MODULE 2: CRAFTING THE CURRICULUM

Lesson 1: . A. Fundamentals of Curriculum Designing

B. Approaches to Curriculum Designing
C. Curriculum Mapping

Objectives: Given the information, the students would have:

1. Explained the sources for curriculum enhancements/ and or development as
fundamentals of curriculum Designing.
2. Identified the fundamentals f curriculum designs.
3. Analyzed the approaches to curriculum designing as applied in the school setting.
4. Explained how curriculum mapping helps in the achievement of a learning goal.

INTRODUCTION:

"Nobody plans to fail but failure results from a failure to plan." This quote implies the
necessity to plan before one decides to do a major task like crafting a curriculum. Without a plan,

the more we end up failing in our activities.

Crafting the curriculum involves planning which is the decision-making process about the

content and the organization of learning for which the school is responsible. Different groups of
school related-people decide on the variety of topics and issues concerned with the educational

needs of pupils. A well-planned curriculum is a result of clearly defined objectives which improve
student learning outcomes. Intended learning results include a deep understanding of the matter

and development of specific skills such as critical and creative thinking, problem solving, informed
decision-making. Module 2 will focus on 3 major lessons which includes the Fundamentals to

Curriculum Designing, Approaches to curriculum Designing, and Mapping of the curriculum.

Lesson 1: A. FUNDAMENTALS OF CURRICULUM DESIGNING

A. Participants in Curriculum Crafting

1. School’s stakeholders?

According to Ornstein, A. and F. Hunkins (___) the following are the participants in the
development of the curriculum:

a. Political Arena of Participants

 The politics of education is concerned with who benefits and how those benefits are

determined. Curriculum is concerned with providing programs for learners. Curriculum

Participants both educators and non-educators, have to determine what types of curricula will

benefit students; how to select to see curricula who will receive the benefits of a particular
curricula, and how to deliver those benefits. It is a political area that many decisions affecting

teachers working conditions occur.

b. School Arena Participants

1. Teachers- Teachers occupy the central position in curriculum decision making. They
decide which aspect of the curriculum newly developed or on going to implement or stress in

a particular class. Teachers decide how much time to spend on developing basic or critical
thinking skills. Teachers should be involved in every phase of curriculum development.

2. Students- Students have a voice in curriculum development. Their input is important

in its own right, but allowing them to participate in curriculum development also empowers

them and encourages them to take responsibility for matters that concern them. In the
higher education, your SSG governor represents the studentry during curriculum

enhancements.
3. Principals- For curriculum planning to succeed in school system, the principals must be

involved. Principals schedule time for curriculum activities arrange for in-service training, sit
on curriculum advisory committees as a resource agent, and refine the schools mission.

4. Curriculum Specialists- Curriculum specialists are responsible for ensuring that

programs are conceptualized, designed and implemented.

5. Assistant Superintendents- The assistant/ associate superintendent is most responsible

for curriculum development.

6. Superintendents- The superintendent responds to matters before the school board,

Initiates curriculum activities starts program for in-service training of teachers informs all

district personnel of changes occurring in other schools and processes demands from outside
the system for change or maintenance of educational offerings.

7. Board of education- are the school’s legal agents. They comprise lay people usually
elected as representatives of the general public. Board members are responsible for the

schools over-all management. They ensure that the curriculum advances the school system’s
goals.
 c. Other participants

1. Regional Organizations- Regional educational laboratories influence school curricula

by providing guidance in the production of educational materials and by furnishing consultants

who on planning teams; Investigate curricular problems the research result can be of value to
curriculum planners. Also aid curriculum specialists by documenting the effectiveness of particular

programs or approaches.
2. Testing organizations such as the Philippine Regulatory Board. PRC has high stake in

the school’s curricula because the graduates of the different tertiary degrees must be certified as
professionals. PRC through the Professional Regulatory Boards, conducts examinations for some

degree programs like the Licensure Examination for Teachers, Accountants, Dentists, Engineers
and Nurses among others.

3. Accrediting Agencies emphasizes quality assurance and a commitment to continuous

quality enhancement in schools.

B. Axioms in the Designing of a Curriculum

Before a teacher designs a curriculum, it would be of great importance to understand

basic principles to curriculum development. Olivia, (2003) as cited by Bilbao, et al.(2015) posits
that:

1. Curriculum change is inevitable, necessary, and desirable.

Curriculum should be dynamic. Teachers should respond to the changes that occur in schools and

in its context. Societal development and knowledge revolution come so fast that the need to
address the changing condition requires new curriculum designs.

2. Curriculum is a product of its time. A relevant curriculum should respond to changes

brought about by current social forces, philosophical positions, psychological principles, new

knowledge, and educational reforms. This is also called timeliness.

3. Curriculum changes made earlier can exist concurrently with newer curriculum changes. A

revision in a curriculum starts and ends slowly. More often, curriculum is gradually phased in and
phased out, thus the changes that occur can coexist and oftentimes overlap for long periods of

time.
4. Curriculum change depends on people who will implement the change. Teachers who will

implement the curriculum should be involved in its development, hence should know how to
design a curriculum. Because the teachers are the implementers of the curriculum, it is best that

they should design and own the changes. This will ensure an effective and long lasting change.
5. Curriculum development is a cooperative group activity. Group decisions in some aspects

of curriculum development are suggested. Consultations with stakeholders when possible will add
to a sense of ownership. Even learners should participate in some aspect of curriculum designing.

Any significant change in the curriculum should involve a broad range of stakeholders to gain
their understanding, support, and input.

6. Curriculum development is a decision-making process made from choices of alternatives.

A curriculum developer or designer must decide what contents to teach, philosophy or point of

view to support, how to provide for multicultural groups, what methods or strategies, and what
type of evaluation to use.

7. Curriculum development is an ongoing process. Continuous monitoring, examination,

evaluation, and improvement of curricula are to be considered in the design of the curriculum. As

the needs of learners change, as society changes, and as new knowledge and technology appear,
the curriculum must change.

8. Curriculum development is more effective if it is a comprehensive process, rather than a

“piecemeal”. A curriculum design should be based on a careful plan, should clearly establish

intended outcomes, support resources and needed time available and should equip teaching staff
pedagogically.

9. Curriculum development is more effective when it follows a systematic process. A

curriculum design is composed of desired outcomes, subject matter content complemented with

references, set of procedures, needed materials and resources and evaluation procedure which
can be placed in a matrix.

10. Curriculum development starts from where the curriculum is. Curriculum planners and
designers should begin with existing curriculum. An existing design is a good starting point for

any teachers who plans to enhance and enrich a curriculum.

B. APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM DESIGNING
SUBJECT-CENTERED  Organize on the basis of separate and distinct subjects which
APROACH (Calderon, embodies a body of knowledge and skills.
Josefa F. ,Ed.D)  the primary focus is the subject matter.
 the emphasis is on bits and pieces of information which ae
detached from life.

STRENGTH OF SUBJECT-CENTERED
clearly definable goals in relation to the acquisition of facts,
content and skill
security for teachers who having a taught that subject matter.

WEAKNESSES
each subject develop as an entity with little or no relation to other
subjects or to development needs of children.
frequent charge against the subject-centered curriculum is
learning in school is unrelated to life needs.
professionals qualifications of the teacher are less demanding
than in other curriculum.

TYPES

A. Discipline Design- appeared after World War II, evolved

from the separate-subject design. It focuses on the academic
disciplines
B. Broad-Fields Design- often called interdisciplinary
design
- it appeared as an effort to correct what many educators
considered the fragmentation and compartmentalization cause
by subject design.
C. Correlation Design- Correlations designers do not wish
to create a broad-fields design but realized that there are times
when separate subjects requires linkage to avoid fragmentation
of curricular content.
D. Process Design- emphasizes those procedures that
enables student to analyze reality and create frameworks by
which to arrange derived knowledge.

CHILD-CENTERED Child is the center of the educational process and the curriculum
APPROACH should be constructed upon his needs, interests, purposes and
abilities.

 new respect for the child

  new freedom of actions in a program of activity
 whole activity is divided into units of work
 recognition of the need for using, exploring, self-
discovery and self-direction

STRENGHTS
 children became the focus of educational experience
became the medium of learning
 children's motivation in learning was recognize
 creative energies of teachers and children were released
 educational expectations and standard were costume
made in term of child's abilities and potentials.
 Rigid grade organization is abandoned along with
traditional promotion policies.
 reporting of children's progress became descriptive.
 teacher education on a broad scale became professional
education.
WEAKNESSES OF CHILD-CENTERED
 misinterpretation of the philosophy of the child-centered
curriculum was a natural consequence of radical change.
 basic skill were neglected in the fierce drive toward self-
expression and creativity
 cult of permissive confused teacher, children and their
parents.
 critic charged that the basic purpose in the establishment
of schools were ignored.
TYPES
A. Experience-Centered Design- concerns are the real life
experiences
B. Romantic(Radical) Design- are organized to foster on
students a belief in and desire for a common culture that
does not actually exist and to promote intolerance of
difference.
C. Humanistic Design- partly in response to the excessive
emphasis on the disciplines

PROBLEM-CENTERED Conceived as the framework in which the child is guided toward

APPROACH maturity in the context of the social group.

STRENGTH OF PROBLEM-CENTERED
 emphasis on the development needs of children and
demands of teachers knowledge and understanding of the
process of human growth and development of learning.
 equal emphasis upon the needs of society and demands of
teacher's knowledge and understanding of the forces
which shape society.
 it assumes that the needs of children and the needs of
society are not antithetic but rather complementary and
that children reach their highest potentials as they are
 encouraged to develop their capabilities within the
context of group life.

WEAKNESSES OF PROBLEM-CENTERED
 The needs of society and the needs of its children are
inseparable, sometimes these needs appear to be in
conflict with resulting exploitation of children or neglect
of their needs.
 Has been charged with some justification that the school
in fostering, frequently forces upon superficial problems
which are not rooted in the real needs of community.
A. Life-Situations Design- Herbert Spencer's writings on a
curriculum for complete living.
B. Reconstructionist Design- Curriculum should foster
social action aimed at reconstructing society, it should
promote society’s social, political and economic
development

HUMAN RELATIONS- Maintains that human relations are learned that they are learned
CENTERED APPROACH early in life, and that they do not develop adequately through
happenstance nor through osmosis but only through deliberate
planning by teacher.

CHARACTERISTICS:
it is founded upon a professional knowledge of human growth
and development and the ways in w hich human beings learn.
it must be putty use by teacher in ways which help her determine
each child's current developmental status.
it recognizes the practicalities of group life.
provides opportunities to solve common problems of the group as
they are manifested by the individuals in it.
it is concerned with the implications of the changes in nature and
complexity of modern life.

C. CURRICULUM MAPPING
A curriculum design is reflected in a written curriculum either as a lesson plan, syllabus,

unit plan or a bigger curriculum like K to 12. Before a teacher shall put this plan or design into
action, he/she must need to do a curriculum map.

Curriculum mapping is a model for designing, refining, upgrading and reviewing the
curriculum resulting in a framework that provides form, focus and function (Hale and Dunlap,

2010). It is a reflective process that helps teachers understand what has been taught in class, how
it has been taught and how learning outcomes are assessed. This process was introduced by

Heide Hayes Jacobs in 2004 in her book Getting results with Curriculum Mapping (ASCD, 2004).
This approach is an ongoing process or “work-in-progress”. It is not a onetime initiative but a

continuing action, which involves the teacher and other stakeholders, who have common
concerns. Curriculum mapping can be one by teachers alone, a group of teachers teaching the

same subject, the department, the whole school or district or the whole educational system.
Some curricularists would describe curriculum mapping as making a map to success.

There are common questions that are asked by different stakeholders, like teachers, colleagues,
parents, school officials and the community as well. These questions may include:

1. What do my students learn?

2. What do they study in the first quarter?

3. What are they studying in the school throughout the year?

4. Do my co-teachers who handle the same subject, cover the same content?

Achieve the same outcomes? Use similar strategies?

5. How do I help my students understand the connection between my subject and

other subjects within the year? Next year?

Curriculum mapping, may be able to answer these questions above. Furthermore,

mapping will produce a curriculum map, which is a very functional tool in curriculum
development.

Horizontal alignment, called sometimes as “pacing guide”, will make all teachers, teaching
the same subject in a grade level follow the same timeline and accomplishing the same learning

outcomes. This is necessary for state-mandated, standard-based assessment that we have in

schools. Vertical alignment, will see to it that concept development which may be in hierarchy or

in spiral form does not overlap but building from the simple to more complicated concepts and
skills. Alignment, either vertical or horizontal, will also develop interdisciplinary connections

among teachers and students, between and among courses. Teachers can verify that skills and
content are addressed in other courses or to higher levels, thus making learning more relevant.

A curriculum map is always a work in progress, that enables the teacher or the curriculum
review team to create and recreate the curriculum, changing of standards and competencies in

order to find ways to build connections in the elements of the curricula.

Benefits of Curriculum Mapping

1. Curriculum mapping ensures alignment of the desired learning outcomes, learning

activities and assessment of learning.
 2. Curriculum mapping addresses the gaps or repetitions in the curriculum. It reveals if

certain program goals or learning outcomes are not adequately covered or overly
emphasized in the current curriculum.

3. Curriculum mapping verifies, clarifies and establishes alignment between that

students do in their courses and what is taught in the classrooms and assessed as

their learning.
4. The curriculum maps visually show important elements of the curriculum and how

they contribute to student learning.

5. Curriculum mapping connects all initiatives from instruction, pedagogies, assessment

and professional development. It facilitates the integration of cross-curricular skills.

Sample of Curriculum Map for Elementary School

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE GRADE 3

Note: For Quarter 2, there are still two major content which are 3. Living Things 3.1 Plants
and 4. Hereditary: Inheritance and Variation.

Content Content Standards Performance Learning Learning Materials

Standards Competency
Grade 3-Matter
FIRST QUARTER/FIRST GRADING PERIOD
1. Properties The learners The learners The learners Learning Guide in
1.1 demonstrate should be able should be able Science & Health:
characteristics understanding to…… to…. Mixtures
of solids, of…… Group common Describe the
liquids, gases Ways of sorting objects found at different objects BEAM-Grade 3
materials and home and in based on their Unit
describing them as school according characteristics (e.g. 4 materials
solid, liquid or gas to solids, liquids shape, weight, LG-Science 3
based on and gas. volume, ease or Material Module 1
observable flow)
properties
Classify objects
and materials as
solid, liquid, and
 gas based on
some observable
characteristics
Describe ways on
the proper use
and handling
solid, liquid and
gas found at home
and in school
Changes that Effects of Investigate the Describe changes BEAM-G3 Unit
materials undergo temperature on different changes in materials based 3 materials-
materials in materials as on the effect of Distance
affected by temperature: Learning Module
temperature 4.1 Solid to BEAM-G3 Unit 3
Liquid Materials Module
4.2 Liquid to 44-49
solid
4.3 Liquid to
gas
4.4 Solid to
gas
Grade 3- Living Things and Their Environment
SECONG QURTER/SECOND GRADING PERIOD
1.Living Things The learners The learner should The learners BEAM – Grade 3
1.1 Human demonstrate be able to…. should be able Unit 2
1.2 A Sense understanding Practice healthful to…. Animal DLP
Organs or…. habits in taking 1.descibe the parts Science 3 DLP 19
Parts and care of the sense and functions of BEAM – Grade 3
functions of the organs the sense organs Unit 2
sense organs of of the human Animal DLP
the human body body; Science 3 31-32
2.enumerate Learning Guide in
healthful habits to Science & Health:
protect the sense The Body Guards
organs;
 2.Living things Parts and Enumerate ways of 3.describe the
2.1Animals functions of grouping animals animals in their
animals and based on their immediate
importance to structure and surrounding;
humans importance
4.identify the parts
and function of
animal;
5.classify animal
according arts and
use: body
6.state the
importance of
animals to
humans’
7.describe ways of
proper handling of
animals

Sample A1 – Science Curriculum Map Showing the Sequence of Domain for the Year per Quarter
QT G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10
R
1 Matter Matter Matter Matter Matter Force, Living Earth and
Motion, Things and Space

Energy Their
Environme

nt
2 Living Living Living Living Living Earth and Matter Force,

Things & Things & Things & Things & Things & Space Motion,
Their Their Their Their Their Energy

Environme Environme Environme Environme Environme

nt nt nt nt nt
3 Force, Force, Force, Force, Force, Matter Earth and Living
Motion, Motion, Motion, Motion, Motion, Space Things &

Energy Energy Energy Energy Energy Their

Environme
 nt
4 Earth and Earth and Earth and Earth and Earth and Living Force, Matter

Space Space Space Space Space Things & Motion,

Their Energy

Environme
nt

Curriculum Quality Audit

Curriculum Quality Audit (CQA) is a form of curriculum mapping. It is a process of

mapping the curricular program of syllabus against established standards. This process is
supported by Susan Rafe when she said that the best practice in curriculum development and

implementation require that discipline based standards embody curricular and program scopes
and sequences (Arafeh, 2016, p. 585). The curriculum quality audit requires a written curriculum

and the tested curriculum linked to both the taught and the written curricula.
For those who want to engage in curriculum quality audit, the following questions are

worth considering:
1. Is the curriculum planned, executed, and assessed in accordance with appropriate

standards?
2. How does the school system conform to the standards of quality in instructional

organization like specificity, quality and scope for teaching, learning and assessment?
3. Are all students achieving success equally and effectively? If not, what can be done

about it?
Benefits of Curriculum Quality Audit
1. Identify gaps, under and overrepresentation of the curriculum based on the
standards.

2. Ensures alignment of learning outcomes, activities and assessment to the standards.

3. Achieves an internationally comparable curriculum as standards become the basis of

the curriculum analysis.

The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) can be used as anchor in
curriculum quality audit. The defined career stages of professional development from beginning

to distinguished practice. The Philippines has adopted and implemented the PPST through the
Department of Education Order (DO) 42, s. 2017. Teacher educators, program heads, curriculum

planners may refer to the PPST to ‘quality audit’ the pre-service teacher education curriculum as
basis for quality assurance provision of teacher education.

Aside from the national standards for teachers, there are also international standards for
globalization like the Competency Framework for Teachers in Southeast Asia (CFT-SEA) of

SEAMEO and SEAMES and the European Tuning Asia Southeast (TASE) teacher competences.

Activate: Refelction: Write 10-sentence summary for each of the lessons learned.
Evaluation:

Multiple Choice: Circle the letter to the correct answer.

1. Which of the following people are NOT primarily involved in curriculum development and
planning?
A. Parents
B. Superintendents
C. National Government and its Agencies
D. Students
2. The Grade 3 Teacher wants to take part in developing a subject-centered curriculum because
she believes that the subjects in this curriculum are geared towards the holistic development of
the learner. Is her belief about the subject-centered curriculum true?
A. Yes, because the subject-centered curriculum focuses on the learners’ needs, interests,
and abilities.
B. No, because it is the experience-centered curriculum that emphasizes the teaching of
facts and knowledge for future use.
C. No, because it is the experience-centered curriculum and not the subject-centered one
that emphasizes integration of habits and skills in learning the knowledge component of
subject areas.
D. Yes, because the subject-centered curriculum involves cooperative control.
3. Which curriculum design is called for if children take charge of their own learning within the
context given by the teacher. The curriculum frequently changes to focus on students’ needs.
A. Child-centered design
B. Experience-centered design
C. Humanistic design
D. Process design
4. Which of the following information does a curriculum map provide to teachers?

A. The general order and pace of the curriculum.

B. The instructional level of the students in the class.
C. A detailed description of the state standards.
D. A summary of how students have performed on past standardized tests.
5. Which of the following statement is correct?
A. Curriculum maps are always written by district content specialists.
B. Curriculum maps are always written by the state.
C. Curriculum maps are always written by individual teachers.
D. District content specialists, school department chairs, a group of teachers teaching the
same subject, or an individual teacher could all write curriculum maps.
II. Essay: Read and explain the following:
1. Choose 5 of the axioms in curriculum designing and provide specific examples.
a. Curriculum is a product of time. Curriculum is a product of its time. A curriculum to be
relevant, should respond to changes brought about by current social forces, philosophical
positions, psychological principles, new knowledge, and educational reforms. Curriculum
changes made earlier can exist concurrently with newer curriculum changes.
 b. Curriculum changes made earlier can exist concurrently with never curriculum changes.
A revision in curriculum starts and ends slowly. More often, curriculum is gradually phase
in and phase out, thus the changes that occur can coexist and oftentimes overlap for long
period of time.
c. Curriculum change depends on people who will implement the change. Teachers who will
implement the curriculum should be involved in its development, hence should know how
to design the curriculum. Because the teachers are the implementers of the curriculum, it
is best that they should design the changes. This will ensure an effective and long-lasting
change.
d. Curriculum is an ongoing process. Continuous monitoring, examination, evaluation, and
improvement of curricula are needed. No curriculum meets the needs of everyone. As the
needs of learners change, as society changes, and as new knowledge and technology
appear, the curriculum must change.
e. Curriculum development is more effective when it follows a systematic process. A set of
procedures, or models, for curriculum should be established in advance, and be known
and accepted by all who are involved in the process. The model should outline the
sequence of steps to be followed for the development of the curriculum.

2. In not less than 10 sentences, explain how a curriculum map helps in the achievement of
a learning goal.
Curriculum map helps in the achievement of a learning goal because it allows teachers and
administrators to focus on balance between the content across curricula. It allows them to look
into each classroom and see what children learn, and helps them gather data on redundancies or
gaps in the course content. Curriculum mapping also helps teachers and administrators assess
the structure of the course, and the time-scale plan of when specific lessons or concepts are
taught.

Hale (2008) says this, “curriculum mapping is not a spectator sport. It demands teachers’ ongoing
preparation and active participation. There must also be continual support from administrators
who have a clear understanding and insight into the intricacies of the mapping process.”
One important thing to remember, curriculum maps are never considered “done”.

They are an ongoing development seeking to improve student learning and content quality across
schools. As long as teachers have new students, new classes, and new school years, the content
and structure should be continually assessed and revised (if need be) to ensure students get the
most out of their education, and for teachers to use the most effective strategies in their lessons.
Curriculum mapping invites all individuals who deal with curricular concerns to enter the
curriculum analysis process. The values present in a web-based curriculum mapping tool are
plentiful. A collaborative web-based tool can provide a framework for organization and
communication which is not available in a traditional face-to-face, schedule bound meeting
session.
The ability to flexibly disseminate information facilitates the task of managing curriculum and
sharing instructional best practices across grades, subjects, and schools. Another benefit is it can
help build on what students have learned in previous years to prepare them for future classes and
achievement.
One of the most important players in the curriculum mapping game is teachers. Unfortunately
they can be the most difficult group to get involved due to busy schedules and an already full
plate of ongoing lesson planning and assessment. To help create “buy-in” teachers need to be
given ample time during the school day to work collaboratively on the curriculum map.
Professional development and training on the use of the tool must be provided early in the school
year and then supported throughout the process.
Furthermore teachers need to be informed of the importance of their role; that they are the ones
in charge of how curriculum actually occurs in the classroom.