definition of curr

DEFINITION OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Curriculum development is defined as the process of selecting, organizing, executing and evaluating the learning experiences on the basis of the needs, abilities, and interest of learners, and on the basis of the nature of the society or community.

It is a continuous process for the possibilities of improving the teaching-learning situation. Its goals is a positive change; process; transformation in the lives of the learners based on school’s mission and goals. It should be produced in coordinated program of meaningful experiences for learner’s development (2009 Ed.) Curriculum development is a decision-making process that involves a variety of concerns (Bago).

The following are crucial questions to be asked in developing a curriculum:

• What learning objectives should be included?• What will be the bases for the choice of

objectives?• Will the choice be based on the learner’s

needs and interests, or rather on the needs of the society?

• Will the selection depend on tradition, the nature of knowledge, or the learner’s characteristics?

• What philosophical and psychological theories regarding the nature of learners as well as the learning process will underpin the organization of the content?

• Will the choice of methodology be in line with accepted teaching-learning principles?

• Will the evaluation procedure be able to measure the learning that is taking place?

Curriculum Models

Ralph Tyler Model: Four Basic Principles

This is also popularly known as Tyler’s Rationale. He posited four fundamental questions or principles in examining any curriculum in schools. These four fundamental principles are as follows:

1. What educational purpose should the school seek to attain?

2. What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?

3. How can these educational purposes be effectively organized?

4. How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained or not?

In summary, Tyler’s Model show that in curriculum development, the following considerations should be made:

1. Purposes of the school2. Educational experiences related to the purposes3. Organization of the experiences4. Evaluation of the experiences

Hilda Taba improved on Tyler’s Rationale model. She believed that teachers who teach or implement the curriculum should participate in developing it. Her advocacy is commonly called the

grassroots approach. She presented seven major steps to her model where teacher should have a major input. These steps are:

1. Diagnosis of learners needs and expectations of the larger society

2. Formulation of learning objectives3. Selection of learning content4. Organization of learning content5. Selection of learning experiences6. Organization of learning activities7. Determination of what to evaluate and the

means of doing it

Thus as one looks into curriculum models, the three interacting processes in curriculum development are planning, implementing and evaluating.

Types of Curricula Operating in Schools1. Recommended curriculum – proposed by

scholars and professional organizations. Most of the school curricula are recommended. The curriculum may come from a national agency like the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) or any professional organization who has stake in education for example the Philippine Association for Teacher Education (PAFTE) or the Biology Teacher Education (BIOTA) may recommend a curriculum to be implemented in the elementary or secondary education.

2. Written curriculum – appears in school, district, division or country documents. This includes documents, course of study or syllabi handed down to the schools, districts, division, departments or colleges for implementation. Most of the written curricula are made by curriculum experts with participation of teachers. These were pilot-tested or tried out in sample schools or population. Example of this is the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). Another example is the written lesson plan of each classroom teacher made up of objectives and planned activities of the teacher.

3. Taught curriculum – what teachers implement or deliver in the classrooms and schools. The different planned activities which are put into action in the classroom compose the taught curriculum. These are varied activities that are implemented in order to arrive at the objectives or purposes of the written curriculum. These are used by the learners with the guidance of teachers. Taught curriculum varies according to the learning styles of students and the teaching styles of teachers.

4. Supported curriculum – resources, textbooks, computers, audio-visual aids which support and help in the implementation of the curriculum. In order to have successful teaching, other than the teacher, there must be materials which should support or help in the implementation of a written curriculum. These refer to the support curriculum that includes material resources such as textbooks, audio-visual materials, laboratory equipment, playgrounds, zoos, and other facilities. Support curriculum should enable each learner to achieve real and lifelong learning.

5. Assessed curriculum – that which is tested and evaluated. This refers to a tested or evaluated curriculum. At the duration and end of the teaching episodes, a series of evaluations are being done by the teachers to determine the extent of teaching or to tell if the students are progressing. This refers to the assessed curriculum. Assessment tools like paper-and-pencil tests, authentic instruments like portfolio are being utilized.

6. Learned curriculum – what the students actually learn and what is measured. This refers to the learning outcomes achieved by the students. Learning outcomes are indicated by the results of the tests and changes in behavior which can either be cognitive, affective or psychomotor.

7. Hidden curriculum – the unintended curriculum. This is not deliberately planned but may modify behavior or influence learning outcomes. There are lots of hidden curriculum that transpire in the schools. Peer influence, school environment, physical condition, teacher-learner interaction, mood of the teachers and many other factors make up the hidden curriculum.

Major Foundations of Curriculum

1. philosophical

2. historical

3. psychological

4. social

Philosophical FoundationPhilosophy provides educators, teachers and curriculum makers with framework for planning, implementing and evaluating curriculum in schools helps in answering what schools are for, what subjects are important, how students should learn and what materials and methods should be used in decision making, philosophy provides the starting point and will be used for the succeeding decision making

philosophy gives direction to curriculum in terms of goals and objectives,; the school’s underlying beliefs and values have impact on curriculum content and choice of appropriate instructional strategies and learning activities in implementing the curriculumsome philosophical beliefs that undergird the curricula of schools are as follows:

Basic Philosophical

Beliefs

Fundamental Idea(s) Curricular Implications

Metaphysics Study of what is beyond the natural (what is real is true)

Curriculum must go beyond its content; must consider what the students can become

Epistemology Truth about the nature of knowledge

Curriculum should revolve around the issues on teaching-learning process

Logic Focus on logical and accurate thought patterns

The goal of all curricula must be the of the ability of the students to think logically

Axiology Values and ethics Development of a sense of right and wrong

Basic Philosophical Beliefs


Idealism • Importance of mind and spirit and developing them in the learner• Reality is in the ideas independent of sense and experience

Subject matter- or content focused,Believing that this is essential to mental and oral development

Realism (Aristotle) • truth can be tested/proven• knowledge is derived from sense experience

Curriculum is subject-centered, organized from simple to complex, and stressing mastery of facts and development of process and objective skills, critical analysis and attention to Science and Math



Pragmatism (W. James, Dewey, Rousseau)

The world is a world of change; man can know anything within his experience, belief in “learning by doing”

• Provisions for direct experiences• Activity/learner-centered • Basis: problems of democratic society focus on problem solving inquiry

Perennialism (Hutchins, Adler)

Human beings are rational and their existence remain the same throughout differing environments; includes knowledge that has been endured through the years

Subject-matter consists of perennial basic education of rational men: history, language, math, logic, classical literature, science, fine arts, cultural heritage



Existentialism (Kierkegaard, Marcel, Sartre)

Reality is a matter of individual existence

The meaning of life is what each individual makes; focus on conscious awareness of choice

Curriculum stresses activity; recognition of individual differences, opportunities for making choices and awareness of consequence, of introspection and self analysis through individualized learning experiences

Essentialism (Bagley) There are certain ideas that men should know for social stability

Curriculum focused on assimilation of prescribed basic subject matter: 3Rs, history, science, math, language



Reconstructionism (Plato, Augustine, Dewey, Counts, Rigg)

Societal reforms needed towards experiencing the good life now and in the future; schools are the chief means for building new social order

Curriculum should include subjects that deal with social and cultural crises to prepare students to make become analyzer and ensure that democratic principles are followed

Historical Foundations of CurriculumCurriculum is not an old field. Majority

of scholars would place its beginning in 1918 with the publication of Franklin Bobbit’s book The Curriculum

Philippine education came back about from various foreign influences. This can be traced back to our glorious history. Of all the foreign educational systems, the American educational system has the greatest influence on our educational system.

The following are curriculum theorists and how they view curriculum from historical prespective.

1. Franklin Bobbit (1876-1956) – Bobbit presented curriculum as a science that emphasizes on students’ need. Curriculum prepares students for adult life. To Bobbit, objectives with corresponding activities should be grouped and sequenced. This can only be done if instructional activities and tasks are clarified.

2. Werret Charters (1875-1952) – Like Bobbit, to Charters curriculum is a science. It gives emphasis on students’ needs. The listing of objectives and matching these with corresponding activities ensures that the content or subject matter is related to objectives. The subject matter and the activities are planned by the teacher.

3. William Kilpatrick (1871- 1965) – Curriculum are purposeful activities which are child- centered. The purpose of the curriculum is child development and growth. The project method was introduced by Kilpatrick where teacher and student plan the activities. The curriculum develops social relationships and small group instruction.

4. Harold Rugg (1886-1960) – To Rugg, curriculum should develop the whole child. It is child-centered. With the statement of objectives and related learning activities, curriculum should produce outcomes. Harold Rugg emphasized social studies and the teacher plans curriculum in advance.

5. Hollis Caswell (1901-1989) – Sees curriculum as organized around social functions of themes, organized knowledge and learner’s interest. Caswell believes that curriculum is a set of experiences. Subject matter is developed around social functions and learners’ interest.

6. Ralph Tyler (1902-1994) – As one of the hallmarks of curriculum, Tyler believes that curriculum is a science and an extension of school’s philosophy. It is based on students’ needs and interest. To Tyler, curriculum is always related to instruction. Subject matter is organized in terms of knowledge, skills and values. The process emphasizes problem solving. The curriculum aims to educate generalists and not specialists.

The historical foundation of curriculum reflects the educational focus prevalent during a particular period or event in Philippine history. This focus could be made basis or model for curriculum development in recent years.

Period Characteristics Curricular Focus

Pre-Spanish • Focused on Practical training to satisfy basic needs for survival and to transmit social ideas, customs, beliefs, and traditions• Training done in the homes

• Broad; not defined nor written• Prescriptive•Reading and writing in relation to the study of Koran for the Maguindanao Moslems

Spanish Focused on the learning of the Christian Doctrine

•Parochial schools: study of Doctrina Cristiana, arithmetic, music, arts and trades; vernacular was the medium of instruction


American Focused on establishing the public school system, highly influenced by the philosophy of John Dewey

• Reading, writing, arithmetic, good manners and right conduct, civics, hygiene and sanitation, domestic science, American history, Philippine history English as medium of instruction


Commonwealth Focused on the development of moral character, personal discipline, civic consciousness, and vocational efficiency as provided in the 1935 constitution

• Tagalog and later on Filipino, as another medium of instruction• Provided for 6-year elementary schools; school entrance age at 7; compulsory attendance in Grade 1; introduction of double – single sessions • Teaching of Filipino as a subject


Japanese Focused on promoting the East Asia co-prosperity sphere educational objective

• Diffusion of elementary education with the promotion of vocational education• Fostering of new Filipino culture based on the awareness that Filipinos are orientals

Third Republic-Patterned after the 1935 Constitution Period Characteristics Curricular Focus

New Society Focused on national development goals; manpower training; high level professions; self-actualization

• Promotion of Bilingual Education Policy• Development of moral character; self-discipline; scientific, technological, and vocational efficiency; love of country; good citizenship

Fourth Republic Focused on promotion of the rights of all citizens to quality education

• Strengthening of the teaching of values; return to the basics in the new elementary and secondary curriculum

Psychological Foundations

Psychology provides a basis