Participants of Curriculum Development

The process of development of a curriculum is inclusive of many individuals and people both

from the educational institute and the surrounding community. The planning procedure involves

distinct planning of different levels, such as that of classrooms, districts, schools, states, and

nations. The planning procedure often tends to include disputes among the stakeholders due to

the differences in their opinions and interests (Boyle & Charles 2016). Regardless of such

hindrances, it is essential that the planners have distinct social expertise and they are

knowledgeable about the respective profession of education. Among all the inclusive

stakeholders, teachers, students, principals, curriculum specialists, assistant superintendents, and

superintendents have the most definite parts to play.

Teachers

In situations of curriculum decision making teachers tend to play the most important role.

Contrastingly, with the changes in the norms and regulations of the new world, the roles and

responsibilities of teachers are continuously changing. The number of challenges has also

increased and the responsibilities of the respective demographics have also increased. In this era

of digitization, teachers now have to amalgamate their decisions with technologically innovative

procedures to formulate the best regulations for the curriculum, they need to consult with content

experts regarding the complete remodification of the readable and accessible contents that are to

be availed by the student population. Specialists both from the teaching field as well as the

technological field need to collaborate and schedule technical learning programs, internships,

courses for the students according to their skill levels and capability. For such happenings,

critical adjustments are required within the conventionally formed teaching schedules. It is

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simply not humanly possible to teach vast syllabuses and provide time for curriculum

development. Therefore, joint planning with the school and educational administration needs to

be done so that the teachers can input their time on reshaping the curricula changes and at the

same time continue with their teaching duties (Drew, Priestley & Michael 2016).

Students

Students are that demographic based on which the concept of curriculum development

originated. They are the reason for such rules, regulations, and development. According to recent

studies, it has been found that most of the curriculum developers and designers tend to provide

their best efforts for developing a curriculum but forget or ignore the student’s real-time interest

while doing so. The voices and demands of the students are one of the essential reasons and

contributions that can help in the development of a successful curriculum. According to Khan

and Law (2015), the modern student demographics tend to be more knowledgeable and adept at

the surrounding situations and scenarios. Therefore, letting them participate and present their

opinions regarding the good and the bad within the formulated decisions can prove to be

extremely beneficial. It has also been seen that students in recent times are even greater experts

in terms of technology than their elders and teachers. Hence, suggestions from them regarding

the inclusion of technology within the curricula can prove to be advantageous. If looking at a

political viewpoint, students also have the right to express their interests as the curriculum is

mostly surrounded by the educational environment made for them. The conventional idea of one

rule for every student has become vague in recent times as modern teaching and learning

requirements suggest providing learners with the education according to their capabilities.

Therefore, the involvement of students in the process of curriculum development will not only be

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beneficial for the entire process but will also make them motivated and will encourage them to

aid in the continuation of the process. The entire process needs to be dynamic and proactive.

Principals

For successful curriculum planning of school systems, the inclusion of principals is a must.

Principals are often referred to as the leaders of educational facilities and their decisions are

often abided by the teachers and students. Therefore, they tend to be the most knowledgeable

people within school environments, who tend to have complete knowledge of teaching and

learning requirements. Principals are experienced individuals who were potentially involved with

many curriculum formation programs and associations. This experience and expertise can be of

great help for the process of curriculum development (Alsubaie 2016). The effectiveness of a

principal can be judged based upon the functioning capability of schools and their relation with

communities. Principals in curriculum development programs need to act as a guide and leader

who can be easily requested for assistance if any confusion or hindrances tend to come within the

development process, Inclusion of principals opens diverse opportunities for curriculum

development and can boost the success rate of curricula exponentially.

Curriculum specialists

Curriculum specialists have a major role in the implementation of the developed curriculum.

They are also referred to as curriculum generalists, and curriculum coordinators, based upon

their expertise levels and skillsets. These people usually do not have expertise about any specific

aspect of the curricula but can help in amalgamating different processes, decisions, and

procedures and adjoin them within a single curriculum that can be implemented in real-time. In

recent times, curriculum specialists are mostly suggested to focus upon the educational interests

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of the students before scrutinizing the formulated decisions by all the other stakeholders. Soto

(2015) stated that the responsibility of curriculum specialists involves conceptualization,

designing, and implementation of the documented curriculum into real-life educational

environments with consideration of the interests of the respective educational environment and

its surrounding community. These specialists can be anyone from or within the

school/educational facility or some outsider with the specialization and skill set that is required

for the task.

Assistant Superintendents and Superintendents

Though not visible in all school curriculum development teams, the assistant superintendent

often plays a major role in the development procedure. He/she directly reports to the

superintendent regarding all the decisions and discussions made within the respective

stakeholders. The duty of an assistant superintendent in curriculum development involves,

advising the committee personnel, informing the superintendent regarding the ongoing trends

within the surrounding school systems and communities, budgeting the curricular actions, and

activities, and managing quick requirements for the formulated decisions (Ramos et al. 2015).

The superintendent is the person-in-chief of the school system. He/she responds to the interests

of the school necessity and curriculum activities and discusses the change necessities with the

other stakeholders. The role of a superintendent in curriculum development involves inspiring

change and effectively dealing with change occurrences. They need to understand all the social,

economic, and educational values of the curricula decisions and need to inform the community

and the public regarding the positive change that tends to be in the formulation.

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References

Alsubaie, M. A. (2016). Curriculum development: Teacher involvement in curriculum

development. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(9), 106-107.

Boyle, B., & Charles, M. (2016). Curriculum development: A guide for educators. Sage.

Drew, V., Priestley, M., & Michael, M. K. (2016). Curriculum development through critical

collaborative professional enquiry. Journal of Professional Capital and Community.

Khan, M. A., & Law, L. S. (2015). An Integrative Approach to Curriculum Development in

Higher Education in the USA: A Theoretical Framework. International Education

Studies, 8(3), 66-76.

Ramos, T. B., Caeiro, S., Van Hoof, B., Lozano, R., Huisingh, D., & Ceulemans, K. (2015).

Experiences from the implementation of sustainable development in higher education

institutions: Environmental Management for Sustainable Universities. Journal of Cleaner

Production, 106, 3-10.

Soto, S. T. (2015). An analysis of curriculum development. Theory and Practice in Language

Studies, 5(6), 1129-1139.