TSL 3143 CURRICULUM STUDIES

TOPIC 4 CONSIDERATIONS IN
DESIGNING A CURRICULUM
Learning Theories, Approaches
and methods

By:
Dollyna, Ladd Junior, Ladindry &
Wong Chee Siang
 Learning Theories,
Approaches and
methods

Subject- Learner- Problem-

centred centred centred
design design design
 Subject-
centred
design

a) c)
b) d) e)
Academic Broad
Discipline Correlation Process
subject fields
design design design
design design
 a) Academic subject design

This design is based on the belief that

humans are unique because of their
intellect and the quest for and acquisition
of knowledge is to feed this intellect
Why is this model of curriculum design
widely adopted?
Reason: it is much easily interpreted in
textbooks and commercially available
support materials.
 a) Academic subject design

Teachers find it easier to communicate the

ideas and knowledge of a subject
presented in verbal form in textbooks.
However, critics argue that this design
deemphasises the learner by taking away
their rights to choose the content that is
most meaningful to them
 b) Discipline design
A discipline is a specific body of knowledge
that has its own methods of inquiry, has its
specialised words and terminology, has a
tradition and a collection of literature
What is the rationale for teaching the
disciplines?
According to its proponents, the school is a
mini version of the world of intellect and that
the disciplines reflect that world.
 c) Broad field design

known as the interdisciplinary design

The suggestion was to bring together
content from different subjects to form
one logical subject
eg. Language Arts (composed of
literature, grammar, linguistics and
spelling)
 d) Correlation design

It lies in between the academic

design model and the broad fields
design
If you do not want your curriculum to
consist of five separate subjects nor
five different subject areas to be
fused into one, then the correlation
design model might be an alternative.
 d) Correlation design

Example:
You may want to just fuse or correlate
history with literature at the secondary
school level.
For example, in a history lesson the class
learns about the Japanese occupation of
Malaysia.
During the literature class, students read
novels about life during that time period.
However, each subject retains its own
distinct identity.
 e) Process design

It stresses the learning of general

procedures and processes that are not
applicable to any particular discipline.
The most popular example of process
design model is the teaching of thinking
skills.
Students should be taught to think.
Curriculum has focused on the teaching of
decision making, problem solving, critical
thinking and creative thinking.
 e) Process design

The aim of the curriculum is to

enhance these process skills
applicable to all disciplines.
Thinking critically is not unique to
geography or physics. Neither is
thinking creatively the sole domain of
art or literature.
 Learner-
centred design

a) c)
b)
Child-centred Humanistic
Radical design
design design
 a) Child-centred design

It believes that learners should actively

participate in the teaching-learning
process.
Learning should be related closely to the
daily lives of students
In the child-centred model, the interests
and experiences of the learner become the
subject-matter of the curriculum.
 a) Child-centred design

Children are given the freedom to discover

and do things for themselves rather than
told how to do something.
The project method became a popular
pedagogical strategy in the child- centred
design in which children solved
problematic situations calling on their
knowledge and skills of science, history, art
and so on.
 b) Radical design

Children should be educated towards

the goal of social reform.
Learning is something that results
from the interaction between and
among people.
Learners should challenge content
and be allowed to give their opinions
about the information given to them.
 b) Radical design

Learners will value what they learn if they

are allowed to construct their own
knowledge. When learners create
meaning, they have ownership over what
they have learned resulting in genuine
thought.
 c) Humanistic design

The curriculum should be designed to

empower learners to be involved in
the process of realising their potential.
To facilitate learning, the teacher
accepts learners as persons, placing
importance on their feelings and their
opinions; while caring for them.
 c) Humanistic design

In other words, the teacher is able to view

the world through the students eyes.
The humanistic curriculum design focuses
on the interconnectedness of the
cognitive, affective and psychomotor
domains.
The design stresses the development of
positive self-concept and interpersonal
skills of learners.
 Problem-
centred
design

a)
b)
Life-
centred Core
situations design
 a) Life-centred situations

In any society, there are persistent

life situations that are crucial to a
societys successful functioning.
Examples of such life situations
are healthy living, use of leisure
time, ethics, racial tolerance,
citizenship skills.
 a) Life-centred situations

Students will direct relevance in studying

such social issues when they are related
to their world.
Also, having students study social or life
situations will encourage them to seek
ways to improve society.
The life-centred situations curriculum
has been criticised because students do
not learn much subject matter.
 b) Core situations

A variation of the life-centred situations

design is the core-design model.
Focus is still on the pressing problems of
society; the difference being that certain
problem are selected to form the core.
The core problems are taught to all
students in a block-time format whereby
two or more periods of class time is used.
 b) Core situations

A problem solving approach is adopted in

analysing social problems.
Students select a problem through
consensus and work either individually or
in groups.
Data is collected, analysed, interpreted
and presented in class.
Findings are evaluated and discussed.