Jimenez, Russel John S.

05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education

Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

I. Introduction to Curriculum Design

A. Defining the curriculum

i. Jimenez (2020) defines curriculum as the overarching academic content

of any specific area of learning that reflects the goals, procedures,

assessments, requisites, and skills that the school in general must

observe.

ii. According to Howell and Evans (1995), curriculum is a structured set of

learning outcomes or task that educators usually call goals and

objectives.

iii. Pasigui (2012) said that some authors define curriculum as the complete

effort of the school to achieve desired outcomes in school and out-of-

school situations.

iv. Wilson (1990) defines curriculum as anything and everything that teaches

a lesson, planned or otherwise. He also said that humans are born

learning, so the learned curriculum actually transcends different facets of

life. Since students learn all the time through exposure and modeled

behaviors, this means that they learn important social and emotional

lessons from both the teaching and the non-teaching employees of the

school. Further, he mentioned that a lot of educators are ignorant of the

strong lessons imparted to the students by these interactions.

B. Types of curriculum

Overt, explicit, or  This is often designated to those written understandings and

written directions formally formulated and reviewed by administrators,

curriculum curriculum directors and teachers, often as a whole.

 Examples given are the K+12 Curriculum in the Philippines or the

Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

Common Core Curriculum in the United States.

 As defined by Cortes (1981), this curriculum is the massive, ongoing,

informal curriculum of family, peer groups, neighborhoods,

churches, organizations, occupations, mass media, and other

Societal socializing forces that “educate” all of us throughout our lives.

curriculum (or  This curriculum further includes the undeniable effects of 21 st

social curricula) century social media in shaping the individual and the public

opinion.

 Examples given are gender prejudice, tolerance, or acceptance and

heroes’ appreciation.

 Longstreet and Shane (1993) said that this curriculum refers to the

kinds of learnings children derive from the very nature and

organizational design of the public school, as well as from the

behaviors and attitudes of teachers and administrators. This comes

The hidden or
in the form of the “ritual” or “design” of the school that targets the
covert curriculum
school’s behavior rather than written knowledge.

 Examples given are how a newly installed principal wants a grand

welcome on his/her first day at work or how the school is taking a

stance on plastic products.

The null  From Eisner’s (1985, 1994) perspective the null curriculum is simply

curriculum that which is not taught in schools. Since there is a myriad of

lessons that could be discussed in any given curriculum, certain

schools omit or ignore some topics they deem as not important.

This is done because of different reasons like schedule, politics, or

even the school’s own agenda.

Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

 Examples given are the school’s concentration on sports in MAPEH

rather than music or arts and UP’s “atmosphere” of activism.

 This curriculum refers to the messages prevalent in any type of

media. These messages play a huge role in the enculturation of

Phantom
students into the existing meta-culture, or in acculturating students
curriculum
into narrower or generational subcultures.

 Examples given are “viral” or “trending” social phenomenon.

 This curriculum refers to any related experiences learned through

the family. This may also relate to what is the culture connected to

Concomitant any religious expression.

curriculum  Examples given are a child is expected to be a doctor if he/she is

born in a family of doctors or a child is expected to follow the same

religious expression his/her parents practice.

 This curriculum consists of ideas given by policymakers, school

officials, administrators, or politicians, whether on the national or

Rhetorical
the local level.
curriculum
 Example given is the emergence then later the dominance of

constructivism in classrooms.

 This curriculum is the actual curriculum that is delivered and

presented by each teacher in their classes. Example given is how a

Curriculum-in-use
teacher “adjusts” certain topics to fit the level of the classes being

handled.

 This curriculum refers to the students’ “takeaway” or what they

Received
actually learned in the class. This may refer to both explicit or
curriculum
implicit concepts.
Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

 This type of curriculum refers to the unique way each student

combines what they have learned to create new knowledge.

Internal
 Although teachers have little control over it, it is advised for
curriculum
teachers to diagnose these “new knowledge” in the form of class

journals, reflective questions, and or essays.

C. Foundations of curriculum

 This school of thought tells us that the reality exists only in our

minds.

 Reality related to the moral and spiritual is the sole basis of the
Idealism
world. Furthermore, it considers moral values universal.

 In education, the school, specifically the teachers, is expected to be

the pillar of timeless values.

 This school of thought tells us that the world should be seen in

terms of objects and matter.

 Rational human behavior is achieved through conformity with the

Realism
laws of nature and with the laws of society.

 In education, the school is expected to teach knowledge about the

world they live in, not the world that is abstract.

 This school of thought tells us that learning takes place as the

person interacts with the environment.

 Pragmatism highlights change and process.

Pragmatism
 In education, the school is expected to teach critical thinking and

not what to think. Learning is viewed to be more exploratory, not

explanatory.
Existentialism  This school of thought tells us that human beings have freewill

bound only by the consequences of their actions.

Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

 In education, the school is expected to teach decision-making and

self-expression. The teacher, then, takes on a non-directive role.

 This school of thought emphasizes timeless knowledge and enduring

values that is based on morality and spirituality.

 In education, it regards the school as the authority of a specific

Perennialism
discipline. Further, it emphasizes intellectual meritocracy by

observing rigid academic standards and rewarding academic

performers.
 This school of thought emphasizes teaching problem solving

methods and scientific inquiry.

 Cooperation and teamwork is viewed essential in democratic living.

Progressivism
 In education, learning should be interdisciplinary in delivery. The

teacher is seen as more of a guide as students accomplish problem

solving and scientific projects.

 This school of thought emphasizes in subject mastery. Teachers

assume a more direct role in information dissemination.

 Social and psychological facts of a student’s life is considered

Essentialism
secondary or at worst, nonexistent.

 In education, the school is expected to produce students who have

attained a certain level of mastery fit for their grade level.

 This school of thought emphasizes the reconstruction of the society.

 The school is viewed as an active participant in social change.

Reconstructionism
 In education, the school is expected to emphasize social, economic,

and political education.

D. Proponents of Curriculum

i. Franklin Bobbit

 Bobbit is credited for the promulgation of the 3 Rs in primary.

Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

 Bobbit believes that curriculum should be planned and organized

by underscoring the needs of students. Both teachers and

students take an active role in planning the curriculum.

ii. Werret Charters

 Charters believed that subject matter should be aligned with the

lesson objectives prepared by the teachers.

 Lesson objectives prepared by the faculty should be constantly

monitored by school heads.

iii. William Kilpatrick

 Kilpatrick is credited for the promulgation of the child-centered

curriculum.

 Children should be exposed to problem solving through class

interaction or other social activities.

iv. Harold Rugg

 Rugg is credited for the inclusion of social studies in schools.

 Other than being child-centered, the curriculum should also

underscore social context.

v. Hollis Caswell

 Caswell is credited for the idea that curriculum should be a

collection of experience.

 Subject content is developed by including the interest of the

learners and their social roles. Learners should experience what

they learn.

vi. Ralph Tyler

 Tyler is credited with the idea of approaching curriculum

development in a deductive approach.

Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

 Data should be the basis of any curriculum.

 Curriculum was both horizontally and vertically structured into

goals. Learning of the goals should be assessed.

vii. Hilda Taba

 Taba is credited for popularizing the idea that curriculum

development should take an inductive approach.

 Taba popularized the grass-roots approach in curriculum

development: teachers must be the curriculum designers.

viii. Howard Gardner

 Gardner created the Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

 Eight new types of intelligences were put forth in the world which

effectively broadened the range of human potential.

 Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences:

a. Linguistic-Verbal intelligence (good with words and

language)

b. Logical-Mathematical intelligence (good with numbers and

reasoning)

c. Visual-Spatial intelligence (good at visualising things)

d. Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence (good at body actions and

physical control)

e. Musical-Rhythmic intelligence (good musical skills)

f. Interpersonal intelligence (good at understanding and

relating to people)

g. Intrapersonal intelligence (aware of personal emotions,

feelings and motivation)

Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

h. Naturalistic intelligence (well in tune with nature and the

natural environment)

ix. Daniel Goleman

 Goleman popularized “Emotional Intelligence,” which has its basis

in the works of Mayer and Salovey.

 Emotional must be considered together with the intellectual in

measuring adeptness

 Goleman’s five components of emotional intelligence:

a. Emotional self-awareness — conscious knowledge of what

one is feeling and how it impacts others

b. Self-regulation — the ability to control emotions and

rejecting impulse

c. Motivation — the ability to use emotions to achieve goals

d. Empathy — the ability to sense the emotions of others

e. Social skills — the ability to manage relationships

x. Peter Oliva

 Created the Oliva Model of Curriculum

 This curriculum model emphasizes the importance of the teachers

being the curriculum designers and the curriculum should fit the

level they are handling.

xi. Alvin Toffler

 Toffler published books about education and coined the phrase

information overload.

 Toffler argued that schools should give emphasis to not only

learning, but also to relearning unlearning.

xii. Ivan Pavlov

Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

 Pavlov is credited for the Classical Conditioning

 Pavlov argued that actions will likely be repeated if the outcome is

deemed positive.

 In later years, B.F. Skinner based his works on Operant

Conditioning in Pavlov’s work. Operant Conditioning applied in

education is a system of rewards and punishments meant to

strengthen desired behavior and weaken undesired actions.

xiii. Edward Thorndike

 Thorndike is credited as the proponent of behavior conditioning

which later became known as Operant Conditioning.

 Operant Conditioning banks on learning from the consequences

of the outcome of certain behaviors, which Thorndike called Law

of Effect.

xiv. Robert Gagne

 Gagne is credited for creating the Conditions of Learning Theory

 Gagne argued that there are different levels of learning and that

each level should different types of approach.

 Conditions of Learning:

a. Stimulus recognition

b. Response generation

c. Procedure following

d. Use of terminology

e. Discriminations

f. Concept formation

g. Rule application

h. Problem solving.
Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

 The Conditions of Learning is arranged in complexity, from the

least complex to the most complex. Students should display

mastery according to the level for optimum result.

Synthesis of the research:

What is the standard of education? What should be the basis of learning? For most

educators, the standard of education is the curriculum. Here in the Philippines, we have

undergone a major educational change in 2015 when the K+12 Curriculum has been fully

implemented. At its full implementation, schools, teachers, textbooks, and other educational

resources shifted its gears from the previous curriculum to the new curriculum. In my teaching

profession, I was not able to fully grasp the K+12 Curriculum. On my first year of professional

teaching, the school I have worked for follows the Common Core Curriculum of the United

States and we, the teachers, were all trained in this curriculum. Now that I am running my own

training center, we submit to the mandate of TESDA and follow its prescribed curriculum, with

our own corporate flavor. A famous quote says, “Never stop learning for life never stops

teaching.” This quote is often attributed to Mark Twain. This means that education doesn’t end

in graduation, education transcends the portals of a school and continues in our every waking

moment. With the research I have gathered in the first part of this task, there are three things I

have learned about curriculum:

The first is that curriculum should be crafted by stakeholders. In the different theories

from the different proponents of education, one thing is clear: no single entity should have the

monopoly of curriculum planning. Stakeholders – people who would take part and who would

be affected – should be well represented in drafting a curriculum. Administrators, policymakers,

teaching and non-teaching staff, students, and others should all be curriculum designers.

The second is that curriculum is ever-changing. If we are going to look into the history of

the foundations of curriculum, not one foundation was ever lasting. A school of thought was
Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

famous at one point in time, so the curriculum followed. Another philosophy overtook the

former, the curriculum then so followed. The curriculum answered the call of the times and

history proves education is always at the forefront. Curriculum should not be looked at as a

rigid standard but more of a guide, a backbone, which educators can adjust according to

professional experience.

Lastly, curriculum shapes society. The school is an active agent of social change. The

future statesmen of any given country undergoes the curriculum that a certain school

subscribes in to. The curriculum is such a powerful tool that it leaves a brand, a mark so to

speak, to its clienteles that stay with them for the rest of their lives. The best example I could

give is how the students from the University of Philippines organized rallies in the 70’s,

indirectly encouraged by their very own professors, against then President Ferdinand Marcos

which eventually led to the People Power Revolution in 1986. The school, with all the tools and

resources at its disposal, eventually molds the collective consciousness of a society.

Sadly, the paramount goal of K+12 is to add two more years in the secondary education

so that students will be “employable.” In my understanding, the curriculum today manufactures

“employees” and not game-changers. Curriculum designers should stop looking at its citizens as

moldable clays and the school as the iron cast where they will be shaped. After 12 years under

their thumb, they will manufacture the same looking “pots,” the same looking “employable”

citizens. As an educator, I value the future. We owe it to the future generation to leave them a

world far better than the one we have. We owe it to the future generation to equip them with

the proper tools to help them make better sense of the world they live in. We, as educators,

owe it to the future generation to help them become more than just employees. We, as

educators, owe it to the future generation to help them be the best they can ever be.

Curriculum designers should include a social vision – a society with a unique identity and a

sense of shared destiny, and a social mission – a society that faces the challenges of the world
Jimenez, Russel John S.
05 MAED 608 - Advanced Curriculum Development in Education
Ma. Ed. major in Educational Management
Philippine Women’s University

with a critical mind, a compassionate heart, and a holistic soul, whenever developing a

curriculum.