Principles In Curriculum

Design
Topic 2 : Models , Principles
and Development of
Curriculum Design

What is curriculum design?

Curriculum design is deciding about the shape or
configuration of a curriculum plan.
It involves the selection of content in line with the goals
and objectives of the curriculum.
The selected content will have to be arranged in a form
that will help the teacher in choosing and organizing
appropriate learning experiences for the classroom.
Curriculum design is also referred to as curriculum
organisation.

Designing the curriculum

It involves the task of organizing or
arranging the four
components/elements; namely,
objectives, subject matter
(content), teaching-learning
experiences and evaluation
procedures into a cohesive and
comprehensive plan that can be
implemented with minimal
difficulties.

 A good curriculum is:

Balanced (Well-adjusted)
Rigorous (Demanding/Difficult)
Coherent (Clear/Rational/Intelligible)
Vertically integrated
Appropriate (Suitable/Fitting)
Focused/parsimonious (tightfisted)
Relevant (Pertinent/Significant)

(Sowell, 2000; Ornstein & Hunkins,

1998):
When deciding on content organization the
following principles have been proposed.
1) Scope
2) Sequence
3) Integration

Scope
Scope refers to both the breadth and depth of content and
includes all topics, learning experiences and organising
threads found in the curriculum plan.
Scope not only refers to cognitive learning but also
affective learning, and some would argue spiritual learning
(Goodland & Zhixin Su, 1992).
Sometimes the scope of a curriculum is narrow, consisting
of just a simple listing of key topics and activities.

Sequence - Sequence refers to the organisation of content and the extent

to which it fosters cumulative and continuous learning (referred to as
vertical relationship among sections of the curriculum).
Do students have the opportunity to make connections and enrich their
understanding of the content? It is important that the sequencing of
content leads to the cumulative development of intellectual and affective
processes. The sequence of content and experiences should be based on
the logic of the subject matter and the way in which individuals learn. It
should be based on psychological principles and understanding of human
development and learning:
a) Simple to complex Content is organised from simple subordinate
components to complex components depicting interrelationships among
components.
b) Spiral - In a spiral curriculum, concepts may be introduced on a simple
level in the early grades, and then revisited with more and more
complexity and application later on.
c) Prerequisites It works on the assumption that bits of information or
learning must be grasped before other bits of information can be
understood.
d) Whole to part Content is better understood if an overview (whole) is
first presented to show the connections between the parts.
e) Chronology This is a useful organiser for sequencing content
especially in subjects such as history, political science and world events.
f) Vertical organisation - This simply means that content and skills are

Integration

Integration is the bringing together of the concepts, skills and values

of different subject areas to reinforce each other. Bits of information
from different subject areas are brought together in such a way as to
present the learner with a unified picture of knowledge. Some have
argued that however much curriculum planners try to integrate
information; it is the learners who integrate what they are learning in
their minds. It is something that happens within the individual
learner. The idea of integration was popularised in the 60s by Hilda
Taba because of concern that school curriculum was too disjointed,
fragmented and detached. Lately, there has been a surge of interest
in curriculum integration due to the rapid accumulation of
information that is doubling in a shorter period of time. Increasingly,
there is a realisation that knowledge has to be viewed in a much
broader sense, particularly in dealing with ideas that cut across
disciplines. When faced with real-world situations, seldom is one
area of content sufficient to explain complex phenomena.