CURRICULUM

PLANNING
SOURCES AND
INFLUENCES
 Curriculum Planning
■ process by whereby the advance arrangement of learning
opportunities for a particular population of learners is
created.
■ Complex process where faculty define intended learning
outcomes, assessments, content, and pedagogic
requirements necessary for student success across an
entire curriculum.
Curriculum Sources and
Influences
 Curriculum Sources
■ Three Major Sources of Curriculum (Tyler 1949)
1. Subject matter- the topic dealt with or the subject
represented.
2. Society- people of a particular country, area, time
as an organized community.
3. Learners- people who are learning a subject or
skill.
 Discipline or Subject Matter as
Source of Curriculum
■ Different subjects- unique in terms of design and
content.
■ DepEd prescribed the K – 12 Curriculum. The
Curriculum framework, curriculum goals, descriptions,
standards and competencies in different subjects will
help educators understand what should be taught and
how to teach the different subjects.
■ Commission on Higher Education (CHED) also
prescribes guidelines in different courses. Course title,
course credit and course descriptions are based on
CHED Memorandum Order. For example, CMO No.
20, Series of 2013. This includes the general
education program for all undergraduate courses or
programs in the Philippines.
■ Technical Vocational Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) also prescribes different contents of the
modules offered for each particular subject for
vocational or technical courses.
For example, Technical Vocational Education and
Training (TVET). The skills that should be learned
including the materials needed and the time that is
required for training are clearly specified in each
module.
 Society as Source of Curriculum
Teachers should understand:
■ Culture – beliefs, customs, arts of a particular society.
■ Socio–economic – combination of social and
economic factors.
■ Political condition – politics or government
 Learner as Source of Curriculum
■ Knowledge about the learners
■ Curriculum content is set by:
a. Department of Education (DepEd)
b. Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
c. Technical Education Skills Development Authority
(TESDA)
■ As students come from different contexts, they have
different cultures, languages, learning styles, needs,
and types and levels of motivation.
■ Students are also different in terms of socio–
economic status and educational backgrounds.
 Curriculum Influences
■ Three Major Factors that Influences Curriculum
Development (Stark & Lattuca 1997):
1. External - society/government discipline
associations market place/ alumni.
2. Organizational - program relationships/ resources
governance
3. Internal - faculty, students, discipline and program
mission
■ What faculty members planned?
a. Individual syllabi/specification - academic
document that communicates information and
defines expectations and responsibilities.
b. Unit plans
c. Lesson plans - detailed description of the course of
instruction
 External Influences
■ Market Demands - very influential in planning the
curriculum.
■ Alumni - helpful in terms of donating money for
supporting programs for students’ faculty scholarship,
professorial chairs, school facilities and financing
student activities.
■ Media and Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) - allows the students and faculty
members to access online journals, papers and
other information from the internet to be used for
teaching and learning. It connects the school to the
global community.
 Organizational Influences
■ Accrediting Agencies – Determine the quality of the
courses being offered in an institution.
■ Accrediting Agencies in the Philippines:
a. Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and
Universities Accrediting Agency Incorporation
(ACSCU-AAI)
b. Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools,
Colleges and Universities (PAASCU)
 c. Accrediting Agency for Chartered College and
Universities in the Philippines (AACUP)
■ Government Policies and Agencies
a. DepEd issues (Dos) and memoranda that serve as
guide for all private and public schools in the
country. Describes the official curriculum for basic
education and issues guidelines for operations for
private school.
b. CHED, prescribes the minimum general education
and professional courses, course credits and course
descriptions to be taken by
 the students. Also prescribes the faculty
qualifications, facilities and issues guidelines for
the implementation and administration of the
courses.
■ School Facilities and Other Resources
a. Classrooms
b. Libraries
c. Laboratories
d. ICT equipments
e. Dormitories
f. School clinics
g. Guidance office
h. Canteen
i. Chapel for sectarian schools
 Internal Influences
■ Student - most influential among the different
curriculum influences especially in designing the
implemented curriculum.
■ School’s Vision, Mission and Core Values -
fundamental basis in developing the curriculum goals
and objectives, content, learning experiences and
evaluation. Reflections of what the institution can
contribute to the society and to the development of
individuals.
■ Admission and Retention Policies and School Rules -
sets standard of what kind of students are admitted and
what are the things they need to do as student until
they graduate. School Rules sets to give order and
provide smooth implementation of the curriculum and
develop the hidden curriculum of the school.
■ Faculty Members - also considered as important. Their
interest, teaching styles and philosophies influence the
way they plan, develop, and implement the curriculum.
According to Stark and Lattuca
 (1997) they are a major influence in curriculum
development since they are the implementers of the
curriculum.
■ School Administrators - school officials and school
bureaucracy in curriculum processes were recognized
by several curriculum scholars like Wiles& Bondi
(2006). Setting and approving rules for the school,
administer the planning, implementation and
evaluation of the curriculum is their job.
■ Student Services
a. Campus Ministry - helps the spiritual nourishment
of the students in sectarian schools.
b. Guidance and Counseling Services - provides
professional help to students with various
personal and psychological concerns.
c. Health Services - responds to various health-
related concerns of the students through a clinic
full-time worker.
d. Financial Assistance and Scholarship - provides
financial assistance to deserving students.
e. Student Affairs Office - guides the students in
organizing activities and provides all forms of
support for academic and personal development
of the students in school.
Generalization
■ Curriculum planning is complex process where faculty
arrange learning opportunities for a particular
population of learners .
■ Curriculum planning has three (3) major sources
namely: (1) subject matter, (2) society, and (3) learners.
■ Subject Matter states that different subjects are unique
in terms of design and content and specific skills and
contents should be emphasized in each of the
disciplines.
■ In society, teachers should understand the culture,
socio-economic, and political conditions of the people
to develop relevant and responsive curriculum.
■ In learners, educators and curriculum developers align
the curriculum to the needs and nature of the students.
■ Aside from curriculum sources, there are three major
factors that influence curriculum development:
external, internal and organizational influences.
■ External influences are society/government,
discipline associations, and marketplace/alumni that
affects the implementation of a curriculum.
■ Internal influences are faculty, students, discipline
and program mission that are responsible and
contributes in making relevant curriculum.
■ Organizational influences are program relationships,
resources, and governance which is liable in
ensuring the quality of courses being offered in an
institution.
References
■ Nicholls, A. & A. H. Nichols. 1978. Developing a curriculum: A practical guide. 2nd Ed. London:
George Allen & Unwin.
■ Olivia, P. 2005. Developing the curriculum. 6th Ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
■ Print, M. 1993. Curriculum development and design.2nd Ed. New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.
■ Skilbeck, M. 1976. School-based curriculum development process and teacher education.
Mimeograph, OECD.
■ Stark, J. & L. Latucca. 1997. Shaping the college curriculum: Academic plans in context. San
Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
■ Taba, H. 1962. Curriculum development: Theory and practice. New York: Harcourt, Brace &
World.
■ Tyler, R. 1949. Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press.
■ Walker, D. F. 1971. “A naturalistic model of curriculum development.” In The school review. No.
80.1. pp. 51-65.
■ Wheeler, D. K. 1967. Curriculum processes. London: University of London Press.