Curriculum: Concepts, Nature and Purposes

Lesson 1Concepts, Nature and Purposes of CurriculumPurita P. Bilbao, Ed.D.

Introduction

The concept of curriculum is as dynamic as the changes that occur in society. In its narrow sense, curriculum is viewed merely as a listing of subject to be taught in school. In a broader sense, it refers to the total learning experiences of individuals not only in schools but in society as well.

In the Philippines, recommendations of several educational initiatives like the

Philippine Commission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE), Survey of the Outcomes of Elementary Education ( SOUTELE), and the Philippine Commission for Educational Reforms(PCER) focused

on curricular renewal or reforms. The recently formulated National Competency-Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS)

became the anchor of reforms in education from the basic to higher education.

• What is curriculum?• What is its purpose?• What is its nature?

These are the fundamental questions that will be addressed

in this lesson.

Curriculum from Different Points of View

There are many definitions of curriculum. Because of this, the concept of curriculum is sometimes characterized as fragmentary, elusive and confusing. The definitions are influenced by modes of thoughts, pedagogies, political as well as cultural experiences

In the early years of 20th century, the traditional concepts held of the “curriculum is that it is a body of subjects or subject matter prepared by the teachers for the students to learn”. It was synonymous to the “course of study” and “syllabus.”

1. Traditional Points of View of Curriculum

a. Robert M. Hutchins

views curriculum as “permanent studies” where the rule of grammar, reading, rhetoric and logic and mathematics for basic education are emphasized.

Basic Education should emphasize the 3 Rs and college education should be grounded on liberal education.

b. Arthur Bestor as an essentialist, believe that the mission of the school should be intellectual training, hence curriculum should focus on the fundamental intellectual disciplines of grammar, literature and writing. It should also include mathematics, science, history and foreign language.

c. Joseph Schwab

This definition leads us to the view that discipline is the sole source of curriculum. Thus in our education system, curriculum is divided into chunks of knowledge we call subject areas in basic education such as English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and others. In college, discipline may includes humanities, sciences, languages and many more.

2. Progressive Points of View of Curriculum

On the other hand, to a progressivist, a listing of school, subjects, syllabi, course of study, and list of courses or specific discipline do not make a curriculum. These can only be called curriculum if the written materials are actualized by the learner. Broadly speaking, curriculum is defined as the total learning experiences of the individual.

a. John Dewey

anchored on definition of experience and education. He believed that reflective thinking is a means that unifies curricular elements. Thought is not derived from action but tested by application.

b. Caswell and Campbell viewed curriculum as “all experiences children have under the guidance of teachers”.

c. Smith, Stanley and Shores

defined “curriculum as a sequence of potential experiences set up in the schools for the purpose of disciplining children and youth in group ways of thinking and acting”

d. Marsh and Willis

on the other hand view curriculum as all the “experiences in the classroom which are planned and enacted by the teacher, and also learned by the students.

Points of View on Curriculum Development

From the various definitions and concepts presented, it is clear that curriculum is a dynamic process. Development connotes changes which are systematic. A change for the better means any alteration, modification or improvement of existing condition. To produce positive changes, development should be purposeful, planned and progressive. This is how curriculum evolves.

a. Ralph Tyler Model: Four Basic Principles.

1. What educational purposes 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 experiences 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 consideration should be made:

Purposes of the school Educational experiences related to the

purposes Organization of the experiences, and Evaluation of the experiences

b. Hilda Taba

On the other hand, she improved on Tyler’s Rationale by making a linear model. She believed that teachers who teach or implement the curriculum should participate in developing it. Her advocacy was commonly called the grassroots approach. She presented seven major steps to her model where teachers could have a major input.

These steps are as follows:

Diagnosis of learners needs and expectations of the larger society

Formulation of learning objectives Selection of learning content Organization of Learning content Selection of learning experiences Organization of learning activities Determinations of what to evaluate and the

and the means of doing it.

From the various concepts given, Allan Glatthorn (2000) describes seven types of curriculum operating in the schools.

1) Recommended curriculum- proposed by scholars and professional organizations.

2) Written curriculum- appears in school, district, division or country documents.

3) Taught curriculum- what teachers implement or deliver in the classrooms and schools

Types of Curriculum Operating in Schools

4. Supported curriculum- resources textbook computers, audio visual materials which support and help in the implementation of the curriculum.5. Assessed curriculum, that which is tested and evaluated.6. Learned curriculum-what the students actually learn and what is measured and 7. Hidden curriculum- the unintended curriculum.

Major Foundations of Curriculum

Let us now look into the major foundations of a curriculum. Debates continue on what curriculum is and its basic foundations. The commonly accepted foundations include philosophical, historical, psychological and social.

PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS of CURRICULUM

Philosophy provides educators, teachers andcurriculum makers with framework for planning, implementing and evaluating curriculum in schools. It helps in answering what school 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.

7 Common concepts of curriculum

1. Scope and Sequence2. Syllabus3. Content Outline4. Standers5. Textbooks6. Course of Study7. Planned Experiences

BASIC ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM

• SUBJECT-MATTER: Designation of what area of content, facts, arena

of endeavor, that the curriculum deals with. (This is a further elaboration of the "topic" description in the Aim.)

• INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN: Describes the activities the learners are going to

engage in, and the sequence of those activities. Also describes what the TEACHER is to do in order to facilitate those activities. (This is like the traditional "lesson plan" except for a curriculum it may include more than one lesson.)

•

BASIC ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM

• Aim: One sentence (more or less) description

of overall purpose of curriculum, including audience and the topic.

• Rationale: Paragraph describing why aim is worth

achieving. This section would include assessment of needs.

BASIC ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM

• Goals and objectives: List of the learning outcomes expected from

participation in the curriculum. This section includes a discussion of how the curriculum supports national, state, and local standards.

• Audience and pre-requisites: Describes who the curriculum is for and the prior

knowledge, skills, and attitudes of those learners likely to be successful with the curriculum.

.

BASIC ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM

• MATERIALS: Lists materials necessary for successful teaching of

the curriculum. Includes a list of web pages. Often, the web site will NOT be the only materials needed by the students. They may need books, tables, paper, chalkboards, calculators, and other tools. You should spell these additional materials out in your teaching guide. Also includes the actual materials (worksheets and web pages) prepared by the curriculum developer, any special requirements for classroom setup and supplies, and a list of any specific hardware and software requirements

BASIC ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM

• INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN:

Describes the activities the learners are going to engage in, and the sequence of those activities. Also describes what the TEACHER is to do in order to facilitate those activities. (This is like the traditional "lesson plan" except for a curriculum it may include more than one lesson.)

BASIC ELEMENTS OF CURRICULUM

• PLANS FOR ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:

Includes plan for assessing learning and evaluating the curriculum as a whole. May include description of a model project, sample exam questions, or other elements of assessment. Also should include plan for evaluating the curriculum as a whole, including feedback from learners.

How to improve Questioning Technique

The following are some points to consider to improve one’s questioning technique.

• Know your own style of questioning

• Request a colleague to critique your own style as to: a.) kind of questions often asked, b.) the type of responses required. Knowing your errors in questioning would make it easy to effect the necessary changes. Too many “what” questions will be avoided.

• Increase your own repertoire of type questions. Training on employing divergent, high level and open-ended questions improves your questioning technique. Fully aware of the instructional objectives set for a particular lesson, you would be able to frame more interesting and thought-provoking questions rather than the memory type.

• Consider the individual abilities and interest of the students. Experiencing success in giving corrects answers promotes a feeling of confidence among them. Select the brighter ones to respond to high level questions. An approving nod, a smile or praise for an answer given will encourage them to volunteer own ideas.

• Spend time reflecting on the type of questions you ask. Improve on them.

How To Encourage Question from Students Children are by nature curious. They think question

about almost anything they see and hear around them. They ask casual, intelligent and even funny questions. Neil Postman said, “they come to school as question marks” but unfortunately “leave school as periods”.

The teacher’s reaction to their inquisitiveness can motivate or discourage them from asking more question. Some may give honest answer, others may instantly stop them from attempting to ask more. How can we encourage children to ask question? Here are some tips:

1) The teacher’s questioning technique is the key in encouraging students to ask correct, relevant and high level question. Her question can serve as a good examples.

2) Attend to their question. Avoid dismissing irrelevant questions. Assist in clarifying or refocusing in order to solicit correct responses.

3) Praise the correctly formulated questions. It develops confidence and makes knowledge search easy and satisfying.

4) Allot an appropriate time slot for open questioning. This will encourage the slow thinker to participate freely.