Types of Curriculum Design Models

These are many ways of looking at curriculum and designing one. For our own purposes,
let us focus on the most widely used examples.

1. Subject-Centered Design
This is a curriculum design that focuses on the content of the curriculum. The
subject-centered corresponds mostly to the textbook because textbooks are
usually written based the specific subject or course. Henry Morrison and William
Harris are the few curricularists who firmly believed in this design. As practiced,
school hours are allocated to different school subjects such as Science,
Mathematics, Language, Social Studies, Physical Education, and others. This is also
practiced in the Philippines, because a school day is divided into class period, a
school year into quarters or semester. Most of the schools using this kind of
structure and curriculum design aim for excellence in the specific subject discipline
content.
Subject-centered curriculum design has also some variations which are focused on
the individual subject, specific discipline and a combination of subject or
disciplines which are a broad field or interdisciplinary.

1.1 Subject design. What subject are you teaching? What subject are you taking?
These are two simple questions that the teacher and the learner can easily
answer. It is because they are familiar with the subject design curriculum.
Subject design curriculum is the oldest and so far the most familiar design for
teachers, parents and other laymen. According to advocates, subject design
has an advantage because it is easy to deliver. Textbooks are written and
support instructional materials are commercially available. Teachers are
familiar with the format, because they were educated using also the design. In
the Philippine educational system, the number of subjects in the elementary
education is fewer than in the secondary level. In college, the number of
 subjects also differs according to the degree programs being pursued. For each
subject, a curriculum is being designed.
However, the drawback of this design is that sometimes, learning is so
compartmentalized. It stresses so much the content and forgets about the
student’s natural tendencies, interest and experiences. The teacher becomes
dispenser of knowledge and the learners are the simply the empty vessel to
receive the information or content from the teacher. This is a traditional
approach to teaching and learning.
1.2 Discipline design. This curriculum design model is related to subject design.
However, while the subject design centers only on the cluster of content,
discipline design focuses on academic disciplines. Discipline refers to specific
knowledge learned through a method which the scholars use to study a
specific content of their fields. Students in history should learn the subject
matter like historians, student biology should learn how the biologist learn,
and o with students in mathematics, who should learn how mathematicians
learn. In the same manner, teachers should teach how the scholars in the
discipline will convey the particular knowledge.
Discipline design model of a curriculum often used in college, but not in the
elementary or secondary levels. So from the subject-centered curriculum,
curriculum moves higher to a discipline when the students are more mature
and are already moving towards their career path or disciplines as science,
mathematics, psychology, humanities, history and others.
1.3 Correlation design. Coming from a core, correlated curriculum design links
separate subject designs in order to reduce fragmentations. Subjects are
related to one another and still maintain their identity. For example, English
literature and social studies correlate well in elementary level. In the two
subjects, while history is being studied, different literary pieces during the
historical period also being studied. The same is true when science becomes
the core, mathematics is related to it, as they are taken in chemistry, physics
 and biology. Another example is literature as the core with art, music, history,
geography related to it. To use correlated design, teachers should come
together and plan their lessons cooperatively.
1.4 Broad field design/interdisciplinary. Broad field design or interdisciplinary is
a variation of the subject-centered design. This design was made to cure the
compartmentalization of the separate subjects and integrate the contents that
are related to one another. Thus subjects such as geography, economics,
political science, anthropology, sociology and history are fused into one subject
called social studies. Language arts will include grammar, literature, linguistics,
spelling, and composition.
Sometimes called holistic curriculum, broad fields draw around themes and
integration. Interdisciplinary design is similar to thematic design, where a
specific theme is identified, and all other subject areas revolve around the
theme.
1. Learner-Centered Design

Among progressive educational psychologists, the learner is the center of the

educative process. This emphasis is very strong in the elementary level, however, more
concern has been placed on the secondary and even the tertiary levels. Although in high
school, the subject or content has become the focus and in the college level, the discipline
is the center, both levels still recognize the importance of the learner in the curriculum.

Here are some examples of curriculum designs which are learner- centered.

1.1 Child-centered design. This design is often attributed to the influence of John Dewey,
Rouseau, Pestallozi and Froebel. This curriculum design is anchored on the needs and
interests of the child. The learner is not considered a passive individual but one who
engages with his/her environment. One-learns by doing. Learners actively create,
construct meanings and understanding as viewed by the constructivists. In the child-
centered design, learners interact with the teachers and the environment, thus there is a
collaborative effort on both sides to plan lessons, select content and do activities together.
Learning is a product of the child's interaction with the environment.
1.2 Experience-centered design. This design is similar to the child-centered design.
Although the focus remains to be the child, experience-centered design believes that the
interests and needs of learners cannot be pre-planned. Instead, experiences of the
learners become the starting point of the curriculum, thus the school environment is left
open and free. Learners are made to choose from various activities that-the teacher
provides. The learners are empowered to shape their own learning from the different
opportunities given by the teacher. In a school where experience-centered curriculum is
provided, different learning centers are found, time is flexible and children are free to
make options. Activities revolve around different emphasis such as touching, feeling,
imagining, constructing, relating and others. The emergence of multiple intelligence
theory blends well with experience-centered design curriculum.

1.3 Humanistic design. The key influence in this curriculum design is Abraham Maslow
and Carl Rogers. Maslow's theory of self- actualization explains that a person who achieves
this level is accepting of self, others and nature; is simple, spontaneous and natural; is
open to different experiences; possesses empathy and sympathy towards the less
fortunate among the many others. The person can achieve this state of self-actualization
later in life but has to start the process while still in school. Carl Rogers, on the other hand,
believed that a person can enhance self-directed learning by improving self-
understanding, the basic attitude to guide behavior.

In a humanistic curriculum design, the development of self is the ultimate objective of

learning. It stresses the whole person and the integration of thinking, feeling and doing. It
considers the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains to be interconnected and
must be addressed in the curriculum. It stresses the development of positive self-concept
and interpersonal skills.

2. Problem-Centered Design

Generally, problem-centered design draws on social problems, needs, interest and

abilities of the learners. Various problems are given emphasis. There are those that center
on life situations, contemporary life problems, areas of living and many others. In this
curriculum, content cuts across subject boundaries and must be based on the needs,
concerns and abilities of the students. Two examples are given for the problem- centered
design curriculum.

2.1 Life-situations design. What makes the design unique is that the contents are
organized in ways that allow students to clearly view problem areas. It uses the past and
the present experiences of learners as means to analyze the basic areas of living. As a
starting point, the pressing immediate problems of the society and the students' existing
concerns are utilized. Based on Herbert Spencer's curriculum writing, his emphases were
activities that sustain life, enhance life, aid in rearing children, maintain the individual's
social and political relations and enhance leisure, tasks and feelings. The connection of
subject matter to real situations increases the relevance of the curriculum.

1.1 Core problem design. Another example of problem-centered design is core design. It
centers on general education and the problems are based on the common human
activities. The central, focus of the core design includes common needs, problems, and
concerns of the learners. Popularized by Faunce and Bossing in 1959, it presented ways
on how to proceed using core design of a curriculum. These are the steps.

Step 1. Make group consensus on important problems.

Step 2. Develop criteria for selection of important problem.

Step 3. State and define the problem.

Step 4. Decide on areas of study, including class grouping.

Step 5. List the needed information for resources.

Step 6. Obtain and organize information.

Step 7. Analyze and interpret the information.

Step 8. State the tentative conclusions.

Step 9. Present a report to the class individually or by group.

 Step 10. Evaluate the conclusions.

Step 11. Explore other avenues for further problem solving.

These are some examples of curriculum designs. There are many more which are
emerging and those that have evolved in the past. The example given may be limited,
however, for our purposes, they can very well represent curriculum designs.

Approaches to Curriculum Design Models

How will a particular design be approached by the teacher? After writing a curriculum
based on the specific design, let us see-how a teacher will approach this. We will find out the
utilization of the example design.

Child or Learner-Centered Approach. This approach to curriculum design is based on the

underlying philosophy that the child or the learner is the center of the educational process. It
means that the curriculum is constructed based on the needs, interest, purposes and abilities of
the learners. The curriculum is also built upon the learners' knowledge, skills, previous learnings
and potentials.

From its design, how should a child-centered curriculum be approached? Let us consider
these principles.

Principles of Child-Centered Curriculum Approach

1. Acknowledge and respect the fundamental rights of the child.

2. Make all activities revolve around the overall development of the learner.

3. Consider the uniqueness of every learner in a multicultural classroom.

1. Consider using differentiated instruction or teaching.

2. Provide a motivating supportive learning environment for all the learners.

The child-centered approach is illustrated in the example below:

School x is anchored on the theory of multiple intelligences in all its curricular and co-
curricular activities. Every classroom provides activity centers where children can learn on
their own with the different learning resource materials. Learners can just choose which
learning center to engage in with different resources. This arrangement allows for the capacity
of every learner to be honed. It also allows learning how to learn, hence will develop
independence. The teacher acts as guide for every learner. The learner sets the goal that can
be done within the frame of time.

Subject-Centered Approach. This is anchored on a curriculum design which prescribes separate

distinct subjects for every educational level: basic education, higher education or vocational-
technical education. This approach considers the following principles:

1. The primary focus is the subject matter.

2. The emphasis is on bits and pieces of information which may be detached from life.

3. The subject matter serves as a means of identifying problems of living.

4. Learning means accumulation of content, or knowledge.

5. Teacher's role is to dispense the content.

Example of subject-centered approach is given below.

In another setting, School Y aims to produce the best graduates in the school district.
Every learner must excel in all academic subjects to be on top of every academic competition.
The higher the level of cognitive intelligence, the better the learner. Hence the focus of
learning is mastery of the subject matter in terms of content. Every student is expected to be
always on top in terms of mastery of discipline. Memorization and drill are important learning
skills. The school gives emphasis-to intellectual development, and sets aside emotional,
psychomotor and even value development. Success means mastery of the content.
 Problem-Centered Approach. This approach is based on a design which assumes that in
the process of living, children experience problems. Thus, problem solving enables the learners
to become increasingly able to achieve complete or-total development as individuals.

This approach is characterized by the following views and beliefs:

1. The learners are capable of directing and guiding themselves in resolving problems, thus
developing every learner to be independent.
2. The learners are prepared to assume their civic responsibilities through direct
participation in different activities.
3. The curriculum leads the learners in the recognition of concerns and problems in seeking
solutions. Learners are problem solvers themselves.

An example of the problem-centered approach is presented below.

School Z believes that a learner should be trained to solve real life problems that come
about because of the needs, interests and abilities of the learners. Problems persistent in life
and society that affect daily living are also considered. Most of the school activities revolve
around finding solutions to problems like poverty, drug problems, climate change, natural
calamities and many more. Since the school is using a problem-based design, the same approach
is used. Case study and practical work are the teaching strategies that are utilized. Problem-
centered approach has become popular in many schools.

We have given examples of curriculum design and the corresponding approaches. Again,
the choice of the design is influenced by philosophical and psychological beliefs of the designer.
It is very important that as a curricularist, you will be able to understand the different design
models and how to approach each one.