The Teacher and the School Curriculum

Educational Levels:
Basic education – kinder – grade 12
Technical vocational education – TESDA
Higher education – under CHED
Types of curricula
1. Recommended curriculum – comes in the form of memoranda or policies, standards, and
guidelines.
2. Written curriculum – includes documents based on the recommended curriculum.
3. Taught curriculum – the curriculum must be implemented or taught.
4. Supported curriculum – the support materials that the teacher needs.
5. Assessed curriculum – the curricula must be evaluated to find out if the teacher succeeds in
facilitating learning.
6. Learned curriculum – if a student changed behavior
7. Hidden / implicit curriculum – impact on the behavior of the learner.
Curricularist – a professional who is a curriculum specialist.
 A person involved in curriculum.
1. Knows the curriculum (knower) – mastery of the subject matter.
2. Writes the curriculum (writer) – takes record of knowledge concepts, subject matter, or the
content, writes books, modules etc.
3. Plans the curriculum (planner) – makes a yearly, monthly, or daily plan of the curriculum.
Serves as a guide in the implementation of the curriculum.
4. Initiates the curriculum (initiator) – the teacher is obliged to implement the curriculum.
5. Innovates the curriculum (innovator) – a curriculum is always dynamic; hence it keeps on
changing.
6. Implements the curriculum (implementor) – gives life to the curriculum plan.
7. Evaluates the curriculum (evaluator) – determine if the desired outcomes have been
achieved.
Some definitions of curriculum
Daniel Tanner, 1980 – curriculum is planned and guided set of learning experiences and intended
outcomes, formulated through the systematic reconstruction of knowledge and experiences under the
auspices of the school, for learners continuous and willful growth in personal social competence.
Pratt, 1980 – it is a written document that systematically describes goals planned, objectives,
content, learning activities, evaluation, procedures and so forth.
Schubert, 1987 – the contents of a subject, concepts and tasks to be acquired, planned activities, the
desired learning outcomes and experiences, product of culture and an agenda to reform society make
up a curriculum.
Hass, 1987 – a curriculum includes all of the experiences that individual learners have in a program
of education whose purpose is to achieve broad goals and related specific objectives, which is
planned in terms of a framework of theory and research or past and present professional practice.
Grundy, 1987 – it is a programme of activities (by teachers and pupils) designed so that pupils will
attain so far as possible certain educational and other schooling ends or objectives.
Goodland and Su, 1992 – it is a plan that consists of learning opportunities for a specific time frame
and place, a tool that Aims to bring about behavior changes in students because of planned activities
and includes all learning experiences received by students with the guidance of the school.
Cronbeth, 1992 -it provides answers to three questions: 1. What knowledge, skills and values are
most worthwhile? 2. Why are they most worthwhile? 3. How should the young acquire them?
Curriculum from TRADITIONAL POV
Robert M. Hutchins – views curriculum as “permanent studies”. The 3R’s should be emphasized in
basic education.
Arthur Bestor – believes that the mission of the school should be intellectual training.
Joseph Schwab – thinks that the sole source of curriculum is a discipline. He coined the word
discipline as a ruling doctrine for curriculum development.
Phillip Phenix – curriculum should consist entirely of knowledge which comes from various
disciplines.

Curriculum from PROGRESSIVE POV

John Dewey – believes that education is experiencing.
Holin Caswell & Kenn Campbell – viewed curriculum as all experiences children have under the
guidance of teachers.
Othaniel Smith, William Stanley & Harlan Shore – curriculum is a sequence of potential
experiences set up schools for the purpose of disciplining children.
Colin Marsh & George Willis – the experiences in the classroom which are planned and enacted by
the teacher and learned by the students.

3 ways of approaching curriculum

1. Curriculum as a Content or Body of Knowledge
The topic outline, subject matter, or concepts to be included in the syllabus.
4 ways of presenting the content
1. Topical approach – where content is based on knowledge and experiences.
2. Concept approach – with fewer topics in clusters around major & sub-concepts.
3. Thematic approach – as a combination of concepts that develop conceptual structures.
4. Modular approach – leads to complete units of instruction.

Criteria in the selection of content

1. Significance – content should contribute to ideas, concepts, principles, and
generalization.
2. Validity – the authenticity of the subject matter.
3. Utility – usefulness of the content in the curriculum.
 4. Learnability – the complexity of the content should be within the range of the learners.
5. Feasibility – the resources available.
6. Interest – the driving force for students to learn better.
Fundamental Principles for Curriculum Content (BASICS)
1. Balance – content should be fairly distributed.
2. Articulation – the content complexity progresses with the education levels, vertically or
horizontally, across the same discipline.
3. Sequence – logical arrangement of the content.
4. Integration – curriculum does not stand alone or in isolation. Relatedness or
connectedness to other contents.
5. Continuity – curriculum should continuously flow.
6. Scope – the breadth and depth of the curriculum.

2. Curriculum as a Process – as a scheme about the practice of teaching. Curriculum links to

the content. (instruction, implementation and teaching)
Pedagogical Content Knowledge – the intersection of the content and process.

3. Curriculum as a Product – what the students desire to achieve as learning outcomes.

Curriculum development process – is a dynamic process involving many different people and
procedures.
4 Phases of Curriculum Development
1. Curriculum planning – the school vision, mission and goals. Also includes the philosophy and
belief of the school.
2. Curriculum designing – the way curriculum is conceptualized to include the selection and
organization of the content.
3. Curriculum implementing – putting into action the plan which is based on the curriculum
design.
4. Curriculum evaluating – determines the extent to which the desired outcomes have been
achieved.

Foundations of Curriculum
Philosophical Foundation
1. Perennialism – Plato, Aristotle or Thomas Aquinas
-Aim: to educate the rational person; cultivate intellect
--Role: teachers assist students to think with reason
2. Essentialism – William Bagley
--Aim: to promote intellectual growth of learners to become competent.
--Role: Teachers are sole authorities in the subject area.
3. Progressivism – John Dewey
 --Aim: promote democratic social living
--Role: teacher leads for growth and development of lifelong learners
4. Reconstructionism – Theodore Brameld
--Aim: to improve and reconstruct society, education for change
--Role: Teacher acts as agent of change and reforms
Historical Foundations
1. Franklin Bobbit – he started curriculum development.
--curriculum emphasize students needs and prepares for adult life.
2. Werret Charters – objectives and activities should match. Subject matter/content relates to
objectives.
3. William Killpatrick – introduces the project method where teacher and student plan the
activities.
4. Harold Rugg – curriculum should develop the whole child and should produce outcomes.
--suggested that teachers should plan curriculum in advance.
5. Hollis Caswell – curriculum is organized around social functions, organized knowledge, and
learners’ interest.
6. Ralph Tyler – curriculum is a science and an extension of school’s philosophy and aims to
educate generalists not specialist.
7. Hilda Taba – contributed to the theoretical and pedagogical foundations of concepts
development and critical thinking. Also helped lay the foundation for a diverse student
population.
8. Peter Oliva – described curriculum change as a cooperative endeavor.
Psychological Foundations
1. Ivan Pavlov – father of S-R theory which is a foundation of learning practice called
indoctrination.
2. Edward Thorndike – proposed the 3 laws of learning:
 Law of Readiness
 Law of Exercise
 Law of Effect)
3. Robert Gagne – proposed the hierarchical learning theory.
4. Jean Piaget – cognitive development has stages from birth – maturity.
 Sensorymotor stage (0-2)
 preoperational stage (2-7)
 Concrete operations stage (7-11)
 formal operations (11- onwards).
--Keys to Learning
 Assimilation – incorporation of new experience
 Accommodation – learning modification & adaptation
 Equilibration – balance between previous and later learning
5. Lev Vygotsky – sociocultural development theory. Learning precedes development
6. Howard Gardner – multiple intelligence:
 Linguistic * spatial
 Logico-mathematical * kinesthetic
 Musical * interpersonal
 Intrapersonal * naturalistic
 7. Daniel Goleman – Emotional Quotient
8. Gestalt – learning is explained as the “wholeness” of the problem.
9. Abraham Maslow – advanced the Self – Actualization Theory
10. Carl Rogers – nondirective and therapeutic learning
Social Foundations
1. Schools & Society – society as a source of change
--schools as agents of change
--knowledge as an agent of change
2. Emile Durkheim – considered 2 fundamental elements which are schools and civil society.
3. Alvin Toffler – wrote the book Future Shock
Other Theorists
1. Paolo Freire – Pedagogy of the Oppressed
--education as a means of shaping the person and society through critical
reflections and “conscientization”,
2. John Goodland – A Place Called Schools & What are Schools For?
---curriculum organized around the needs of society and the students.
3. William Pinar – broaden the conception of curriculum to enrich the practice.

Fundamentals of Curriculum Design

Peter Oliva’s 10 Axioms for Curriculum Design
1. Curriculum change is inevitable, necessary, and desirable – one of the characteristics of
curriculum is it’s being dynamic, because of this teacher should respond to the changes that
occur in schools and in context.
2. The curriculum is a product of its time – a relevant curriculum should respond to changes
brought about by current social forces and etc. this is called timeless.
3. Curriculum changes made earlier can exist concurrently with newer curriculum changes
– a revision in curriculum starts and ends slowly it also gradually phased in and out that
changes that occur can coexist and overlap.
4. Curriculum change depends on people who will implement that change – teachers who
will implement the curriculum should be involved in its development and should know how to
design curriculum.
5. Curriculum development is a cooperative group activity – group decisions in some
aspects of curriculum development are suggested.
6. curriculum development is a decision-making process made from choices of
alternatives – a curriculum designer must decide what contents to teach, philosophy or point
of view etc.
7. curriculum development is an ongoing process – continuous monitoring, examination,
evaluation and improvement of curricula are to be considered.
8. curriculum development is more effective if it is a comprehensive process rather than a
“piecemeal” – curriculum design should be based on a careful plan.
9. curriculum development is more effective when it follows a systematic process – a
curriculum design is composed of od outcomes, subject matter with reference, etc it should
have an organized flow.
10. Curriculum development starts from where the curriculum is – curriculum planners and
designers should begin with existing curriculum.

Components of a Curriculum Design

1. Intended learning outcomes - the reason for undertaking the learning lesson from the
student’s POV.
Action words – Bloom’s taxonomy of objectives
Cognitive skills – Andersen & Krathwohl, 2003
Affective skills – taxonomy made by Krathwohl
Psychomotor - Simpson
2. Subject matter or content – the topic that will be covered.
References – it tells where the content has been taken.
3. Teaching and learning methods - the activities where the learners derive experiences.

Some Behaviorist Teaching & Learning methods

1. Direct Instruction : Barak Rosenshine Model
a. State learning objectives
b. Review
c. Present new materials
d. Explain
e. Practice
f. Guide
g. Check for understanding
h. Provide feedback
i. Assess performance
j. Review & test

2. Guided Instruction: Madeline Hunter Model

a. Review
b. Anticipatory set
c. Input
d. Modeling
e. Check for understanding
f. Guided practice
g. Independent practice

3.Mastery Learning: JH Black & Lorin Anderson Model

a. Clarify
b. Inform
c. Pretest
d. Group
e. Enrich and correct
f. Monitor
g. Posttest
h. Assess performance
i. Reteach
 4.Systematic Instruction: Thomas Good & Jere Brophy
a. Review
b. Development
c. Assess comprehension
d. Seatwork
e. Accountability
f. Homework
g. Special review
4 Criteria in designing a curriculum
1. Adequacy – actual learning space or classrooms
2. Suitability – relates to planned activities
3. Efficiency – refers to operational and instructional effectiveness
4. Economy – refers to cost effectiveness.
4. Assessment / Evaluation – the process to know if the learning that occurs is effective.
Formative assessment – providing feedback to help the student learn more
Summative assessment – expressing a judgment on the student's
achievement by reference to stated criteria. Involve allocation of marking or grades.

Major Components of a Course Design/Syllabus

1. Intended outcomes ( objectives)
2. Content/ Subject matter (with reference)
3. Methods/Strategies (with needed resources)
4. Evaluation (means of assessment)