Professional Documents
Culture Documents
- the process whereby these arrangements of curriculum plans or learning are created. It is the
process of preparing for the duties of teaching, deciding upon goals and emphasis, determining
curriculum content, selecting learning resources and classroom procedures, evaluating the
process, and looking toward the next steps.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. discuss different curriculum sources and influences;
2. analyze different levels of curriculum planning; and
3. identify different roles of teachers and school administrators in curriculum planning.
External Influences
Society/Government Discipline
Associations; Marketplace/Alumni
Organizational Influences
Program Relationships, Resources, Academic Plan
Governance
Internal Influences
Faculty, Students, Discipline, and
Program Mission
Student/ Learners
Most influential among the different curriculum influences especially in designing the
implemented curriculum.
School’s Vision, Mission and Core Values
Very influential factors in developing the curriculum. They are the basis in developing the
four elements of the curriculum.
Admission and Retention Policies
The third influential factor is the admission and retention policies. These policies set the
standard of what kind of students are admitted and what are the things they need to do as
students of the institution until they graduate.
Faculty Members
Faculty members bring with them their educational background, experiences, expertise, and
personal, professional, and political views on the institution. They also have different
interests, teaching styles, and philosophies, which influence the way they plan, develop, and
implement the curriculum.
In basic education, teachers take the role of a second parent to their students.
In the college level, teachers are seen as experts in their fields. They are expected to know
more about their subjects.
Teachers, as recognized by Stark and Latucca (1997), are a major influence in curriculum
development. They are the key implementers of the curriculum. The success of any
curriculum and instruction highly depends on them. Teachers are expected to be experts in
the content of the subjects they teach. They should also be experts in pedagogy.
IN A NUTSHELL
Reflections on Curriculum Planning
Curriculum planning is an essential part of curriculum development. It sets the tone for curriculum
development activities. In curriculum planning, we are taught to examine the needs and demands of
the society, understand the nature of the discipline and structure of knowledge, and analyze the
nature and needs of the learners.
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Knowledge about the learners - helps us to understand that curriculum must respond to the nature,
needs, interest, learning styles, and thinking preferences of every learner. It makes us realize that the
purpose of the curriculum is not just to develop knowledge and skills but for the holistic
development of every learner.
Knowledge about the society - helps us to realize that a curriculum must be made relevant and
responsive to the needs and demands of the society. A curriculum should be context-based and it
must uphold social values and edify democratic principles of the society.
Knowledge about the discipline of subject matter- helps us to understand the different disciplines,
subjects, and academic fields. It enables every curriculum worker to understand essential contents
that should be covered in a particular discipline.
There are also different curriculum influences: organizational, internal, and external influences.
Understanding these curriculum influences helps us appreciate the educational and social context
where each curriculum is developed and implemented.