Module 2 The Teacher as a Knower

of the Curriculum

Lesson 2.1 The School Curriculum: Definition,

Nature and Scope
Learning Outcomes:
1. Define curriculum from different
perspectives
2. Describe the nature and scope of
curriculum
Lesson 2.1 The Curricula in School
Take off:

Headlines
1. What can you say about these headlines?
2. Do these reflect what are going on in our
schools today?
3. Should the public know and involved in the
schooling of their citizens?
4. What are the implications of each headline
to the classroom curriculum?
Each member of society seems to view school
curriculum differently, hence there are varied
demands on what schools should do and what
curriculum should be taught.
Some would demand reducing content and shifting
emphasis to development of lifelong skills.
Others feel that the development of character has
been placed at the back seat of some schools.
On what language to use : MTB, national language
or global language
Oftentimes, curriculum is taken in its narrow
view as a listing of subjects to be taught in
schools or sometimes, it is all learning
experiences that individuals undergo while in
school.

The word Curriculum originates from the Latin

word currere referring to the oval track upon
which Roman chariots raced.
The New International Dictionary defines
curriculum as “the whole body of a course in
an educational institutional or by a
department while

The Oxford English Dictionary defines

curriculum as “courses taught in schools or
universities.
Some Definitions of Curriculum
1. Curriculum is a planned and guided set of
learning experiences and intended outcomes,
formulated through the systematic
reconstruction of knowledge and experiences
under the auspices of the school, for the
learners’ continuous and willful growth in
personal social competence.” (Daniel Tanner,
1980)
2. It is a written document that systematically
describes goals planned, objectives, content,
learning activities, evaluation procedures and
so forth. (Pratt, 1980)

3. The contents of a subject, concepts and

tasks to be acquired, planned activities, the
desired learning outcomes and experiences,
product of culture and an agenda to reform
society make up a curriculum. (Schubert, 1987)
4. A curriculum includes “all of the experiences
that individual learners have in a program of
education whose purpose is to achieve broad
goals and related specific objectives, which is
planned int terms of a framework of theory and
research or past and present professional
practice. (Hass, 1987).
5. It is programme of activities (by teachers and
pupils) designed so that pupils will attain so far
as possible certain educational and other
schooling ends or objectives. (Grundy, 1987)
6. It is a plan that consists of learning
opportunities for a specific time frame and place,
a tool that aims to bring about behavior changes
in students as a result of planned activities and
includes all learning experiences received by
students with the guidance of the school.
(Goodland and Su, 1992).
7. It provides answers to three questions: 1. What
knowledge, skills and values are most worthwhile?
2. Why are they most worthwhile? 3. How should
the young acquire them? (Cronbeth, 1992)
Some Points of View of Other Curricularists
Curriculum from Traditional Points of View
1. Robert M. Hutchins views curriculum as
“permanent studies” where rules of grammar,
reading, rhetoric, logic and mathematics for
basic education are emphasized. The 3Rs
(Reading, Writing, ‘rithmetic) should be
emphasized in basic education while liberal
education should be the emphasis in college.
2. Arthur Bestor as essentialist believes that
the mission of the school should be intellectual
training, hence curriculum should focus on the
fundamental intellectual disciplines of
grammar, literature and writing. It should
include math, science, history and foreign
language.
3. Joseph Schwab thinks that the sole source of
curriculum is discipline, thus the subject areas
such as Science, Math, Social Studies, English
and many more.
In college, academic disciplines are labelled
as humanities, sciences, languages, math
among others. He coined the word discipline
as a ruling doctrine for curriculum
development.

Phillip Phenix asserts that curriculum should

consists entirely of knowledge which comes
from various disciplines.
Collectively, from the traditional views of the
theorists, curriculum can be defined as a field
of study. Curriculum is highly academic and is
concerned with broad historical,
philosophical, psychological and social issues.
Curriculum is mostly written documents such
syllabus, course of study, books and
references where knowledge is found but is
used as a means to accomplish intended
goals.
Curriculum from Progressive Points of View
A progressive view of curriculum is the total
learning experiences of the individual.

John Dewey believes that education is

experiencing. Reflective thinking is a means
that unifies curricular elements that are
tested by application.
Holin Caswell and Kenn Campbell viewed
curriculum as all experiences children have
under the guidance of teachers.

Othaniel Smith, William Stanley and Harlan

Shore defined curriculum as a sequence of
potential experiences, set up in schools for
the purpose of disciplining children and youth
in group ways of thinking and acting.
Colin Marsh and George Willis viewed
curriculum as all the experiences in the
classroom which are planned and enacted by
the teacher and also learned by the students.
To sum up, curriculum is what is taught in
school, a set of subjects, a content, a program
of studies, a set of materials, a sequence of
courses, a set of performance objectives
everything that goes within the school.
It is what is taught inside and outside school
directed by the teacher, everything planned
by school, a series of experiences undergone
by learners in school or what individual
learner experiences as a result of school. In
short, curriculum is the total learning
experiences of the learner under the
guidance of the teacher.
Activity 1: Traditional or Progressive: What is
your view of curriculum?
1. What is your own definition of a
curriculum? Write down your answer in the
space provided.
2. Do you have a traditional view of a
curriculum, a progressive view or both?
Explain your view based on your
definition.
Self-Check:
Label the description/definition on the left
with either Traditional (T) or Progressive (P).
1. Teachers are required to teach the book
from cover to cover.
2. If the learners can memorize the content,
then the curriculum is best.
3. Children are given opportunity to play
outdoors.
4. Parents send children to a military type
school with rigid discipline.
5. Teachers are reluctant to teach beyond the
written curriculum.
6. Prerequisites to promotion for the next
grade are skills in reading, writing and
arithmetic only.
7. Teachers provide varied experiences for
the children.
8. Learning can only be achieved in schools.
9. It is the systematic arrangement of
contents in the course syllabus.
10. Co-curricular activities are planned for all
to participate.
Saying: