module Designing the Curriculum

2
Module
ModuleOverview
Overview:
A curriculum as a planned sequence of learning experiences should be at the
heart and mind of every teacher. Every teacher as a curricularist should be
involved in designing a curriculum. In fact, it is one of the teachers' roles as a
curricularist. As such, you will be a part of the intellectual journey of your learners.
You will be providing them the necessary experiences that will enable the learner
what you intend them learn.
As a curriculum designer this task was not given much attention in the past.
Every single day, a teacher designs a lesson or utilizes a curriculum that has been
made and was previously written. Designing a curriculum is a very challenging
task. It is here where the style and creativity of the teacher come in. Thus, this
module will provide the necessary concepts and activities that you as a teacher can
refer to as you prepare yourself to be a curriculum designer.
Lesson 1: Fundamentals of Curriculum Design.
Lesson 2: Elements or Components of a Curriculum Design.
Lesson 3: Approaches to Curriculum Design.

Module Objectives/Outcomes
At the end of this module, the student is expected to:
identify the fundamentals of curriculum designing;
appreciate the task of designing a curriculum;
explain the important aspects in designing a curriculum; and
internalize the significant role of the teacher in designing and preparing
the curriculum.

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 lesson Fundamentals of
Curriculum Design
1
learning outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, the student is expected
to:
discuss the 10 axioms for curriculum designers;
identify the fundamentals of designing the
curriculum; and
internalize the significant role of the teacher in
designing the curriculum.

introduction
Curriculum development is a decision-making process. It is a process that
gives rise to controversy. When dealing with curriculum development or even
problems with curriculum, it is useful to have a set of principles that can serve as
guidelines for deciding what is good, right, and reasonable. According to Oliva
(2002), “curriculum principles are derived from (1) empirical data, (2)
experimental data, (3) the folklore of curriculum, and (4) common sense.”
Principles based on science alone can be rigid and restrictive. Use of common
sense in making curricular decision can be distrusted. However, whereas science
may help us find solutions to some problems, not all problems of the day can be
solved this way.
Further, judgment and common sense are necessary in making curricular
decisions. Whenever judgment is brought into play, however, the potential for
controversy arises. Differing values and philosophical orientations of the people
involved in curriculum development give rise to controversy. Lastly, one of the
features of curriculum development that make it such an interesting field of study
is that curriculum is at the same time both alive and dead.

activity
Learning Task 1

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 Direction: Teachers are the ones or at least part of the curriculum design, thus, on your
own understanding and experience, give at least three roles of the teachers in designing
the curriculum. Write your answer inside the box and it must not be less than 40 words.

Role 1
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role 2

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role 3

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analysis _________________________________________
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 Direction: Based from the given activity above, answer the following questions
comprehensively with three sentences and a minimum of 40 words.

1. What do you think is the significant role does teacher play in designing the
curriculum? Elucidate your answer.
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2. Why there is a need to design the curriculum comprehensively and

systematically?
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3. In your own perspectives, does the curriculum being designed by the teacher
changes over time? Why or Why not?
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abstraction
10 axioms for curriculum designers
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 Oliva (2005) offers several generally accepted axioms that provide a frame of
reference for curriculum developers seeking ways improve curriculum and solve
curriculum problems. You should become familiar with these axioms how they relate
to the curriculum you plan to implement.

Axiom 1: Change is both inevitable and necessary, for it is through change that
life forms grow and develop.
Think for a moment of some of the problems your particular school faces, and
ask yourself what types of changes in curriculum would benefit the students in
your classrooms as well as the larger community.

Axiom 2: A school curriculum not only reflects but is a product of its time.
Something happens then something else happens. Things happen, events
overlap, and societies change so with people. Scientific innovations, pandemics,
war, and the media change the way we perceive the world. Consider the
changes in technology, the environment and population shift that have occurred
in your lifetime. Ask yourself how these changes created changes in the school
curriculum.

Axiom 3: Curriculum changes made at an earlier period of time can exist

concurrently with newer curriculum changes at a later period of time.
You are probably familiar educational reform being likened to a pendulum.
School curriculum swings from one extreme to another; from learning basic
skills in math to “new math” concepts and back, from emphasis on content
learned to classrooms that are student centered and back, from phonics to
whole language and back. Ideas fall out of favor at some point in time and then
later are embraced as exactly what is needed. No doubt you have been aware
of some of the back and forth swing of curricular ideas in your own history of
schooling. Ask you grandparents or parents what curriculum was important
when they went to school.

Axiom 4: Curriculum change depends on people who will implement the change.
Alice Miel (1946) wrote:
To change the curriculum of the school is to change the factors interacting to
shape that curriculum. In each instance this means bringing about changes in
people—in their desires, beliefs, and attitudes, in their knowledge and skill. . . .
the nature of curriculum change should be seen for what it really is—a type of
social change, change in people, not mere change on paper.

Anyone involved in creating changes in curriculum, must themselves change.

Axiom 5: Curriculum change development is a cooperative group activity.

Teachers, professional planners, and curriculum developers must work together
to effect positive curricular change. Significant curriculum improvement comes
about through group activity.

Axiom 6: Curriculum development is a decision-making process made from a

choice of alternatives.

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 Choices have to be made; what content should be included or excluded, what
curriculum best serves the needs of the local society. Choices of instructional
methods need to be made. (How did you learn to read?) The types of programs
that will exist in the school must be decided. How will classes and grade levels
be organized? How will the teachers work to assure that all students have an
equal opportunity to learn?

Axiom 7: Curriculum development is an on-going process.

Once you’ve got it the way you want it, it’s time to go back to the drawing
board. Curriculum planners must constantly monitor the curriculum they have
developed to make sure it is fulfilling its original promise and is not creating
unforeseen problems.

Axiom 8: Curriculum development is a comprehensive process.

Curriculum planning should not be piecemeal, patching, cutting, adding,
plugging in, shortening lengthening, or troubleshooting. One aspect of the
curriculum out of whack and the whole curriculum can be a disaster. Every
aspect of the curriculum must be taken into consideration—Oliva advises
curriculum planners to be aware of the impact of curriculum development not
only on the students, teachers, and parents directly concerned with a
programmatic change but also on the innocent bystanders, those not directly
involved in the curriculum planning but affected in some way by the results of
planning.

Axiom 9: Systematic curriculum development is more effective when it follows a

systematic process.
The whole picture should be apparent from the beginning. A set of procedures
should be carefully followed. (We’ll learn about these procedures when we look
at models of curriculum development.)

Axiom 10: The curriculum planner starts from where the curriculum is just as
the teacher starts from where the students are.
What has come before should not be carelessly tossed aside. Think about
beginning the curriculum development process as a “reorganization”
preexisting ideas and modes of delivery. You might find yourself doing this
when you develop the curriculum for your final project for this course.

application

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 Direction: Choose at least four axioms then interview a teacher, may it be from
elementary, high school, or college teacher, about their opinion and insights
with the axiom you have chosen. Make sure to provide documentation for
reference and evidence.

Axiom 1
- Name of the Teacher

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Axiom 2
- Name of the Teacher

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Axiom 3

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 - Name of the Teacher

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Axiom 4
- Name of the Teacher

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lesson Elements or Components of a

Curriculum Design

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 2
learning outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, the student is expected
to:
identify the different elements or components of a
curriculum design;
explain the importance of these elements in
designing a curriculum;
internalize the significance of these elements or
components in the lives of the teacher as a
curriculum designer; and
make a detailed and semi-detailed lesson plan.

introduction
There are many labels or names for curriculum design. Some would call it a
syllabus or a lesson plan. Some would call it a unit plan or a course design.
Whatever is the name of the design, the common components for all of them are
almost the same. However, some schools, institutions or departments may add
other minor parts or trimmings to the design. It might be because the academic
institution wanted to highlight and put emphasis on a specific integration like the
integration of values or the integration of Gender and Development (GAD).
Furthermore, let us take the Lesson Plan as a miniscule curriculum which is
very much essential in the delivery of the instruction given and conducted by the
teacher. Also, a lesson plan or teaching guide includes: (1) Intended Learning
Outcomes (ILO) or the Desired Learning Outcome (DLO) formerly labelled as
behavioral objectives, (2) Subject Matter or Content, (3) Teaching and Learning
Methods and (4) Assessment Evaluation. Each of these components or elements
will be thoroughly described and explained in this lesson.

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 ACTIVI
Learning Task 1
Direction: Below are the different components of a curriculum design. In your own
understanding, arrange this component orderly according to how should be the flow
of the lesson look like. Then, explain and elaborate your answer to the box provided.

Content/Subject Matter.
Assessments/Evaluation.
References.
Teaching and Learning
Methods.
Learning Objectives.

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 Learning Task 2
Direction: Activities given by the teacher can be student-centered or teacher-
centered by nature. Now, list at least five learning and classroom activities under
each approach.

TEACHER-CENTERED
ACTIVITIES
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

STUDENT-CENTERED
ACTIVITIES
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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 Analysis
Direction: Based from the given activity above, answer the following questions
comprehensively with three sentences and a maximum of 50 words.

1. What do you think is the importance of these elements or components in

designing a curriculum? Explain your answer.
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2. What is more important, learning objectives OR the assessment/evaluation?

Explain and discuss your answer.
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3. Do teachers need to integrate all of the components in one lesson? Why or

why not?
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Abstraction
ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS OF A
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 I. BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES OR INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Begin with the end in view. The objectives or intended learning outcomes are
reason for undertaking the learning lesson from the student’s point of view; it is
desired learning outcome that is to be accomplished in a particular learning episode,
engaged in by the learners under the guidance of the teacher. As a curriculum
designer, the beginning of the learning of the journey is the learning outcomes to be
achieved. In this way, both the learner and the teacher are guided by what to
accomplish.
The behavioral objectives, intended learning outcomes or desired learning
outcomes are expressed in action words found in the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy of
Objectives (Anderson and Krathwohl, 2003) for the development of the cognitive
skills. For the affective skills, the taxonomy made by Krathwohl and for the
psychomotor domain by Simpson.

Figure 1: Original Bloom's Taxonomy of objectives for the development of

Cognitive Skills

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 Figure 2: Revised Bloom's Taxonomy of Objectives for the development of
Cognitive Skills

Figure 3: Krathwohl's Taxonomy of Objectives for the Development of Affective

Skills

Figure 4: Simpson's Taxonomy of Objectives fot the development of

Psychomotor Skills

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II. SUBJECT MATTER/CONTENT
The content of the lesson or unit is the topic or subject matter that will be covered. In
selecting the content, you should bear in mind the following principles:
Subject matter should be relevant to the outcomes of the curriculum. An
effective curriculum is purposive and clearly focused on the planned learning
outcomes.
Subject matter should be appropriate to the level of the lesson or unit. An
effective curriculum is progressive, leading students towards building on
previous lessons: Contents which are too basic or too advanced for the
development levels of learners make students either bored or baffled and
affect their motivation to learn.
Subject matter should be up-to-date and, if possible, should reflect current
knowledge and concepts.
Subject matter should follow the principle of B A S I C S.
Types of Content:
1. Subject-centered view of curriculum - The fund of human knowledge
represents the repository of accumulated discoveries and inventions of man
down the centuries, due to man’s exploration of the world.
2. Learner-centered view of curriculum - Relates knowledge to the individual’s
personal and social world and how he or she defines reality. Further, Gerome
Bruner emphasized that “knowledge is a model we construct to give meaning
and structure to regularities in experience.”
III. REFERENCES
The reference follows the content. It tells where the content or subject matter has been
taken. The reference may be a book, a module, or any publication. It must bear the author of
the material and if possible, the publications. Some examples are given below.
1. Project Wild (1992) K to 12 Activity Guide, An Interdisciplinary,
Supplementary Conservation and Environmental Education Program.Council of
Environmental Education, Bethesda, MD
2. Shipman, James and Jerry. Wilson, et al (2009). An Introduction to Physical
Science. Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston MA
3. Romo, Salvador B. (2013). Horticulture an Exploratory Course. Lorimar
Publishing Inc. Quezon City
4. Bilbao, Purita P. and Corpuz, Brenda B. et al (2012). The Teaching Profession
2ud Ed. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City
IV. TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS
These are the activities where the learners derive experiences. It is always good to keep
in mind the teaching strategies that students will experience (lectures, laboratory classes,
fieldwork etc.) and make them learn. The teaching-learning methods should allow
cooperation, competition as well as individualism or independent learning among the
students. For example:

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 Cooperative learning activities allow students to work together. Students are
guided to learn on their own to find solutions to their problems. The role of the
teachers is to guide the learners. Democratic process is encouraged, and each
one contributes to the success of learning. Students learn from each other in
ways. Group projects and activities considerably enhance the curriculum.

Independent learning activities allow learners to develop personal

responsibility. The degree of independence to learn how to learn is enhanced.
This strategy is more appropriate for fast learners.

Competitive activities, where students will test their competencies against

another in a healthy manner, allow learners to perform to their maximum.
Most successful individuals in their adult life are competitive, even in early
schooling. They mostly become the survivors in a very competitive world.

The use of various delivery modes to provide learning experiences is

recommended. Online learning and similar modes are increasingly important
in many curricula, but these need to be planned carefully to be effective.
Teaching-Learning Environment
In the choice of the teaching learning methods, equally important is the teaching learning
environment. Brian Castaldi in 1987 suggested four criteria in the provision of the
environment or learning spaces in designing a curriculum. These criteria include (1)
adequacy, (2) suitability, (3) efficiency and (4) economy.
1. Adequacy- This refers to the actual learning space or classrooms. Is the classroom
large enough for student's mobility for class interaction and collaborative work? Is
there enough light and ventilation so that the learning space is conducive, and safe for
learning? To provide learning condition that will provide opportunities that will
develop the 21» century skills, there must be a provision for the utilization of
technology for teaching and learning and the use of the cyberspace.
2. Suitability- This relates to planned activities. Suitability should consider
chronological and developmental ages of learners. Also, to be considered will be the
socio-cultural, economic even religious background of the learners.
3. Efficiency- This refers to operational and instructional effectiveness.
4. Economy- This refers to cost effectiveness. How much is needed to provide
instructional materials?
V. ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
Learning occurs most effectively when students receive feedback, i.e. when they receive
information on what they have already (and have not) learned. The process by which this
information is generated is assessment. It has three main forms:
Self-assessment, through which students learn to monitor and evaluate their
own learning. This should be a significant element in the curriculum because
we aim to produce graduates who are appropriately reflective and self-
critical.

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 Peer assessment, in which students provide feedback on each other's
learning. This can be viewed as an extension of self- assessment and
presupposes trust and mutual respect. Research suggests that students can
learn to judge each other's work as reliably as staff.

Teacher assessment, in which the teacher prepares and administers tests and
gives feedback on the student's performance.
Assessment may be formative (providing feedback to help the student learn more) or
summative (expressing a judgment on the student's achievement by reference to stated
criteria). Many assessment tasks involve an element of both, e.g. an assignment that is
marked and returned to the student with detailed comments.
Summative assessment usually involves the allocation of marks or grades. This helps
the teacher make decisions about the progress or performance of the students.
Students usually learn more by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their
work than by knowing the mark or grade given to it. For this reason, summative assessment
tasks (including unseen examinations) should include an element of formative feedback, if
possible.

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 Application
Direction: Make two lesson plans, one semi-detailed and one detailed. You
may choose your own subject and your own topic for as long as, it will be
reflected appropriately in your reference. Use the template below as your
guide and for your perusal. Rubric is presented below.

SEMI-DETAILED DETAILED LESSON PLAN

LESSON PLAN
I. Learning Objectives
I. Learning Objectives
II. Subject Matter
II. Subject Matter
Topic;
Topic; Reference; and
Reference; and Materials.
Materials.
III. Lesson Proper
III. Lesson Proper
Teacher St
F. Preliminaries Response ud
G. Activity ent
H. Abstraction s’
I. Analysis Re
J. Application sp
on
IV. Assessment/Evaluation se
A. Preliminaries
V. Assignment/Agreement B. Activity
CRITERIA DESCRIPTIONC. Abstraction SCORE
The lesson plan is D. organized,
Analysis well-
Organization and Quality planned, sequential, and
E. Application the
(40) development of the lesson is logical
and organize.
All components of the lesson plan are
Completeness included and are of excellent quality.
(30)
The lesson plan provides variety
Variety and Inclusivity choices and open-ended activities,
(30) objectives and evaluation/assessments
for all abilities of the students.

rubrics

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 lesson Approaches to Curriculum
Designing
3
learning outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, the student is expected
to:
identify the different approaches to
curriculum designing;
explain each approach to curriculum
designing; and
appreciate the essence of each approach in
the delivery of instruction.

introduction
You have been familiarized with the preliminaries of making a simple
design through lesson plan components. Also, you will further enrich your
knowledge by looking into how other curricularist approach the curriculum
design. Also, it is very important to note and remember that there are a number
of approaches developed in designing a curriculum since there are varied
categories and factors that need to be considered in designing one. These
includes the imitation, didacticism, intersubjective interchange, and
apprenticeship. The two most important learning theories, symbol-processing
and situated approaches, allocate distinctive roles to learning styles,
assessment, and meta-cognition.
However, in this lesson, we will see how several examples of curriculum
designs are used in the schools and classrooms. Thus, a more detailed and
specific approaches will be discussed and explained.

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 activity
Learning Task 1
Direction: Below is a graphic organizer which will allow you to compare and contrast
the two concepts: subject-centered and learner-centered design. In your
understanding, cite the differences and similarities of these concepts. You may use
phrases and/or sentences in answering such. Then, on the box, explain and discuss how
these approaches are deemed essential and necessary in designing the curriculum.

Write your answer here:

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 analysis
Direction: Based from the given activity above, answer the following
questions comprehensively with three sentences and a minimum of 30
words.
1. What do you think is the underlying reasons of the emergence of the different
approaches in curriculum design? Explain your answer.
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2. As an education student and future curricularist, how will you consider these
approaches in your class? Elucidate your answer.
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3. Do you think there is BEST approach in curriculum design? Why or why not?
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 abstraction
1. SUBJECT-CENTERED DESIGN
This is a curriculum design that focuses on the content of the curriculum. The
subject-centered design corresponds mostly to the textbook because textbooks are
usually written based the specific subject or course. Henry Morrison and William
Harris are the few curricularist 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 subjects 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 the 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 students' natural
tendencies, interests and experiences. The teacher becomes the 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 the subject design. However, while
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, students in biology should learn
how the biologists learn, and so 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.

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 Discipline design model of curriculum is 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 cares 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 fragmentation. Subjects are related to one another and still
maintain their identity. For example, English literature and. social studies correlate
well in the elementary level. In the two subjects, while history is being studied,
different literary pieces during the historical period are 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, linguisties, 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.

2. 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.

2.1. 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.

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 2.2. 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.

2.3 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.

3. 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.

3.1 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 a 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

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 connection of subject matter to real situations increases the relevance of the
curriculum.

3.2. 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.

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 Application
Direction: Below are the approaches in curriculum designing. In each
approach, write or give one specific classroom activity or task of which
this approach is given emphasis or importance. The example must be
based on a real classroom setting. Answers must be composed of a
minimum 50 words.

Subject- Centered Design

Learner- Centered Design

Problem- Centered Design

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 CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully completed your Module 2 of
the course. Hope you are having fun learning about the role of the teachers
in designing the curriculum. See you in our Module 3. God bless! Just keep
going because you’re doing great! SMILE 😊

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