CURRICULUM PLANNING, CONSTRUCTION

AND DEVELOPMENT

• Curriculum planning, curriculum construction and curriculum development

usually go together. This is so because when a curriculum is being planned to
be constructed, the methods of achieving the goals which are the functions of
development are also considered. According to Bernardino and Fresnoza,
curriculum development involves (a) planning, (b) organizing them into a
program, (c) implementing this program, and (d) evaluating the curriculum
which thus developed.
• In doing all these, attention is given to the ultimate purposes of education, to the more immediate
goals and objectives, to the various aspects of child development, to the various aspects of learning,
to the methods of teaching, and to the other factors associated with teaching, (Bernardino and
Fresnoza, p. 112)
• The major steps in curriculum construction and curriculum development, according to
Carters, are: (cited by Aquino, p. 4)
1. Determine the major objectives of education by a study of life of man in its social setting.
2. Analyse these objectives in terms of ideals and activities and continue the analysis to the level of the
working unit.
3. Arrange these objectives in the order of importance.
4. Raise to positions of higher order in the list those ideals and activities which are high in value for
children but low in value for adults.
5. Determine the number of the most important items of the resulting list which can be handled in the
time allotted to school education after deducting those which are better learned outside the school.
6. Collect the best practices of the race in handling these ideals and practices.
7. Arrange the materials so obtained in the proper instructional order according to the psychological
nature of children
• Similarly, Taba came up with seven (7) major steps in curriculum development as
follows: (by Palma, p. 8)
1. Diagnosis of learners’ needs and expectations of larger society.
2. Formulation of learning objectives
3. Selection of learning content
4. Organization of learning content
5. Selection of learning experiences
6. Organization of learning experiences
Determination of what to evaluate and the means of doing it.
FOUNDATION OF CURRICULUM PLANNING

• In the evolution of curriculum as a professional focus in education, four (4) major

planning areas have dominated thinking about schools: (Wile and Bondi, pp, 15-26)
1. Social Forces: social forces usually change the life of people. For instance, the life
style and needs of people in an industrialized society are quite different from those of people
living in an agrarian society. People with fast means of communication and transportation
have different needs from those with very slow means of communication and transportation.
And so the curriculum and curriculum development have to be adapted to the needs and life
style of the people depending upon the kind of social force that is dominant in the place.
2. The treatment of knowledge. Because of intensive research, knowledge is fast growing and increasing. The
questions are: what shall we do with such knowledge? How can we use it for our own advantage? Hence, we have to
reconstruct our curriculum and restructure our curriculum development to be able to acquire such knowledge and be
able to use it.
3. Human growth and development. If we make our curricular offerings too easy, we might be delaying the growth
and development of our people. If we make our curricular offerings too hard, they might be too hard for people. So we
have to plan the curriculum and curriculum development so that the people will attain their normal growth and
development.
The needs or drives approach uses readiness to learn, identification, imitation and modelling of others and pursuit of
unfulfilled needs.
The environmental approach is restructuring the environment so that the students are free to learn.
4. Learning a process. Some of the approaches to be used in curriculum
development are the behavioural approach, need-structured approach and the
environmental approach. The behavioural approach uses conditioning
(repetitive response), reinforcement (strengthening behaviour through
supportive action), extinction (withdrawing reinforcement), and transfer
(connection behaviour with response) to shape a student to a determined form.
SOME ISSUES ON CURRICULUM PLANNING

• Some questions compiled by Briggs regarding curriculum planning areas:

1. What are the desired ends of education?
2. What is the good life?
3. To what extent shall education modify the character and actions of future citizens?
4. For what ends are the school’s responsible?
5. What subject areas are more vital in attaining these ends?
6. What should be the content of these subject arrangement?
7. How should the materials be organized?
8. What is the responsibility of each level of schooling?
9. What is the relative importance of each course of study?
10. How much should be allotted for each subject?
11. How long should education be continued at public expense?
12. What is the optimum length of the school day? Of school year?
13. What is the maximum work load for each pupil?
14. What are the most probable future needs of the pupil?
THE TEN IMPERATIVE NEEDS OF YOUTH

In addition, to be considered are the ten imperative needs of youth: (Tanner and
Tanner, p. 419)
1. To develop saleable skills for intelligent and productive participation in economic
life.
2. To develop and maintain good health and physical fitness.
3. To understand the rights and duties of democratic citizenship.
4. To understand the significance of and conditions conducive to successful family life.
5. To know how to purchase and use goods and services intelligently.
6. To understand the methods of science and its influence on human life.
7. To develop appreciation of beauty in literature, art, music and nature.
8. To use leisure time wisely.
9. To develop respect for others, to grow in ethical values and principles, and to live and work
cooperatively with others.
10. To develop the ability to think rationally, to develop their thoughts clearly, and to read and
listen with understanding.
CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF CURRICULUM
CONTENT SELECTION AND ORGANIZATIONS
Previously, principles on the selection and organization of curriculum content have been given
with emphasis on the analysis of needs. Following are concrete examples of the selection and
organization which will give a clearer idea of how curriculum content is selected and
organized.
In the lower levels:
1. Language. People need to communicate with one another and language is the best medium
of transmitting one’s ideas to others either oral and written. Language is an important factor in
understanding, hence, language is included as one subject in the curriculum. Reading,
especially reading with understanding, is a very important part of language.
2. Writing. There are many things to be noted down so that they will not be forgotten among which are
important events which may become history in the future. Man also needs writing in distance
communication. Writing is also needed in writing stories and novels. Man also needs to be able to write
his own name and others’ names especially when he is voting. He needs to write down his ideas so that
he will not forget them. He needs to note down his lending and debts, his money and other assets, and so
many other countless things and so writing should be included in the curriculum.
3. Arithmetic. There are many activities of man in which arithmetic is very much needed such as
counting his money, counting his other assets, computing the cost of his purchases or sales, finding
areas of distances, adding subtracting, multiplying and dividing so many thing making arithmetic very
important that it should be included in the curriculum.
4. Character or values education. Man does not live himself alone. He lives
with many people around and he must learn how to live with all kinds of
people. He must learn to be honest, helpful and respectful. He must know what
is right and what is wrong. This is to enable him to do what is right and avoid
what is wrong to enable him to live, plan and work with other people in
harmony and peace. All these make it necessary to include character or values
education in the curriculum.
5. Government. It is important that the people must have a working knowledge of how
the government is being operated, the services that the government is rendering such as
keeping peace and order, giving free education, free medical services in government
hospital, building roads and bridges, irrigation systems and safe drinking water systems,
pioneering in putting up important industries, providing mailing services, putting up
public markets, making the community clean and many other services to the people.
Understanding the functions of government makes us supportive of it and enhance the
study of the government must be included in the curriculum.
6. Citizenship. The people must know their rights and duties as citizens.
Knowing the social, economic, educational, health and other services being
performed by the government, pay their taxes, dutifully, help the government in
ways they can, and avoid acts that are detrimental to the people and government
such as criminal acts. The people must also know their rights such as freedom of
speech and assembly, freedom from illegal search and arrest, right to vote or run
for office in the government and many others. All these things make the study of
good citizenship very important that it should be included in the curriculum.
7. Vocational education. Man must be trained in some vocational skills to enable him to earn a living.
Many of the jobless people do not know any specialized vocational skills to enable them to land earning
jobs. Hence, they are jobless most of the time leading a needy life. It is very necessary that those attending
school must be trained very well in middle level skills which are very much needed in a developing
country like ours. Thus, vocational education should be included in the curriculum.
8. Health. Everyone knows that health is indispensable to any person. A healthy person is happy because
he can do most of the things possible for men to do. He can achieve many things that a sickly man cannot.
There is a saying that health means wealth. This is true in a sense that a healthy man can earn money,
besides, a country with healthy people is strong in all aspects of life but a country with sickly people is
weak. Hence, it should be a must that a study of how to be healthy be included in the curriculum
9. Science. Science is very important to mankind. Many countries became very progressive because of
science. The very fast means of transportation and communication, both land, air, the medical wonders,
increased production many times and labor-saving machines are all made possible because of science.
Hence, if we want to progress as fast as other countries we have to include the study of science in our
curriculum.
10. History. It is said that history enables us to know about the past, understand the present and predict
the future. For instance, why are we using English as a medium of instruction in our schools today? This
is because when the United States occupied the Philippines, she started at once to open a nationwide
educational system and made English as a medium of instruction. We can also predict the future if we
make a close study of the past and present trends of events that are happening today.
CON’T.

History also develops nationalism to a certain extent because in the study of history the noble
and heroic deeds of national heroes are also studied and this will develop nationalism.
Because of the above, it becomes very important to include the study of history in the
curriculum.
11. Geography. It is also important that we know the physical conditions of all the regions of
the land; their topography, climate, farming conditions, products, industries, business
opportunities, living conditions and other economic conditions. These are important to one
who is looking for places where good opportunities are abundant and where tourist spots
abound. Hence, it is necessary to include the study of geography in the curriculum.
12. Sports and Athletics. Sports and athletics make the bodies of those who are
engaged in them strong. They also develop sportsmanship, and good sources of
enjoyment for the people who attend sports and athletic meets. Athletes from
different regions meet become friends.
In pro-sports like basketball, boxing, golf and others, they are a good source of
enjoyment for those who attend the events, a good way of spending leisure time.
And so, by all means, sports and athletics should be included in the school
program.
13. Music, Art and literature. These are appreciation subjects. People love to sing or hear
good music, appreciate very much good works of art, and appreciate with deep feeling the
messages given by a good poem, short story of novel.
In the church, people sing with deep spiritual feeling. These are also good media for talented
people to express their ideas or ideals. The singer expresses his or her feeling through his or
her songs, the poet through his poems and the storyteller by his written stories. These
subjects should be offered to develop appreciation of their beauty and to develop the ability
to create music, poems and novels by those who have the aptitudes to do so.