BACHELOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION:
THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL
CURRICULUM
COURSE MODULE COURSE UNIT WEEK
1 4 5
Foundations of Curriculum Development
✓ Read course and unit objectives
✓ Read study guide prior to class attendance
✓ Read required learning resources; refer to unit
terminologies for jargons
✓ Proactively participate in classroom discussions
✓ Participate in weekly discussion board (Canvas)
✓ Answer and submit course unit tasks
At the end of this unit, the students are expected to:
Cognitive:
1. Define curriculum development
Affective:
1. Discuss the proponents of curriculum development who served as foundations
Psychomotor:
1. Participate actively during class discussions
2. Confidently express personal opinion and thoughts in front of the class
Bilbao Purita, et.al., (2015). Curriculum Development for Teachers; Lorimar Pubishing
Foundations of Curriculum Development
1. Philosophical Foundations
A. Perennialism
Aim: to educate rational person, cultivate intellect
Role: teachers assist students to think with reason (critical thinking, HOTS)
Focus: Classical subjects, literary analysis
Trends: Use of great books (Bible, Koran, Classics) and Liberal Arts\
B. Essentialism
Aim: to promote intellectual growth to become competent
Role: Teachers are sole authorities in the subject area
Focus: Essential skills of the 3Rs; essential subjects
Trends: Back to basics, excellence in education, cultural literacy
C. Progressivism
Aim: Promote democratic social living
Role: teacher leads for growth and development of lifelong learners
Focus: Interdisciplinary subjects, Learner-centered, Outcomes-based
Trends: Equal opportunities for all, contextualized curriculum, humanistic education
D. Reconstructionism
Aim: to improve and reconstruct society. Education for change
Role: teacher acts as agent of change and reforms
Focus: Present and future educational landscape
Trends: School and curricular reform, global education, collaboration and convergence,
standards and competencies.
2. Historical Foundations
A. Franklin Bobbit
• He started the curriculum development movement.
• Curriculum is a science that emphasizes students’ needs.
• Curriculum prepares learners for adult life.
• Objectives and activities should group together when tasks are clarified.
B. Werret Charters (1875-1952)
• Like Bobbit, he posited that curriculum is a science and emphasizes students’ needs.
• Objectives and activities should match. Subject matter or content relates to objectives.
C. William Kilpatrick (1875-1952)
• Curricula are purposeful activities which are child-centered.
• The purpose of curriculum is child development and growth.
• He introduced this project method where teacher and student plan the activities.
• Curriculum develops social relationships and small group instruction
D. Harold Rugg (1886-1960)
• Curriculum should develop the whole child.
• With the statement of objectives and learning activities, curriculum should produce
outcomes.
• Emphasized social studies and suggested that the teacher plans the curriculum in
advance.
E. Hollis Caswell (1901-1989)
• Curriculum is organized around social functions of themes.
• Curriculum, instruction and learning are interrelated.
• Curriculum is a set of experiences.
• Subject matter has built around social functions and earners’ interests.
F. Ralph Tyler (1902-1994)
• Curriculum is a science and an extension of school philosophy. It is based on students;
needs and interests.
• Subject matter is organized in terms of knowledge, skills and values.
• The process emphasizes problem solving.
G. Hilda Taba (1902- 1967)
• Contributed to the theoretical and pedagogical foundations of concepts development
and critical thinking in social studies curriculum.
• She helped lay the foundation for diverse student population.
H. Peter Oliva (1992-2012)
• He described how curriculum change which is a cooperative endeavour.
• Teachers and curriculum specialist constitute the professional core of planners.
• Significant improvement is achieved through group activity.
3. Psychological Foundations
A. Association and Behaviorism
a. Ivan Pavlov
• Father of classical conditioning, the S-R Theory.
• The key to learning in early years of life is to train them what you want them to
become.
b. Edward Thorndike
• He proposed the three laws of learning:
✓ Law of readiness
✓ Law of exercise
✓ Law of effect
c. Robert Gagne
• He proposed the Hierarchical Learning Theory.
• Learning follows a hierarchy.
• Behavior is based on prerequisite condition
B. Cognitive and Information Processing
1. Jean Piaget
• He proposed the 4 Stages of Cognitive Development.
2. Lev Vygotsky
• He proposed the Sociocultural Theory of Development.
3. Howard Gardner
• He proposed the Multiple Intelligences.
4. Daniel Goleman
• He proposed the “Emotional Quotient” (EQ). Emotions contain the power to
affect action.
C. Humanistic Psychology
1. Gestalt
• Gestalt theory which explains learning in terms of “wholeness” of the problem
• Learners analyze the problem, discriminate between essential and non-essential,
and perceive relationships.
• Learner will perceive something in relation to the whole. What they perceive is
related to their previous experiences.
2. Abraham Maslow
• He advanced the self-actualization theory and classic theory of human needs.
• Produce a healthy and happy learner who can accomplish, grow and actualize his
or her human self.
3. Carl Rogers
• Nondirective and Therapeutic Learning – counselling procedures and methods for
facilitating learning; children’s perceptions, which are highly individualistic,
influence their learning and behaviour in class.
• Curriculum is concerned with the process, not the product; personal needs, not
subject matter, psychological meaning, not cognitive scores.
4. Social Foundations
A. Society and Schools
• Society as a source of change
• Schools as agents of change
B. John Dewey
• Considered two fundamental elements– schools and civil society– to be major
topics needing attention and reconstruction to encourage experimental
intelligence.
C. Alvin Toffler
• Wrote the book, “Future Shock”
• Believed that knowledge should prepare students for the future,
• Suggested that in the future, parents might have the resources to teach prescribed
curriculum (home schooling)
Law of Effect – this stated that any behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences is likely to
be repeated.
Law of Exercise – behaviors immediately followed by favorable consequences are more likely to
occur again.
Law of Readiness – a law which states that learning is dependent upon the learner’s readiness to
act, which facilitates the strengthening of the bond between stimulus and response.
Study Questions
• Choose a proponent and discuss his theory and its importance in education today.
Andres, Tomas Quintin D. (2012) Curriculum Development in
the Philippine Setting Mandaluyong City: National Book
Store
Bauzon, Priscillano T. (2009) Foundations of Curriculum
nd
Development and Management, 2 Ed. Mandaluyong City:
National Book Store
Bilbao Purita, et.al., (2015). Curriculum Development for Teachers;
Lorimar Pubishing
Ediger, Marlow. (2010) Effective School Curriculum. New
Delhi: Discovery Publishing House
Hehir, Thomas. (2012) Effective Inclusive Schools: Designing Successful Schoolwide Programs.
CA: Jossey Bass
Moore, Alex. (2012) Teaching and Learning: Pedagogy, Curriculum and Culture. Routledge
Palma, Jesus C. (2009) Curiculum Development System: A Handbook for School Practitionersin
Basic Education 2nd Ed. Mandaluyong City: National Book Store
