Michelle Isabella Suarez

CIE 685 1001

Oct 12, 2022

Models of Curriculum
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From my reading, I have found that curriculum models provide a guide for curriculum

developers to follow when deciding what and how content is to be taught. Upon further research,

I feel as though I would be the most comfortable following Taba’s model if I was to write my

own curriculum unit. The Taba Model of Curriculum Development, detailed on page 101 of the

text, is an inductive adaptation of the The Tyler Model for Curriculum Development. While

Tyler’s approach goes from the general needs assessment to the more specific, Taba’s Model

inverts that and goes from the specific localized needs to a then more broader generalization. The

Taba model uses the following factors to guide design of curriculum: external factors, content,

objectives, teaching strategies, learning experiences, and evaluative measures (Gordon, et al.,

2009 p. 101).

One main reason for my interest in Taba’s model is the emphasis on teacher involvement

during the curriculum development process. In the end, no one will know more accurately the

day to day instructional needs of the student population better than their classroom teacher.

Teachers are able to go beyond just presenting assigned content but having a more personal

connection to the content since they had a part in developing it. This insight is essential to

developing a properly scaffolded curriculum.

Another reason for my inclination toward Taba’s model is the emphasis on revision after

implementation and further professional development. The curriculum is seen as a living

document open to improvement. Each unit is seen as experimental first to determine practicality

and effectiveness from the feedback of the teacher and any observers. Units are expected to be

revised and adjusted when needed instead of the curriculum being seen as an infallible document

that teachers must follow once they are given. This further gives teachers and students more

agency in providing feedback about what they are teaching and learning.
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The final reason for my interest in Taba’s model is the prioritization of student needs

when developing curriculum. Before undergoing the development process, the architects assess

and diagnose the specific needs of the students that will be presented this curriculum. It is also

focused on more open-ended tasks that invite abstract thinking rather than a traditional model of

learning. This may seem like common sense. However, based on my own teaching experience, I

have seen elements in my own curriculum that feel like they did not have my students in mind.

This can be as simple as not being regionally or culturally informed in the questions. I remember

having a mathematics question that involved an obscure sea animal. All my students were

confused and it became difficult to solve the math elements of the problem since they did not

understand the context behind the question. I realized that we live in a desert environment and

they had never been exposed to that animal before. I was able to clear up the misunderstanding

due to my own prior knowledge based on my upbringing in a waterfront environment in FLorida.

Learning should not keep students in their own bubble but it definitely needs to be accessible to

them and link their cultural context and prior knowledge. I think the Taba model puts greater

emphasis on that element, allowing classroom teachers and students more opportunities to

provide feedback about the practical applications of the developed curriculum.

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Work Cited

Gordon ll, W. R., , R. T., Oliva, P. F. (2019). Developing the curriculum: Improved

outcomes through systems approaches, 9th Ed. Pearson Education, INC.