Purposes & Principles of Curriculum Development

•By: Dwi Sloria Suharti

Purposes of Developing Curriculum

Providing the first guidelines for determining the learning experiences included in the curriculum

Having a set objectives clearly for making the professional judgement to teachers & curriculum planners

Getting learners to be clearly aware of the objectives being sought by teachers and by the curriculum they are experiencing

General goals/objectives can be used to define the need for various courses, activities, and experiences in the community

Goals & objectives are determined by consideration of the demands of society, the characteristics of the SS, and the contributions of the various fields of knowledge.

Principles of Curriculum Development

Principles of Curriculum Development by the Australian

Council Curriculum (2001: 16-17) 1. An encompassing view of curriculum (more than syllabus; the learning experiences of the students, the learning environment, teaching methods, the resources for learning, the system of assessment, the school ethos, and the ways SS & staff behave towards one another).

2. An explicit acknowledgement of core values (to give meaning & purpose to their lives)

3. Inclusivity (providing all groups of SS, irrespective of educational setting, with access to a wide & empowering knowledge, skills, & values)

4. Flexibility (adaptable to the particular needs of different schools & communities; encourage effective use of new technologies as tools for learning)

5. Integration, breadth and balance (to enable SS to make connection between ideas, people & things & to relate local, national & global events & phenomena)

6. A developmental approach (to accommodate new knowledge & understand in ways which link SS learning to SS previous experiences)

7. Collaboration and partnership (the shared responsibility of SS, teachers, parents, tertiary educators & the community)

Turning Points (2000: 4) outlines 5 Principles of Curriculum Development :

1. Curriculum should be grounded in an understanding of the middle school child.

2. It should be based on what we want SS to know & be able to do (habits of minds, skills development, & in-depth study)

3. Students & teachers should be engaged in authentic, intellectual work (project-based)

4. Assessment should demonstrate that SS can do important work (related to the learning goals)

5. A coherent curriculum should be developed across entire school (teacher & administrators use a process called "mapping" to build a well-articulated, coherent curriculum across the school) (Hartoyo, 2011; 5-9)

Reference: Hartoyo. 2011. Curriculum & Material Development: Theory and Implementation. Semarang: Pelita Insani.