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Assignment: 01: Semester: Autumn 2019

This document contains Salma Manzoor's details for an assignment on the concept and scope of curriculum. It discusses various definitions of curriculum from different authors. Some key points made are: 1. Curriculum can be defined as the learning experiences planned by the school, the activities and materials used, or the intended learning outcomes. 2. Different definitions lead to different focuses of study such as the planning of learning, the learning activities, or the intended outcomes. 3. Curriculum includes both what is intended as well as unintended outcomes of the learning experiences.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
604 views21 pages

Assignment: 01: Semester: Autumn 2019

This document contains Salma Manzoor's details for an assignment on the concept and scope of curriculum. It discusses various definitions of curriculum from different authors. Some key points made are: 1. Curriculum can be defined as the learning experiences planned by the school, the activities and materials used, or the intended learning outcomes. 2. Different definitions lead to different focuses of study such as the planning of learning, the learning activities, or the intended outcomes. 3. Curriculum includes both what is intended as well as unintended outcomes of the learning experiences.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name : Salma Manzoor

F. Name : M. Manzoor Alam


Roll # : BY650980

Assignment : 01
Semester : Autumn 2019

Course : Concept and Scope


of Curriculum
( )

Tutor Name : Dr.

Address : R-11/12 Star Homes, ground floor, Nipa, Karachi.


E-mail : [email protected].
Q.No.1: Discus the concept and scope of curriculum ?

Concept and Scope of Curriculum:-


There are numerous uses of the word “Curriculum” the concise oxford dictionary
defines it as a “Course of study” and notes that it derives from the Latin word for a chariot race-
course. The idea of a curriculum as a race with a series of “hurdles” to be overcome might still
be a view held by a number of you today.

For a definition of curriculum, people would say that the curriculum includes English,
Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Music, Art……etc. However that would certainly tell very
little about the learning experiences you might be engaged in or what it is hoped you might
achieve as a result of these experiences.

These exists now a number of definitions of curriculum used by writers in the field you
may ask why it is necessary to worry about definitions, but you will immediately realize as you
read through the following examples that different definitions suggest different concerns in the
study of curriculum.

A- According to J.F. Kerr, (1968, P.5)

“All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in
groups or individually inside or outside the school”.

B- H. Rugg (1936, P. 17-18) states.

“……the curriculum …. Is really the entire program of the school’s work it is the essential
means of education it is everything that you and your teachers do, thus it is twofold in
nature, being made up of the activities, the things done and of the materials with which
they are done.

C- M. Johnson (1967, P.130) provides:

“…..curriculum is a structured series of intended learning outcomes curriculum


prescribes (or at least anticipates) the result of instruction it does not prescribe the
means i.e, the activities, materials or even the instructional content to be used in
achieving the result…., the central thesis of the present paper is that curriculum has
reference to what it is intended that you learn not what is it intended that they do.”

D- G.A Bean champ (1968, P.34) says:


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( A curriculum is ) ….. “a design of a social group for the educational experiences of their
children in school”.

A close look at just these four definitions will reveal that the focus of our study of the
curriculum would be different in each case. If we accepted definition A , we might study the
planning of learning as well as what actually takes place both inside and outside the school.
Definition B would focus our attention on the things that teachers and you do and the materials
you use. Definition C would suggest that to study the curriculum we should have to study the
learning outcomes intended for you we certainly would not be looking at the learning activities
and what went on in the classroom, in definition D , Dough similar to B, the emphasis is on the
learning experiences, states the curriculum is the design of these experiences, rather than what
actually happens. Thus the focus of study would be the designs and perhaps our attention
might also be direct to an understanding of the social group who made the design.

Some writers use the word curriculum rather narrowly Bruner (1960, P.31) refers to the
“Curriculum” of a subject, He say that :

“The curriculum of a subject should be determined by the most fundamental


understanding that can be achieved of the underlying principle that give structure to that
subject but the subject curriculum is often taken as the knocked of particular courses. For
example, the history curriculum might be example by reference to the topics covered.

Stenhouse (1975, P.4) refers to the curriculum for which he bought in a bookshop in also
the curriculum for comprehensive school in Norway it is a 350 page book, “Master plan for
Grunnskolen”, it includes statements of aims and specifies the content to be covered for every
subject in each year of the school. It also gives guidance on methods to be used in teaching.
This views implies that curriculum is a written document prescribing what should go on in
school. Whilst no such overall document is used in Pakistan schools.

The idea of curriculum as merely a set of written intentions overlooks those things
which go on in school which are unplanned and unintended consequences of the experience as
students have in schools. For example the teacher’s intention might be to teach the student
certain mathematical operations but as a result of the experience the student comes to hate
mathematical. They dislike which the student has learned, has to be counted as part of the
curriculum, according to those who have a very wide ranging concept of the curriculum. A
greater understanding of the operation of the hidden evaluation stage, it is important that
possible unintended outcomes are monitored.

We might say that curriculum as a kind of blueprint or plan, a statement of categories:

3|Page
a- Those which see the curriculum as a kind of blueprint or plan, a statement of intent.
(i) Stated in terms of expected outcomes.
(ii) Stated in terms of learning experiences or content to be veer.

b- Those which see the curriculum as what actually happen in the classroom.

A third view might embrace both Lawrence Stenhouse (1975, P.4) attempts to cast the
idea of a curriculum as a set of intended learning outcomes as problematic. He states :

“A curriculum is an attempt to communicate the essential principle and features of an


education grounds as well as practical grounds. The curriculum like nutritional on gastronomic
grounds, this is first an idea about a possibility and later is the subject of an experiment which
depending on the cook (teacher) and the ingredients resources may or may not be a success.

Stenhouse (1945, P.5) elaborates on as definition by saying:

“A curriculum is the means by which the experience of attempting to but and education
probable into practice is made publicly available, it involves both content and method and it is
widest application takes account of the problem of implementation in the institutions of the
education system”.

He, therefore, argues that a curriculum should at least provide “a basis for planning a
course studying it empirically and considering the grounds of its justification.”

He goes on to suggest what such a curriculum would, (i) For planning principle as basis
for select content, developing a teaching strategy and making decision about sequencing as
well as for diagnosing strength and weakness of individual students. (ii) For empirical study
principles by which to study and judge the progress of student schools or ever mint and which
different stores of student and informing about that variation or aim of the curriculum available
for scrutiny.

Similarly, Jenkies and Shimpman (1976 P.6) take a blond definition whereby curriculum
includes and outcomes:

“A curriculum is the formulation and implementation of the education proposal to be


taught and learned within a school or other institution and for which that institution accepts
responsibility a there levels. Its effects just to describe a curriculum is a complex task.”

Before leaving the subject of definition it is worth making the point that there is no
correct definition or curriculum and to scribe for on might not be a very Worthwhile Pastime
Schwad (1969, P.183) argues that the curriculum field is moribund because it is overly
preoccupied with argument about theoretical points such as the precise of “curriculum” it

4|Page
might be more useful to accept the idea that the definition which we adopt might vary with our
purposes.

Thus, for curriculum evaluation purposes the most useful definition would include the
experience which learners actually had, regardless of whether they were planned or not, if on
the other hand one was engaged in curriculum planning a definition which emphasized a design
or plan for action would be the most useful, that should serve to remind you to clarify the
meaning of the term curriculum before you use it and alert you to consider the meaning of the
word which is implied by various writers in the field.

Walton (1976, P.6) has proposed another way of organizing the numerous definition of
curriculum in to a more manageable form. He has devised a simple typology of into which all
definitions of curriculum will fit. He points out that definition of curriculum have become more
inclusive with regard to areas to be included.

He used these two criteria in organizing the definition of curriculum as the figure below
indicates.

The type of curriculum which teaches the content (meaning facts, ideas outlines) of a
specific subject with no consideration of the process or learner would belong in the first box in
the first column. At the other extreme, in the last box in the last column, would be the type of
curriculum related to environmental involvement and which would be responsive to the needs
of learners.

Commenting on his typology Walton (1976, P.7) says:

“The curriculum types suggested in the foregoing typology themselves reflect a stance
taken by their supporters related to a number of variable, viz, stance knowledge process and
child. These variable themselves are subject to change figure, I whilst indicating certain general
interpretations of the curriculum that can be made does not indicate the other interpretations
that are associated with those boxes labelled (criteria of selection). These interpretations tend
to chagn over time as new knowledge and new incite appear. Goodland has observed and
wonders how in the field that curriculum is defined in such variety. He maintains that the
questions asked and the problem tackled by these workers are essentially the same even those
defining curriculum in the broadest sense. In terms of that actually happens to learner are still
concerned with problems of design and development.

Be that as it may, it is essential that is taking about curriculum you attempt to define
what you have taken the word to mean as this may well affect the scope of issues you need to
consider. In this unit, the definition of curriculum which we favour is that of Stenhouse (1975)
we are mainly concerned with curriculum plans and justifications and the principles behind

5|Page
them. Many of the considerations about implementation are more fully dealt with in curriculum
development.

For further details, read the below referred material.

The Scope of Curriculum:


There is a number of distant areas of study and action related to curriculum terms such
as “curriculum foundation”, “curriculum design”, “curriculum construction”, curriculum
development”, “curriculum implementation” and “curriculum innovation” abound. Just as there
is no precise agreed definition of the term curriculum these terms are also used in various ways
often rather loosely and interchangeably. Here in this section of unit, an attempt is made to
clarify the distinction between the terms and thereby indicate the range of concerns of
curriculum studies.

The following diagram attempts to provide an overview of the relation between some of
the concepts.

Curriculum Development:
(Total Process)
Includes Leading to

Curriculum Const Curriculum Implementation


(decisions about element
of design)

Which is based on and demands that decision be made about overall.

Curriculum Foundations Curriculum Design


Sources : Taylor and Richard (1979, P.11)

Curriculum Development:
Curriculum development refers to the total process of designing implementing and
evaluating a curriculum it includes decisions about who will be involved and evaluating and the
procedures to be used obviously, curriculum development include the process of curriculum
construction. However it might also embrace decisions to set up parent meeting and attempt to
carry out what also Skilebeck refers to as a situation analysis, (including for example, an effort
to systematically collect date about the population and are which the school to serves and an
analysis of the constraints and strength within the school itself).

6|Page
Curriculum Construction:
This term has traditionally bee used to cover all the processes involved in curriculum
making. It is often used synonymously with the term curriculum development. However, it can
be argued that while curriculum development refers to the entire process of designing and
constructing a curriculum construction refers to a part of that process in which decisions are
actually made about the elements of the curriculum design.

Curriculum Implementation:
Curriculum implementation is a term over which there is probably more agreement
about its meaning than any other it means, quite literally, implementing the curriculum which
has been produced through the processes of curriculum development and construction it is the
process of putting the curriculum design into practice in the classroom whilst this stage is
usually thought to follow curriculum development it is sometimes the case that a curriculum is
being developed and implemented almost concurrently. Thus an early draft or part of a
programme may be implemented. This provides the potential for collecting evaluation data to
provide some evaluative ‘feedback’ (to the curriculum developers) which can guide future
curriculum development and construction processes.

Curriculum Design:
This term is applied to the arrangement of the elements of the curriculum (it is often
used interchangeably with the term “curriculum organization”). The elements usually included
in a curriculum are : (1) The aims or intentions, the learning activities and (2) The evaluation
procedures. The nature of these elements and the way in which they are organized to form a
curriculum constitute a “curriculum design”.

Jaba (1962, P.421) states:

“Curriculum design is a statement which indentifies the elements of a curriculum states


what their relationships are to each other and indicates the principles of organization and the
requirements of that organization for the administrative conditions under which it is to operate
curriculum designs are frequently identified by the way in which subject matter or content is
organized. Thus one may identify, for example ‘subject’ design, a ‘broad-fields’ design or an
‘activity’ design. The choice of a particular curriculum design is influenced by one’s beliefs
concerning curriculum foundations.

Curriculum Foundations:
7|Page
Curriculum foundations are generally referred to as the basic forces or ideas which
influence and shape the curriculum. It is usually considered that these include philosophical
ideas about the nature of education and knowledge, the influence of society and culture and
views about the person (or child) and how he or she learns. The influence of these foundation
areas are dealt with in more detail, later in this guide the foundation of the curriculum are
sometimes called the ‘sources’ of the curriculum. Tyler refers to the three sources of the
curriculum i.e the learners contemporary life and the subjects. These, he says are ‘screened’
through the disciplines of philosophy and psychology.

The issues of curriculum change and curriculum


innovation:
The terms ‘curriculum change’ and ‘curriculum innovation’ are frequently used
interchangeably. However, the two are not exactly the same. Curriculum change refers to
changes which occur in the curriculum over a period of time. They are frequent responses to
certain social or economic changes which occur in the society at large. Changes may occur in
any of the elements of the curriculum, including the hidden curriculum. The distinction
between change and innovation is that change is not necessarily planned, it just happens.
Curriculum innovation refers to a very deliberate attempt to faster something new in the
curriculum. By now, many writers accept that an activity has to be judged by its innovativeness
in its context: few things would be absolutely innovative in the sense that no-one has ever done
them before. Thus, curriculum innovation is a planned change, an attempt to develop effort and
risk on the part of the innovator (who may be an individual or a group of a people.

Q.No.2: Explain the relationship between culture and curriculum.

Relationship between culture and curriculum:


8|Page
Curriculum role as observed in the National Education Poly (1979) should aim at
enabling the learners to acquire knowledge, develop concepts and inculcate skills attitudes,
values and habits conductive to the all round development of their personality and
commensurate with social , cultural , economic and environmental realities at national and
international levels. The role of curriculum further includes:

(a) Curriculum and developing democratic life:


Obviously the foremost demand of the present society on our education is the ‘development o
a vital democracy’ which in the terms of curriculum objective mean.

(i) The development of every individual according to his capacities.


(ii) The development of an abiding faith in democratic principles and processes.
(iii) The development of enlightened and responsible citizens and
(iv) The encouragement of leadership at all levels.

(b) Raising standard of living:


The nation’s ‘economic growth’ is the sine qua non for a stable and prosperous democracy,
which would be able to ensure minimum standard of living of all the citizens. This clearly sets
our educational goals as:

(i) The improvement of productive efficiency :


(ii) The maximization of production, the full use of manpower and natural resources and
a better flow of distributive services;
(iii) Stemming the fast growth of population;
(iv) Helping in obtaining self-sufficiency in food and;
(v) Opening up more channels of employment.

Curriculum implications for realizing the objectives are the introduction of work experience,
socially useful productive work and vacationalization of education.

(c) Curriculum and national integration.


Of paramount importance to Pakistan today is the ‘promotion of nation’. According to the
Education Commission (1959), the problem of national integration is essentially one of
harmonizing of differences of enabling different elements of the population to live peacefully
and cooperatively and to utilize their varied gifts for the enrichment of the national life as a

9|Page
whole we have to cultivate a spirit of large hearted tolerance, of mutual give and take of the
appreciation of ways in which people differ from one another, our citizens must, therefore,

(i) Be imbued with love for motherland and a commitment to the values she stands for;
(ii) Appreciate the richness of her varied culture;
(iii) Have faith in the that runs through apparent diversity;
(iv) Make, by example and endeavour, such unity a reality;
(v) Learn to respect every faith;
(vi) Grow in themselves a deeper concern for moral and spiritual values in life.

In terms of curriculum development, subjects and activities related to the promotion of


national integration should be duly stressed.

(d) Curriculum and modernizing the society:


New Pakistan’s image of her future is intimately tied up with advance in science and
technology, if we want to modernize the social order and keep pace with the fast changing
world this shall have to be reflected in our education.

In terms of curriculum objectives this means:

(i) A loosening of the bonds of dogmatism and dispelling of fear, superstition, fatalism and
passive resignation.
(ii) Promoting the capacity to think, to enquire and judge for himself and contribute to the
stock of human knowledge.

(e) Ushering a cultural renaissance:


Lastly but not of least importance to our country at the present juncture , is the dynamism
which our people could muster to bring about cultural renaissance. This means that through
education an ever-in-creasing portion of our population will:

(i) Learn to take a justifiable pride in Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and carry on the good
tradition and Islamic values.
(ii) Cultivate taste and an appreciation for truth and beauty in every aspect of life.

Q.No.3: Cortically examine the significance of situational analysis in curriculum


development?

Situational Analysis in Curriculum Development:

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In this approach, a comprehensive and through analysis of all relevant factors in the
production of a master plan for the school curriculum is done. As you are aware that the school
curriculum represents a selection of knowledge or experiences thought to, he worthwhile for
children at a certain place and time.

As changes occur in a society, the curriculum of its schools may be liable to change. Any
curriculum is based on views such as;

a) What is meant by education and its aims ?


b) The nature of knowledge;
c) The nature of society;
d) The role of school in the society;
e) The nature of children and how they learn;
f) What is means to teach?

In Lawton (1978, P.5) model, the situation analysis can be explained on the basis of
philosophical theories and sociological theories. A selection from culture, psychological theories
and organization of curriculum in terms of sequence and stages.

In philosophical theories, there will be philosophical ideas about the aims of education
and the structure of knowledge which lies behind any curriculum design. These are not always
made explicit, therefore, we may have to examine the curriculum carefully to see what is
implied.

The sociologists of knowledge have something to say about the aims of education and
the structure to knowledge. In addition sociologists also have to say about the nature of society
and issues of social, technological and ideological change. Thus sociological factor will also
influence the curriculum design.

Likewise, the curriculum designer makes some selection from the culture, a choice is
made about what children ought to learn. It may be determined that there is some common
core of knowledge. Skills and values which all children ought to study.

Having decided what students ideally learn, the curriculum designer consults the
psychologists to reconsider the ideal in terms of theories of learning. Different theorists may
offer a range of issues to consider in terms of structuring and sequencing the programme to
suit their notions about the child’s developmental stages or learning processes. Theories of
learning are insufficient without complementary theories of teaching.

Finally a curriculum is constructed and the practical problems of its implementation


have to be dealt with. In most cases it has to fit into certain time limitations and resources, both

11 | P a g e
human and material are required to teach it. To work through a curriculum, one has to think
like a philosopher, a sociologist, a psychologist and a curriculum designer. The value of using
different ways of thinking about curriculum situation analysis is that one can obtain a variety of
different perspectives and gain a range of insights about the process of curriculum.

In order to comprehend further the idea of situation analysis in the process of


curriculum development, please read below referred material.

Formulation of Objectives:
Some of the critics of a curriculum theory which admits the importance of objectives in
curriculum design. Much of their criticism on the nation that the objective model is a product of
a society that values technical efficiency modeled on a production line mentality. They inder
that the advocates of objectives model treat children like products on an assembly line in a
factor. In some instances we would agree that this may very well be the case those curriculum
workers of the late sixties and even early seventies who thought that programmed learning was
the best design could typify this extreme view of users of an objectives model.

However, to label everyone who might suggest that objectives should form a vital
element of curriculum design. It is interesting to mention here that many of such critics usually
propose alternatives that are quit obviously not short an objectives.

The important point we wish to make here is that whenever you design a programme
you are going to stamp this design with values. In some instances these values are derived from
the society or community in which we live. In other instances these values are personal and
reflect our current views of education.

This can be exemplified by using a curriculum model as proposed by Hughes (1967).


Such model of curriculum development can be used to examine the points in curriculum
decision making where values intrude.

In fact, Hughes indicates that there are normally for sources of inputs through which
curriculum developers go for objectives. There are society, knowledge, learner and learning
process. Curriculum developers at the central level use research findings and opinions of
sociologists, philosophers, subject specialists and psychologists as inputs for their design. The
selection of objectives is based on their collective value position which is supposed to be the
representative of society because the composition of the committee is meant to reflect this.
Needless to say this does not always work. The important point to get is that values from a big
part in curriculum decision making at the central level.

12 | P a g e
On the other hand, at the school level or the classroom level, the intrusion of values
cannot be dismissed. For example, many teachers prefer one subject area to another. Many
teachers have prefer in respect to particular teaching approaches or materials. All of these
involve particular value positions. Values become problematic when they dominate rationally,
we are not saying that decision-making can be value-free. This is not possible what we say is
that values should not take over and include people towards a doctrinaire position.

Classification of Objectives:
Bloom (1956) Krathwohl (1964) have stated that there is considerable value in thinking
about objectives particularly in behavioral levels. Bloom express these level as ranging from
simple recall or memorization of content to evaluating principle and hypothesis. Krathworl’s
taxonomy ranges from “receiving” to characterization”.

To facilitate the formulation of statements of specific objectives within the frame works
proposed by Bloom and Krathwohl (1956) has included the following two tables which contain
the taxonomic classifications, appropriate infinitives, which one might use in writing objectives.
He also mentioned the terms which might be useful in relating the behavioral components to
particular subject areas. These are merely ideas for you to contemplate in developing objective.

Q.No.4: Define curriculum design in term of sources and element ?

13 | P a g e
Curriculum Design in Term:
There are as many interpretations of curriculum design as the definitions of curriculum.
One of the most widely accepted is the one developed by Taba, H. (1962, 421) who maintains
that;

“……Curriculum design is a statement which indentifies the elements of the curriculum,


states what their relationships are to each other and indicates the principles of organization
and the requirements of that organization for the administrative conditions under which it is to
operate. A design of course, needs to be supported with and to make explicit a curriculum
theory which establishes the sources to consider and the principles to apply”.

The elements referred to in the above quotation of Taba are:

(i) Objectives
(ii) Content
(iii) Learning experiences
(iv) Teaching strategies
(v) Evaluation

The way in which the elements mentioned by Taba are related to each other which
quite often specifies the kind of curriculum design that is port yard. For example the type of
design that is dominated by content consisting of predominantly factual information is quite
often characterized by teaching strategies that are largely expository in nature, learning
experiences which depict the learner as a passive receiver, objectives which emphasize a
narrow cognitive perspective and evaluation procedures which are formal testing procedures.

Such type of design is often referred to as a subject centered design, on the other hand
the children centered design-portrays the relationship between the elements in a terms of a
single principle. Such as child-centeredness or subject-centeredness is according to Taba. H,
(1962) an over simplification. It is a point worth stressing. It is not sufficient to enter the
rational for a design on some single criterion or principle as a curriculum has to do with
reaching something to somebody. It can be neither entirely content centered nor child
centered in the sense of neglecting either the nature of the learning or the nature of content.

Principles of Curriculum Design:


As Taba has indicated, curriculum developers need to employ decision making
procedures that rest on multiple criteria and take into consideration a multiplicity of factors,
14 | P a g e
the multiplicity of factors is obviously a reference factor, such as administrative conditions
under which the curriculum is to operate and the skills and competencies of those who will
implement the curriculum. Such factors are commonly referred to as contextual factors.

However, Taba’s reference to multiple criteria leads us to the identification of principles


which might provide a sound basis for analyzing how well particular designs have been
structured and how suitable they are for particular contexts.

In this regard, several curriculum theorists have constructed set of criteria that might be
use for an analysis. Human R.T. (1973, P.10) has indicated that:

“……Curriculum workers must establish the criteria they will follow they can accept a set
of criteria proposed by someone else. Formulate their won criteria independently, or accept
parts of various sets of criteria combined with their own formulation”.

Two sets of criteria are presented: (a) by Taba (1962) and (b ) by Hodgkinson (1975).
These should be studied carefully as they will be useful in your curriculum development
exercise.

(a) Criteria proposed by Taba (1962 P. 267-289)


The summary of the criteria is as under:

(i) Curriculum content is valid and significant to the extent that it reflects the
contemporary scientific knowledge. Perhaps the more important question about
validity of content is how fundamental the knowledge is.
(ii) If the curriculum is to be a useful prescription for learning. Its content and the
outcomes, it pursues need to be in tune with the social and cultural realities of time.
Applied to the selection of content, this criterion further selects from the
scientifically valid and fundamental knowledge which is also significant.
(iii) Curriculum should provide for the achievement of a wide range of objective. An
effective curriculum provides for increasingly more effective acquisition of significant
new knowledge and for the development of increasing more effective ways of
thinking, desirable attitudes, interests and appropriate habits and skills.
(iv) Curriculum content should be learn and adaptable to students experiences. One
factor in learn ability is the adjustment of the curriculum content and of the
learners. The problem of making the curriculum learn able involves also the task of
translating the social heritage into experiences which help each student.
(v) The curriculum should be appropriate to the needs and interests of the learners.

15 | P a g e
(b) Criteria proposed by Hodgkinson (1975):
Curriculum design is a scheme for planning and providing learning experiences. The
scheme is as under:
(i) It must contain strategies for dealing with curriculum inputs from the society,
the individual, learning theory and knowledge.
(ii) It should include the elements of design namely, objective, learning
experiences, content selection and evaluation.
(iii) It should be based on the principles of design such as balance, rationality,
consistency, flexibility, diversity, practicality and responsibility.

The child of today is the builder of tomorrow, it is only through a well designed and
effectively implemented curriculum that the child could be equipped to realize his inner
potential and to contribute meaningfully to national development. Curriculum is basic to the
aesthetic, emotional, ethical, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual and vocational development
of the child.

David Jenkins and Marten D, Shipman (1981) have very rightly observed: “If the teacher
is the guide the curriculum is the path. A good curriculum marks the points of significance so
that the student does not wander aimlessly over the terrain, dependent solely on chance to
discover the landmarks of human achievement”.

However, the school curriculum is designed so that pupils are helped to understand the
environment they see round them, whilst being presented with a vision of what life could be.
Their present experience and understanding is the starting point for the school programme.

Moreover, the curriculum ought to be one which lays the basis for increasing the ability
of as many students as possible to become active, participating adults. By active participation it
is meant that students learn some real skills, knowledge and attitudes values which allow them
to take part in adding to the general social- both materially and spiritually. It also provides the
basis for making judgments about undesirable social directions.

However, before we consider the specific implication of the structure of knowledge to


the organization of curriculum, we should accept the fact that some kind of a selection and
organization of curriculum content the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, it seeks to develop in
necessary. This is so because the curriculum content is chosen deliberately to achieve certain
specific objectives and also the same has to be transmitted through the formal mode of
schooling which sets limits and constraints on what is to be taught and how. If it were possible
for the people to acquire all the knowledge they needed through informal ways there would be
no necessity of formal schooling.

16 | P a g e
Formal education has become a necessity not only because an individual cannot acquire
all the knowledge he needs through informal means but also due to the vastness and
complexity of knowledge that mankind has come to accumulate and its continued expansion,
the increasing demands made on its continued expansion, the increasing demands made on the
modern man for a high degree of knowledge and skills. Thus, the challenge of selecting from
this vast fund of human knowledge and of organizing its suitability to facilitate smooth and
efficient transmission has to be accepted.

Q.No.5: Different individuals need different types of learning experiences for self
development support this.

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Different individuals need different types of learning
experiences for self development:
These are the following types of curriculum learning in school in general, is formally
organized so content and learning experiences may achieve the objectives. For this logical and
psychological requirement may be interwoven.

Doll (1982, P.127) has enlisted practical hints for preparing and stating learning
experiences as:

 Know function of each experience within curriculum plan.


 Preferably each experience should serve more than one objective.
 Organize each experience in hierarchy of experiences.
 Try to make increments in bit size.
 Use varied ways of learning.

Objectives:
After study of this unit, you will be able t:

1- Compare and contrast judgmental, experimental, analytical and consensual procedures.


2- Solve problems related to the organization of content within unit / lesson.
3- Select and organize the learning experiences according to content.

Selection of Content:
Translating characteristics, needs, and tasks into meaningful concepts to be used in
curriculum development is special but a difficult task. Curriculum planners must give carful
thought to what a particular characteristics, need or task means for school programme. Some
need immediate inferences, physical capabilities as they relate to learning experiences. Content
and curriculum materials can be prepared in such a way that all growth and developmental
characteristics of learners show through them. After this, materials are likely to list a wide
range of experiences for learners. But some times a particular view of human growth and
development proves especially adaptable to the curriculum planners. Developmental task
emerge from a combination of factors: maturation culture and nature of individual so it is

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interdisciplinary which originates from psychology, human growth and development and
sociology. Teachers and curriculum planners who use date about learners should:

a) Establish objectives for helping learners in finding their identities and make
attainment of goals possible.
b) Teach with the needs, interests and developmental levels of learners.
c) Make the school a personal and social institution.
d) Help learners to establish roles associated with achieving adulthood and practicing
good citizenship.

Curriculum content is the subject matter of teaching learning process. This includes
knowledge, skills and values associated with that subject. Knowledge contains facts, concepts,
generalizations principles and so forth, process or skills includes “(i.e, reading , writing,
calculating, daring, critical thinking, decision making, communicating) and values (i.e, the beliefs
about matters concerned with good and bad, right and wrong beautiful and ugly).” (Print,
1993, P.14) while selection of the content is one of the most difficult tasks. Content should
meet the educational aims, goals and objectives. Content selection approach varies between
two extreme approaches 1) subject knowledge approach and 2) process approach. Subject
approach claims that content has its own intrinsic value which is based on human knowledge
determined by academic disciplines, process approach is of view that process really is the
content and knowledge is simply a fabric place over the frame work of skills (process).

Selection of content is ideological process which serves the interest of particular social
group and classes. While selecting content for a particular curriculum the developers have to
follow some guidelines so that appropriate selection can be made. Smith et al (1957) has
developed these five standards for subject-matter selection:

(i) Is the subject matter significant to an organized field of knowledge ?


(ii) Does the subject matter stand the test of survival ?
(iii) is the subject matter useful ?
(iv) Is the subject matter interesting ?
(v) does the subject matter contribute to the growth and development of a
democratic society? (P.132)

Curriculum developers may use these principles with the consideration which is of prime
value. Content selection is the result of practical judgment and scientific investigation, it is a
fact that content selection is highly “political” activity as curriculum developers argue,
negotiate, debate and meet the other concerned personal to control the content.

There are several criteria for selecting appropriate content. Doll (1982) has outlined the
following criteria:

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 the validity and significance of the content as disciplined knowledge.
 The balance that is being maintained between content for survey content for study in
depth.
 The appropriateness of the content fo pupil needs and interest.
 The durability or lasting quality of the elements of content to main ideas and concepts.
 The learnbility of the content.
 The possibility of illuminating the content with data from other fields of knowledge.
(PP123-124)

Moreover, selection criteria should also include value education. This is not end, most
important is that content should contribute towards achievement of wide range of objectives.

Selection and organization of learning experiences:

Learning experiences, learning activities, teaching learning strategies methods are used
interchangeably. These are all what a teacher does to facilitate the learning within the student.
These activities are integrate related with the content. These activities should have a wide
variety because of:

 Not all students learn equally when same strategies are applied.
 Certain technology models have more applicability to others what applied to
particular situation / content.
 No single method is superior in terms of students in all learning situation (Print.
1993, P.166).

Selection of learning experiences, just like selection of content always remained a


problem in the development of curriculum. Changing set up of society has imposed more roles
on school which were previously assigned to the other institutions, within the school
programme all learning experiences can be classified as:

(i) The personal development of individual.


(ii) Skills for continued learning.
(iii) Education for social competence.

These can act as basis for planning a school programme. It is obvious that education is
an organized attempt to bring change in the behaviour by presenting content and certain
experiences. Learning takes place in “cultural matrix” which has many complications. School
being a social unit itself, has formal and informal structures relationship which have their
particular role. (Wheeler, 1967, P.129) so principles of learning are derived from psychology
wheeler has listed the following twelve principles :

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(i) Learning is an active process and the learner must be involved.
(ii) Learning proceeds more effectively if the learner is an active participant.
(iii) Learning is affected by individual goals, motives and derives.
(iv) Frequent repetition of responses is necessary.
(v) Learning is reinforced by immediate reinforcement.
(vi) For generalization and discrimination wide range of experiences should be
presented.
(vii) Behaviour is function of learners perceptions.
(viii) Similar situation may elicit different responses from different learners.
(ix) Likeness between situations and possibilities may be specified for transfer of
learner.
(x) Group atmosphere affects learning and satisfaction.
(xi) Individual different count towards learning.
(xii) Learning is multiple but focus can be placed on a single objective, other learning
may take place take simultaneously. (P.130).

While making selection of learning experiences, curriculum developers may consider the
principles of validity comprehensiveness, variety, suitability pattern relevance and pupil
participation.

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