Module 3 Activity 1

Elements of Curriculum
In general, a curriculum has four important elements. These elements must be present
in all curriculum documents or before a document can be called curriculum. These four
elements are curriculum intent, content, learning experiences, and evaluation.

Curriculum Intent

Content

Learning Experiences

Evaluation

1. Curriculum intent – the term used by Print (1993) to mean the direction that curriculum
developers wish to go to as a result of participating in the curriculum. It includes the
aims, goals, and objectives found in any curriculum document.
o Aims – broad statements of social or educational expectations. Aims include what
is hoped to be achieved by the total curriculum.
o Goals – more specific that the aims. Goals are general statements of what
concepts, skills, and values should be learned in the curriculum.
o Objectives – specific learning outcomes. It includes specific concepts, skills and
values that should be learned by the students. Usually, objectives are used in
making decisions or planning about instruction.
2. Content – includes the different topics to be learned or covered in a curriculum. These
topics are based on the curriculum intents. Contents may include values, concepts, or
skills that are important for the learners to learn.
3. Learning experiences – include all instructional strategies that are useful for the
implementation of the curriculum. These may appear in the form of activities, strategies,
methods, or approaches that are useful in implementing the curriculum or in teaching
the content.
 4. Evaluation – includes the different ways and tools used for evaluating whether or not
the curriculum intent was realized. Evaluation tools are also used to evaluate the
performance of the learners after they have undergone the curriculum.

Hilda Taba (1962) observed that all curricula, no matter what their particular design,
are composed of certain elements.

o A curriculum usually contains a statement of aims and specific objectives.

o It indicates some selection and organization of content.
o It either implies or manifests certain patterns of learning and teaching, whether
because the objectives demand them or because the content organization
requires them.
o It includes a program of evaluation of the outcomes

Understanding the different elements of curriculum will help curriculum workers

especially the teachers in designing curriculum and in analysing the different curriculum
materials that are offered to schools and students.

References:
Pawilen, Greg. Curriculum Development. Rex Book Store, 856 Nicanor Reyes, Sr. St., Manila.
2015