Tiffany Joy M.

Ortega
MEd/Educational Leadership Student
MED5 CURRICULUM THEORY, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATION

Thought Paper

In this course, it gives emphasis on the crucial role of curriculum planning, design and
development of an institution and how it impacts the learning progress of a child. The implementation
of the curriculum of Philippine education has been the bone of contention nowadays. The K+12 program
curriculum for me is a very substantial one nevertheless, the lack of classrooms, textbooks and learning
resources impede the attainment of the educational goals.

As I was reflecting with regard to the educational curriculum of the Department of Education,
I have considered a lot of factors as to why the system is facing issues and challenges. The government
has been spending a lot of finances for teacher development and training due to the change in
curriculum. However, teachers were prompted with some issues specifically those teachers who were
assigned to teach in far-flung areas. There were teaching strategies and activities that were not suited
for a particular educational setting. For instance, senior high school curriculum involved ICT integration
in class. However, in the Philippines, we have to take note that not all of us have the access towards
internet and some of the schools lack computer units intended for computer related subjects. Based on
my learnings, curriculum involves continuous chain of activities needed to transform educational goals
into tangible activities, materials and observable change in the learners’ behavior. A lesson plan for
instance is part of the curriculum employed by the teacher in the classroom. As the saying goes, if you
fail to plan then you plan to fail. Hence for a society to accomplish its educational goals, it needs a
curriculum that is functional and relevant to its needs. Using these statements as a bases for
understanding the curriculum, teachers need to adjust in some cases. The curriculum provided by the
Department of Education is very promising nonetheless in some parts of the country specifically in rural
and far-flung areas where resources are scarce, these ideas have been considered as detrimental factors.

An effective and efficient curriculum delivers teachers, students, administrators and community
stakeholders with a quantifiable plan and structure for delivering a quality education. In addition, the
curriculum identifies the learning outcomes, standards and core competencies that students must exhibit
before proceeding to the next level. With this, teacher educators play a major role in developing,
implementing, assessing and modifying the curriculum. An evidenced-based curriculum acts as a
blueprint for teachers and students to keep an eye on on the path to academic attainment. Teachers have
to be psychologically empowered to carry out their utmost mandate and that is to teach effectively. The
role of school heads once again is very crucial.
 Lastly, this course enlightened me that for a curriculum to be effective and efficient, it should
outline a sequence of courses and tasks that must be successfully completed by the child to master a
subject and earn a diploma. The learner may be more motivated to study if they understand why certain
subjects are taught in the curriculum. A curriculum reassures the learners that they are on the right track
to reaching their goals and honing desired skills. Teachers in partnership with parents and community
stakeholders should take part to collaborate on the development of a curriculum that will instill character
in students and reinforce positive behavior. Through this, we will be able to make a difference, achieve
our vision, and empower our teachers and learners to make our country a livable and a progressive one.