CHAPTER 1: Module 1

I. THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Lesson 1.2: The Teacher as a Curricularist

OVERVIEW

This lesson will bring all of you to an enhanced understanding and realization of the
multifaceted roles of the teacher which relate to the curriculum.

MODULE OBJECTIVES

After successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

• Enhance understanding of the role of the teacher as curricularist in the classroom and
school

COURSE MATERIALS

Are you aware that the teacher’s role in school is very complex? Teachers do a series of
interrelated actions about curriculum, instruction, assessment, evaluation, teaching and learning.
A classroom teacher is involved with curriculum continuously all day. But very seldom has a
teacher been described as curricularist.

Curricularists in the past, are referred only to those who developed curriculum theories.
According to the study conducted by Sandra Hayes (1991) the most influential curricularist in
America include John Dewey, Ralph Tyler, Hilda Taba and Franklin Bobbit. You will learn more
of them in the later part of the module.

In this lesson, we will start using the word curricularist to describe a professional who is
curriculum specialist (Hayes, 1991; Ornstein & Hunkins, 2004; Hewitt, 2006). A person who is
involved in curriculum knowing, writing, planning, implementing, evaluating, innovating, and
initiating may be designated as curricularist. A TEACHER’S role is broader and exclusive of
other functions and so a teacher is a curricularist.

So what does a TEACHER do to deserve the label curricularist?

• Let us look at the different roles of the teacher in the classroom and in the school. The
classroom is the first place of curricular engagement. The first school experience sets the
tone to understand the meaning of schooling through the interactions of learners and
teachers that will lead to learning. Hence, curriculum is at the heart of schooling.

Let us describe the teacher as a curricularist.

The teacher as a curricularist….
1. KNOWS THE CURRICULUM. Learning begins with knowing. The teacher as
a learner starts with knowing about the curriculum, the subject matter or the
 content. As a teacher, one has to master what are included in the curriculum.
It is acquiring academic knowledge both formal (disciplines, logic) or informal
(derived from experiences, vicarious, and unintended). It is the mastery of the
subject matter. (KNOWER)
2. WRITES THE CURRICULUM. A classroom teacher takes record of knowledge
concepts, subject matter or content. These need to be written or preserved.
The teacher writes books, modules, laboratory manuals, instructional guides,
and reference materials in paper or electronic media as a curriculum writer or
reviewer. (WRITER)
3. PLANS THE CURRICULUM. A good curriculum has to be planned. It is the
role of the teacher to make a yearly, monthly or daily plan of the curriculum.
This will serve as a guide in the implementation of the curriculum. The teacher
takes into consideration several factors in planning a curriculum. These factors
include the learners, the support material, time, subject matter or content, the
desired outcomes, the context of the learners among others. By doing this, the
teacher becomes a curriculum planner. (PLANNER)
4. INITIATES THE CURRICULUM. In cases where the curriculum is
recommended to the schools from DepEd, CHED, TESDA, UNESCO, UNICEF
or other educational agencies for improvement of quality education, the
teacher is obliged to implement it. Implementation of a new curriculum requires
the open mindedness of the teacher, and the full belief that the curriculum will
enhance learning. There will be many constraints and difficulties in doing things
first or leading, however, a transformative teacher will never hesitate to try
something novel and relevant. (INITIATOR)
5. INNOVATES THE CURRICULUM. Creativity and innovation are hallmarks of
an excellent teacher. A curriculum is always dynamic, hence it keeps on
changing. From the content, strategies, ways of doing, blocks of time, ways of
evaluating, kinds of students and skills of teachers, one cannot find a single
eternal curriculum that would perpetually fit. A good teacher, therefore,
innovates the curriculum and thus becomes a curriculum innovator
(INNOVATOR)
6. IMPLEMENTS THE CURRICULUM. The curriculum that remains
recommended or written will never serve its purpose. Somebody has to
implement it. As mentioned previously, at the heart of schooling is the
curriculum. It is the role where the teacher becomes the curriculum
implementor. An implementor gives life to the curriculum plan. The teacher is
at the height of an engagement with the learners, with support materials in
order to achieve the desired outcome. It is where teaching, guiding, facilitating
skills of the teacher are expected to the highest level. It is here where teaching
as a science and as an art will be observed. It is here, where all the elements
of the curriculum will come into play. The success of an recommended, well
written and planned curriculum depends on the implementation.
(IMPLEMENTATOR)
7. EVALUATES THE CURRICULUM. How can one determine if the desired
learning outcomes have been achieved? Is the curriculum working? Does it
bring the desired results? What do outcomes reveal? Are the learners
achieving? Are there some practices that should be modified? Should the
curriculum be modified, terminated or continued? These are some few
questions that need the help a curriculum evaluator. The person is the teacher.
(EVALUATOR)
 The seven different roles are those which a responsible teacher does in the classroom
every day! Doing this multi-faceted work qualifies a teacher to be a curricularist.
To be a teacher is to be a curricularist even if a teacher may not equal the likes of John
Dewey, Ralph Tyler, Hilda Taba or Franklin Bobbit. As a curricularist, a teacher will be knowing,
writing, implementing, innovating, initiating and evaluating the curriculum in the school and
classrooms just like the role models and advocates in curriculum and curriculum development
who have shown the way

ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES

Instruction: Conduct a virtual survey. Follow the steps below.

1. The class will be grouped in 4 groups with at least 9-10 members each group
2. Each group will select a team leader who will consolidate the result of the survey and is
tasked to report next meeting.
3. Each member will have at least 2 teachers to survey. Answers/Results will be submitted
to group leaders for consolidation.
4. Use the tool provided.

The Teacher as a Curricularist Survey Tool

Name of Teacher______________________________________________________________
School______________________________________Grade Level Assignment________________
No. of Years Teaching______________ Degree Graduated__________________________________

Circle/Answer YES or NO that will correspond to your self-assessment.

Then Rank the items which you answered YES. Which activity do you do most of the time?
What activity do you do least of the time?

As a school teacher Answer Rank all YES only

1. I master the subject matter that I have to teach. YES NO _____
2. I implement what I have planned for my teaching. YES NO _____
3. I monitor and assess if my students are learning. YES NO _____
4. I modify my activity to suit my learners in the classroom YES NO _____
5. I lead in the implementation of a new curriculum in my school YES NO _____
6. I write instructional materials based on the recommended YES NO _____
School curriculum
7. I look for other ways of doing to improve teaching and YES NO _____
learning in my classroom
8. I participate in community activities as a good citizen YES NO _____
9. I disregard the needs of my learners and focus only YES NO _____
In my lesson.
10.I teach my plan for the students to learn. YES NO _____
ASSESSMENT

Instruction: Identify on the blanks provided who am I as a Curricularist based on the cases
presented.

1. I have a good idea on how to make my learners pay attention to the lesson. I will use the
new idea and find out if it will work.
Answer: _____________________________________________________
2. DepED sent the standards, competencies and guidelines in teaching the Mother Tongue
in Grade 1 in our school. I will study and use it in the coming school year,
Answer: _____________________________________________________
3. There is much to do in one school day, I seem not able to do all, but I have to accomplish
something for my learners. I have made a daily activity plan to guide me.
Answer: _____________________________________________________
4. I need a poem to celebrate the World Teachers Day. I composed one to be used in my
class in Literature.
Answer: _____________________________________________________
5. Knowledge is limitless. What I learned in college is not enough. I need to know more, so I
enrolled in the graduate school to enhance my learning.
Answer: _____________________________________________________

Compiled by:

CHARMAINE FAITH S. METIN

Instructor I