Chapter 2-Module 3

Lesson 2 – Approaches to Curriculum Designing

Desired Learning Outcomes:
Ø Identify some curriculum designs and approaches to the designs
Ø Analyze the approaches on how these designs are applied in the school setting
Take off Activity
You have started to be familiar with the preliminaries of making a simple curriculum
design through a lesson plan components. This lesson will enrich your knowledge along
curriculum design by looking into how other curricularists approach the curriculum designs.
We will also see how several examples of curriculum designs are used in the schools and
classrooms.
Content Focus
Types of Curriculum Design Models
There are many ways of looking at curriculum and designing one. For our own purposes,
let us focus on the most widely used examples.
1. Subject-Centered Design
This is a curriculum design that focuses on the content of the curriculum. This design
corresponds mostly to the textbooks since textbooks are exactly written based on the specific
subject or course. Morrison and Harris are strong advocates of this type of curriculum. As
practised , school days are divided into periods, each period for each school subject. Then one
school year is divided into quarters or semesters. Most of the schools using this design aim for
excellence in specific subject/discipline content. Subject-Centered design model has also some
variations, three of which are included in this lesson:
a. Subject-design. What subject are you teaching? What subject are you taking? These
are two most common questions that teachers and students ask and can be answered easily. It
is because this is the oldest design and so far the teachers, parents, students and laymen are
more familiar with. According to advocates of this design, the subject-centered design has an
advantage because it is easy to deliver. Textbooks are written and support materials are
commercially available. The drawback, however, is that learning is so compartmentalized,
stresses so much the content and forgets students’ natural tendencies, interests and
experiences, the teacher becomes the dispenser of knowledge and the learners are simply
empty vessel to receive the information/content from the teacher. In short the approach to
teaching and learning is traditional.
b. Discipline design. This model is related/similar to subject design. However, while the
subject design centers only on the cluster of content (e.g. the science subject in elementary or
high school includes basic concepts from the different sciences – biology, botany, astronomy
and other sciences) discipline design focuses on academic excellence. When we say discipline,
we refer to specific knowledge learned and taught in a scholarly way. For example, if we study
history in college, we should learn (students) and teach it (teachers) it like historians, or if we
study biology, we should learn and teach it like the biologists learn it and so with the other
subjects offered in college/university. The discipline design model of curriculum is used in
college when the students are more mature and are ready to move towards their career path,
but not in the elementary or high school level.
c. Correlation design. Correlation design links separate subject to reduce
fragmentation/compartmentalization. Subjects are related to one another. For example
literature and social studies. For example, while history (core) is being studied, different
literary pieces (literature) during the different historical periods are also being studied. The
same is true when science becomes the core, mathematics is related to it as they are taken in
physics, chemistry or biology. Or when literature is the core, art, music, history, geography can
be related to it. This design requires cooperative planning of teachers.
d. Broad-field/interdisciplinary design. In correlation design, while there is integration
of similar subjects, the subjects maintain their identity. In broadfield/interdisciplinary design,
similar subjects are fused together as one. This entirely eliminate the problem of
compartmentalization of the curriculum. For example, subjects like geography, economics,
political science, anthropology, sociology, history are fused into one subject called social
studies. Language/Communication Arts include grammar, literature, linguistics, spelling and
composition (writing).
2. Learner-Centered Design
From the perspective of progressive educational psychologists, the learner is the center
of the education process. This emphasis is very strong in the elementary level. Although in the
secondary the subject or content has become the focus and in the tertiary level, the discipline
is the center, both levels still recognize the importance of the learner in the curriculum. The
following are examples of curriculum designs which are learner-centered:
a. Child-centered design. Often attributed to John Dewey, Rousseau, Pestallozi and,
Froebel, this design is anchored on the needs and interests of the child. The learner is viewed
not s a passive individual but one who actively creates, construct meaning and understanding
as he engages with his/her environment. In a child-centered curriculum design, the learner
interacts with the teacher and the environment, thus collaboration is required between the
teacher and the learner in planning the lesson, selecting the learning content and do activities
together. Learning is the product of the child’s interaction with the environment.
b. Experience-centered design. This is similar to the child-centered design because the
focus is on the child. However, instead of interests and needs, the leaner’s experiences
become the starting point of the curriculum, thus the environment is left free and open. The
teacher provides a variety of activities from which the learners are made to choose. By this
they are empowered to shape their own learning. In schools where this design is used, there
are different learning centers, time is flexible and children are free to make options. School
activities revolve around different emphasis such as touching, feeling, constructing, relating
and others. The emergence of multiple intelligence theory blends well with experience-
centered curriculum design.
c. Humanistic design. In humanistic curriculum design, the development of self is the
ultimate goal of learning. It stresses the whole person and the integration of thinking, feeling
and doing. It stresses the development of positive self-concept and interpersonal skills.
Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are the key influence in this curriculum design. Carl Rogers
 believed that to enhance self-directed learning the child should improve his understanding of
self, the basic attitude to guide behaviour. Maslow is known for his Self-actualization theory
and education should help children to achieve self-actualization.
3. Problem-Centered Design
Generally this design draws on social problems --- life situations, areas of living
contemporary problems etc. --- needs, interests and abilities of the learners. In this design,
curriculum content cuts across subject boundaries and must be based on the needs, interests
and abilities of the students. Two examples of problem-centered curriculum are given:
a. life-situations design. Content focus is the immediate problems of society,--e.g.
COVID-19 crisis, that are of interest/concern to the students. This design allows students to
view problem areas and to use their past and present experiences as a means to analyse the
basic problems of living. Curricular activities that help sustain and enhance life, maintain and
enhance social and political relations (attitudes and feelings…e.g. respect, cooperation…),
leisure, are given emphasis. The connection of subject matter to real life situation increases
the relevance of this curriculum design.
b. Core problem design. In this design, the problems considered/selected are based on
common human activities—common needs, problems and concerns of the learners.
Popularized by Faunce and Bossing in 1959, it presented way on how to proceed using core
design of a curriculum: The steps are as follows:
Ø Make group consensus on important problems.
Ø Develop criteria for selection of important problem.
Ø State and define the problem.
Ø Decide on areas of study, including class grouping.
Ø List the needed information for resources.
Ø Obtain and organize information.
Ø Analyze and interpret the information.
Ø State the tentative conclusion.
Ø Present a report to the class individually or by group.
Ø Evaluate the conclusions.
Ø Explore other avenues for further problem solving.
The examples given are not exhaustive. There are many more. However for our
purposes these examples can very well represent curriculum designs.
Approaches to Curriculum Design
After writing a curriculum based on the specific design, how will the teacher approach
that particular design? Let us find out.
1. Child or Learner-centered approach. This approach is based on the underlying
philosophy that the child is the center of the education process. It means that the curriculum is
constructed/designed based on the needs, interests, purposes, skills and abilities of the learner.
How should this particular curriculum design be approach by the teacher? The following are the
guiding principles:
Ø Acknowledge and respect the fundamental rights of a child.
Ø Make all activities revolve around the development of the learners.
 Ø Consider the uniqueness of every learner in a multicultural classroom.
Ø Provide a motivating supportive learning environment for all learners.
Example: School X: Recognizes the unique potential of every learner (anchored on the
theory of multiple intelligences), Hence, every classroom provides activity centers (or
the school for that matter), equipped with learning resource materials, where children
can learn on their own according to their needs and interests. Children can just choose
which learning center to engage in with different resources. It allows the students to
learn how to learn, thus developing them to become independent learners. The
teacher acts as guide and sets goals that can be achieved within the given time frame.
2. Subject- centered approach. This is anchored on a curriculum design which prescribed
separate distinct subjects for every educational level—basic education, higher education or
vocational-technical education. This approach is guided by the following principles:
Ø The primary focus is the subject matter.
Ø The emphasis is on the acquisition of bits of information which may be
detached from life.
Ø The subject matter serves as a means of identifying problems of living.
Ø Learning means accumulation of content or knowledge.
Ø Teacher’s role is to dispense knowledge.
Example: The school aims to produce the best graduates in the
district/municipality/province. So every learner must excel in all academic subjects to
be on top of every academic competition. The higher the level of cognitive knowledge,
the better, hence, the focus of learning is mastery of the subject matter in terms of
content. The students have to know, for example about biology from cover to cover
regardless of whether or not that knowledge/information is of interest to the students
and/or useful in life. Memorization and drill are important learning skills and greater
emphasis on cognitive or intellectual development of the learners. Successful learning
means mastery of the subject matter.
3. Problem-centered approach. This approach is based on a design which assumes that
in the process of living, children experience problems, thus problem solving enables the learners
to become increasingly able to achieve complete or total development as individuals. This
approach is characterized by following views and beliefs:
Ø The learners are capable of directing and guiding themselves in resolving
problems, thus developing every learner to become independent.
Ø The learners are assumed to assume their civic responsibilities through direct
participation in different activities.
Ø The curriculum leads the learners in the recognition of concerns and problems
in seeking solutions. Learners are problem solvers themselves.
Example: The school needs to train learners to solve real life problems, so the focus of
the curriculum revolves around problems like poverty, drug addiction, climate change
and many more. Activities like defining the problem, identifying causes of the problem,
and finding solutions are given emphasis. Teaching strategies like case studies and
practical work are utilized.
 We have given examples of curriculum design and the corresponding approaches. The
choice of the design is influenced by philosophical and psychological beliefs of the designer.
As a curricularist, it is very important to be able to understand the different design models
and how to approach each one.
End of Lesson Activity
1. Reflect: Group Activity-Maintain the same grouping. Choose ONE (1) statement and
reflect on it. What do you think and feel about it? Cite references to support your ideas.
Record your reflection/discussion and post it in your FB Group page
a. “Schools that approach the curriculum as subject-centered, make robots out of
students.”
b. “In schools where child-centered curriculum is the approach, discipline is weak.”
c. “Students are too young to solve life’s problems, why should they do problem
solving in school?”
References
1. Bilbao. P. et al (2015). Curriculum development for teachers. Quezon City, MM. Lorimar
Publishing
2. Schweitzer, K. (2019). Curriculum design, definition, purposes and types
https://www.thoughtco.com
3. Seehorn, A. (2018). What is a subject-centered approach to teaching?
https://classroom.synonym.com

4. Stuut, A. (2018). Curriculum development and the three models explained.

https://topchat.com/blog
5. Curriculum Design:Analyzing the concepts of broadfield curriculum design
https://mysominotes.wordpress.com

NOTE: No. of Activity for submission: Group activity (1)