Fundamentals of

curriculum development
Curriculum development is a process of
designing and planning the content of
teaching and learning process and materials
that should be learned by students and
prepared by teacher, and how to learn them.
It is an intended process to produce a
curriculum which will guide the process of
teaching and learning
 Curriculum development process
It is never ending process:
orietati
on
evaluati
on

develop
ment

implem
entation
 orientation
• The educational goal, shows the direction to
where is school going to direct students
• Perception about learners
• Perception about learning process
• Perception about environment
• Concept about teacher
• Learning assessment and evaluation
 What should be considered in curriculum
development

• Range of activity
• Institutional purposes
 Range of activity
1. Planning of curriculum polecy
– Is the responsibility of the aothority/ principles
– includes what should be taught
– It function is as guidance
– Based on in depth thinking approach and study
2. Planning of study program, which involves:
– Considering the objectives, sequence and the
depth of materials of each subject
3. Planning of teaching and learning activity,
which then distributed into years and semester,
and into each meeting.
4. Developing learning materials and learning
resources

Therefore, curriculum development activity

includes developing curriculum as teaching and
learning guidance as well as developing
instructional guidance (for implementing the
curriculum)
 Instructional purposes
• Curriculum development should be in line with the
vision and mission of the school, as curriculum is
developed in order to reach the school’s goal
• Zais (1976) explained that curriculum development
should be based on some philosophical assumptions
that is a value system or national way of life. Based
on that value system, epistemology the nature of
knowledge, socio-cultural, perception about
learners (individual), and learning theories were
developed.
Model kurikulum Zais
 Lawton’s (1978) theory of curriculum
development
Curriculum development activity is based on 3
resources:
1. Studies of nature and value of knowledge as
a philosophical aspect
2. Studies of life as socio-cultural aspect
3. Studies of learners and learning theories as
psychological aspect
Lawton’s concept of curriculum development
 Principles of
curriculum development

1. Relevance
– Internal relevance: its components should be
relevance; objectives, content, materials, learning
activity, method of teaching, and assessment shoud be
relevance
– External relevance: there should be a relevancy among
components of curriculum with society’ need and
demand. It should be relevance with environment, with
condition, and with working demands
2. Flexibility
curriculum should be able to apply in any circumstances
3. Continuity
tere should be correlation among materials in each level as well as
corelation among levels. The concept of sequencing should be
considered
4. Efectivity
– efectifity for teachers in implementing the curriculum
– Efectivity for students in conducting the learning processes
5. Efficiency
it compares the human resources needed, times, cost effectiveness
with the result of learning. Curriculum is considered as efficient if it
requires minimal cost and resources but produces maximal quality
of results
 Fundaments of
curriculum development

1. Philosophy
philosophy is one of fundament of curriculum
development. It answers questions such as: where
are we going to direct our students, what kind of
society that we will produce through this education,
what are some principles aspects that should be
learned by students, what kinds of norms and social
values that would be inheritanced to students, how
should the learning processes be conducted? Etc.
The function of philosophy in curriculum
development:
1. As a value system of philosophy of life, it directs
in designing the goal of education
2. it directs in designing the content and materials
of education
3. It directs in considering the appropriate strategy
to reach the goal
4. It directs to the consideration of choosing
appropriate method for measuring achievement
of learning.
 Philosophy and educational goal
Hummel (1977) suggest that at least there are three educational
goals:
1. autonomy: gives individuals and groups the maximum
awareness, knowledge and ability so that they can manage
their personal and collective life to the greatest possible extent
2. Equity: eable all citizens to participate in cultural and
economic life by coffering them an equal basic education
3. Survival: permit every nation to transmit and enrich its cultural
herritage over the generation, but also guide education
towards mutual understanding and towards what has become
a worldwide realizations of common destiny
 Philosophy as thinking process
Phylosophical thinking is radical, systematic and
universal.
Radical: deep thinking
Systematic: logic, step by step and responsible
for every step
Universal: global
 Four traditions of philosophy
• Idealism: thruth is from God. It thinks that knowledge was
from God which was discovered by scientist
• Realism: people find and learn reality as universal law.
Knowledge can be acquired through fact and reality tat can
be sensed.
• Pragmatism: the fact is in social relationship among people.
Knowledge can be acquired through social observation and
social context is important for community life.
• Existensialim: every individual has weaknesses, however they
can improve in accordance with norms and believes which he
appointed by himself. Every individual has freedom to choose.
 Psychological foundation
• Understanding of children’s psychology is
important for curriculum developer/ designer
• What should be considered are:
– Developmental psychology of children
– Learning psychology
• Behaviorism
• Cognitivism
• constructivism
 Sociological and technological foundation
of curriculum development
Social power can influence curriculum
– Comunity is not static. The changes does not only occur in
the value system, but also on the pattern of life, social
structure, society’s demand and need.
Technological progress as a consideration of curriculum
development
– The development of information and communication
technology leads to dilution and cultural friction which
influences the existance of society.
– The emerges of problems due to technological development
leads to educational tasks become more complex.
 Things that should be anticipated
1. Lifestyle changes
– Work pattern. In agrarian society people tend to
be regular, meanwhile in industrial society people
tend to be irregular and use long time for working.
This facts provides consequences for the
strategies to be adopted by educational
institution. Curriculum should be design to
establish productive human being who not only
works but also love his job.
– Life pattern is depending on the results of the
development of technology. Reliance on
technology can eliminate certain jobs and bring
new jobs and skills. Curriculum must confront this
demand and changes.
– Pattern of live in new economic system. The
changing of economic system gives negative
impact to community such as consumtive culture.
This changes requires that curriculum should be
able to shield students from negative impact of
developments of econoic system.
2. Social and political change
related to the changes in political life, some things
that should be considered by curriculum planners are:
• Considering the needs of society as defined in the law
• Analyze the culture of community around the school
• Analyze the strength of and potentials of the region
• Analyze requirements and demands of works
• Interpret the needs of individuals within the
framework of public interest.