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STRAND: CURRICULUM MONITORING AND EVALUATION.

SUB STRAND: Curriculum Monitoring.

Concepts Related to monitoring of curriculum.

Curriculum monitoring - refers to the process of gathering information for evaluating the effectiveness
of the curriculum and ensuring that the intended, implemented and attained curricula are aligned. This
process typically focuses on such issues as relevance, consistency, practicality, effectiveness, scaling-up
and sustainability, as well as whether learners are achieving the expected learning outcomes. It
measures the extent to which the curriculum is commensurate with the diverse needs of all learners.

Scaling - up.

Refers to expanding or replicating innovative pilot or small- scale projects to reach more people and/or
broaden the effectiveness of an intervention.

Relevance.

Refers to applicability and appropriateness of a curriculum to the needs, interest, aspirations and
expectations of learners and society in general.

Consistency

The concept of consistency means that accounting methods once adopted must be applied consistently
in future. It ensures that standards are aligned across grade levels to eliminate instructional gaps
between the years. Also same methods and techniques must be used for similar situations.

Practicality.

In assessment practicality means that the test is easy to design, easy to administer and easy to score. No
matter how valid or reliable a test is it has to be practical to make, economical to delivering quality
and not excessively expensive.

Effectiveness

Curriculum effectiveness is defined as the extent to which a curriculur program and its implementation
produce positive and curricularly valid outcomes for students.

Sustainability

Sustainable curriculum would be transformative rather than transmissive as its goal is to “equip all
people with the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to make decisions based upon their full
environmental, social, cultural and economic implications” rather than transmissive with a goal to
provide students with knowledge. It would not be specialised, content-driven units of study on
sustainability but integrated across courses and units. Sustainability is a paradigm that requires us all
(educators and students) to examine our own values, hidden assumptions, motivations, beliefs and

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actions. We reflect on how we live and work and how this impacts the environment, economy and
others (social and cultural aspects) on local, regional, national and global levels.
Sustainable curriculum is based on seven principles.

 transformation and change (not just knowledge),

 education for all and lifelong learning,
 systems thinking (highlighting connections between environmental, economic, social and
political systems),
 envisioning a better future (problem solving, critical thinking and reflection,
 participation (engaging groups and individuals.)
 partnerships for change. It would equip students with the skills to learn and develop their own
skills to the changing world. It would be innovative. Students would learn to question, think
critically from various viewpoints and make well-informed ethical decisions.

Sustainability Education is often referred to as Education for Sustainable Development. Education for
Sustainable Development allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and
values necessary to shape a sustainable future.

Principles of monitoring of curriculum.

 Monitoring and evaluation should refer back to existing baseline data or begin with a baseline
study.
 Monitoring and evaluation are closely linked to and should reflect the methodology of the initial
project appraisal.
 Monitoring should be linked to the specific programme objectives that were defined through
the appraisal and programme planning process.
 Monitoring information should be used in decision-making.
 Monitoring and evaluation should respect principles of participation and involve all programme
stakeholders.
 Monitoring and evaluation should respect and protect the rights, welfare and confidentiality of
all those involved in the programme.

Process of curriculum monitoring.

Refers to the process of gathering information for evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum and
ensuring that the intended, implemented and attained curricula are aligned. This process typically
focuses on such issues as relevance, consistency, practicality, effectiveness, scaling - up and
sustainability, as well as whether learners are achieving the expected learning outcomes. It measures
the extent to which the curriculum is commensurate with the diverse needs of all learners.

Aspects of curriculum that should be monitored.

Objectives .

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Objectives are statements that describe the end-points or desired outcomes of the curriculum, a unit, a
lesson plan, or learning activity. They specify and describe curriculum outcomes in more specific terms
than goals or aims do.

Objectives are a key component of the curriculum design process, as they help teachers determine
learning outcomes (what they should teach and what students should learn), methods of instruction,
and objective ways to measure student progress and performance.

Importance of setting objectives in curriculum design.

 To help in deciding whether to accept or reject a programme.

 To ascertain the need for the revision of the course content.
 To help in future development of the curriculum material for continuous improvement.
 To improve methods of teaching and instructional techniques.

Aims are general statements that provide direction or intent to educational action. Aims are usually
written in amorphous terms using words like: learn, know, etc. Curriculum goals are general, broad
statements that lead towards long-term outcomes.

Content.

Curriculum content simply means the totality of what is to be taught in a school system. The content
component of teaching learning situation refers to the important facts, principles and concepts to be
taught.

Curriculum content is another main lever of education quality. The knowledge, skills and attitudes
imparted by learning areas/subjects, cross-cutting approaches and extra-curricular activities is a main
source of systematic and comprehensive learning.

Principles of curriculum content

 Be broad and balanced.

 Be suitable for learners of different ages, abilities and aptitudes.
 Provide for appropriate learner progression.
 Cover every statement of what matters.

Criteria for the Selection of Subject-Matter or Content of the Curriculum

 Self-sufficiency.
 Significance.
 Validity.
 Interest.
 Utility.
 Learnability.
 Feasibility.

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Comprehensiveness,

Comprehensive curriculum is a written plan that guides the design of children's goals for learning and
development, the experiences children will have to achieve those goals and the way in which adults,
both staff and families, will support children's learning to achieve school success.

What makes a curriculum comprehensive?

A comprehensive curriculum centers around four main ideas:

 It is student-centered.
 Values students as individuals.
 It is based on an understanding of widely accepted methods of how students learn.
 Encourages teachers to use methods that promote concepts of learning.

Depth.

What is breadth and depth in curriculum ?

Breadth of learning refers to the full span of knowledge of a subject. Depth of learning refers to the
extent to which specific topics are focused upon, amplified and explored. Developing Curriculum Depth'
is an informative, research-based course explaining the importance of and ways to deliver a broad,
deep, rich curriculum to effectively develop children's knowledge and understanding.

Timeliness,

Curriculum Timelines are broad outlines that give our community information regarding units of study
that are included at each grade level and course for year long and term long courses. The timelines are
approximate and are intended to provide a general overview of the curriculum.

Ensuring timeliness.

Timely return of feedback is one of the biggest problems the academics have in relation to feedback and
assessment and also a great source of student dissatisfaction.

Feedback should be returned in a timely manner and the extent, nature and timing of feedback for each
task must be made eclear to students in advance so that they can make the best use of the feedback.

Why is feedback important?

 The purpose of feedback is to provide students with guidance as to how to improve their
work. If that guidance is not received in time, the feedback cannot be used, resulting in lack
of knowledge as to where that improvement should be made.
 Feedback impacts greatly on student satisfaction.

Quality.

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A principal objective of a quality curriculum is to enable students to acquire and develop the knowledge,
skills and values, and the associated capabilities and competencies to lead meaningful and productive
lives.

Curriculum can be organized into three major components: objectives, content or subject matter, and
learning experiences.

Tools for monitoring of curriculum.

These include;

 Project records,
 Formal surveys,
 Interviews,
 Direct observation,
 Focus group discussions.
 Questionnaires

Challenges of Monitoring and Evaluation

 Monitoring and evaluation methods are times consuming to design and implement.
 They require trained staff to ensure success.
 Lack of experience;
 Limited financial and staff resources;
 Gaps in technical knowledge with regard to defining performance indicators, the retrieval,
collection, preparation and interpretation of data; and
 Inefficient monitoring and evaluation practices.

Importance of observing ethical issues in curriculum monitoring in cbc.

When most people think of ethics (or morals), they think of rules for distinguishing between right and
wrong, such as the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"), a code of
professional conduct like the Hippocratic Oath ("First of all, do no harm"), a religious creed like the Ten
Commandments ("Thou Shalt not kill..."), or a wise aphorisms like the sayings of Confucius. This is the
most common way of defining "ethics"; norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and
unacceptable behavior.

One may also define ethics as a method, procedure, or perspective for deciding how to act and for
analyzing complex problems and issues

Most people learn ethical norms at home, at school, in church, or in other social settings. Although most
people acquire their sense of right and wrong during childhood, moral development occurs throughout
life and human beings pass through different stages of growth as they mature.

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There are several reasons why it is important to adhere to ethical norms in research.

 Norms promote the aims of research, such as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error. For
example, prohibitions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting research data promote
the truth and minimize error.
 Ethical standards promote the values that are essential to collaborative work, such as trust,
accountability, mutual respect and fairness. For example, many ethical norms in research, such
as guidelines for authorship, copyright and patenting policies, data sharing policies, and
confidentiality rules in peer review, are designed to protect intellectual property interests while
encouraging collaboration. Most researchers want to receive credit for their contributions and
do not want to have their ideas stolen or disclosed prematurely.
 Many of the ethical norms help to ensure that researchers can be held accountable to the
public. For instance, federal policies on research misconduct, conflicts of interest, the human
subjects protections and animal care and use are necessary in order to make sure that
researchers who are funded by public money can be held accountable to the public.
 Ethical norms in research also help to build public support for research. People are more likely
to fund a research project if they can trust the quality and integrity of research.
 Norms of research promote a variety of other important moral and social values, such as social
responsibility, human rights, animal welfare, compliance with the law and public health and
safety. Ethical lapses in research can significantly harm human and animal subjects, students,
and the public. For example, a researcher who fabricates data in a clinical trial may harm or even
kill patients, and a researcher who fails to abide by regulations and guidelines relating to
radiation or biological safety may jeopardize his health and safety or the health and safety of
staff and students.

Examples of ethical principles that various codes address.

Honesty.

Strive for honesty in all scientific communications. Do not fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent data. Do not
deceive colleagues, research sponsors, or the public.

Objectivity.

Strive to avoid bias in experimental design, data analysis, data interpretation, peer review, personnel
decisions, grant writing, expert testimony and other aspects of research where objectivity is expected or
required. Avoid or minimize bias or self-deception. Disclose personal or financial interests that may
affect research.

Integrity.

Keep your promises and agreements; act with sincerity; strive for consistency of thought and action.
Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and critically examine your own work and the work of

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your peers. Keep good records of research activities, such as data collection, research design, and
correspondence with agencies or journals.

Openness.

Be open to criticism and new ideas.

Transparency.

Disclose methods, materials, assumptions, analyses, and other information needed to evaluate your
research.

Accountability.

Take responsibility for your part in research and be prepared to give an account (i.e. an explanation or
justification) of what you did on a research project and why.

Intellectual Property.

Honor patents, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property. Do not use unpublished data,
methods, or results without permission. Give proper acknowledgement or credit for all contributions to
research. Never plagiarize.

Confidentiality.

Protect confidential communications, such as papers or grants submitted for publication, personnel
records, trade or military secrets, and patient records.

Responsible Publication.

Publish in order to advance research and scholarship, not to advance just your own career. Avoid
wasteful and duplicative publication.

Responsible Mentoring.

Help to educate, mentor, and advise students. Promote their welfare and allow them to make their own
decisions.

Respect for Colleagues.

Respect your colleagues and treat them fairly.

Social Responsibility.

Strive to promote social good and prevent or mitigate social harms through research, public education,
and advocacy.

Non-Discrimination.

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Avoid discrimination against colleagues or students on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or other factors
not related to scientific competence and integrity.

Competence.

Maintain and improve your own professional competence and expertise through lifelong education and
learning; take steps to promote competence in science as a whole.

Legality.

Know and obey relevant laws and institutional and governmental policies.

Purpose of Curriculum Monitoring

Monitoring is important to:

 Determining if the curriculum is still relevant or effective.

 Know if the curriculum is working or not.
 Provide decision on what aspects have to be retained, improved or modified.
 Help develop new targets, programs and strategies.
 Stay on track and improve project efficiency and accountability.
 Monitoring and evaluation help in providing a consolidated source of information showing the
progress of the system.
 Monitoring and evaluation give a basis for both questioning and testing assumptions. .
 help schools achieve their goal.
 It shows the mistakes and creates paths for both learning and improving.
 Through monitoring and evaluation in schools, good leadership is put into practice and
accountability which leads to school improvement. This also helps in figuring out whether the
teaching method in the school is delivering to the desired educational results. Through this, the
school can be accountable to the stakeholders.
 Monitoring and evaluation systems have enhanced the performance of both the teachers and
the students. The teachers can do an assessment and the behavior of the student to identify the
areas where the student is failing. It is by that; teachers can align their teaching skills accordingly
to improve student performance.
 Monitoring and evaluation help in planning on future of the school.

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