psychological dimension of curriculum development

CURRICULUM

DEVELOPMENT

Pre-Spanish Curriculum

During the Pre-Spanish period, education was

decentralized.

Children were provided with more vocational

training and fewer academic lessons.

Schools were headed by parents or by their tribal

tutors.

Spanish Devised Curriculum

Most education was conducted by religious orders

Focused more on industrial and agricultural

techniques

Schools were headed mostly by friars.

American Devised Curriculum

Chaplains and non-commissioned officers were assigned to teach using English as the medium of instruction.

Curriculum focused on practical job skills that would better prepare students for professional white-collar or skilled blue-collar work.

a spiral curriculum is promoted as allowing students to revisit a subject matter's content at the different levels of development of the subject matter being studied.

METHODOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF CURRICULUM DEV’T

Objectives:

1. To present the different design models of

curriculum.

2. To discover the different ways curriculum are

organized


I. How curriculum is ORGANIZED?

A. Horizontal Organization – means the direction of the

curriculum elements is sideway. Is the alignment of the

curriculum being taught by teachers in a common grade

level.

Example:

a. Relating history with geography or politics

b. Relating anatomy with physiology / trigonometry and

physics


B. Vertical Organization – or sequence of curricular

elements. It is also planning curriculum across the grade

levels, from kindergarten through high school, building

upon instruction based upon standards

Example:

a. The concept of “living things” comes ahead of the topics

on “plant or animal”

b. Addition and subtraction must be taught first before

multiplication and division.


Curriculum Design may also adopt the following structures:

1. Subject-centered design model

- This model focuses on the content of the curriculum

- Schools using this model aims for excellence in the subject

matter.

- It includes the following:

a. Subject design – content based

b. Discipline design – focuses on academic discipline, often use

in college


- Correlation design – subject are related to one another but

each subject maintains its identity.

- Broad field design / interdisciplinary – variation of the

subject-centered design. Sometimes called the holistic

curriculum.


2. Learner-centered design model

- according to progressive educational psychologist, the

learner is the center of the educative process.

- it includes the following:

a. Child-centered design – anchored on the needs and

interest of the child

b. Experience-centered design – the experience of the

learner is the starting point of the curriculum.

c. Humanistic design – the development of one’s self is

the ultimate objective of curriculum design.


3. Problem-centered design model

- generally draws on social problems, needs, interest and abilities of the learner.

- various problems are given emphasis.

- content cut across subject boundaries and must be based on the needs, concerns and abilities of the students.

- it includes the following:

a. Life-situation design – it allows students to view problem clearly and uses past and present experiences to analyse the basic areas of living. The connection of subject matter to real situations increases the relevance of the curriuclum


b. Core design – it centers on general education and the

problems are based on common human activities.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF CURRICULUM DEV’T

Learning Curve

Is a graphical representation of the

increase of learning (vertical axis) with

experience or activity (horizontal axis).

The first person to describe the

learning curve was Hermann

Ebbinghaus in 1885


Exponential growth

The proficiency can increase without limit. One of the

best-known examples of a learning curve with Exponential

Growth is Moore's law.

Exponential rise or fall to a limit

The increase in skill or retention of information is sharpest

during the initial attempts, and then gradually levels out,

meaning that the subject's skill does not improve much

with each repetition, or that less new knowledge is gained

over time.


S-curve

In this case the improvement of proficiency starts

slowly, then increases rapidly, and finally levels off.


Laws of Learning

Also referred to as principles of learning. It provide

additional insight into what makes people learn most

effectively.

Edward Thorndike developed the first three "Laws of learning:"

readiness, exercise, and effect.


Readiness

Readiness implies a degree of concentration and

eagerness. Individuals learn best when they are physically,

mentally, and emotionally ready to learn, and do not learn well

if they see no reason for learning. If students have a strong

purpose, a clear objective, and a definite reason for learning

something, they make more progress than if they lack

motivation.

In other words, when students are ready to learn, they meet

the instructor at least halfway, simplifying the instructor’s job.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation


Basic needs of students must be satisfied before they are ready

or capable of learning.

Students who are exhausted or in ill health cannot learn much.

If they are distracted by outside responsibilities, interests, or

worries.

Overcrowded schedules, or other unresolved issues, students

may have little interest in learning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs#Physiological_needs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distraction

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worry_(emotion)


Exercise

The principle of exercise states that those things most

often repeated are best remembered. It is the basis of drill and

practice

It has been proven that students learn best and retain

information longer when they have meaningful practice and

repetition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Practice_(learning_method)


Effect

The principle of effect is based on the emotional reaction

of the student.

It has a direct relationship to motivation. The principle of

effect is that learning is strengthened when accompanied by a

pleasant or satisfying feeling, and that learning is weakened

when associated with an unpleasant feeling.

psychological dimension of curriculum development

Education

curriculum schools

curriculum elements

holistic curriculum

different ways curriculum

discipline design

humanistic design

experiencecentered design

subject design content