Harold O. Rugg (1927) - The curriculum is a
Brandt (1997) -
FIELD STUDY 2
PRESCRIPTIVE CURRICULUM
DEFINITIONS provide us with what
“ought” to happen, and they more often than
not take the form of a plan, an intended
program, or some kind of expert opinion about
what needs to take place in the course of study.
DESCRIPTIVE CURRICULUM goes
beyond the prescriptive terms as they force
thought about the curriculum “not merely in
terms of how things ought to be but how
things are in real classrooms”
PRESCRIPTIVE DEFINITION OF
CURRICULUM
John Dewey (1902) - Curriculum is a
continuous reconstruction, moving from the
child’s present experience out into that
represented by the organized bodies of truth
that we call studies..the various studies..are
themselves experience- they are that of the race.
Franklin Bobbitt (1918) - Curriculum is the
entire range of experiences, both directed and
undirected, concerned in unfolding the abilities
of the individual.
J.L. McBrien and R.
succession of experiences and enterprises
having a maximum life-likeness for the
learner…giving the learner that development
most helpful in meeting and controlling the
situations.
Hollis Caswell (1935) - The curriculum is
composed of all the experiences children have
under the guidance of teachers. Thus,
curriculum is considered as a field of study
representing no strictly limited body of
content, but rather a process or procedure.
Ralph Tyler (1957) - The curriculum is all
the learning experiences planned and directed
by the school to attain its educational goals.
Robert Gagne (1967) - Curriculum is a
sequence of content units arranged in such a
way that the learning of each unit may be
accomplished as a single act, provided the
capabilities described by specified prior units
(in sequence) have already been mastered by
the learner.
James Popham and Eva Baker (1970) -
Curriculum is all planned learning outcomes
for which the school is responsible.
Curriculum refers to the desired consequences
of instruction.
Curriculum refers to a written plan outlining
what students will be taught (a course of
study). Curriculum may refer to all the courses
offered at a school in a particular area of study.
Indiana Department of Education (2010) -
Curriculum means the planned interaction of
pupils with instructional content, materials,
resources, and processes for evaluating the
attainment.
DESCRIPTIVE DEFINITIONS OF
CURRICULUM
Hollis Caswell and Doak Campbell (1935) -
All the experiences children have under the
guidance of teachers.
Thomas Hopkins (1941) - Those learnings
each child selects, accepts, and incorporates
into himself to act with, on, and upon, in
subsequent experiences.
W.B. Ragan (1960) - All experiences of the
child for which the school accepts
responsibility.
Glenn Hass (1987) - The set of actual
experiences and perceptions of the experiences
that each individual learner has of his program - Recommended a single elementary and - Elementary students receive instruction in
of education. secondary curriculum for all students. The skills such as writing, reading, and
educationally disadvantaged had to spend some measurement.
Daniel Tanner and Laurel Tanner (1995) -
time in preschools.
The reconstruction of knowledge and - Students are required to master a body of
experience that enables the learner to grow in - Perennialists were not keen on allowing information and basic techniques, gradually
exercising intelligent control of subsequent students to take electives (except second moving from less to more complex skills and
knowledge and experience. languages) such as vocational and detailed knowledge.
life-adjustment subjects.
D.F. Brown (2006) - All student school - It advocates a longer school day, a longer
experiences relating to the improvement of - They argued that these subjects denied academic year, and more challenging
skills and strategies in thinking critically and students the opportunity to fully develop their textbooks.
creatively, solving problems, working rational powers.
- Teaching is teacher-centered and teachers
collaboratively with others, communicating
- They urge that teachers should spend more decide what is the most important for students
well, writing more effectively, reading more
time teaching concepts and explaining how to learn with little emphasis on students’
analytically, and conducting research to solve
these concepts are meaningful to students. interests.
problems
- Universities should not only prepare students C. PROGRESSIVE CURRICULUM
E. Silva (2009) - An emphasis on what
for specific careers but to pursue knowledge for
students can do with knowledge, rather than - It emphasizes the study of the natural and
its own sake.
what units of knowledge they have, is the social sciences.
essence of 21st century skills - School should teach religious values or ethics.
- Teacher should introduce students to new
The difference between right and wrong
PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF scientific, technological, and social
should be emphasized so that students will
CURRICULUM developments.
have definite rules that they must follow.
A. PERENNIALIST CURRICULUM - Teachers should not be confined to focusing
B. ESSENTIALIST CURRICULUM
on one discrete discipline at a time but should
- The study of philosophy is a crucial part of
- The basics of the essentialist curriculum are introduce lessons that combine several different
the perennialist curriculum.
mathematics, natural science, history, foreign subjects.
language, and literature.
- Students are to be exposed to a more - The curriculum emphasized the social
democratic curriculum that recognizes sciences rather than the sciences.
accomplishments of all citizens regardless of
race, cultural background or gender.

- By including instruction in industrial arts and

home economics, progressivists strive to make
schooling both interesting and useful.

D. RECONSTRUCTIONIST
CURRICULUM

- Students had to be committed to the issues

discussed and encouraged to take action to
bring about constructive change.

- The curriculum is to be based on social and

economic issues as well as social service.

- Schools are obliged to educate children

towards the resolution of injustices and
students should not be afraid to examine
controversial issues.

- The curriculum should be constantly

changing to meet the changes in society.

- Teachers are considered the prime agents of

social change, cultural renewal and
internationalism.