ROCKVIEW UNIVERSITY

GROUP ASSIGNMENT/WORK

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT (EDCD311

NAME: ID: INTAKE

1)Pamela Sichikata 18400079 April18

2)jacquiline mweemba 18400405 April 18

3)precious mweemba 18400805 August18

4)Maxon Kalungu. H 18400430 April 18

5)Ireen Mutale 18400503 April 18

6)Rhodah Phiri 18400096 April 18

7)Esther kapwepwe 15400507 April 18

8)Janet muyabala 18400406 April 18

Question…discuss 3 foundation of curriculum development……………………

Term Two (2)

Year: 2020

Mode of study: Distance

This assignment will discuss (3) foundation of curriculum development. henceforth it is
important to review what is curriculum. One’s approach to curriculum reflects one’s perception,
values and knowledge. A curriculum approach reflects a holistic position encompassing
curriculum foundations: a person’s view of philosophy, view of history, view of psychology and
view of social issues (Ornestein and Hunkins (2009).

The word “curriculum” comes from the Latin word “curare” which means “a course to be run”.
By this definition, curriculum signifies a course of studies followed by students in a teaching
institution. It refers to a course or courses through which learning takes place. In formal
education, a curriculum is the set of courses, course work, and content offered at an educational
establishment. A curriculum is a “plan or program of all experiences which the learner
encounters under the direction of a school” (Tanner & Tanner, 1995, 158).

The curriculum is a tool that describes the teaching, learning, and assessment materials available
for each specific course of study. The curriculum generally delineates what educational
objectives, content, learning experiences and outcomes of learning involve (Sowell, 2000).
Through the curriculum, the citizens of a nation are made to ultimately develop an understanding
and appreciation of knowledge, learning and interaction with education. The curriculum thus
affects, effects and is affected somehow by the purposes, structures and contents of the wider
society. source of knowledge creation Clarke (2005) puts it clearly that; A fascinating quest of
the past few years has been the search for a fundamental theoretical structure and philosophical
argument that underpin all of technology. Therefore, we have discussed the meaning and concept
of curriculum in the previous paragraph, having discussed the concept of curriculum, we now
come to the foundations of curriculum. When we develop a curriculum we depend primarily on
ideas that stem from three major fields: Philosophy, Sociology and Psychology. These traditional
fields are considered the foundations of curriculum and their understanding is crucial for the
study of curriculum. Philosophy deals with the nature and meaning of life. It inquiries into the
nature of human beings, the values that shape their lives and the role and purposes of education.

One's perception of philosophy greatly influences one's views of learners and of various learning
activities. A curriculum should also be socially relevant. Hence a study of sociological factors is
imperative as it provides necessary clues about the characteristics of contemporary and future
life of the learner. This helps to make the curriculumsocial1y relevant. Psychology deals with
basic human needs, attitudes and behaviors. It helps to understand the nature and characteristics
of learners. Psychology thus provides curriculum planner the basis for identifying a curricular
arrangement that will most benefit the learners, in terms of their growth and development.

According to the existentialist philosophy, learners are thrust into a number of choice making situations.
Learners should be given the freedom to choose what to study, and also to determine what criteria to
determine these truths. It emphasizes that education must Centre on the perceptions and feeling of the
individual in order to facilitate understanding of personal reactions or responses to life situations: Of
primary concern in this process is the individual. Since life is based upon personal meanings, the nature
of education, the existentialists would argue, should be largely determined by the learner. Individual
learners should not be forced into predetermined programs of study. Rather learning provisions must be
made by the teacher according to choice of the learners. Omstein and Hunkins (1988) are of the view that
an existentialist curriculum would focus on experiences and subjects that lend themselves to philosophical
dialogue and acts of choice making.

Moreover, Education is a process of transmission of culture. Curriculum designers must consider

the social settings in general and the relationships between school and society in particular.
Curriculum planners also need to assess the influence these social factors have on curricular
decisions. Curricular decisions take place in complex social settings through demands that are
imposed by society and also have a direct bearing on schools. Hence, curriculum workers need to
consider and use social foundations to develop the capacity to respond intelligently to social
problems. In this way the curriculum serves both the needs of the learner and the society. For these
reasons, in develop curricular plans, we must consider the characteristics of contemporary society as
well as those that may emerge in the future.

According to Dewey (1916), "education is a primary responsibility of educators -(to) be aw&e of

the general principle of the shaping of actual experiencing by environing conditions" and to
understand "what surroundings are conducive to having experiences that lead to growth".
Education most ‘of the time is considered synonymous with schooling. But in actual fact even a
society that has no formal schools educates its young through ceremonies, rituals, stories,
observation and emulation of parents, elders etc. The norms of society govern their interpersonal
relations and produce a model personality, which will help the attitudes, feeling and behavior
patterns to be in conformity with established norms of behavior.
Further, in developing a curriculum, the development of an environment in which learners feel
genuinely secure, should be ensured. When a curriculum develops such an environment, learning
takes place smoothly because the needs of students and what the curriculum provides for are
complementary to each other.
To sum up we have explored the foundations of cumculum construction. We discussed that each
foundation is important since it contributes ideas that are crucial in framing the cumculum.
Philosophy heavily influences curriculum development and cumculum planners should be clear
about the contemporary dominant philosophy. We have discussed the major philosophies and
their implication for curriculum development. We concluded that curriculum specialists need to
adopt an eclectic approach. We also discussed the philosophy of Indian thinkers like Tagore,
Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo and their contribution the understanding of curriculum. In our section
on social foundations we tried to show that social forces have a major impact on cumculum
development.
Students should be prepared for the world of tomorrow and the cumculum (while mirroring the
society) should keep evaluating the ever-changing social trends, the discussion on psychological
foundations encompassed the predominant learning theories and their influence on curriculum
development. It was indicated that curriculum could become more effective if they are based on
considerations of transfer of learning and basic human need
 REFERENCE
Dewey, John (1 9 16): Democracy and Education, New York: Macmillan.

Goodland, John I and (et. al.) (1979): Curriculum Inquiry, New York: McGraw Hill.
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Development and Educational Technology, (ed.), New Delhi: Sterling.

Maslow, Abril ham H. (1 943): 'A Theory of Human Motivation', Psychological Review,
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I
Maslow, A.H. (1968): Towards a Psychology of Being, 2nd ed., New 'York: Van No strand Reinhold.

Ornstein, A.C. and Hunkins, F.P., (1988): Curriculum Foundations, Principles and Issues. New
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of Chicago Press.