Curriculum Conceptions

Curriculum workers have different ideas about curriculum matters

and curriculum development processes. They have different points of
view about curriculum concerns, goals of what a curriculum should
accomplish, and how a curriculum should be designed or constructed.

Six Curriculum Conceptions

1. Academic Rationalist Conception - considered as the oldest among

the curriculum conceptions. It stresses the importance of different
bodies of knowledge, knows as disciplines or subject areas, as the
focus of the curriculum.

2. Cognitive Processes Conception - seeks to develop a repertoire of

cognitive skills that are applicable to a wide range of intellectual
problems. The subject matters are instruments or tools for
developing these cognitive skills that are lasting in the lives of
individuals.

3. HUmanistic Conception - stresses the idea that curriculum or

education is an instrument for developing the full potential of
individuals. It seeks to help individuals discover and develop their
unique identities . It stresses that curriculum shoould focus on the
needs and interests of individuals.

4. Social Reconstructionist Conception - views the school or schooling

as an agency for social change. Hence, it stresses that curriculum
shhould respond to the different needs, issues, problems, and
demands of the society.

5. Technological Conception - is preoccupied with the development of

means to achieve curriculum or educational goals. It views schooling
as a complex system that can be analyzed into its constituent
components.

6. Eclectic Conception - is where curriculum workers find themselves

aligning their ideas with two or more curriculum conceptions. Hence,
this curriculum conception reiterates the realities in curriculum
development that each of the curriculum conceptions is to be
considered and is influential to a certain extent in designing the
curriculum.