BASIC CURRICULUM CONCEPTS

DR. ANGELA K. ACHEAMPONG

PhD, MPhil, PGDE, BSc., RN.
 CURRICULUM
• A curriculum is described as “the total learning
experiences of individuals not only in school but society
as well” (Bilbao et al., 2008).

• A curriculum is the blueprint or plan of a programme of

study.

• It contains all the subjects or courses which are to be

studied by a batch of students for them to merit a
particular qualification.

• It involves all that has to be learnt within a stipulated time

frame to achieve the objectives of the programme.
DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 2
 CURRICULUM
• Therefore, the curriculum determines what the
students should learn and the skill that has to be
acquired over a certain time period.

• It also refers to courses or subjects which a student

must pass in order to graduate or complete a
qualification.

• Therefore, curriculum development refers to the

processes involved in strategic, a purposeful and
systematic process to improve the educational
system.
DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 3
 CURRICULUM
• The curriculum also includes the vision, mission,
justification for the programme, entry requirements,
grading system, course structure, detailed course
content, instructional methods, staff list and
requirements for skills training.

• For instance, a nursing curriculum for BSc Nursing

students entering with WASSCE results would
include all the courses which must be done from
level hundred to 400 before qualification for
graduation.

DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 4

 TYPES OF CURRICULUM
• The two main types of curriculum are the
written curriculum and the hidden
curriculum.

• Written curriculum: It is sometimes called

the explicit curriculum.

• This is the written official document that

guides a particular school of what to teach,
how it should be taught, who qualifies to be
participate, who should teach and how
students should be evaluated.
DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 5
 TYPES OF CURRICULUM
• Hidden curriculum: This is also called the
unwritten curriculum.

• With the hidden curriculum, there is

nothing like any officially written guide. It
includes all the extra curricular activities
that shape the attitudes of the learners.

• It also includes the impact the school

authorities have on learners through
frequent interactions.

DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 6

 Importance of Curriculum Development
• Curriculum development ensures that, there is
constant incorporation of new ideas into existing
ones.

• It ensures that, there is guided study and studies are

standardized across all levels.

• Curriculum development ensures that, the

educational institution follows its vision.

DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 7

 SYLLABUS
A syllabus is an outline/plan/list of a specific
course prepared by the instructor. It includes the
topics to be covered, their order, often the
required and suggested reading material, and any
other relevant information.

Example is the work schedule containing the

course outline for this course that was given to
you at the beginning of this programme.

DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 8

SYLLABUS vs CURRICULUM

DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 9

SYLLABUS vs CURRICULUM

DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 10

 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES OF CURRICULUM
DEV’T
• Before the arrival of the missionaries in the
1900s, our ancestors were passing on informal
education from generation to generation. They
were using the informal or unwritten
curriculum.

• This is because there was no written document

that stipulated what should be taught, at what
time and by whom. But in a way, skills like
hunting, cooking, sewing, home keeping and
healing techniques were transferred from
generation to generation without any formal,
written curriculum.
11
DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts
 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES OF CURRICULUM DEV’T

• The coming of the missionaries into the

west African sub-region in the early and
middle part of the nineteenth century
brought formal education into Ghana.

• Different missions like the Catholics,

Methodists and Presbyterians brought
different doctrines and started providing
formal education.

• At the time, there was nothing like a formal

curriculium.
DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 12
 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES OF CURRICULUM DEV’T

• Students in the then Gold Coast were taught

with various syllabus. All teachers were given
syllabus of particular subjects to use as
guides.

• It was in the middle of the nineteenth century

when directives were brought from England
for all syllabus to be complied into official
curriculum

• Most levels of formal education got full

curricular in place at the beginning of the last
quarter of the nineteenth century.
DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 13
 VOCABULARY
• Vocabulary: These are the familiar words
that are usually used in the language of a
group of people.

• Vocabulary used in the development of

curriculum should take into consideration
the age of the students, their cognitive levels
and their language culture.

• This ensures that students understand the

instructions that are given through the
curriculum.
DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 14
 ABSTRACT
• An abstract is a summary of a plan of
ideas or intentions that are put
together.

• In curriculum development, a
summary of what the curriculum
entails is provided in the early pages
of the curriculum for

DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 15

 REFERENCES
• Billings, D. M. & Halstead, J. A. (1998). Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for
Faculty.Toronto: W. B Saunders & Co.
• Alhassan, A. B. (2001). Teaching Methodology. University College of
Winneba, Winneba: University Press
•  Basavanthappa, B.T. (2009). Nursing Education. 2nd Ed. India Jaypee.
• Gronlund, N. (2004). How to write and use instructional objectives. Upper
Saddle River,
• New Jersey: Prentice Hall, (Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8).
• Quin, M. F. (2000). Principles and Practice of Nurse Education (4th Ed.).
London, UK: Stanley Thornes Ltd.

DR. ANGELA ACHEAMPONG- Basic curriculum concepts 16