Chapter 1

Understanding Curriculum

What is curriculum?

The word curriculum has been in existence since about 1820, and comes from the Latin
word currere, which means “to run” or “to run a course.” That is, a course of study, which
contains a body of subject matter approved for teaching in schools. However, as time passed by,
experts defined “curriculum “in different ways. Besides, the way we view curriculum reflects our
approach to it.

Many books on curriculum present various images, characterizations, and definitions of

the term curriculum”. To analyze or discuss all of these definitions would be a massive endeavor
since there are more than eleven books written about curriculum Schubert 1980). The following
definitions are a few of the definitions provided by Beuchamp(1982), Eisner(1985),
Glatthorn(2006), Marsh(2004),Oliva(2005), Pinar(1995, Posner(1995), Reid(2006), Saylor(1981),
an Schubert(1986) , among others

• Curriculum as a lists of subjects. This definition suggests that curriculum includes

the “permanent” or traditional subjects offered in the school curriculum such as Mathematics,
Language, Science, Music, Arts, and others.
• Curriculum as learning experiences. This definition includes students’ curricular
and co-curricular activities and the learning experiences they encounter inside or outside the
school. This also includes the hidden curriculum or those things learned by the students as a
result of their experiences in school with their peers, schoolmates, teachers, school staff, or the
values they learned from a school program. In short, curriculum includes the school culture.
• Curriculum as intended learning outcomes. This definition includes a list of
learning competencies or standards that students should learn in school.
• Curriculum as planned learning experiences. This definition includes documents
specifying contents, objectives, or general ideas of what students should know in schools or in a
specific discipline.
• Curriculum as a discipline. This definition has its own principles, theories, and
practices.
• Curriculum as content or subject matter. This definition views curriculum as a
series of topics under each subject area.

It is important that curriculum workers have a common understanding of what curriculum

is. Their personal definition of curriculum defines the curriculum product that they will produce.
Many curriculum projects fail, and many curriculum researches appear ambiguous because of an
unclear understanding of the field of curriculum. Besides, only a few people are experts in
curriculum studies, especially in the Philippines, who may be consulted regarding these projects
and researches.
 The purpose of curriculum then is condensed in the four capacities – to enable each child
or young person to be a successful learner, confident individual, a responsible citizen and an
effective contributor. The attributes and capabilities can be used for the establishments as a
guide to check whether the curriculum for any individual child or young person sufficiently
reflects the purposes of the curriculum. Curriculum was seen as a tradition of organized
knowledge taught in schools of the 19th century. Curriculum is the heart of the teaching
profession. Teacher is guided by some sort of curriculum in the classroom and in schools.

Two century later, the concept of a curriculum has broadened to include several modes
of taught or experience. No formal, non-formal or informal education exists without a curriculum.
Classrooms will be empty with no curriculum. Teachers will have nothing to do, if there is no
curriculum.

Philippine education system, different schools are established in different educational

levels which have corresponding recommended curricula .

The educational levels are:

1. Basic Educational. This level includes Kindergarten, Grade 1 to 6 for elementary, and
for secondary, Grade 7 to Grade 10, for the Junior High School and Grade 11 and 12 and for the
senior High School. Each of the levels has its specific recommended curriculum.
2. Technical Vocational Education. This is post-secondary technical vocational
educational and training taken care of by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA). For the TechVoc track in SHS of DepEd, DepEd and TESDA work in close coordination.
3. Higher Education. This includes the Baccalaureate or Bachelor Degrees and the
Graduate Degrees (Master’s and Doctorate) which are under the regulation of the Commission
on Higher Education(CHED)

Different Type if Curriculum

1. Recommended Curriculum. Almost all curricula found in our schools are

recommended. The three government agencies oversee and regulate Philippine Education. The
recommendations come in the form of memoranda or policies, standards and guidelines.
2. Written Curriculum. This includes documents based on the recommended curriculum.
They become in the form of course of study, syllabi, modules, books or instructional guides
among others. A packet of this written curriculum is the teacher’s lesson plan.
3. Taught Curriculum. From what is written or planned, the curriculum has to be
implemented or taught. The teacher and the learners will put life to the written curriculum.
4. Supported Curriculum. This is describe as support materials that teacher needs to
make learning and teaching meaningful. These print materials like books, charts, posters, or non-
prints like power Point presentation, movies, slides. Supported curriculum also includes facilities
where learning occurs outside or inside the four walled-building. These are the places where
authentic learning through direct experience.
 5. Assessed Curriculum. Taught and supported curricula have to be evaluated to find out
if the teacher has succeeded or not in facilitating learning. The process is to find the progress of
learning, then the assessed is for learning, but if it is to find out how much has been learned or
mastered, then it is assessment of learning.
6. Learned Curriculum. If student the student changed behaviour, he/she has learned.
These measured by tools in assessment, which can indicate the cognitive, affective and
psychomotor outcomes. Learned curriculum will also demonstrate higher order and critical
thinking and lifelong skills.
7. Hidden/Implicit Curriculum. This curriculum is not deliberately planned, but has a
great impact on the behavior of the learner. Peer influence, school environment, media, parental
guidance, are some factors that create the hidden curriculum. Teachers should be sensitive and
aware of this hidden curriculum.
In every teacher’s classroom, not all these curricula may be presented at one time. Many of them
are deliberately planned, like the recommended, written, taught, supported, assessed, and
learned curricula. A hidden curriculum is implied. All of these have significant role on the life of
the teachers as a facilitator of learning and have direct implication to the life of the learners.

Characteristics of a Good Curriculum

From the above discussions of the works of curriculum experts, it can be derived that
the nature of curriculum includes is inherent characteristics and features which makes it relevant
and usable in society that uses it. The following can be considered as the characteristics of a good
curriculum.
1. The curriculum is continuously evolving.
2. The curriculum is based on the needs of the people.
3. The curriculum is democratically conceived.
4. The curriculum is the result of a long term effort.
5. The curriculum is a complex of details.
6. The curriculum provides for the logical sequence of subject matter.
7. The curriculum complements and cooperates with other programs of the
community.
8. The curriculum has educational quality.
9. The curriculum has administrative flexibility.