UNIDAD TEMÁTICA # 2

THE CHARACTER OF CURRICULUM

Topics

2.1 Curriculum theorizing

2.2Curriculum: Change and adaptability

2.3 Curriculum planning and implementation

2.4 Curriculum evaluation and student assessment

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2.1 Curriculum theorizing

The process of critically analyzing and understanding a curriculum's goals, structure,

delivery, and effects is known as curriculum theorizing.

Curriculum theorists examine basic issues of what ought to be taught, how ought to be
taught, and why ought to be taught, taking into account educational, philosophical,
sociocultural, and historical viewpoints.

A variety of theories and methodologies are included in curricular theorizing, and each
one provides a different perspective on the difficulties involved in developing and
implementing curricula. Some theorists concentrate on philosophical investigations,
delving into ideas like the nature of knowledge, the purposes of education, and the
function of the curriculum in promoting societal and individual growth. Others look at
sociocultural elements that affect the delivery and content of curricula, taking social
justice, equity, and power into account.

Curriculum theorists can also look into practical side of curriculum design and
assessment, examining cutting edge techniques in instruction, evaluation, and
technology. It is based on the following foundations:

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 GROUP 1
Alignment

This idea highlights how crucial it is to make sure that all curriculum elements—aims,
assessments, instructional tactics, and learning resources—are in line with one another
and with the overarching objectives of education. Coherence and efficacy in the
application of the curriculum are guaranteed by alignment.

Differentiation

Adapting curriculum content, procedures, and evaluation methods to students' varied

learning requirements, interests, and skill levels is known as differentiation. It
acknowledges that pupils have different experiences, backgrounds, and learning
preferences and seeks to give each student a customized learning environment.

Integration

In order to support interdisciplinary learning and create links across disparate fields of
knowledge, integration entails tying together disparate subject areas, topics, and abilities
within the curriculum. Integrated curriculum design encourages deeper understanding
and learning transfer by highlighting the connections between subjects.

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is the process of giving pupils organized support and direction while they pick
up new ideas or abilities. When scaffolding tactics are incorporated into curriculum
design, students receive less support as they gain competence and independence,
which eventually helps them to master learning objectives.

Authenticity

Designing an authentic curriculum entail incorporating work, situations, and obstacles

from the actual world into the learning process. Students can use their knowledge and
abilities in meaningful ways and acquire competencies related to their future roles and
responsibilities through authentic projects and assessments.

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 GROUP 2
Flexibility

Adapting curricula to students' and teachers' changing needs, interests, and priorities
helps society as a whole. It permits modifications and adaptations in response to
feedback, alterations in the educational landscape, technological advancements, and
changes in the values of the public.

Assessment for Learning

The goal of assessment for learning is to employ assessment techniques to help and
improve students' learning across the curriculum. It entails giving prompt feedback,
encouraging introspection and self-evaluation, and utilizing assessment information to
guide instructional choices and enhance student outcomes.

Cultural Responsiveness

Curriculum designed with students' cultural backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints

in mind is acknowledged and valued. Its goals are to establish inclusive learning
settings that enhance multicultural respect and understanding, recognize students'
identities, and advance equity.

Lifelong Learning Skills

Developing talents like critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, communication,

creativity, and digital literacy is the main goal of curriculum design that prioritizes lifelong
learning skills. With these abilities, students may thrive in a variety of personal and
professional settings, pursue lifelong learning, and adjust to change.

Ethical and Moral Development

Promoting students' ethical awareness, empathy, integrity, and responsibility is the goal
of curriculum design that takes ethical and moral development into account. It offers
chances for moral introspection, moral dilemma discourse, and value discovery in order
to foster moral decision-making and civic engagement.

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 GROUP 3
2.2 Curriculum: Change and adaptability

Curriculum design models

To help with the process, there are numerous models for curriculum creation. Ralph
Tyler's work, which highlights the function and importance of objectives in curriculum
design, served as the basis for the majority of the designs.

Ralph Tyler’s Model

John Goodlad’s Model

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The Wheeler Model

John Kerr’s Model

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Hilda Taba’s Model

Ralph Tyler’s Model

The following four (4) core questions, which Tyler proposed in 1949 to direct the
curriculum design process, serve as the foundation for his Model. They are listed in the
following order:

1) What academic objectives does the school want to accomplish?

2) Which potential learning opportunities have the best chance of achieving these
objectives?

3) How may these educational opportunities be organized to maximize efficiency?

4) How can we determine whether these objectives are being met?

The process of designing a curriculum starts with defining its objectives in accordance
with Tyler's model. It is regarded as an objective-based paradigm since it places a strong
emphasis on how important objectives are. The first step in this approach is to analyze

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 data from multiple sources. According to Tyler, the curriculum's data sources include:

GROUP 4

Contemporary society/life

The creator of this source examines societal problems that education may help to
resolve.
Cultural difficulties, socioeconomic issues, and health challenges like HIV/AIDS are a
few examples.

• Learner’s needs and interests

• Subject specialists/subject matter

The designer creates overall objectives based on these sources. These are put through
a screening procedure, with the principal filters being the learning psychology and
philosophy of education. Social values serve as a screen as well, however occasionally
they are absorbed into educational philosophy. This results in a manageable amount of
education-focused goals.

Specific objectives are then derived from the general objectives. For each of the specific
objectives, learning experiences are identified. In this context, the learning experiences
include the subject matter/content and learning activities.

Learning Experiences

The interaction that takes place between a student and the outside circumstances in their
surroundings is referred to as a learning experience. pupils must actively participate in
order to learn; it is not through the teacher´s actions that pupils acquire knowledge.

The challenge of choosing learning experiences involves figuring out what sorts of
experiences are most likely to meet specific learning goals and figuring out how to create
opportunity settings that allow students to have the necessary kinds of learning
experiences.

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Selection of Subject Matter/Content

In academic fields like mathematics, biology, or chemistry, the data, concepts,

generalizations, and principles are referred to as "subject matter/content". It includes
information on definitions, principles, facts, abilities, processes (such reading and
writing), and values. The increasing amount of knowledge means that choosing the right
material and learning activities is essential when developing a curriculum. With the
expansion of specialized knowledge, more subjects must be covered or existing ones
must be given priority in order to make room for new ideas and data

Criteria for the Selection of Content

• Validity

• Significance

• Needs and Interests of the Learner

• Utility

• Learnability

• Consistency with Social Realities

John Goodlad’s Model

There are some differences between Ralph Tyler's model and the Goodlad model. Its
use of social principles makes it especially distinctive. Tyler views them as a screen,
whereas Goodlad suggests using them as sources of data. Goodlad suggests four data
sources as a result:

• Values
• Funded knowledge,
• Conventional wisdom
• Student needs and interests.

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John Goodlad placed a strong emphasis on the value of values in education and gave
informed citizenship preparation for students a higher priority than standardized testing.
He thought that moral principles have to be ingrained in education and that educators
have an obligation to introduce their charges to cultural norms as "moral agents".
Goodlad's curriculum development chart places "values" at the top, representing his
notion that broad goals or values should guide educational systems. Since democratic
societies are predicated on the merging of private interests and public good, Goodlad
contends that education in the United States requires critical enculturation into political
democracy.

Funded Knowledge

Knowledge derived via research is referred to as funded knowledge. Research is

typically generously financed by a number of organizations. Research findings are
utilized to inform many facets of educational practice, but especially curriculum design.

Conventional wisdom

Conventional wisdom, which encompasses specialist knowledge and life experiences,

as well as students' needs and interests, inform curriculum design. This knowledge
informs general education goals, which result in behavioral objectives that are expressed
in terms of actions and content. The curriculum designer then determines how to best
support the attainment of these goals by providing learning opportunities, such particular
study courses. The next step is to generate specific educational objectives, which are
similar to instructional objectives and direct the selection of organizing centers such as
themes or field trips. Goodlad stresses ongoing assessment at every level of the design
process, which is reflected in the model's.

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2.3 Curriculum planning and implementation

What will be taught, by whom, and how will all be methodically arranged during the
curriculum planning process. Every element influences and engages with the others.

There are four essential phases of the curriculum development process:

5) Planning
6) Content and Methods
7) Implementation
8) Evaluation and Reporting

There are multiple jobs or steps to finish in a logical order for each phase. These
processes could overlap and take place at the same time rather than always being
distinct and independent. The team responsible for developing the curriculum, for
instance, is involved in every stage. Most of the processes should involve evaluations
in order to gauge progress. This group discovers what functions well and what doesn´t
as well as how curriculum affects students once it is put into practice.

GROUP 5
PHASE I: PLANNING

The planning phase lays the foundation for all of the curriculum development steps. The
steps in this phase include:

Identify Issue/Problem/Need: This passage emphasizes the importance of curriculum

development, which usually results from worries about important issues or challenges that
one or more target audiences experience. In order to describe these problems and create
a statement that will direct the team selection process for curriculum development, it
recommends addressing particular questions. Furthermore, by outlining what will be
covered, the statement aids in widely defining the breadth of the curriculum content.

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Form Curriculum Development Team: This part covers a number of subjects, including
the roles and responsibilities of team members, the membership selection procedure,
and the fundamentals of cooperation and teamwork. The objective is to establish an
effective team by assembling members with skills pertinent to the breadth of the program.

Conduct Needs Assessment and Analysis

The needs assessment process consists of two phases. The first phase focuses on
procedures for conducting the assessment, utilizing various techniques aimed at
understanding what is needed and by whom concerning the identified issue. Techniques
covered include the KAP Survey (Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Survey), focus
groups, and environmental scanning. The second phase, Analysis, involves utilizing the
gathered data and results. This phase includes techniques for identifying gaps between
knowledge and practice, recognizing emerging trends from the data, prioritizing needs,
and identifying characteristics of the target audience.

PHASE II: CONTENT AND METHODS

Steps include:
State Intended Outcomes. - What the learner will be able to achieve directly from
participating in the curriculum activities is outlined in an expected outcome.

Select Content. - As part of the curriculum building process, the next difficulty is to
choose topics that will actually affect students and society at large. At this point,
important queries come up: "What does the learner need to understand in order to attain
the intended outcome? What actions, attitudes, abilities, and knowledge should they
develop and put into practice? The content that is necessary to achieve the intended
results is chosen with these questions in mind.

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Design Experiential Methods. -After selecting the information, the next stage is to
create learning experiences, or activities, that will help the learner accomplish the goals
in an efficient manner. The components of an experiential learning model—which usually
include sharing, processing, applying, and generalizing the knowledge or skills gained—
are covered in this section.

GROUP 6

PHASE III: IMPLEMENTATION

Produce Curriculum Product. - The creation of curriculum materials is the next step in
the curriculum development process once the content and experience techniques have
been decided upon. This section addresses a number of topics, such as: 1) ideas for
locating and evaluating already published materials, 2) standards for judging the
applicability and quality of the materials, 3) suggestions for creating unique curriculum
resources that are suited to the aims and particular requirements of the curriculum.

Test and Revise Curriculum: During this stage, advice is provided on how to choose
suitable test locations and carry out formative assessments of the curriculum materials
while they are being created. These assessments assist in determining the materials'
advantages, disadvantages, and potential improvement areas. To help with the
evaluation process and guarantee thorough input, a sample evaluation form is also
supplied.

Recruit and Train Facilitators: It would be pointless to develop curriculum materials

without giving facilitators the necessary training to apply them. In order to address this,
a sample three-day training program and recommendations for finding qualified
facilitators are provided. The goal of this training program is to give facilitators the abilities

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 and information they need to carry out the curriculum in an efficient manner.

Implement Curriculum: Careful planning is necessary for the effective deployment of

newly designed curriculum materials. In this stage, we'll talk about how to effectively
promote and use the curriculum. The goal of laying out these tactics is to guarantee that
the curriculum is successfully embraced and incorporated into training or educational
environments.

PHASE IV: EVALUATION AND REPORTING

Design Evaluation Strategies: Curriculum development uses both formative and

summative assessment methods. Formative evaluations are used during the needs
assessment and Summative evaluations are undertaken to measure and report on the
outcomes of the curriculum

Reporting and Securing Resources Delivering the results to those who can use them
successfully is the last component of the evaluation plan. This phase contains advice on
what to disclose to important parties and how to do so, especially those who determine
funding and policy decisions. There's also a little talk on funding more programming,
making sure the evaluation's findings are shared widely, and making sure the resources
needed for upcoming projects are available.

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 GROUP 7
2.4 Curriculum evaluation and student assessment

Curriculum evaluation and student assessment

In education, assessments are very important because they impact choices about
curriculum, instructional needs, placement, development, and sometimes even funding.
It raises important questions like: Are we really teaching what we want to teach? Are the
desired learning outcomes being met by the students? Can we promote learning by
improving our teaching methods?

When assessments provide positives results they remark the following:

Provides diagnostic feedback

What is the student's knowledge base?
What is the student's performance base?
What are the student's needs?
What has to be taught?

Helps educators set standards

What performance demonstrates understanding?
What performance demonstrates knowledge?
What performance demonstrates mastery?

Evaluates progress
How is the student doing?
What teaching methods or approaches are most effective?
What changes or modifications to a lesson are needed to help the student?

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 GROUP 8
Relates to a student's progress
What has the student learned?

Can the student talk about the new knowledge?

Can the student demonstrate and use the new skills in other projects?

Motivates Performance
For student self-evaluation:
Now that I'm in charge of my learning, how am I doing?
Now that I know how I'm doing, how can I do better?
What else would I like to learn?

For teacher self-evaluation:

What is working for the students?
What can I do to help the students more?
In what direction should we go next?

Both student assessment and curriculum evaluation are vital parts of the educational
process with different but related functions.

Evaluation of curricula entails determining the impact, relevance, and efficacy of

instructional materials and initiatives. It seeks to ascertain whether the curriculum is
accomplishing its intended goals and objectives, whether it is in line with social demands
and educational standards, and whether it needs to be improved or revised. A variety of
techniques, including reading through curriculum materials, watching teachers in action,
getting input from interested parties, and examining student performance information,
can be used to evaluate a curriculum.

Student evaluation, on the other hand, aims to evaluate each student's knowledge,
proficiency, and comprehension of the course material. It entails tracking pupils'
development, determining their strong and weak points, and offering feedback to help
them learn and advance. Quizzes, tests, projects, portfolios, presentations, and other
forms of student assessment are all acceptable.

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Both curriculum evaluation and student assessment are integral to enhancing the quality
of education. Curriculum evaluation ensures that educational programs remain relevant,
effective, and responsive to the needs of learners and society, while student assessment
supports the continuous improvement of teaching and learning by providing valuable
insights into individual student progress and instructional effectiveness. Together, these
processes contribute to the ongoing enhancement of educational experiences and
outcomes for students.

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References

Dr. C.Thanavathi, T. Vimaleswary. Curriculum Design and Development. Asper The

New Syllabus of Tamil Nādu Teachers Education University

Barnett, R., Parry, G., & Coate, K. (2001). Conceptualising curriculum change.
Teaching in Higher Education, 6(4), 435-449

Howard, J. (2007). Curriculum development.

Knight, P. T. (2001). Complexity and curriculum: A process approach to curriculum-

making. Teaching in Higher Education, 6(3), 369-381.

Van den Akker, J. (2007). Curriculum design research. An introduction to educational

design research, 37, 37-50.

Stephens, K. R., & Karnes, F. A. (Eds.). (2021). Introduction to curriculum design in

gifted education. Routledge.
Dodd, B. J. (2021). Curriculum design processes.

Macalister, J., & Nation, I. P. (2019). Language curriculum design. Routledge.

Dyjur, P., & Kalu, F. (2016). Introduction to curriculum review. Taylor Institute for
Teaching and Learning, University of Calgary.

Teacher material – online research – grammar and Reading webpages – National

geographic magazines, Real life (pre-intermediate) textbook, ON SCREEN-3 text
book

Writing at University: A guide for Students – Third Edition – Phyllis Creme and Mary R.
Lea

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