High Quality
Open the downloaded document, and select print from the file menu (PDF reader required).
Edu 321 – Curriculum Studies I
2008
The Curriculum ProcessIntroduction
1.
In our previous lectures (EDU 214) we have examined the meaning of the term ‘curriculum’,and the changes the term has undergone over time i.e. from its limited perception as the list of subjects offered to the learners by the school to the more general perceptions of it as a product, a process and praxis. (For more on the different conceptions of the concept‘curriculum’ you may follow this link: http://cnx.org/content/m13293/latest)
2.
Despite the variations in its conceptions by different schools of thought, in practical termscurriculum means what is learned and what is taught (content), how it is delivered (teaching-learning methods), how it is assessed and the resources used to deliver and support theteaching and learning. (For more on this viewpoint you may follow this link:http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001365/136583e.pdf
)
3.
In this topic (curriculum process), we shall examine the different stages of constructing acurriculum and putting it into use. Curriculum is a plan or proposal designed to help societiesmeet some educational needs or goals through the agency of their schools. It therefore passesthrough the stages of construction (
planning
) where choices are made as to what to include; itis then
developed
,
implemented
and
evaluated
to determine the extent to which it haseffectively met the needs it was set to satisfy.
Curriculum Planning
1.
A curriculum represents a society’s expectations of what its schools should teach or developin the future generations of that society. Therefore each society, through its representatives,chooses what should be included in or excluded from the experiences to be provided to itschildren in schools. What is included is therefore a reflection of the society’s values andexpectations of what is desirable; each society would make these choices taking into accountits demands, culture, aspirations and value system.2.The process of making these choices and arriving at a plan which captures these societalexpectations is curriculum planning. Curriculum planning is therefore, choice-oriented andvalue-oriented because it involves making choices of the learning experiences that areappropriate and desirable for children of a given society.
3.
Curriculum planning is therefore defined as
the process of building a programme of learning experiences expected to lead to the attainment of set goals for a particular people or society
.The main purpose of curriculum planning is to design a programme of education which cancommunicate its ideals and values to its upcoming generations, and lead to the attainment itsgoals.
4.
Because it reflects societal values and ideals, and these ideals are not permanent, curriculum planning is a continuous process; it is not a one-time affair. It is also a process which takes place at different levels from the highest level of policy making to the level of classroom planning. The process of curriculum planning is also a collaborative effort i.e. it is not carriedout by an individual or an organisation in isolation; it involves expert and professionals, parents and community members, teachers and learners. Each has a role to play in curriculum planning because at the end of the day, the curriculum and its outcomes affect everybody.
Edu 321 – Curriculum Studies I
2008
5.
The curriculum that is planned as a result of the collaboration described above is a blueprintnot a fixed sacred document that must implemented in the way it is; it is more like a skeletonto which some flesh must be added. In the process of adding that flesh, there could be somemodifications and adjustments in line with peculiarities of each school, classroom and setting.
6.
The arguments presented above can be found in more details in Uga Onwuka (ed.),Curriculum Development for Africa, Revised 1996, p.181
Curriculum Development & Implementation
1.
Curriculum is a plan, a blueprint which has to be put into use. Curriculum development is a process of moving from plan to implementation i.e. from theory to practice. It is a processwhich involves the development of content, building social relationships and capacities,developing and utilising learning materials, assessment of outcomes and provision of feedback for improvements.2.Curriculum development is therefore defined as the planning of learning opportunitiesintended to bring about certain changes in pupils and assessment of the extent to which thesechanges have taken place.3.Like curriculum planning, curriculum development is also a cooperative venture whichrequires the input of all those involved. For instance, the classroom teacher is involved incurriculum development when he plans his lesson, formulate objectives, writes lesson plans,identifies relevant content to teach, assesses the lesson’s outcomes; at the school level, theHeadmaster is involved in curriculum development when he plays supervisory roles, engagesin administering the school, creating conducive atmosphere for learning; etc.4.Curriculum development is also an on-going process which takes place in 4 major steps:a.Selection of aims and objectives; b.Selection of appropriate learning experiences and content;c.Organisation of learning experiences; andd.Evaluation of the extent to which the objectives were attained.
5.
These steps are inter-dependent; while some scholars say objectives are the starting point of acurriculum development, others say there is no definite starting point. Where you start fromdepends on where the need arises. We shall look at the different models of curriculumdevelopment later.
Curriculum Evaluation
1.A curriculum is put in place to lead to the attainment of certain goals or objectives; once it isimplemented, it will be worthwhile to find out whether the curriculum has been capable of achieving those goals which it was set to achieve;2.Curriculum evaluation is therefore concerned with determining the extent to which thelearning experiences and opportunities provided in the curriculum have led to theachievement of the goals which the curriculum was set to achieve.
Add a Comment