Curriculum models

The curriculum is a social, cultural and ideological construct which reflects a range of conflicting
views about the nature and purposes of knowledge and education. Lea (2016:114) refers to three
curriculum ideologies and three curriculum models associated with them:

 “Classical humanism, emphasising what is essential to know.” This ideology is expressed in a

content model of the curriculum

 “progressive humanism, emphasising individual self-development” - a process model of the

curriculum

 “Forms of social functionalism, emphasising preparation for social and economic roles” - an
outcomes or product model of the curriculum.

HUMANISTIC model

This approach is anchored on progressive philosophy and child-centred movement. The learner is at
the centre of the curriculum. This approach believes that in the curriculum development the child is
the prime consideration.

The best known example of humanistic thinking is Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of motivation.
At the lowest level are physiological need s, at the highest self-actualization. Only when the lower
needs are met is it possible to fully move on to the next level. A motive at the lower level is always
stronger than those at higher levels (Jarvis, 2006).

The main components of the humanistic approach are that the lessons are Student-centred.
Humanism allows students for social personal development. Learning is not an end in itself; It is the
means to progress towards the pinnacle of self-development, which Maslow terms 'Self-
actualisation'. A child learns because he or she is inwardly driven, and derives his or her reward from
the sense of achievement that having learned something affords.. Behaviourism is about rewards
from others. Humanism is about rewarding yourself.

Humanistic Curriculum

Humanists believe that the function of the curriculum is to provide each learner with intrinsically
rewarding experiences that contribute to personal liberation and development. The ideal of self-
actualization is at the heart of the humanistic curriculum. A person who exhibits this quality is not
only coolly cognitive but also developed in aesthetic and moral ways, that is, a person who does
good works and has good character. The humanist views actualization growth as a basic need. Each
learner has a self that must be uncovered, built up, taught.

HUMANISM IN RELATION TO LEARNING.

Humanistic approaches to learning are based on the principles of humanism and are founded most
notably on the work of Abraham Maslow. They center on the learner as an individual and consider
that learning is not just about the intellect, but also about educating the ―whole person,‖ taking a
person’s interests, goals, and enthusiasm into account, so that full potential can be achieved.
Humanist learning theorists view learning as a function of the whole person and believe that
learning cannot take place unless both the cognitive and affective domains are involved.

1. Students’ learning should be as self-directed as possible.

2. The subject matter to be learned should be relevant to the lives or personal interests of the
students.
3. The full spectrum of the human experience should be included in the educational
experience.
4. Schools should produce students who want to learn and know how to learn
5. Students learn best in a non-threatening environment.

Criticism of humanistic model

1. Naïve assumptions: Critics suggest that the humanistic perspective is unrealistic, romantic and
even naïve about human nature.

2. Poor testability and inadequate evidence: humanistic concepts are difficult to define
operationally and test scientifically.

3. Narrowness: Humanistic theories have been criticized for merely describing personality,
rather than explaining it.

4. Approach is not scientific: it does not use any rigorous objective methods and does not make
predictions that can be proved or disproved.

5. Places emphasis on conscious awareness: this limits the scope of the humanistic approach as
it ignores things that are not conscious.

6. It is too positive when regarding human behavior. This means that it assumes individuals are
intrinsically good and will choose positive paths for their lives; however free will and choice is
limited for some individuals.

7. There is too much emphasis on subjective experience which makes it hard to study. 8. Hard to
falsify.

8. Opposition to deterministic laws of science.

Process model

Before going to explain process model we must know what curriculum model is. A curriculum model
determines the type of curriculum used; it encompasses educational philosophy, approach to
teaching, and methodology. The good news is, unless you've been hired to design curriculum, you
won't come across many curriculum models.

Curriculum models can be broken down into two very broad models, the product model and
the process model. Luckily, these two models are just as they sound.

 The Product Model - You may see this in portions of your curriculum. This model is focused
on results, like grades or reaching an objective. The majority of the weight is focused more
on the finished product than what is happening in the learning process.

 The Process Model - Conversely, this process model focuses on how things happen in the
learning and is more open-ended. Curriculum focusing on the process model emphasizes
how students are learning, what their thinking is, and how it will impact future learning.
Curriculum is concerned, mainly, with what students learn. The ‘process’ model, in contrast, is
concerned with how students learn and with their growth and development as human beings. Here
students are seen as active participants in the construction of knowledge and the development of
understanding rather than as passive recipients of knowledge. It is, therefore, associated with
cognitive and constructivist theories of learning and with notions of active learning and deep
learning. Advocates of this approach to learning claim it is more likely to develop independent
learners with a propensity to lifelong learning.

The curriculum is to be thought of in terms of activity and experience rather than knowledge to be
acquired rather and facts stored.” (In Kelly, 2009: 100). A curriculum based on educational
experiences and an inquiry-based approach to learning. The role of teachers is crucial to this
approach, particularly how they design educational experiences to encourage and enable students
to use, develop and create meaning from the knowledge they receive.

The curriculum is not, in practical terms, simply about knowledge to be transmitted, but about how
that knowledge is handled - or even how it is transcended - by teachers to enable understanding in
their charges. Subject matter, the knowledge, while important is less important than the
opportunities it offers for the development of thinking. Knowledge, and should principally be seen in
the curriculum as a medium for thinking.”

There clear distinction between the content model, as propounded by Hirst and the process model,
based on Stenhouse’s ideas. The transmission and acquisition of subject knowledge comes first and
is the framework within which thinking and understanding are developed. In the latter, thinking and
understanding are the aim and subjects are the vehicles which make these possible.

Whilst does not deny the importance of passing on the knowledge base of a subject, he emphasises
the importance of inquiry and discovery in the development of students’ understanding and allowing
for the emergence of ‘unintended learning outcomes’ which might not be specified in the objectives
and not, necessarily, assessed. Rather than the use of aims and objectives to prescribe the content
and structure of learning.