Page |1

THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Module 1. Unit I. Basic Concepts and Nature of the Curriculum
(Weeks 1-2: Aug. 31- September 11, 2020

I. COUSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES.

1. Defined curriculum in their own words.
2. Compared the different views of curriculum.
3. Described types and components of curriculum.
4. Deepened understanding of the role of a teacher as a curricularist in the school and classroom.

II. LEARNING CONTENTS/SUBJECT MATTER

A. Different Points Of View Of Curriculum
1. Traditional Point of View.

In the early years of the 20th century, curriculum was viewed as the body of subjects or subject matter
prepared by the teachers for the students to learn. This is the same as the “course of study” and
“prospectus” used in college. This is commonly known as the academic curriculum.

Robert Hutchins views curriculum as “permanent studies” where rules of grammar, reading, rhetoric
and logic and mathematics for basic education are emphasized. Basic education should emphasize the
3Rs and tertiary education should be grounded on liberal education.

Arthur Bestor, an essentialist, believes that the mission of the school should be intellectual training;
hence curriculum should focus on the fundamental intellectual disciplines of grammar, literature and
writing. It should also include mathematics, science, history and foreign language.

Joseph Schwab believes that discipline is the sole source of curriculum. He emphasizes that curriculum
should consist only of the knowledge which comes from discipline.

Disciplines are body of knowledge from different fields of study such as humanities (Music, visual
Arts, Performing Arts, Literary, Drama, Dances, etc) ; business (Finance, Accounting, Marketing,
Entrepreneur, Commence), sciences (Biology, Zoology, Botany, Geology; physics); languages
(English, Filipino French, Spanish, etc.) social sciences (Psychology, sociology, anthropology,
political, economics, demography, religion, geography) ; mathematics (basic math, algebra, geometry,
trigonometry, statistics,); Engineering (geodetic, civil, electrical, agriculture, electronics, etc); and
many more.

The different disciplines are taught in college. These are usually the fields of specialization of
students
in a particular degree program.

2. Progressive Points of View

Curriculum is viewed as the total learning experiences of the individual. This view was grounded on the
educational theories of John Dewey on experience and education. He believed that education is life, a
continuous process, and experience is the sole means of learning. Thus, he advocated that the curriculum
content should suit to the needs and demands of the changing society.

Caswell and Campbell viewed curriculum as “all experiences children have under the guidance of t
teachers.” This definition was supported by Smith, Stanley and Shores when they defined “curriculum as a
sequence of potential experiences set up in schools for the purpose of disciplining children and youth in
group ways of thinking and acting.”

Likewise, March and Willis defined curriculum as all the “experiences in the classroom which are
planned and enacted by the teacher, and also learned by the students.”

3. Points of View of Curriculum Development Experts

Curriculum is a dynamic process. Development means changes which are systematic. Change for the
better means alteration, modification or improvement of existing conditions. To produce positive changes,
development should be purposeful, planned and progressive.
 Page |2

B. Definitions of Curriculum
Based on the different views of curriculum experts, the following are the meanings of curriculum.
1. Curriculum as a list of subjects. This pertains to permanent or traditional subjects offered in the school
such as Mathematics, Language, Science, Music, Social Studies, and many others. Subjects are used in
Basic Education.
2. Curriculum as content or subject matter. This includes content standards and series of unit of studies
and topics under each subject area.
3. Curriculum as learning experiences. This refers to the co-curricular and extra- curricular activities and
other learning experiences of the students they encounter inside and outside the school that are planned
and provided by the school.
4. Curriculum as intended learning outcomes. This includes list of performance standards and learning
competencies that the students should learn in school.
5. Curriculum as planned learning experiences. These are documents such as curriculum guide, learning
plan/lesson plan, and syllabus that contain contents of the subject matter, objectives, learning activities,
materials/resources, and assessment tools that the students should accomplish in a specific field of
discipline.
6. Curriculum as a discipline. These are body of knowledge such as principles, theories and concepts of
a specific field of study. This is usually used and studied in college.

B. Curriculum Conceptions
Curriculum workers have different views about curriculum development. There are six curriculum
conceptions according to McNeil, Eisner and Print.
1. Academic rationalist. It stresses the importance of different bodies of knowledge, known as
disciplines or subject areas, as the focus of the curriculum.
2. Cognitive processes. Seeks to develop a collection of cognitive skills that are applicable to a wide
range of intellectual problems. The subject matter is just instruments for developing these cognitive
skills that are lasting in the lives and useful of individuals.
3. Humanistic conception. Stresses the idea that education or curriculum is an instrument for
developing the full potentials of individuals. It seeks to help individual discover and develop their
unique identities. It stresses that curriculum should focus on the needs and interest of individuals.
4. Social Reconstructionist. Believed that the school is an agency for social change. It stress that
curriculum should respond to the different needs, issues, problems and demands of the society.
5. Technological conception. It emphasized with the development of means to achieve
curriculum or educational goals such as instructional aided materials, tools,
equipment, and the like.
6. Eclectic conception. Curriculum workers find themselves aligning their ideas with two or more
curriculum conceptions. Believes that each of the curriculum conceptions is to be considered and is
influential to a certain extent in designing the curriculum that best suit the learners and community it
served.

C. Types of School Curriculum

1. Recommended Curriculum. This refers to what curriculum experts propose as the most appropriate
curriculum for the learners. These are written by professionals and experts in different disciplines or
subject areas to be recommended to the educational agencies such as DepEd, CHED, DOST and
TESDA.
2. Intended, Official or Written Curriculum. This refers to the mandated curriculum prescribed by the
government. It includes subject areas in the Basic Education and courses in college, and contents of
the subject matter.
3. Implemented curriculum. These are planned learning activities that are taught to the learners in order
to achieve the objectives of the written curriculum. These are learning experiences provided to the
students through the guidance of the teacher.
 Page |3

In many cases, teachers modify and improve their curriculum based on the needs of the learners or
whenever there are new ideas in various disciplines that are important to teach. This is called academic
freedom among faculty members in college.

4. Achieved or Learned Curriculum. This pertains to the learning outcomes of what the students actually
learned in school. Learning outcomes are the results of tests, performance and products of learners in
their cognitive, attitudes and skills domain of learning.
5. Assessed curriculum. This refers to tested or evaluated curriculum. The series of evaluation are done
by the teachers to determine the extent of learning of the students through measurable and observable
evaluation tools.
Example:
Measurable evaluation: Written Tests and written works
Observable evaluation: Actual performance and products

6. Supported Curriculum. This refers to the material resources or instructional materials and learning
facilities to help implement the written curriculum. Some of these are textbooks, workbooks, computer-
aided instructional materials, audio-visual material resources, laboratory equipment, learning
areas/centers, and the like.
7. Hidden Curriculum. These are various skills, knowledge, and attitudes that the students learn in the
school system as result of their interaction with other students, teachers, staff, and administrators.

Hidden Curriculum is not taught in the classroom but these are established practices,
culture and values of the school that the students may absorb while studying that is
very powerful in developing the personality, competence, and skills of a student.
Example: Discipline, leadership, commitment, service, communication, etc.

D. The Teacher as a Curricularist

The teacher plays a complex role in the education process. He/she is directly in charge in the attainment
of the goals and objectives of education in general. In the school and classroom, the teacher acts as the
overall all planner, implementer, and evaluator of the curriculum. But, seldom is the teacher regarded as
curricularist.

There are different roles of a teacher as a curricularist, namely:

1. Knows the curriculum (Knower). Learning begins by knowing. As a teacher, one has to master the
contents of the subject matter, the primary essence of teaching.
2. Writes the curriculum (Writer). The teacher writes lesson plans, syllabi, modules, reference books,
workbooks, laboratory manuals, instructional resource materials, and the like.
3. Plans the curriculum (Planner). The teacher makes yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily plan of the
curriculum that contain the total learning experiences of the learners in school, inside and outside the
classroom.
4. Initiates the curriculum (Initiator). The teacher is open to changes in the curriculum. When there is
a need for change, then he/she is willing to take actions on reformation or transformation of the
curriculum to become more relevant and responsive in a changing society.
5. Innovates the curriculum (Innovator). Creativity and novelty are the marks of an excellent teacher.
The nature of curriculum is dynamic, hence it keeps on changing its contents, strategies, focus, ways
of implementation, the learning environment, and the like. Thus, the teacher is always challenged to
do creative and innovative ways on how to cope with the demands of any change in the curriculum.
6. Implements the curriculum (Implementer). The teacher is the prime mover and implementer of the
curriculum being the direct contact of the learners. It is here where professional training, skills,
talents, passion, creativity, and dedication are shown by the teacher.
7. Evaluates the curriculum (Evaluator). Effectiveness and efficiency of the teacher is based on the
end results of the teaching-learning process. A good teacher knows best the kind of assessment tools
suited to his/her learners. The teacher is familiar with the different tools of assessment both
measurable and observable, traditional and authentic.

III. REFERENCES

Bilao P., Lucido, P., et. al. (2014) Curriculum development . Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Pawilen, Greg. (2015). Curriculum development. Recto, Manila: Rex Publishing House, Inc.
 Page |4

DepEd K-12 Basic Education Curriculum Guide

DepE K-12 Teacher’s Guide and Learning Materials

IV. ENRICHMENT LEARNING ACTIVITES

Grouping:
1. Select your group mates by 3s or 2s only. Your group mates will be your co-learners for the
whole semester.
2. All written works must be done collaboratively in groups, and indicate the complete name of
each member.

Activity 1. Defining Curriculum

1. Define in your own words the meaning of curriculum based on the different points of view.
Make three statements to sum of the meaning of curriculum.
2. Submission: September 2, 2020

Activity 2. Classifying Concepts of Curriculum

1. Classify the concepts of the different curriculum points of view, varied meanings of curriculum,
and curriculum conceptions.
2.Write as many as you can in the matrix.
3. Submission: September 4, 2020

Curriculum Points of View, Varied Progressive Views, Traditional Views,

Meanings of Curriculum, and Meaning & Conceptions Meaning & Conceptions
Curriculum Conceptions.

Activity 3. Imagine your School

Directions:
1. Remember and imagine the existence of the different types of curriculum at Northeastern College
or in the schools where you came from Elementary and High School.
2. Write at least three (3) specific examples or learning situations asked for in the matrix below.
3. Submission: September 9, 2020

Types of Curricula Operating in Examples of the Type of Curriculum Present

School in your School
1. Recommended Curriculum
2. Written Curriculum
3. Taught/Implemented Curriculum
4. Supported Curriculum
5. Assessed Curriculum
6. Learned Curriculum
7. Hidden Curriculum

Activity 4. Essay
1. Is it necessary for teachers to learn about school curriculum? Why?
2. How do you feel based on the different roles of being “the teacher as a curricularist”.
3. Submission: September 11, 2020

Prepared by:

LAINE T. TUMAMANG, PH.D.

Professor, Professional Education Courses
Page |5