Definitions of Curriculum

A curriculum is the combination of instructional practices, learning experiences, and students' performance assessment
that are designed to bring out and evaluate the target learning outcomes of a particular course.

Curriculum is the expectations for what will be taught and what students will do in a program of study. It includes
teacher-made materials, textbooks, and national and state standards.

A curriculum consists of the "roadmap" or "guideline" of any given discipline. Both the philosophy of teaching of the
instructors as well as of the educational institution serve as two of the principles upon which a curriculum is based.

As applied to education, curriculum is the series of things that students must do and experience by way of developing
abilities to do the things well that adults do in life; and to be in all ways the people that they should be as adults.

Curriculum is all of the courses of study offered (science, math, reading, etc.) and those guidelines for teaching and
learning set forth for a particular educational institution.

Curriculum is the delivery component of an institutions' educational mission, values, and theory of learning. It should
follow in-depth discussions regarding "what a student should learn" and "how a student can best learn."

Curriculum refers to an interactive system of instruction and learning with specific goals, contents, strategies,
measurement, and resources. The desired outcome of curriculum is successful transfer and/or development of
knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

Curriculum from Different Points of View

There are many definitions of curriculum. Because of this, the concept of curriculum is sometimes characterized as
fragmentary, elusive and confusing. The definitions are influenced by modes of thoughts, pedagogies, political as well as
cultural experiences

1. Traditional Points of View of Curriculum in the early years of 20th century, the traditional concepts held of the
“curriculum is that it is a body of subjects or subject matter prepared by the teachers for the students to learn”. It was
synonymous to the “course of study” and “syllabus” Robert M. Hutchins views curriculum as “permanent studies” where
the rule of grammar, reading, rhetoric and logic and mathematics for basic education are emphasized.

2. Basic Education should emphasize the 3 Rs and college education should be grounded on liberal education. On the
other hand, Arthur Bestor as an essentialist, believe 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.

3. This definition leads us to the view of Joseph Schwab that discipline is the sole source of curriculum. Thus in our
education system, curriculum is divided into chunks of knowledge we call subject areas in basic education such as
English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and others. In college, discipline may include humanities, sciences,
languages and many more4.

4. Progressive Points of View of Curriculum On the other hand, to a progressivist, a listing of school, subjects, syllabi,
course of study, and list of courses or specific discipline do not make a curriculum. These can only be called curriculum if
the written materials are actualized by the learner. Broadly speaking, curriculum is defined as the total learning
experiences of the individual.

5. This definition is anchored on John Dewey’s definition of experience and education. He believed that reflective
thinking is a means that unifies curricular elements. Thought is not derived from action but tested by application.
Caswell and Campbell viewed curriculum as “all experiences children have under the guidance of teachers”. This
definition is shared by Smith, Stanley and Shores when they defined “curriculum as a sequence of potential experiences
set up in the schools for the purpose of disciplining children and youth in group ways of thinking and acting”

Points of View on Curriculum Development from the various definitions and concepts presented, it is clear that
curriculum is a dynamic process. Development connotes changes which are systematic. A change for the better means
any alteration, modification or improvement of existing condition. To produce positive changes, development should be
purposeful, planned and progressive. This is how curriculum evolves. Ralph Tyler Model: Four Basic Principles.1. What
educational purposes should the school seek to attain?2. What educational experiences can be provided that are likely
to attain these purposes?3. How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?

4. How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained or not? In summary, Tyler’s Model show that in
curriculum development, the following consideration should be made:

 Purposes of the school

 Educational experiences related to the purposes

 Organization of the experiences, and

 Evaluation of the experiences

On the other hand, Hilda Taba improved on Tyler’s Rationale by making a linear model. She believed that teachers who
teach or implement the curriculum should participate in developing it. Her advocacy was commonly called the
grassroots approach. She presented seven major steps to her model where teachers could have a major input. These
steps are as follows:

 Diagnosis of learners needs and expectations of the larger society

 Formulation of learning objectives

 Selection of learning content

 Organization of Learning content

 Selection of learning experiences

 Organization of learning activities

 Determinations of what to evaluate and the and the means of doing it.

From the various concepts given, Allan Glatthorn (2000) describes seven types of curriculum operating in the schools.

1) Recommended curriculum- proposed by scholars and professional organizations.

2) Written curriculum- appears in school, district, division or country documents.

3) Taught curriculum- what teachers implement or deliver in the classrooms and schools Types of Curriculum Operating
in Schools

4. Supported curriculum- resources textbook computers, audio visual materials which support and help in the
implementation of the curriculum.

5. Assessed curriculum, that which is tested and evaluated.

6. Learned curriculum-what the students actually learn and what is measured and

7. Hidden curriculum- the unintended curriculum. Major Foundations of Curriculum Let us now look into the major
foundations of a curriculum. Debates continue on what curriculum is and its basic foundations. The commonly accepted
foundations include philosophical, historical, psychological and social.

SEVEN TYPES OF CURRICULUM

1. RECOMMENDED CURRICULUM

Perhaps you have asked these questions: Why should I take all these subjects and follow the course flow religiously?
Why is there a need to implement the K to 12? The answer is simple! The Ministry of Education, the Commission on
Higher Education, or any professional organization can recommend and implement a curriculum.

For example, in the Philippines, the curriculum being implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd) or the
Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) is an example of a recommended curriculum. In some cases, a law-making body
like the congress and the senate, or a university or a school can recommend a subject, a course, or any academic
program deemed necessary for national identity and security, for environmental protection and sustainable
development, among others.

2. WRITTEN CURRICULUM

The written curriculum refers to a lesson plan or syllabus written by teachers. Another example is the one written by
curriculum experts with the help of subject teachers. This kind of written curriculum needs to be pilot tested or tried out
in sample schools to determine its effectiveness.

3. TAUGHT CURRICULUM

This is about the implementation of the written curriculum. Whatever is being taught or an activity being done in the
classroom is a taught curriculum. So, when teachers give a lecture, initiate group work, or ask students to do a
laboratory experiment with their guidance, the taught curriculum is demonstrated. This curriculum contains different
teaching and learning styles to address the students’ needs and interests.

4. SUPPORTED CURRICULUM

The supported curriculum is about the implementation of the written curriculum. Whatever is being taught or activity
being done in the classroom is a taught curriculum. So, when teachers give a lecture, initiate group work, or ask students
to do a laboratory experiment with their guidance, the taught curriculum is demonstrated. This curriculum contains
different teaching styles and learning styles to address the students’ needs and interests.

5. ASSESSED CURRICULUM

When students take a quiz or the mid-term and final exams, these evaluations are the so-called assessed curriculum.
Teachers may use the pencil and paper tests and authentic assessments like portfolio and performance-based
assessments to know if the students are progressing or not.

6. LEARNED CURRICULUM

This type of curriculum indicates what the students have learned. The capability that students should demonstrate at
the end of the lesson can be measured through learning outcomes. A learning outcome can be manifested by what
students can perform or do either in their cognitive, affective, or psychomotor domains. The test results can determine
the learning outcome, and the students can achieve it through learning objectives.

7. HIDDEN CURRICULUM

The hidden curriculum refers to the unplanned or unintended curriculum but plays a vital role in learning. It consists of
norms, values, and procedures. See the three-minute video below for more details.

CLASSROOM IMPLICATIONS OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CURRICULUM

Now, let’s discuss some classroom implications of the different curriculum types by taking the following situation as an
example.

Let’s assume that you are a college student taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in English. Your course or
degree program is a recommended curriculum prescribed by CHED. The syllabi given to you by your teachers are the
written curriculum. When your teachers start to teach, that is a taught curriculum. And when they ask you to use the
internet and search for information about a given topic, this is a supported curriculum.

Furthermore, teachers need to evaluate your performance. So, when you are given a test or exam, that is the assessed
curriculum. The assessed curriculum results will determine what you have learned – and that is the so-called learned
curriculum. However, the hidden curriculum can affect what will be taught and assessed by your teachers and eventually
affect what you will learn.

To sum it up, the curriculum is not only about a course or a simple listing of subjects, but it is the total learning
experience of students as indicated by the seven types of curriculum.

K- What I Know W- What I Want to know L- What I learned

 What I know about curriculum is that What I want to know about
it is actually what happens during a curriculum is that I want to know if it
course I.e. lecture, demonstration has different types.
and etc. It is an important element of
education. Aims of education are
reflected in the curriculum.

New fist hammer maker

Better food security clothing

Daily activities

Timelessness

1. Does the saber tooth curriculum still exist at present?

For me, the saber tooth curriculum still exists until now because our educational system teaches students on how to do
particular tasks on their own and we let them do the things which can help them to exercise their minds as well as their
skills.

Describe the kind of curriculum that exists as describe in the article.

The curriculum that was being described on the article actually conveys a message in a form of the premise “we should
teach them on how to catch a fish using their hands rather than using a net.” In which it implies that we teachers/future
teachers, we must teach the young on how to manipulate their cognitions, we should let them think and we should let
them do things on their own rather than spoiling them with all their needs and covets.

What does the author mean, when he said “A curriculum should be timeless?” Explain.

It simply means that our education system should fit with the needs of the time and serve a purpose. Ultimately, these
curricular decisions should be made by our society to fit our needs, rather than by individual teachers, school buildings,
or districts.

What is the difference between education and training?

The difference is that, the term training implies the act of imparting a special skill or behavior to a person, which is
commonly offered to employees of operational level. While education, is a process of systematic learning something in
an institution that develops a sense of judgment and reasoning in employees. And to add, training is undertaken in the
hopes of gaining a specific skill. Generally this skill will make you more employable. While education is undertaken in the
hopes of furthering your individual knowledge and developing your intellect.

1.) RECOMMENDED CURRICULUM  Proposed by scholars and professional organizations.  It also encompasses the
curriculum requirements of policy making groups such as DPED, CHED, DOST.  It is a curriculum that stresses
“oughtness”, identifying the skills and concepts that ought to be emphasized, according to the perceptions and value
systems of the sources.

2.) WRITTEN CURRICULUM • Includes documents, course of study, or syllabi handed down to the schools, districts,
division, departments, or colleges for implementation. • This also refers to a lesson plan or syllabus written by teachers.
Another example is the one written by curriculum experts with the help of subject teachers. This kind of written
curriculum needs to be pilot tested or tried out in sample schools to determine its effectiveness.

3.) TAUGHT CURRICULUM  Different planned activities which are put into action in the classroom  Varied activities
that are implemented in order to arrive at the objectives or purposes of the written curriculum  Used by the learners
with the guidance of the teachers  Varies according to the learning styles of the students and the teaching styles of the
teachers.

4.) SUPPORTED CURRICULUM  Instructional materials, such as textbooks, audio visual materials, blogs, wikis, and
others are examples of support curriculum. Other examples are playgrounds, zoos, gardens, museums, and real life
objects. It is called supported curriculum because it helps teachers implement a written curriculum thus enables the
students to become life-long learners.
5.) ASSESSED CURRICULUM o Tested or evaluated curriculum o A series of evaluations done by the teacher to determine
the extent of teaching or to tell if the students are progressing.

6.) LEARNED CURRICULUM  This type of curriculum indicates what the students have actually learned.  This can be
measured through learning outcomes. A learning outcome can be manifested by what students can perform or do either
in their cognitive, affective or psychomotor domains. The learning outcome can be determined by the results of the
tests, and it can be achieved by the students through the use of learning objectives.

7.) Hidden Curriculum  This refers to the unintended curriculum w/c is not deliberately planned but may modify
behavior or influence learning outcomes.

7 Types of Curriculum

1. Recommended Curriculum - The curriculum that is recommended by scholars and professional organizations.

Basic Education - Recommended by DepEd

Higher Education - Recommended by CHED

Vocational Education - TESDA

2. Written Curriculum - Documents based on recommended curriculum

Example: syllabi, course of study, module, books or instructional guides, lesson plan.

3. Taught Curriculum - The curriculum which teachers actually deliver day by day.

4. Supported Curriculum - Includes those resources that support the curriculum-textbooks, software, and other media
supporting materials that make learning and teaching meaningful print materials like books, charts, posters, worksheets,
or non-print materials like Power Point presentations, movies, slides, models, mock ups, realias facilities – playground,
laboratory, AV rooms, zoo, museum, market or plaza (places where direct experiences occur)

5. Learned Curriculum - The bottom-line curriculum it is the curriculum that students actually learn.

6. Assessed Curriculum - The curriculum which appears as tests and performance measures: state tests, standardized
tests, district tests, and teacher-made tests.

7. Hidden/Implicit Curriculum - This is the unintended curriculum. It defines what students learn from the physical
environment, the policies, and the procedures of the school. Not planned but has a great impact on students.