THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Lecture Guide
 Definition of Curriculum
 Some authors define Curriculum as:
 * The total effort of the school to bring about desired outcomes in
school and out of school situations.
 * A sequence of potential experiences set up in school for the purpose
of disciplining children and youth in group ways of thinking and acting.
 * Curriculum is a structured set of learning outcomes or task that
educators usually call goals and objectives. (Howell and Evans 1995)
 * Curriculum is the “what” of teaching
 * Curriculum is the listings of subjects to be taught in school.
 * Curriculum is a document which describes a structured series
of learning objectives and outcomes for a given subject matter
area.
 * Curriculum includes a specification of what should be
learned, how it should be taught, and the plan for
implementing /assessing the learning.
 * Curriculum Plan is the advance arrangement of learning
opportunities for a particular population of learners.
 * Curriculum guide is a written curriculum
 Definition of Curriculum Planning
 *Curriculum Planning is the process whereby the arrangement
of curriculum plans or learning opportunities are created.
 Curriculum Planning is the process of preparing for the duties
of teaching, deciding upon goals and emphases, determining
curriculum content, selecting learning resources and classroom
procedures, evaluating progress and looking toward next steps.
 Curriculum Development – it is the process of selecting,
organizing, executing and evaluating learning experiences on
the basis of the needs, abilities and interests of the learners
and the nature of the society or community.
 Curriculum Laboratory is a place or workshop where
curriculum materials are gathered or used by teachers or
learners of curriculum.
 Learning Resource Unit is a collection or suggested learning
activities and materials organized around a given topic or area
which a teacher might utilize in planning, developing and
evaluating a learning unit.
 Two Schools of Thought Predominated
Throughout History of Curriculum Development
 * The Essentialist School
 * The Progressive School

 The Essentialist School

 * It considers the curriculum as something rigid consisting of
discipline subjects.
 * It considers all learners as much as the same and it aims to
fit the learner into the existing social order and thereby
maintain the status quo.
 * Its major motivation is discipline and considers freedom as
an outcome and not a means of education.
 * Its approach is authoritative and the teacher’s role is to assign lessons
and to recite recitations.
 * It is book – centered and the methods recommended are memory
work, mastery of facts and skills , and development of abstract
intelligence.
 * It has no interest in social action and life activities.
 * Its measurement of outcomes are standard test based on subject
matter mastery.
 Traditional Points of View of Curriculum
 * Body of subjects or subject matter prepared by the teachers for the
students to learn
 * Synonymous to “course study”
 * “Permanent studies” where the rule of grammar, reading,
rhetoric, logic and mathematics for basic education emphasized.
(Hutchins)
 * Most of the traditional ideas view curriculum as written
documents or plan of action in accomplishing goals.

 The Progressive School

 * It conceives of the curriculum as something flexible based on
areas of interest.
 * It is learner- centered, having in mind that no two persons are
alike.
 * Its factor of motivation is individual achievement believing that
persons are naturally good.
 * The role of the teacher is to stimulate direct learning process.
 * It uses a life experience approach to fit the student for future
social life.
 * Constant revision of aims and experimental techniques of
teaching and learning are imperatives in curriculum
development in order to create independent thinking,
initiative, self-reliance, individuality, self –expression and
activity of the learner.
 * Its measurement of outcomes are now devices taking into
considerations subject matter and personality values
 Progressive Points of View of Curriculum
 * Listing of subjects, syllabi, course of study and list of courses
or specific discipline can only be called curriculum if these
written materials are actualized by the learner.
 * Total experiences of the individual.
 * All experiences children have under the guidance of teachers.
(Caswell & Campbell)
 * Experiences in the classroom which are planned and enacted
by the teacher and also learned by the students. (Marsh and
Willis)
 Different Theories
 * Conflicting philosophies of education have influenced
curriculum principles and practices.
 * A Number Of “self-evident educational truths” in the past are
now seen to be rather educational myths; such as teachers
know, children or learners don’t; all learners should be treated
alike.
 * The fundamental concepts of some curricula have changed.
 * In many areas, new methodologies: programmed instruction,
Computer Assisted Instruction, Tutorials, Large and Small Group
Instruction, and a variety of individualized instruction
procedures have been developed.
 Different Emphases
 * There is the curricular emphasis on the subject matter for the
mind, with priority in value to literature, intellectual history,
ideas of religion, philosophy, studies.
 * There is the curricular emphasis on the observable facts, the
world of things.
 * Another curricular emphasis is the school’s dependence on
Scholasticism
 * Another curriculum stresses the importance of experience -
process
 * A recent curricular emphasis is that of existing choice.
 * The learner must learn skills, acquire knowledge, and make
decisions.
 Two Models of Curriculum
 1. Ralph Tyler Model: four Basic Principles also known as
Tyler’s Rationale
 1. Purposes of the school
 2. Educational experiences related to the purpose
 3. Organization of the experiences
 4. Evaluation of the experiences
 2. Hilda Taba ‘s advocacy called Grassroots Approach
 1. Diagnosis of learners needs and expectations of the larger
society.
 2. Formulation of learning objectives
 3. Selection of the learning content
 4. Organization of learning content
 5. Selection of the learning experiences
 6. Organization of learning activities.
 7. Determination of what to evaluate and the means of doing it.
 Three Interacting Processes in Curriculum Development
based on 2 Models (Tyler & Taba)
 1. Planning
 2. Implementing
 3. Evaluating

 Types of Curriculum Operating in Schools

 Allan Glatthorn (2000) describes seven types of curriculum
operating in the schools
 1. Recommended Curriculum
 * most of the school curricula are recommended from a national
agency like Department of
 Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED),
Department of Science and Technology (DOST), professional
organization who has title or right in education like Philippine
Association for Teacher Education (PAFTE), Biology Teacher
Association (BIOTA)
 2. Written Curriculum
 * includes documents, course of study or syllabi handed down to the
schools, districts, division, departments or colleges for implementation
 * Written curricula are made by curriculum experts with participation
of teachers like Basic Education Curriculum (BEC)
 * Written lesson plan of teacher made up of objectives and planned
activities of the teacher
 3. Taught Curriculum
 * different planned activities which are put into action in the
classroom to arrive at the objectives or purposes of the written
curriculum.
 * used by the learners with the guidance of the teachers
 * varies according to the learning style s of students and the teaching
styles of the teacher.
 4. Supported Curriculum
 * support curriculum includes material resources like textbooks,
computers, audio-visual materials, laboratory equipment,
playgrounds, zoos and other facilities.
 * enable each learner to achieve real and lifelong learning
 5. Assessed Curriculum
 * refers to a tested or evaluated curriculum
 * evaluations are being done by the teachers to determine the
extent of teaching
 * assessment tools like pencil-and paper tests, authentic
instruments like portfolio are being utilized
 6. Learned Curriculum
 *refers to the learning outcomes achieved by the students
 * learning outcomes are indicated by the results of the test and
changes in behavior which can either be cognitive, affective or
psychomotor
 7. Hidden curriculum
 *unintended curriculum which is not planned but may
modify behavior or influence learning outcomes
 * lots of hidden curricula like peer influence, school
environment, physical condition, teacher-learner
interaction, mood of the teachers and many other
factors make up the hidden curriculum.