PED 104 LESSON 6

ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM PLANNING AND CURRICULUM CONTENT

ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM

 Aims and objectives

 Content
 Evaluation
 Teaching Strategies

CONTENT

-defined as "Information to be learned in school, another term for knowledge (a collection of

facts, concepts, generalization, principles, theories)"

-comes in any form (audio, text and video) and it informs, entertains,2, 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 Bruner: "Knowledge is a model we construct to give meaning and structure to

PURPOSES 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

THE 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 the "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 the 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 – It is significant if

-When content or subject matter will contribute to basic ideas, concepts, principles, and
geberalization to achieve the over all 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 learners present state of learning
and characteristics:

VALIDITY- it relates to the authenticity of 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 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- this 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; and

e. important in the transfer of learning

ORGANIZATION OF THE CONTENT

- It demands a through understanding of the teaching leaning process.

- Important aspects for this:

a) sequencing

b) continuity

c) integration

a) SEQUENCING- it means putting the content and materials into some sort of order of
succession.

b) CONTINUITY- content should provide continuity n 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, esp when applying knowledge.
SELECTING AND ORGANIZING CONTENT

-Planning curriculum similar to guided tour

- Various options 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 of a series of connections among concepts that hold real
meaning and relevance for learner

SUBJECT ARES AND ITS LEARNING CONTENT (EXAMPLES)

COMMUNICATION ARTS- LISTENING, SPEAKING, READING, WRITING AND EFFECTIVE USE OF

LANGUAGE

MATHEMATICS- numeric and computational skills, geometry and measurement, algebra, logic
and reasoning

SOCIAL STUDIES- basic elememts of geography, history, sociology, anthropology, economics,

civics, political science, and psychology

MUSIC- basic music theory, practice in listening, singing, playing musical instrument, and
music preparation

PHYSICAL EDUCATION-health and physical fitness, individual team sports, spectatorship and
wise use of leisure

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION- psychomotor and manipulative skills in basic crafts and trades,
design, work ethic and appreciation of manual productive work