Curriculum development

and assessment in
Geography
Curriculum Development Process
Presentation outline/objectives of
this lecture presentation
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Examine the curriculum development process

 Curriculum process
• The development of a curriculum is a multi-step, an unending
and cyclical process which progresses from:
• Developing a virgin programme or evaluating the existing
programme, to
• designing an improved programme, to
• implementing a new programme and back to
• evaluating the revised programme.
• The process also involves selecting, organizing, executing, and
evaluating curriculum purpose, content, and learning experiences
on the basis of the needs, abilities and interests of the learners
and the nature of the society or community.
 Phases/stages of an Effective
Curriculum Development Process
Planning:

• Convening a curriculum development committee

• Identifying Key issues and trends in the specific content area
• Assessing needs and issues
Articulating and Developing:

• Articulating a programme philosophy.

• Defining, developing and sequencing of course objectives.

• Identifying resource materials to assist with programme

implementation.

• Developing and/or identifying assessment items and instruments

to measure student progress.
Implementing:

• Putting the new program into practice.

• Teachers need time and opportunities to become aware of

and fully familiar with the new curriculum and its overall
design, particularly how it differs from the past.

• Teachers need at least two years to pilot the new

curriculum and new materials in their classrooms.

• It is not unusual for this period to take up to two years

before the new curriculum is fully implemented
Evaluating:

• Updating the programme.

• Determining the success of the programme.

• The curriculum development cycle ends and then begins

again with a careful evaluation of the effectiveness and
impact of the programme using:
• tests,
• surveys,
• interviews and focused group discussions and
• meetings
 Curriculum process (cont’d)
• curriculum development committee needs to periodically gather
data on perceptions of programme strengths and weaknesses,
needs, preferences for textbooks and other materials, and topics
or objectives that do not seem to be working effectively.

• This information can be gathered from data that represents

overall student performance that is linked closely to daily
instruction.
“Begin with the end in
mind”
END OF LECTURE