. When the learners already have learned their prescribed and entitled knowledge, skills and
values, their success in their respective jobs and their stability in their future lives are assured. In
the end, they contribute to their family’s income and to their country’s economic and political
stability.
Application

Activity 3b: Judge Me

1. Group yourselves into 5s and collaborate to accomplish this activity. Make sure that all
members of the group belong to the same discipline/major.
2. Search the internet for the 2017 CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) for the Teacher Education
Program (https://ched.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CMO-No.-75-s.-2017.pdf ) and focus on
your program or course and on your discipline or major. (e.g. for program: BSEd, BTLEd,
BTVTEd, BCAEd BEEd or BECEd; e.g. for discipline: English, Home Economics)
3. Read and understand the purpose (outcomes) of said CMO for your program and discipline.
4. Pick out 1 each purpose (outcome) you think is the most important from the following:
a. Common to all programs in all types of school;
b. Common to the discipline (Teacher Education); and
c. Specific to a sub-discipline or major
5. Be able to tell whether CSU has a curriculum designed and implemented to achieve said
purposes (outcomes) or not. Give an explanation as to whether the university has complied or
not to your chosen CMO outcomes and provide supporting details to prove your answer.
6. Supporting details must come from an interview from an administrator, a teacher, a student from
the lower year level, from a graduate and from a parent.
7. Present your answer using the format and matrix below along with the transcript and audio or
video clips of your interview.

Activity No. and Title:

Names (to be written alphabetically):
Program/Course and Specific Discipline/Major:
Campus:

Presentation of Output:

Purposes/Outcomes Details for the Compliance/Non-Compliance of CSU

1. Common to all programs in all 1. Administrator
types of school:
2. Teacher

3. Student

4. Graduate

5. Parent

2. Common to the discipline 1. Administrator

(Teacher Education):
2. Teacher

3. Student

4. Graduate

5. Parent

3. Specific to a sub-discipline or 1. Administrator

major:
2. Teacher

3. Student

4. Graduate

5. Parent
NOTE: You can create sub-cells for the second column for the details from each curriculum
stakeholder. Try to present only the important points from their answers.