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The Teacher as Curriculum Implementer and Manager

Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching (University of Southern Mindanao)

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NOTES IN THE TEACHER AND THE CURRICULLUM

The Teacher as Curriculum Implementer and Manager
 INTRODUCTION
As a teacher, this is one of the major roles that you do in the school. Many of the
curricula that you use may have been recommended and written down. Your task is to
implement such. Daily your plan should be ready for implementation. The success of
learning depends on your implementation effort.
There is a miniscule curriculum like your lesson plan, or a big one like the K to 12
curriculum. You will be both an implementor and a manager of these curricula. You will put
action to what has been planned and designed. It is you, the teacher, who will add more
meaning to the various activities in the classroom. This is what we call teaching styles.
You have to make the day of the learners interesting, engaging and unforgettable. No
curriculum should stop at planning or designing phase. It has to be implemented.

 Implementing the Designed Curriculum as a Change Process

We hear teachers say: “Here goes again, another curricular change! We are already
overloaded! Why do we have to do this?”
This is a common voice that we hear from the teachers and curriculum implementors.
But we mentioned earlier, change is inevitable curriculum development. To be relevant,
we need to change – a change for the better and it can be obviously seen through
implementation.
 Curriculum Implementation Defined
Following the curriculum models of Tyler, Taba, Saylor and Alexander of Lewis, is the
next step to curriculum designing which is curriculum implementing. This is the phase
where teacher action takes place. It is one of the most crucial process in curriculum
development although many education planners would say: “A good plan is work half
done.” If this is so, then the other half of the success of curriculum development rests in
the hands of the implementor who is the teacher.
Curriculum implementation means putting into practice the written curriculum that has
been designed in syllabi, course of study, curricular guides, and subjects. It is a process
wherein the learners acquire the planned or intended knowledge, skills, and attitudes that
are aimed at enabling the same learners to function effectively in society. (SADC MoE
Africa, 2000).
Ornstein and Hunkins in (1998) defined curriculum implementation as the interaction
between the curriculum that has been written and planned and the persons (teachers)
who are in charge to deliver it. To them, curriculum implementation implies the following:
 Shift from what is current to a new or enhanced curriculum;
 Change in knowledge, actions, attitudes of the persons involved;
 Change in behaviour using new strategies and resources; and
 Change which requires efforts hence goals should be achievable,
Loucks and Lieberman (1983) define curriculum implementation as the trying out
of a new practice and what it looks like when actually used in a school system. It simply
means that implementation should bring the desired change and improvement.

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In the classroom context, curriculum implementation means “teaching” what has

been written in the lesson plan. Implementing means using the plan as a guide to engage
with the learners in the teaching-learning process with the end in view that learning has
occurred and learning outcomes have been achieved. It involves the different strategies of
teaching with the support instructional materials to go with the strategy.
In a larger scale, curriculum implementation means putting the curriculum into
operation with the different implementing agents. Curriculum implementation takes place
in class, a school, a district, a division, or the whole educational system. In higher
education, curriculum implementations happens for the course, a degree program, the
institution, or the whole higher education system. It require time, money, personal
interaction, personal contacts, and support.
 Curriculum Implementation as a Change Process
1. Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Theory and Curriculum Change
Kurt Lewin (1951), the father of social psychology explains the process of change.
The model can be used to explain curriculum change and implementation.
In the education landscape, there are always two forces that oppose each other.
These are the driving force and the restraining force. When these two forces are equal,
the state is equilibrium, or balance. There will be a status quo, hence there will be no
change. The situation or condition will stay the same. However, when the driving force
overpowers the restraining force, then change will occur. If the opposite happens that is
when the restraining force is stronger than the driving force, change is prevented. This is
the idea of Kurt Lewin in his Force Field Theory.
We shall use this theory to explain curriculum change. The illustration below shows
that there are driving forces on the lest and the resisting forces on the right. If you look
at the illustration there is equilibrium. If the driving force is equal to the restraining force,
will change happen? Do you think, there will be curriculum change in this situation? Why?
Driving Force E Restraining Forces
Government Intervention Fear of the Unknown
Q

Society’s Values Negative Attitude to Change

U

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Technological Changes I Tradition Values

B
Knowledge Explosion Limited Resources

R
Administrative Support Obsolete Equipment

 Based on Lewin’s Force Field Theory

According to Lewin, change will be better if the restraining forces shall be decreased, rather than
increasing the driving force. As a curricularist, how would you do this?
Let us look first at the different changes that occur in the curriculum. It is important
to identify these are part of our understanding of curriculum implementation.
 Categories of Curriculum Change
McNeil in 200 categorized curriculum change as follows:
1. Substitution. The current curriculum will be replaced or substituted by
a new one. Sometimes, we call this a complete overhaul. Example,
changing an old book to entirely new one, not merely a revision.
2. Alteration. In alteration, there is a minor change to the current or
existing curriculum. For example, instead of using a graphing paper
for mathematics teaching, this can be altered by using a graphing
calculator.
3. Restructuring: Building a new structure would mean major change or
modification in the school system, degree program or educational
system. Using an integrated curriculum for the whole school for K to 12
requires the primary and secondary levels to work as a team. Another
example is a curriculum that will be restructured when there is a
significant involvement of parents in the child’s instead of leaving
everything to the teacher. Using the “In-school Off-school” or a blended
curriculum is an example of restructuring.
4. Perturbation. These are changes that are disrupted, but teachers
have to adjust to them within a fairly short time. For example, if the
principal changes the time schedule because there is a need to catch
up with the national testing time or the dean, the teacher has to
shorten schedule to accommodate unplanned extra curricular
activities.
5. Value orientation. To McNeil, this is a type of curriculum change.
Perhaps this classification will respond to shift in the emphasis that the
teacher provides which are not within the mission or vision of the
school or vice versa. For example, when new teachers who are
recruited in religious schools give emphasis on academics and forget

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the formation of values or faith, they need a curriculum value

orientation. Likewise, all teachers in the public schools, undergo
teacher induction program which is a special curriculum for newly hired
teachers.
Regardless of the kind of change in curriculum and implementation, the process of
change may contain three important elements. As a process, curriculum implementations
should be developmental, participatory and supportive.
It should be developmental in the sense that it should develop multiple
perspectives, increase integration and make learning autonomous, create a climate of
openness and trust, and appreciate and affirm strengths of the teacher. There should be
teacher support in trying new tasks, reflection on the new experience and challenge.
There are simple stages in the development change process for the teachers. First,
is orientation and preparation. The initial use is very mechanical or routinary. However, as
the skills are honed and mastery of the routine is established, refinement follows. This
means adjustments are made to better meet the needs of the learners and achieve the
learning outcomes. In this step, there will be continuous reflection, feedback and
refinement.
 Participatory. For curriculum implementation to succeed, it should be participatory,
specially because other stakeholders like peers, school leaders, parents and
curriculum specialists are necessary. Characteristics of teacher styles,
commitment, willingness to change, skills, and readiness are critical to
implementation. This should be coupled with organizational structure, principal
style, student population characteristics and other factors. Trust among key players
should also be sought as this is a positive starting point. Involvement and
participation encourage sense of ownership and accountability. Participation builds
a learning community which is very necessary in curriculum implementation.
 Supportive curriculum implementation is required in the process of change.
Material support like supplies, equipment and conductive learning environment like
classroom and laboratory should be made available. Likewise, human support is
very much needed. The school leader or head should provide full school or
instructional support to the implementation of the new curriculum change. They too
have to train to understand how to address curriculum change as part of their
instructional as well as management functions.
 Time is an important commodity for a successful change process. For any
innovation to be fully implemented, period of three to five years to institutionalize a
curriculum is suggested. Time is needed by the teachers to plan, adapt, train or
practise, provide the necessary requirements and get support. Time is also needed
to determine when the implementation starts and when it will conclude, since
curriculum implementation is time bound.
 Support from peers, principals, external stakeholders will add to the success of
implementation. When teachers share ideas, work together, solve problems, create
new materials, and celebrate success, more likely that curriculum implementation
will be welcomed.

 Implementing a Curriculum Daily in the Classrooms

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A teaching activity is like implementing a miniscule curriculum. A daily

lesson is based on a planned or written curriculum, which will be put action by
the teacher in the classroom. Before the lesson ends the teacher must find out if
the students have truly learned. Let us see how this process will be shown.

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DepED Order No. 70 s. 2012

Teachers of all public elementary and secondary schools will not be required to
prepare detailed lesson plans. They may adopt daily lesson logs which contain the needed
information and guide from the Teacher Guide (TG) and Teacher Manual (TM) reference
material with page number, inventions given to the students and remarks to indicate how
many students have mastered the lesson or are needing remediation.
However, teachers with less than 2 years of teaching experience shall be required
to prepare Daily Lesson Plans which shall include the following:
I. Objectives
II. Subject Matter
III. Procedure
IV. Assessment
V. Assignment

So, as prospective teachers, you should prepare lesson plans that will comply with
the necessary components asked by the Department of Education. Those who will be
employed in the private schools, may have different lesson plan format, but the
fundamental parts will be the same.
 Starting the Class Right: Laying Down the Curriculum Plan.
Before the class begins everyday, a teacher must have written a lesson plan. The
main parts of a lesson plan are (1) Objective or Intended learning Outcomes (ILO), (2)
Subject Matter (SM), (3) Procedure or strategies of Teaching. (4) Assessment of
learning outcomes (ALO) and (5) Assignment of Agreement.
1. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO). These are the desired learning that will be
the focus of the lesson. Learning Outcomes are based on Taxonomy of Objectives
presented to us as cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Bloom”s Taxonomy has
been revisited by his own student, Lorin Anderson and David Krathwohl. Let us
study both the comparison below.
Blooms Taxonomy Revised Bloom’s by Anderson
(1956) (2001)
EVALUATION CREATING
SYNTHESIS EVALUATION
ANALYSIS ANALYZING

APPLICATION APPLAYING
UNDERSTANDING
COMPREHENSION
KNOWLEDGE REMEMBERING

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Somehow the two are similar, however the highest level of cognition in the revised
version, is creating. Take note that the original version is stated as nouns while the
revised version is stated as verbs which implies more active from thinking.
 Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy: A Quick Look
There are three major changes in the revised taxonomy
These are:
a. Changing the names in the six categories from nouns to verbs.
b. Rearranging these categories
c. Establishing the levels of the knowledge level in the original version.
Let us study the cognitive categories with the example key words (verbs) for each in the
new version of Bloom’s Taxonomy the fallow.
Categories Example Key Words

Remembering. Recall or retrieve Defines, describes, identifies,

previous learned information labels, lists, outlines, selects,
states
Understanding. Comprehend Comprehends, explains,
meaning, translation, state distinguishes, estimates,
problem in own words, making gives examples, interprets,
meaning predicts, rewrites,
summarizes
Applying. Use concept in new Applies, changes, computes,
situation, applies what has been operates, constructs, modifies,
learned in new situation uses, manipulates, prepares,
shows, solves
Analyzing. Separate materials or Breaks down, compares,
concepts into component parts contrasts, diagrams,
so that the organization is clear. differentiates, discriminates,
Distinguishes between facts and identifies, infers, outlines, relates,
inferences selects, separates
Evaluating. Make judgements Appraises, compares, criticizes,
about the value of ideas or defends, describes,
materials. discriminates, evaluates,
interprets, justifies, summarizes
Creating. Build a structure or Composes, compiles, designs,
pattern from various elements. generates, modifies, organizes,
Put parts together to create a revises, rewrites, summarizes,
whole, to make new meaning and creates
structure

In writing objectives or intended learning outcomes, it is always recommended that

more of the higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) should be developed and less of the low
level thinking skills (LOTS) for learners. The low level categories will develop LOTS and
thinking skills progress as the categories move higher.

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Another revision is the expansion of the concept of Knowledge which was not
emphasis or discussed thoroughly before.
 Levels of Knowledge
1. Factual knowledge- ideas, specific data or information
2. Conceptual knowledge- words or ideas known by common name,
common features, and multiple specific examples which may either be
concrete or abstract. Concepts are facts that interrelate with each
other to function together.
3. Procedural knowledge- how things work, step-be-step actions,
method of inquiry.
4. Metacognitive knowledge- knowledge of cognition in general
awareness of knowledge of one’s own cognition, thinking about
thinking.
Intended learning outcomes (ILO) should be written in a SMART way.
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result Oriented (Outcomes) an Time-
Bound.
I. Subject Matter or Content. (SM) comes from a body knowledge
(facts, concepts, procedure and metacognition will be learned through
the guidance of the teacher. Subject matter is the WHAT in teaching. In
plan, this is followed by the references.
II. Procedure or Method and Strategies. This is the crux of
curriculum implementation. How a teacher will put life to the
intended outcomes and the subject matter to be used depends on
this component.
Let’s take a closer view. How will you as a teacher arrange a teaching-
learning situation which will engage students to learn? Here are some points to
remember.

 There are many ways of teaching for the different kinds of learners. Corpuz &
Salandanan, (2013) enumerated the following approaches and methods, which may be
useful for the different kinds of learners. Some are time tested methods, while others are
non- conventional constructivist methods.

1. Direct Demonstration Methods: Guided Exploratory/Discovery Approach, Inquiry

Method, Problem-based Learning (PBL), Project method
2. Cooperative Learning Approaches: Peer tutoring, Learning Action Cell, Think-Pair-Share
3. Deductive or Inductive Approaches: Project Method, Inquiry-Based Learning,
4. Other Approaches: Blended Learning Reflective Teaching, Integrated Learning,
Outcomes- Based Approach

Teachers have to take into consideration the different strategies should match with
the learning styles of the students.

 Students have different learning styles. There are many classifications of learning
styles according to the different authors. The Multiple intelligence Theory of Howard
Garner implies several learning styles, but for our lesson, we will just focus on the
three learning styles which are Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic. These three preferred
styles can help teachers choose the method and the materials they will use.

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