COMPONENTS OF

CURRICULUM DESIGN

CHAPTER 3
Introduction
In designing curriculum, we must:
 Reflect how parts are related with each other
 Consider a plan to shape the organization and its
parts – parts should support the whole
 Think of the philosophical and learning theories
to determine if our design decisions are in
agreement with our basic beliefs regarding
people – what and how they should learn and
how they should use their gained knowledge
 4 Major Components of Curriculum Design

1. Aims, goals and objectives, or simply objectives

 What needs to be done?
2. Content or subject matter
 What subject matter is to be included?
3. Learning experience
 What instructional strategies, resources and activities will
be employed?
4. Evaluation
 What instruments and methods will be used to assess the
results of the curriculum?
 Ornstein and Hunkins

Curriculum design also includes philosophical

and theoretical, as well as practical, issues.

One’s philosophy influences understanding

and choice of objectives, choice and
organization of content, decisions about hot to
teach or deliver curriculum content, and
judgments about how to evaluate the success of
the developed curriculum.
 CAUTION

Various people claim that objectives

imply an undesirable willingness to
control individuals and unnecessary
certainty regarding outcomes. Hence;
all curriculum makers need to reflect
on the curriculum’s content.
 Ronald Doll

From his viewpoint, curriculum design is the

parent of instructional design.
Curriculum arrangement always comes in this
order:
 Objectives > Content > Instruction > Evaluation
In contrast, instructional design “diagrams” out
pedagogically and technologically strong teaching
methods, teaching materials, and educational
activities that draw students in learning the
curriculum’s content.
 Key Concept: Identification of Educational Philosophy

Initial ask of curriculum designers is

identification of an educational philosophy
which will form the basis of planning.
It mirrors the desires of the nation and the
major theme paving the way for the future.
Vision statement provides guidelines for
curriculum developers in organizing and
incorporating programmes and activities in
to the curriculum.
The educational philosophy of an education system
is the mirror of national policies.
 For example, use of one language of instruction to unite the
different communities
 Free primary education to reduce drop-outs
It also mirrors national priorities such as
development aspects of a nation – socio-cultural
needs of the people and levels of achievement of the
children at different cycles.
 For example, does the country need graduates or should the
emphasis be o basic education
In connection to socio-cultural needs, the
culture of peace, conflict resolutions etc.,
could appear as important aspects the should
be stressed in school curriculum.

The needs of disabled persons and adults

who have lost opportunities for learning have
to be incorporated too. Also, vocational
interests of students should be assessed.
Curriculum designers should not only study current
best practices, customs, and beliefs about education
in the local schools but should compare these to the
educational research literature on best practices in
teaching, learning, and curriculum design.

Levels of achievements relate to understanding of

concepts at different grades by children to enable
them to complete the skills needed to move on to
higher grades.
GENERATING AIMS, GOALS,
AND OBJECTIVES
 GENERATING AIMS, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES

Designers with an understanding of the major

challenges involved. People agree that the curricula
should allow students to attain knowledge, skills, and
attitudes. Yet, many people also want the curricula
to reproduce the culture within which the school
exists and to further that society’s economic,
political, social, and cultural interests.

Some favor promote global perspective, others think

that local concerns should be prioritized.
By analyzing needs and tasks, educators decide
what the curriculum should include. Data
analysis can show gaps in students’ learning,
thus indicating needed objectives and content .

Educators begin to sense what content, student

activities, means of implementation, and means
of evaluation the curriculum should consist.
 How A-G-O Works

Formative Summative
Aims Goals Objectives
Evaluation Evaluation
1. Generating Aims
 Lifespan aspirations
 They are developed for a
general level of education
and by the society.
 Provides long-term
directions for students
 Like a road map, aims help
us guide our lives in general
and point us to a positive
direction but not fully
attained.
2. Generating Goals
Like aims, goals are
group expectations, and
they may take weeks,
months or year to be
ATTAINED.
Attainable yet many
remain unattainable.
Goals are group
oriented.
 Generating Aims

Example of educational aims is from the 1987 Philippine

Constitution:
1. Inculcate patriotism and nationalism
2. Foster love of humanity
3. Promote respect for human rights
4. Appreciate the role of national heroes in the historical
development of the country
5. Teach the rights and duties of citizenship
6. Strengthen ethical and spiritual values
7. Develop moral character and personal discipline
8. Encourage critical and creative thinking
9. Broaden scientific and technological knowledge and promote
vocational effeciency
 Generating Goals

Goals answer the question “ What destination do

you have in mind for learner as far as a particular
curriculum or subject is concerned?”

Levels of Goals – the curriculum can be written at

several levels of generalization.
 Principal > teachers > subject specialists > teacher
trainers > administrators and then others who may be
involved in curriculum efforts on several levels at the
same time – more specific instructional objectives are
executed at the classroom level.
3. Generating Objectives Should be…

Formulate more specific Objectives should be clearly

objectives specified to be understood
Aims and goals are long- and agreed on.
Objectives wording depends
term while objectives
on its level and scope
are short-term. Must be appropriate based
Objectives refers to
on students’ needs and
“what is expected of content. – some objectives
students in daily might list outcomes that
activities” have already been attained.
Arranged logically so as Requires regular
to make sense when revision. Change is
units of instruction and permanent so as
evaluation are being students, society,
determined – they lack knowledge, and
consistency so they instructional strategies. –
should be grouped by a always check if objectives
common idea. are relevant.
 Types of Objectives

Educational Objectives
 Often subjects of programs at certain grade levels
to specific outcomes of classroom instructions.
 Should be observable or quantifiable student
behavior
 What the student is to learn (facts, concepts, and
techniques)
Behavioral Objectives
 Showing of acquired particular skills or
knowledge.
 Mager’s educational objective characteristics
 Behavior will indicate a learner has achieved an objective.
 The condition or situation imposed on the learner when he
or she demonstrates achievement.
 The minimum proficiency level that will be acceptable.

For example: After studying the unit of energy, the student

must complete a 100-question, 1hr multiple choice test on
the subject. The student must answer 75 questions correctly.
 Students write a statement or contrast an idea.
 Students will write a statement in English composition
dealing with early twentieth-century literature.
 Students in economics class will contrast a chart’s data
on gross national product for two years.
Nonbehavioral General Objectives
 Appreciate, Know, Understand

 Specifics are a no-no

 Stating objectives too specifically confines learning to
measurable achievements.
 Objectives that focus on higher-order learning are more
likely to be ignored.
 Post modern educators think of behavioral as too narrow
and inflexible. Some believe educators have no right to
specify what students must know or how they should
behave or what skills to possess.
 Learning is an inquiry and not about performance levels.
 Educators should consider all domains of
learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.
In each domain, objectives are listed in an order
that reflects increasing complexity.
TAXONOMY OF EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
By: Benjamin S. Bloom
 Cognitive

Skills in the cognitive domain revolve

around knowledge, comprehension, and "thinking
through" a particular topic. Traditional education
tends to emphasize the skills in this domain,
particularly the lower-order objectives.

 http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Benjamin_Bloom
Cognitive

HIGHER ORDER
Creating / Evaluation
Domain
Intellect Evaluating / Synthesis

Knowledge
Analyzing / Analysis
Think
Applying / Application

ORDER
LOWER ORDER
Understanding /
Comprehension

LOWER
Remembering / Knowledge
Remembering – Recall of previously learned
information
 Define, describe, identify, label, match
 Recite the multiplication tables, match words

Understanding – Comprehending the meaning,

translation and interpretation of instructions
 Distinguish, estimate, explain
 Distinguish geometric figures , explaining in one’s
words
Applying – Using what was learned in the
classroom
 Apply, change, compute, construct
 Use a mathematical formula to solve, prepare daily
menus for the family
Analyzing – Separating materials or concept into
component parts to understand the whole
 Compare, contrast, select, outline
 Observe the classroom and list down things to be
improved
Evaluating – Judging the value of an idea
 Conclude, justify, criticize
 Defend a research proposal, select most
effective solution
Creating – Building a structure or pattern
 Categorize, design, revise, generate
 Compile personal records and documents into a
portfolio
 REVISED

LEVEL (LOTS) DESCRIPTION

Remembering Retrieving relevant knowledge
Understanding Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic
messages
Applying Carrying out or using procedure in order for
implementation

LEVEL (HOTS) DESCRIPTION

Analyzing Breaking material down into constituent parts in order to
determine the relation of said parts
Evaluating Making judgments based on criteria and standards.
Creating Putting elements together in order to form a functional
whole
 Affective (Attitude)

Skills in the affective domain describe the way

people react emotionally and their ability to feel
another living thing's pain or joy. Affective objectives
typically target the awareness and growth
in attitudes, emotion, and feelings.

 http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Benjamin_Bloom
Affective

HIGHER ORDER
Domain Internalizing
Feeling
Organizing
Emotions
Attitude Valuing

LOWER ORDER
Feel
Helping Responding
students
become aware Receiving
of their own
values
Receiving – Being aware or sensitive to
something and being able to listen or pay
attention
 Select, point to, choose, identify
 Listen to others with respect
Responding – showing commitment to
respond in some measure to the idea
 Answer, assist, and comply
 Participate in discussions; gives expectations
Valuing – Showing willingness to be perceived as
valuing or favoring certain ideas
 Complete, join, share, justify, perform
 Demonstrate belief in the concept or process

Organizing – arranging values into priorities,

creating a unique value system by comparing
 Arrange, combine, complete, relate
 Accept responsibility, recognize the need for balance
between freedom and responsible behavior
Internalizing – Practicing value system that
controls one’s behavior; exhibiting behavior
that is consisted and pervasive, predictable
and characteristic of the person
 Act, display, influence, perform, verify
 Show self-reliance when asking; cooperate in
group activities; demonstrate objectivity in
problem-solving
 Psychomotor

Skills in the psychomotor domain describe the

ability to physically manipulate a tool or instrument
like a hand or a hammer. Psychomotor objectives
usually focus on change and/or development in
behavior and/or skills.

 http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Benjamin_Bloom
Psychomotor

HIGHER ORDER
Domain Adapting
Physical
Skills Practicing
Do

Imitating

ORDER
LOWER ORDER
Relates to manual
tasks and physical
movements –
modern day

LOWER
business and social
skills such as
communication or
Observing
operating
machines.
Observing – Active mental attention to a physical
activity
 Watch, detect, describe
 Detect non-verbal communication cues, observe and
read directions
Imitating– Attempt to copy a physical behavior
 Begin, display, react, state, show
 Show understanding and do sequence of steps with
assistance, recognizing limitations
Practicing – Performing a specific activity
repeatedly
 Bend, calibrate, fix, grasp, mend
 Operate quickly and accurately
Adapting– Fine tuning the skill and making
minor adjustments to attain perfection
 Organize, relax, re-arrange
 Perform automatically; construct new
scheme/sequence, apply skill in new situation
 Different Psychomotor Domains

R.H. Dave E.J. Simpson

The most relevant and Has two extra levels.

helpful for work-and Perception and set are
life-related assumed for dealing with
development while fit and healthy people –
Simpsons getting ready / preparing
Initial exposure to final oneself is part of the
routine to be taught
mastery
Utilizing motor skills and
coordinating them.
A.Harrow

 http://thepeakperformancecenter.com/educational-
Involuntary responses learning/learning/process/domains-of-learning/psychomotor-
domain/

and learned
capabilities.
Translation of bodily
activity to meaningful
expressions.
 Copy
Follow

Re-create
Build

Complete
Show
Control

Construct
Adapt
Modify
Develop

Design
Specify
Invent
Dave’s
 Recognize

Arrange
Prepare

Imitate

Make
Perform

Coordinate
Fix

Adjust
Solve

Design
Simpson’s Formulate
 React
Respond

Grasp
Walk
Stand

Catch
Write
Explore
Distinguish

Endure
Repeat
Exceed

Drive
Build
Jiggle

Meaning
Through
Movement
Harrow’s And actions
CONTENT AND SUBJECT
MATTER
In a complex society, more knowledge has been
acquired and borrowed than any individual can study
and make use of in his existence. Thus, the curriculum
could not possibly contain all the accumulated
knowledge known as “knowledge explosion”.
Undeniably, only a portion of what man has found out
about his world can be integrated in a program of
instruction.
Therefore, the teaching profession is confronted with
the duty of deciding what subject matter to include in
the curriculum.
 Knowledge
Knowledge Content (school
(information (knowledge content at
selected for
formally educational levels
organized) purposes) sufficient for
use)
 Criteria for Selecting Content

Self-Sufficiency
 Needs to be considered in ample depth. It does not mean just
learning knowledge and skills that allow one to function
independently in society. It means furnishing content that
enables learners to connect their intellectual, emotional selves
to the selves of others.
Significance
 Significant only to the degree to which it contributes to the
basic ideas, concepts, principles, generalizations and so on.
 Considers the development of particular learning abilities,
skills, processes, and attitude formation.
Validity
 The authenticity of the content selected. In information
explosion, school content can quickly become obsolete and
even incorrect. As new knowledge is discovered, content
assumed valid may be misleading ot even false. Validity must
be verified.
Interest
 Interests should be weighted and adjusted to allow for
students’ maturity, their prior experiences, the educational and
social value of their interests, and the way they are expected to
interact within society.
Utility
 Concerns usefulness of the content.
 2 types – Current utility and Future utility
 Current utility – for immediate application
 Future utility – think in particular ways / preparing for the
future problems. For future planning, forecast events, and or to
assess the future consequences.
Learnability
 Certain contents are selected that are out of the range of
experiences for particular students thus difficult, if not
impossible, to learn.
 Middle-class bias for both sides to relate and learn
Feasibility
 Forces curriculum planners to consider content in light of the
time allowed, resources available, the expertise of current staff,
the nature of the political climate, the existing legislation, and
the amount of public monies available.
 Even though they have the entire world of content to choose
from they have limitations
 Context of the existing reality which usually boils down to
economics and politics
 LEARNING
EXPERIENCES
As stated by Ornstein and Hunkins, while content is
the “meat” of the plan, we consider learning
experiences the “heart” of the plan.
The means towards attaining the goals and
objectives of the curriculum.
This is the instructional component of the
curriculum providing for the interaction between
teacher-student-content.
There are many types of teaching methods.