Week 7-11

CRITIQUE PAPER
Prescriptive and Descriptive Curriculum
The process of arranging and writing the curriculum is known as prescriptive

curriculum. The initial component or step in achieving a desired goal.
Descriptive Curriculum, by definition, describes the process and skills of what
students can do.
I have never been bothered by the curriculum or the way it works in my entire life of
learning in school. But as I progressed in my studies and encountered things that had
never bothered me before, such as the curriculum, I realized their significance.
Curriculum is classified into two types: prescriptive curriculum and descriptive
curriculum.
Prescriptive Curriculum is concerned with curriculum design. This is where the
planning for achieving an educational goal takes place.
The key word here is opinion, because opinions do not always take the form of a plan.
Yes, it is similar to a plan, but it includes some expert advice on what needs to be
done and what steps should be taken. It's similar to how the first step in anything is to
plan. For example, if you want to build your dream house, the first thing you need to
do is plan in order for what is required to take place. Get some advice from a building
expert, an opinion from your engineer or architect, and a contract to build your dream
home. As with prescriptive curriculum, it is impossible to teach your students without
a plan; you must first design the needs of your students and then establish a
plan/design. It specifies what should occur and should respond to what curriculum
designers should do.
In contrast, the Descriptive Curriculum is what the designers actually do. It's where
the real action happens, reconstructing the student's experiences and knowledge. This
descriptive curriculum describes the actual situation in the classroom as well as the
topics covered. The ability or skill of the students to apply their knowledge and
experiences is more important in this curriculum than the units or coverage of the
curriculum.
UNIT 2. CURRICULUM AND ORGANIZATION
ACTIVITY 1
Discuss the five sources of curriculum design. Explain one source of curriculum
design that needs to be given an emphasis in our time and why?
Sources of Curriculum Design

 Science as Source
 Society as Source
 Eternal and Devine Sources
 Knowledge as a Source
 The Learner as a Source
Science as a Source
 The scientific method provides meaning for the curriculum design.
 Only those items that can be observed and quantified should be included.
 Problem-solving should have the prime position in the curriculum, i.e., stress
thinking.
 Procedural knowledge or knowledge of process.
 The curriculum teaches rational processes for dealing with reality.
Society as a Source
 Curriculum is an agent of society.
 Curriculum are designed to serve the broad social interests of society, as well as
the local community.
 Support is shown for society as a curriculum source since the universe is
becoming, rather than existing for our detached scientific viewing.
 Society shows where to modify the curriculum.
External and Devine Sources
 Curriculum design should be intended to perpetuate society.
 It should pass on the significance of people's values and personal morality.
 Devine will, eternal truth from the Bible.
 Today these sources are reflected through the curriculum designer's values and
personal morality.
Knowledge as a Source
 One of the prime sources of curriculum.
 Disciplined knowledge has a particular structure and a particular method(s) used
to extend its boundaries.
 Disciplined vs Undisciplined Knowledge
 Disciplined = unique
 Undisciplined = various (training)
The Learner as a Source
 Curriculum is derived from what we know about the learner.
 We draw much from the psychological foundations.
 Based on cognitive research.
 Emphasizes "learning by doing".
ACTIVITY 2
1. Define horizontal and vertical organization.
Vertical organizations frequently proceed to concept adjustment and learning skills in
one subject over multiple years. Horizontal content organization frequently refers to
communication between educational materials from various courses that students
must learn during the school year.
2. Complete the example of conceptual framework in horizontal and vertical

organization.
 Horizontal Organization
Subject: math and
English and
Social Studies and

 Vertical Organization
Subject: Math
English
Social Studies
ACTIVITY 2
Use the diagram or flowchart below to identify in the order components of

curriculums. Put an arrow to shoe how the parts are interrelated with one form to
another.
WEEK 7: PRINCIPLE OF CURRICULUM
ACTIVITY 1
Using the boxes below, discuss how aims, goals, and objectives are related with one
another.
AIMS
 General statements that provide a sense of direction and serve as guiding
principles for educational policy;
 Aims are the translations of the general philosophy and needs of the country;
 Aims are designed at the national/state level by policy making groups;
 Aims can be based on the constitution of the country;
Goals
• Derived from aims;
• Aims become goals when they become more specific and refer to a particular
school or school system and to a specific subject area of the curriculum;
• Goals translate aims into statements that will describe what schools are expected to
accomplish;
• Goals are more specific and definite than aims, but they are still nonbehavioral and
therefore no observable and non-measurable.
Objectives
 Objectives are stated in observable and measurable terms (outcomes,
proficiencies or competences);
 Objectives are behavioral in nature and more precise than goals;
 Objectives state what students should know at the end of the course and what is
expected from them;

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CRITIQUE PAPER

Prescriptive and Descriptive Curriculum

The process of arranging and writing the curriculum is known as prescriptive

Sources of Curriculum Design

2. Complete the example of conceptual framework in horizontal and vertical

Subject: math and

Social Studies and

Use the diagram or flowchart below to identify in the order components of

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