LESSON 1

What is a
CURRICULUM?
SLO: At the end of the lesson, you are
expected to :
1. define curriculum from different
perspectives
2. describe the nature and scope of
curriculum
The Sabre-Tooth Curriculum
Activity:
1. Get a partner.
2. Discuss the following questions:
a. Describe the kind of curriculum that exists as described as
described in the article.
b. What does the author mean when he said “ a curriculum
should be timeless.”
c. What is the difference between education and training?
d. Does the Sabre-tooth curriculum still exist today? Give
examples of your evidence to your answer.
 In 1939, when the article was written,
curriculum was seen as a tradition of organized
knowledge taught in schools.
Two centuries later, The concept of
curriculum has broadened to include
several modes of thoughts and
experiences.
 Curriculum is at the heart of the teaching
profession.
No formal, non-formal or informal
education exists with out a curriculum.
In the Philippine educational system, different
schools are established in different educational
levels which have corresponding recommended
curricula.
1. Basic Education
2. Technical Vocational Education
3. Higher Education
 Definitions of Curriculum: (Traditional Point of
View)
=“ a body of subjects or subject matter prepared by the
teacher for the students to learn.”
=synonymous to “course of study” or “syllabus”
= “permanent studies” where the rules of
grammar , reading, rhetoric and logic and mathematics
for basic education are emphasized (Robert Hutchins)
Basic education should emphasize the three R’s and
college education should be grounded on liberal arts.
 =Discipline is the sole source of curriculum. Thus,
in our educational system, curriculum is divided into
chunks of knowledge called subject areas in basic
education , as English, Science, Mathematics, Social
Studies and others. In college discipline may include
humanities, sciences, languages, and many more.
(joseph Schwab)
= Curriculum should consist entirely of
knowledge which comes from various disciple.
(Phenix)
 Curriculum (Progressive Point of View)
= Total learning experiences of the individual
=All experiences children have under the guidance
of the teacher( Caswell and Campbell)
= 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 (Caswell &
Smith as shared by Smith, Stanley and Shores)
= The experiences in the classroom which are
planned and enacted by the teacher, and also learned
by the students.
Curriculum Development
•Process – selecting, organizing,
executing and evaluating learning
experiences
•Based on: 1. need, abilities and interest
of learners; and 2. nature of society
 Nature of Curriculum
Curriculum is what is taught in school:
A set of subjects, a content, a program of studies, a sequence
of courses, a set of performance objectives, anything that
goes within a school directed/ under the supervision of a
teacher.
Curriculum is the total learning experiences of the
learner under the guidance and supervision of a teacher.