MPKK1033 Development of

Curriculum and Instruction

Lecture (1)
Dr. Subadrah Nair.
Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies
City University, Petaling Jaya.  
Definition of Curriculum
• That which is taught in school
• A set of subjects
• Content
• A programme of studies
• A set of materials
• Sequence of courses
• A set of performance objectives
• A course of study
• Everything that goes on within a school
• Everything that is planned by school personnel
• That which is taught both inside & outside of school directed by the
school
• A series of experiences undergone by learners in school
• That which an individual learner experiences as a result of schooling.
The hidden curriculum
• About the rules of the game in the school canteen, in the playground,
in the corridors of the school and so forth.
• The specific relationship between senior and junior students,
between male and female students, cliques of students.
• How order is created and maintained in the classroom, the way
individual teachers interpret the behavior of students, and
• The way teachers and principals or head masters have different
expectations of students based on interpretations of behaviour in
class.
The curriculum approaches
• Curriculum content
• Curriculum product
• Curriculum process
Curriculum content

• Syllabus which is a concise document listing the topics of a subject. Topics and
concepts to be mastered by students and suggestions how the topics are to be
taught.
• These contents must be in line with the learning experiences and there must be
clear cut objective to be achieved by the end of each respective lesson. It can be
in form of knowledge, skills, attitude and values that learners are exposed to.
• There are various types of activities that can be performed by the learners in the
study of various school subjects to enhance learning. There are also various
activities which teachers perform as they teach learners, but then, learning
experiences are not what the teachers do, it is not the teacher methodology, but
those activities performed by the learners themselves.
Curriculum product
• Curriculum can be viewed as a product- that is desired by students of
students having been taught using a curriculum.
• Setting of instructional and behavioural objectives.
• Curriculum, as a product, should be a set of defining documents that
describe what the entering and exiting student should be capable of;
they should describe the related areas to be experienced within the
course, and the intended results or outcomes of having experienced
these activities. This product should also included the parameters of
structure such as time on task, in study, and doing research, books,
materials, available services, etc.
Curriculum process

• Interaction of teacher, student and knowledge.

• The first step of the design process involves planning and determining
who the learner is and what they need to get out of the material. The
team begins by initially identifying what the scope is. This involves
asking questions like:
• Who will take the course?
• What does the learner already know?
• What is their attitude towards the subject?
Foundation of curriculum
• The Influence of Philosophy to Curriculum
• History and Its Influence to Curriculum
• The Influence of Psychology to Curriculum
• Sociology and Curriculum
The Influence of Philosophy to Curriculum
• Educators, curriculum makers and teachers must have espoused a
philosophy or philosophies that are deemed necessary for planning,
implementing, and evaluating a school curriculum.
• The philosophy that they have embraced will help them define the
purpose of the school, the important subjects to be taught, the kind
of learning students must have and how they can acquire them, the
instructional materials, methods and strategies to be used, and how
students will be evaluated.
History and Its Influence to Curriculum

• The history of one’s country can affect its educational system and the
kind of curriculum it has. If we are going to trace the formal beginning
of curriculum, we get back in time to Franklin Bobbit’s book entitled,
“The Curriculum” which was published in 1918.
• From the time of Bobbit to Tyler, many developments in the purposes,
principles and contents of the curriculum took place. Please read the 
Six Famous Curriculum Theorists and their Contributions to Education 
for more information.
• Likewise, philosophy offers solutions to problems by helping the
administrators, curriculum planners, and teachers make sound
decisions. A person’s philosophy reflects his/her life experiences,
social and economic background, common beliefs, and education.
• When John Dewey proposed that “education is a way of life”, his
philosophy is realized when put into practice. Now, particularly in the
Philippines, Dewey’s philosophy served as anchor to the country’s
educational system.
The Influence of Psychology to
Curriculum
• Curriculum is influenced by psychology. Psychology provides
information about the teaching and learning process. It also seeks
answers as to how a curriculum be organized in order to achieve
students’ learning at the optimum level, and as to what amount of
information they can absorb in learning the various contents of the
curriculum.
• The following are some psychological theories in learning that
influenced curriculum development:
• 1.Behaviourism
• Education in the 20th century was dominated by behaviourism. The
mastery of the subject matter is given more emphasis. So, learning is
organized in a step-by-step process. The use of drills and repetition
are common.
• For this reason, many educational psychologists viewed it mechanical
and routine. Though many are sceptical about this theory, we can’t
deny the fact the influences it had in our educational system.
• 2. Cognitivism
• Cognitive theorists focus on how individuals process information,
monitor and manage their thinking. The basic questions that cognitive
psychologists zero in on are:
• How do learners process and store information?
• How do they retrieve data and generate conclusions?
• How much information can they absorb?
• 3. Humanism
• Humanism is taken from the theory of Gestalt, Abraham Maslow’s theory and Carl
Rogers’ theory. This group of psychologists is concerned with the development of
human potential.
• In this theory, curriculum is after the process, not the product; focuses on personal
needs, not on the subject matter; and clarifying psychological meanings and
environmental situations. In short, curriculum views founded on humanism posits
that learners are human beings who are affected by their biology, culture, and
environment. They are neither machines nor animals.
• A more advanced, more comprehensive curriculum that promotes human
potential must be crafted along this line. Teachers don’t only educate the minds,
but the hearts as well.
4. Sociology and Curriculum

• There is a mutual and encompassing relationship between society and

curriculum because the school exists within the societal context.
Though schools are formal institutions that educate the people, there
are other units of society that educate or influence the way people
think, such as families and friends as well as communities.
• Since the society is dynamic, there are many developments which are
difficult to cope with and to adjust to. But the schools are made to
address and understand the changes not only in one’s country but in
the world as well.
• Therefore, schools must be relevant by making its curriculum more
innovative and interdisciplinary. A curriculum that can address the
diversities of global learners, the explosion of knowledge through the
internet, and the educational reforms and policies recommended or
mandated by the United Nations.
• However, it is also imperative that a country must have maintained a
curriculum that reflects and preserves its culture and aspirations for
national identity. No matter how far people go, it is the country’s
responsibility to ensure that the school serves its purpose of
educating the citizens.
Curriculum development
• Curriculum development can be defined as the step-by-step process
used to create positive improvements in the courses offered by a
school, college or university. The world changes every day and new
discoveries have to be roped into the education curricula. Innovative
teaching techniques and strategies (such as active learning or 
blended learning) are constantly being devised in order to improve
the student learning experience. 
• Current curriculum models can be broken down into two broad
categories—the product model and the process model. The product
model is results-oriented. Grades are the prime objective, with the
focus lying more on the finished product rather than on the learning
process. The process model, however, is more open-ended, and
focuses on how learning develops over a period of time. These two
models need to be taken into account when developing curriculum.
• Accordingly, an exemplary guide is a tool that assists in planning and
implementing a high quality instructional program.
• • establishes a clear philosophy and set of overarching goals that
guide the entire program and the decisions that affect each aspect of
the program;
• • establishes sequences both within and between levels and assures
a coherent and articulated progression from grade to grade;
• • outlines a basic framework for what to do, how to do it, when to do
it and how to know if it has been achieved;
• • allows for flexibility and encourages experimentation and innovation
within an overall structure;
• • promotes interdisciplinary approaches and the integration of
curricula when appropriate;
• • suggests methods of assessing the achievement of the program's
goals and objectives;
• • provides a means for its own ongoing revision and improvement; and
• • provides direction for procurement of human, material and fiscal
resources to implement the program.
Curriculum development process
• A. Planning:
• 1. Convening a Curriculum Development Committee
• 2. Identifying Key Issues and Trends in the Specific Content Area
• 3. Assessing Needs and Issues
• B. Articulating and Developing:
• 4. Articulating a K-12 Program Philosophy
• 5. Defining K-12 Program, Grade-Level and Course Goals
• 6. Developing and Sequencing of Grade-Level and Course Objectives
• 7. Identifying Resource Materials to Assist with Program
Implementation
• 8. Developing and/or Identifying Assessment Items and Instruments
to Measure Student Progress
• C. Implementing:
• 9. Putting the New Program into Practice
• D. Evaluating:
• 10. Updating the Program
• 11. Determining the Success of the Program
Curiculum as a discipline
• The curricula in most formal educational systems of developing and
developed countries are divided into separate and distinct subjects or
disciplines, such as science, mathematics, literature, social studies,
and the arts. In the curricula, school children are expected to
concentrate on a single field of study, possibly supported by several
courses in closely associated disciplines.
• Curriculum theorists refer to such curricula as discipline based. The
term discipline based covers the full range of distinct subjects or fields
of study, including the more traditional usage in areas such as
mathematics or physics; in areas of study with a strong professional
focus, such as molecular biology; and in newer areas of study, such as
media education.