Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
ALLAMA IQBAL
OPEN
UNIVERSITY
ISLAMABAD
ASSIGNMENT NO: 01
Registration No 0000090833
Assignment No.1
(Units: 1-4)
Question No#1 What are the deficiencies in the existing curriculum of the grade VIII? Discuss
curriculum.
Answer:
Curriculum
achieve proficiency in content and applied learning skills. Curriculum is the central guide for all
educators as to what is essential for teaching and learning, so that every student has access to
rigorous academic experiences. The structure, organization, and considerations in a curriculum are
created in order to enhance student learning and facilitate instruction. Curriculum must include the
necessary goals, methods, materials and assessments to effectively support instruction and learning.
Goals
Goals within a curriculum are the standards-based benchmarks or expectations for teaching and
learning. Most often, goals are made explicit in the form of a scope and sequence of skills to be
addressed. Goals must include the breadth and depth to which a student is expected to learn.
Methods
Methods are the instructional decisions, approaches, procedures, and routines that teachers use to
engage all students in meaningful learning. These choices support the facilitation of learning
experiences in order to promote a student’s ability to understand and apply content and skills.
Methods are differentiated to meet student needs and interests, task demands, and learning
environment. Methods are adjusted based on ongoing review of student progress towards meeting
the goals.
Materials
Materials are the tools selected to implement methods and achieve the goals of the curriculum.
Materials are intentionally chosen to support a student's learning. Material choices reflect student
interest, cultural diversity, world perspectives, and address all types of diverse learners.
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Assessment
learning. This includes a variety of ways to document what the student knows, understands, and can
do with their knowledge and skills. Information from assessment is used to make decisions about
To address issues problems curriculum development Pakistan, it would be wise to see our new
generation is getting the same level of knowledge as our previous generations were getting.
Because each new age demands extra or advanced form of knowledge. We should keep our
We need to compete with the world. We need a tech based syllabus that can fulfil our business
needs. We also need to make sure the unity and same implementation of curriculum in each
province. The persons who are in development process must be well capable and professional so
that a better form of curriculum we may have for our future generations.
The study showed that teachers used to face issues in English curriculum implementation at higher
secondary level schools such as lack of communication skill, inappropriate teacher trainings,
teaching method and methodology, multicultural society, lack of social and ethical development of
students, lack of teaching resources and aids, inappropriate assessment procedures, misalignment of
curriculum document.
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In curriculum development, we think about the type of learning experiences to be given to a child at
various age and grade levels. It needs systematic and sequential planning to widen the sphere of the
learning experience at each level by keeping in view the principles of integration and correlation.
To answer these questions we should now discuss the principles of curriculum development.
What is to be given to the children in the form of learning experiences at a particular age and grade
level should suit their age and mental development. The capacity for understanding, how children
grow with age. The content of the study in any subject should be formed to suit their mental ability.
Children will be able to learn better in fields where they have special tastes and inclination of the
mind. It is also found that at different stages of age groups, children have different interest patterns.
Interests of children also change according to circumstances and situations. Therefore learning
experiences should be designed to suit the interests and tastes of the age group of students.
The content of the learning experiences for children should be linked with the needs of the
environment in which they live. For example, children from rural areas can understand and grasp
easily the information which is directly concerned with their experiences in their own rural
environment.
The same thing applies to children in a various environments like urban areas, hilly areas, etc.
The curriculum must have the necessary details. List of topics to be covered does not solve the
purpose.
Both teachers and students should know clearly what is expected of them, what is the beginning and
what is the end of the topic for the particular class. Material, aids, activities, life situations etc.
The curriculum should be such that all the subjects are correlated with each other. While designing
the curriculum, it must be kept in mind that the subject matter of various subjects has some relation
Children are very active by nature. They like new things and can learn more by doing or by activity
method. Therefore curriculum should be designed in such a way that it provides maximum
opportunity to the child for practical work with the help of concrete things.
Instead of being rigid curriculum should show the sign of flexibility. The organization of the
curriculum should be on the basis of individual differences as every child is different from the other.
Apart from these conditions of society go on changing, therefore, the curriculum must be flexible
This principle asks for the inclusion of those topics, content and learning experiences that may
prove helpful to the students in leading their future life in a proper way.
Teachers play a key role in the implementation of the school curriculum of any grade or stage. It is
therefore quite essential to seek the proper involvement of the teachers in the construction and
It is necessarily a joint venture where various experts are involved like educational psychologists,
experts etc.
Curriculum is the means to realize the outcomes of the educational objectives of the school.
developing curriculum experts should also keep its implementation in mind. They should be aware
of the conditions of the schools and possible availability of time and resources available.
Staff Development: the District reserves an amount of the basic revenue to provide staff
Teaching strategies are methods and techniques that a teacher will use to support their pupils or
students through the learning process; a teacher will chose the teaching strategy most suitable to
the topic being studied, the level of expertise of the learner, and the stage in their learning
journey.
Question No#2 Define the concept of content selection in curriculum development. Discuss the
Answer:
Curriculum design is deciding about the ‘shape’ of a curriculum plan. It involves selection of
content in line with the goals and objectives of the curriculum. The selected content will have to be
arranged in a form that will help teacher in choosing and organizing appropriate learning
experiences for the classroom. In this case, the focus of curriculum design based on selection and
organization of content (or subject matter) for learners and learning experiences (activities).
Obviously, the selection of content and learning experiences will be based on sound theoretical
framework. Criteria for the Selection of Subject-matter or Content of the Curriculum According to
Ornstein & Hunkins (1998) the selection of subject matter for curriculum employs the seven criteria
below.
1. Self-sufficiency
To help learners attain maximum self-sufficiency in the most economical manner is the main
guiding principle of subject matter or content selection. Although the economy of learning implies
less teaching effort and less use of educational resources, students gain more results. They can cope
up with the learning outcomes effectively. This criterion means that students should be given a
chance to experiment, observe, and do field study. This system allows them to learn independently.
With this principle in mind, when the students return, they should present outputs from the activity.
2. Significance
The subject matter or content is significant if it is selected and organized for the development of
learning activities, skills, processes, and attitude. It also develops the three domains of learning
namely the cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills and considers the cultural aspects of the
learners. Particularly, if your students come from different cultural backgrounds and races, the
subject matter must be culture-sensitive. In short, select content or subject matter that can achieve
3. Validity
Validity refers to the authenticity of the subject matter or content you selected. Make sure that the
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topics are not obsolete. For example, do not include typewriting as a skill to be learned by college
students. It should be about the computer or Information Technology (IT). Thus, there is a need to
check regularly the subject matter or contents of the curriculum, and replace it if necessary.
4. Interest
This criterion is true to the learner-centered curriculum. Students learn best if the subject matter is
meaningful to them. It becomes meaningful if they are interested in it. However, if the curriculum is
subject-centered, teachers have no choice but to finish the pacing schedule religiously and only
teach what is in the book. This approach explains why many fail in the subject.
5. Utility
Another criterion is the usefulness of the content or subject matter. Students think that a subject
matter or some subjects are not important to them. They view it useless. As a result, they do not
study.
6. Learnability
The subject matter or content must be within the schema of the learners. It should be within their
experiences. Teachers should apply theories in the psychology of learning to know how subjects are
presented, sequenced, and organized to maximize the learning capacity of the students.
7. Feasibility
Feasibility means full implementation of the subject matter. It should consider the real situation of
the school, the government, and the society, in general. Students must learn within the allowable
time and the use of resources available. Do not give them a topic that is impossible to finish.
A second element is the content of the curriculum. It contains information to be learned at school. It
is an element or a medium through which the objectives are accomplished. Content or subject
matter refers to the body of knowledge that the student will take away when the course is done. It
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One of the important considerations is the selection of content for a subject. At the time of subject
2. Demand of the society
3. International needs
9. System of examination
In organizing the learning contents, balance, articulation, sequence, integration, and continuity of
Scope
Scope refers to both the breadth and depth of content and includes all topics, learning experiences
and organizing threads found in the curriculum plan. Scope not only to cognitive learning but also
Content of the curriculum is a critical phase in the curriculum-development process. Even if all the
steps are followed in the development process, it is when the curriculum is implemented that it
becomes clear whether or not the objectives have been met and to what degree the students have
Answer:
FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM
Foundations are the forces that influence the minds of curriculum developers.
In this way they affect the content and structure of the curriculum. The five most important
Economical Foundations
Economic foundation of education refers to those factors of individual and collective economic
development which are considered during the formulation of a system of education for a nation.
A struggle for the fulfillment of material needs of the individuals is the fundamental subject of
economics. Education develops the potentials and abilities of the individuals for the fulfillment of
these needs. It can be clearly seen that there is a close relationship between education and
world ’’One of the best ways to tackle youth unemployment and to support economic and social
It focuses on:
• Skill learning
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The economical foundation of curriculum gives importance to the vocational aspect of the
curriculum. The economic condition of a nation or a society guide the curriculum of the country,
because the stakeholder of the education wants to employ such a curriculum which help them to
build their economy and the people have better jobs when they finish their schooling. In this kind of
situations the curriculum become job or market oriented. In this curriculum the curriculum
developer gives importance to skills acquisition which is the demands of the time.
Education paves the way to the fulfillment of the economic needs of the individual and society. This
close relationship between education and economic needs has been acknowledged by the leading
Education trains the individual of the society and. prepares them participate in the economic-
oriented activities in the society. This training provides necessary skillful manpower.
Research in education has brought about many new theories of economic development. These
Economic prosperity leads to the social stability. All these changes are the product of education. A
financially satisfied person performs his social role effectively and efficiently.
Education economics or the economics of education is the study of economic issues relating to
education, including the demand for education, the financing and provision of education, and the
comparative efficiency of various educational programs and policies. From early works on the
relationship between schooling and labor market outcomes for individuals, the field of the
economics of education has grown rapidly to cover virtually all areas with linkages to education.
Education is one of the key drivers of growth performance, prosperity, and competitiveness in
Universities and other institutions not only deliver tertiary education and ongoing skills training, but
also provide a bustling research environment that produces innovations with valuable commercial
The modern workplace is in a constant state of evolution. Even within the last decade, job roles and
the skills required to succeed in them have changed enormously, with technological
2) Drive Innovation
A key role of education institutions is to drive innovation, with the aim of finding solutions to
global challenges in areas that matter to society. The wider economy benefits from university
3) Increase Employability
Higher education institutions are critically important here. Universities should be proactive in
arranging opportunities for current students to develop industrial expertise through work experience
and internships.
Thus it is justified that economic foundation of education or curriculum can accelerate the
development.
Here are some economical factor which influence the curriculum development process
Economic Factors
1. Allocation of funds
The financial condition of a country reflects its curriculum because without proper funding one
can’t achieve the outcome of a good curriculum. It is the financial aspect of a country which guide
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them to adopt which type of curriculum, for example activity base or learner center curriculum need
more money in the process of the implementation of the curriculum then subject matter
curriculum.
Because activity base and learner center curriculum need more space and money then subject
matter, for that reason in Pakistan we adopted subject base curriculum because we have shortage of
schools, classrooms in schools, trained teachers. In economical sound countries they have
implemented all kind of curriculums in their schools according to the need of the school and that
society. Without proper funding once can’t implement a good curriculum in the country and achieve
Lack of resources due to finical constrains effect the developing and planning of the curriculum.
There are different factor in curriculum development, planning and implementation process which
need financial support e.g. Schools lack physical facilities including buildings, classrooms,
furniture, Hostel, Play grounds, mats and even very basic necessities like blackboard, chalk, and
The lack of skilled manpower due to financial restrains, without proper financial support it is hard
to train the people to support the teaching learning process. Only through proper funding and the
establishment of training institutions for teachers and support staff. Teachers are the core of
education system and without proper training one can’t implement a curriculum and to support the
curriculum one need to train the entire teacher on that style of curriculum. To develop skills in the
The lack of labs and libraries also affect the curriculum development process because without
proper computer labs in cities and villages one can’t implement computer education curriculum all
over the country. In the same way without proper libraries in all school one can’t implement a
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Also without proper health care system in the schools lot of activities can’t part of the curriculum
due to the risk factor to the health of the students and teachers.
The overburden of the population is also one of the factors that affect the financial support of the
curriculum development, lack of facilities and implementation of the curriculum in the country.
In short we can say that economic play a vital role in the curriculum development and
implementation process in the country and it is the foundation of the successful curriculum, without
a good economic background a country can’t afford a curriculum which needs huge financial
support.
Answer:
Once students reach 2nd grade, they’re often ready to accelerate their learning. That’s because at
this point, they've adjusted to the more rigorous learning environment initially encountered in 1st
grade, and are able to further expand their skills and knowledge in every subject area.
In 2nd grade, your child becomes a more experienced writer and reader by practicing their skills in
more complex and comprehensive ways. Students read bigger and more complicated books, and
Students can learn in different environments and through different ways. Learning may take place
beyond the boundary of textbooks and the classroom; it may take place through a diversity of
learning materials and experiences. Though textbooks are not the only learning resources, they still
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play an important role in student learning. Textbooks are not only teaching materials for teachers,
but also students’ self-directed learning materials for preparation and revision purposes.
Quality textbooks, including both printed and electronic textbooks (e-textbooks), which support a
learner-focused curriculum, contain the core elements of the subject curriculum, as well as learning
strategies useful for the study of the subject. Being important sources of reading for students,
quality textbooks help develop students’ ability to learn through reading. The amount and quality of
the texts to be included therefore deserve greater attention. Other desirable features of a good
textbook include interactivity, the ability to arouse the interest of students, and the capacity to
actively engage and involve them in the learning process. In other words, good textbooks tell,
The purposes of developing the Guiding Principles for Quality Textbooks are -
to provide criteria for teachers in selecting quality textbooks for their students;
The Guiding Principles include criteria for quality textbooks in areas such as Content, Learning and
A textbook of a particular subject area manifests or translates the four components of the curriculum
(aims, content, learning/teaching strategies, assessment) for the purpose of student learning.
The aims, targets and objectives align with those laid down in the relevant curriculum or subject
guide.
The content is self-contained and sufficient to address effectively the learning targets of the
curriculum without requiring the use of additional supplementary materials associated with the
textbooks. The core elements of the subject curriculum are included. No superfluous information is
The content is current. Information and data are relevant and accurate. The sources of information
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Concepts are correct and precise. Ideas are coherent. There are adequate examples and illustrations.
Such examples and illustrations are interesting and relevant to students’ experience. In the
development of concepts, new ones are built on old ones and are introduced when and where
appropriate.
There is an appropriate balance between depth and breadth in the treatment of the subject content.
The level of difficulty of the content is consistent with the curriculum requirements and the
Appropriate consideration is given to students’ prior knowledge and learning experience. There is
continuity in the development of concepts and skills to facilitate a smooth transition between
different key stages of learning / year levels. Connections between related topics or concepts are
There is no bias in content, such as over-generalisation and stereotyping. The content and
illustrations do not carry any form of discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, race, religion,
To encourage and facilitate students to read larger amounts of materials on their own, selected
further reading lists or related websites are included to let students read extensively. An index is
Question No#5 Explain briefly the approaches adopted for the development of educational
objectives.
Answer:
Over the years many theories have been developed to examine the processes involved in learning.
Most learning theories concentrate on the significance for the way that learning is delivered.
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There are many different ways of learning both formally and informally: as part of a group, such as
learning. Furthermore people learn differently at different times in their lives and in different
circumstances.
Basically there are two approaches: either start by selecting content or topics that what you want
students to know (the cognitive approach) or start with what you want students to do (the behavioral
approach). In effect the cognitive approach moves from the general to the specific, and the
behavioral approach does the opposite. Each approach has advocates, as well as inherent strengths
and problems. In practice, teachers often combine or alternate between them in order to give
This approach to learning is based on the idea that learners respond to stimuli in their environment.
The role of the learning facilitator, therefore, is to provide relevant and useful stimuli so that the
Compared to the cognitive approach, the behavioral approach to instructional planning reverses the
steps in planning. Instead of starting with general goal statements accompanied by indicator
students should perform or display as a result of instruction. Collectively, the specific behaviors
may describe a more general educational goal, but unlike the indicators used in the cognitive
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approach, they are not a mere sampling of the possible specific outcomes. Instead they represent all
The behavioral approach to learning centres around the belief that appropriate behaviour can be
taught through constant repetition of a task combined with feedback from the facilitator. Positive
feedback encourages and reinforces success while negative feedback and immediate correction
One of the main ways to use the behavioural approach to learning in training and teaching is to
specify clear behavioural objectives at the start and then supply learning opportunities that ensure
that the objectives are met. The approach is also based on the view that there is one right way, one
truth that the student needs to learn, and that knowledge is the same for all learners. For this reason
it emphasizes teacher or trainer control; the trainer employs external reinforcement to motivate and
A more recent proponent of the behavioral approach can be found in the work of Gagné. In his
theory of instruction, Gagné suggests that learning takes place in a hierarchical way. He proposes
an eight-stage model, each stage of which is associated with a type of learning that influences the
way that instruction is delivered. Gagne says that learning at one level is only possible if learning at
Behavioral objectives have obvious advantages because of their clarity and precision. They seem
especially well suited for learning that by their nature they can be spelled out explicitly and fully,
such as when a student is learning to drive a car, to use safety equipment in a science laboratory, or
install and run a particular computer program. Most of these goals, as it happens, also tend to have
relatively short learning cycles, meaning that they can be learned as a result of just one lesson or
activity, or of just a short series of them at most. Such goals tend not to include the larger, more
abstract goals of education. In practice, both kinds of goals—the general and the specific—form a
Behaviorist theories of learning essentially stress the importance of the assertiveness of the tutor,
and the passive participant who is not given a great deal of choice other than to respond in a
predetermined way. In contrast cognitive theories are concerned with the role of the active mind in
The cognitive approach assumes that teachers normally have a number of long-term, general goals
for students, and it begins with those goals. It also assumes that each student work toward long-
term, general goals along different pathways and using different styles of learning. Because of these
assumptions, it is necessary to name indicators, which are examples of specific behaviors by which
students might show success at reaching a general learning goal. But it is neither desirable nor
Using a strictly cognitive approach to planning, therefore, a teacher’s job has two parts. First she
must identify, find, or choose a manageable number of general goals—perhaps just a half dozen or
so. Then the teacher must think of a handful of specific examples or behavioral indicators for each
goal. Then, at last, thoughtful planning for individual lessons or activities can begin. This approach
works especially well for learning goals that are relatively long-term—goals that take many lessons,
days, or weeks to reach. During such long periods of teaching, it is impossible to specify the exact,
detailed behaviors that every student can or should display to prove that he or she has reached a
general goal. It is possible, however, to specify general directions toward which all students should
focus their learning and to explain the nature of the goals with a sample of well-chosen indicators or
examples.
John Dewey
Dewey (1938) believes learning involves 'learning to think'. He says the process of learning is more
than doing a task or activity; it also requires reflection and learning from this. To Dewey, the
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purpose of thought is attaining a state of equilibrium, enabling an individual to solve problems and
Often associated with 'progressive education', Dewey rejected traditional forms of education based
on the reinforcement of information where the student has a passive role, suggesting that this type
of learning was superficial. He said that learning only occurs if the student plays an active role in
the process. For learning to take place it must be meaningful to each individual, with students
critically reflecting on information presented; they have to be able to 'experience' the information
and the way to facilitate this is to draw on past experience. It could be argued, therefore, that
Teachers or trainers employing Dewey's approach to learning play a key role in learner's
development, but in a more indirect way than that implied in the behaviourist model. For example,
planning sessions that encourage interaction with the material presented and reflective thinking, as
well as creating a climate whereby students or trainees can structure their own learning.
B. S. Bloom
Another theorist who developed the cognitive approach, Bloom, considered learning occurred in
both the ‘cognitive domain’, that associated with memory and understanding, and the ‘affective
domain’, how feelings or emotions change as a result of learning. Bloom suggests that parallel
learning between the cognitive and the affective domains takes place in a cumulative way
depending of the degree of difficulty. The degree to which learners use the cognitive and affective
The cognitive, general-to-specific approach is reasonable on the face of it, and in fact probably