Curriculum Content

Definition Of Curriculum

• All the learning which is

planned and guided by the
school, whether it is carried on
in groups or individually, inside
or outside the school.
Elements of Curriculum

Aims and objectives

Content

Evaluation

Teaching Strategies
 Definition of Content
• Content is defined as
“Information to be learned
in school, another term for
knowledge (a collection of
facts, concepts,
generalization, principles,
theories)”
 Definition of Content
• Content comes in any form
(audio, text and video) and
it informs, entertains,
enlightens or teaches people
who consume it.
 Subject-centered view of
curriculum
The fund of human
knowledge represents the
repository of accumulated
discoveries and inventions
of man down the
centuries, due to man’s
exploration of the world.
 Learner-centered view of
curriculum
• Relates knowledge to the
individual’s personal and social world
and how he or she defines reality.
• Jerome Bruner: “Knowledge is a
model we construct to give meaning
and structure to
Jerome Bruner
Purposes of Content
 Purposes of Content

To help organize materials

To help a sequential relationship of

material

To present material basic to a

general understanding of a course.
 Purposes of Content

To furnish a source of valuable

information.

To present application

The content is:

 United with the goals and

objectives of the basic education
curriculum.
 Responds to the needs of the
learner.
 Includes cognitive skill and affective
elements.
The content is:

 Fully and deeply covers the

essential to avoid the “mile-wide-
and-inch-deep” impression.
 That is of use to the learners.
 That is practical and achievable.
The content is:
Facts are basic in the structure of
cognitive subject matter. But content
must go beyond facts.
Working out a process of conceptual
understanding means teaching and
learning beyond facts. This can be
done by the use of the thematic or
the integrated approach.
The content is:
Subject matter content integrates the
cognitive, skill, and affective
components.
The cognitive content includes facts,
concept, principles, hypothesis,
theories and laws.
The skill component dwells on thinking
skill and manipulative skills.
Criteria for Content
Selection
 Criteria for content selection
Self-sufficiency – According to
Scheffler (1970) the prime guiding
principle for the content selection
is helping the learners to attain
maximum self sufficiency in
learning but in the most economical
manner.
Criteria for content selection

Economy means less teaching effort

and educational resources, less
learner’s effort but more results and
effective learning outcomes.
 Criteria for content selection
Significance
– It is significant if
 When content or subject matter will
contribute to basic ideas, concepts,
principles, and geberalization to
achieve the over all aim of the
curriculum.
 It will develop learning abilities, skills,
processes and attitude
 Criteria for content selection
Significance
– It is significant if
 It will develop the cognitive,
effective and psychomotor skills of
the learners
 The cultural aspects will be
considered
 Criteria for content selection
 Relevance to life: learning experience
must be related to the learner’s real
life situations in and out of school;
 Variety: learning experiences must
cater to the needs of different types
of learners by providing different types
of experiences;
 Criteria for content selection

 Suitability: learning experiences must

be suitable to the learners present
state of learning and characteristics:
 Criteria for content selection
 Validity – it relates to the
authenticity of the content selected.
 this refers to the relevance of the
stated learning experience to the
stated goals of the curriculum;

 Means two things, is the content

related to the objectives, and is the
content true or authentic;
 Criteria for content selection
Interest- the content should suit
the personality and intellectual
capabilities of the students.
Is the content interesting to
the learner? Or can the content
be made interesting to learners?
 Criteria for content selection
• Utility – it is concerned with the
usefulness of the content.
Here the question is whether the
content selected is useful i.e. will
lead to the acquisition of skills and
knowledge that are considered
useful by society?
 Criteria for content selection
• Utility
is the content selected such that
learners can learn and understand given
their present level.
• Learnability- this criteria emphasizes
on the optimal placement and
appropriate organization and
sequencing of the content
 Criteria for content selection

 Feasibility – it compels the planners to

analyze and examine the content in the
light of the time and resources available
to the students, costs involved, socio-
political climate etc.
 Other considerations that may be
used in the selection of the learning
content
As a guide, subject matter or content
can be selected for use if these are:
a. Frequently and commonly used in daily
life.
b. suited to the maturity levels and
abilities of students.
 As a guide, subject matter or content
can be selected for use if these are:

c. Valuable in meeting the needs and the

competencies of a future career;

d. related with other subject areas; and

e. important in the transfer of learning

 Organization of the content
• It demands a through understanding of
the teaching leaning process.
• Important aspects for this:-
a) sequencing
b) continuity
c) integration
 Organization of the content
• a) Sequencing- it means putting the
content and materials into some sort of
order of succession.
• b) Continuity- content should provide
continuity n learning and prevent loss
through forgetting. The students should
be provided with experiences step by step.
.
 Organization of the content
• c) Integration- learning is more
effective when facts and principles
from one field can be related to
another, esp when applying knowledge.
 Selecting and Organizing
Content
• Planning curriculum similar to
guided tour
• Various options of how to reach
destination (broad program goals)
• Planning itinerary in advance aids in
avoidance of confusion—saves time
 Selecting and Organizing
Content
• Broadest level involves selecting,
structuring subject matter to be taught to
reach broad program goals

• Learning becomes development of a series

of connections among concepts that hold
real meaning and relevance for learner
 Reported By:

Julieta D. Cabiles