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Curriculum Essentials
Curriculum and the Teacher
Curriculum in Schools
The Sabre-Tooth Curriculum by Harold
Benjamin (1939)
Curriculum then, was seen as a tradition
of organized knowledge taught in
schools of the 19th century.
Activity
Guide Questions:
1. Does the Sabre-Tooth Curriculum still exist at
present? Give examples of your evidence.
2. Describe the kind of curriculum that exists as
described in the article.
3. What does the author mean, when he said “A
curriculum should be timeless”? Explain
4. What is the difference between education and
training?
No formal, non-formal or informal
education exists without a
curriculum.
Classrooms will be empty with no
curriculum.
Teachers will have nothing to do, if
there is no curriculum.
Curriculum is the heart of the
teaching profession
Every teacher is guided by some sort
of curriculum in the classroom and
in schools.
In our current Philippine educational system,
different schools are established in different
educational levels which have corresponding
recommended curricula. The educational
levels are:
1. Basic Education
2. Technical – Vocational Education
3. Higher Education
Types of Curricula in Schools
(Glatthorn, 2000 as mentioned in Bilbao, et.al., 2008)
1. Recommended Curriculum
Almost all curricula find in our
schools are recommended.
The recommendations come in
the form of memoranda or
policies, standards and
guidelines.
2. Written Curriculum
This includes documents based on the
recommended curriculum.
They come in the form of course of study,
syllabi, modules, books or instructional
guides among others.
Teacher’s lesson plan and K to 12 for
Philippine Basic Education
3. Taught Curriculum
From what has been written or
planned, the curriculum has to be
implemented or taught.
The teacher and the students will
put life to the written curriculum.
It depend largely on the teaching
style of the teacher and the
learning style of the learners.
4. Supported Curriculum
This is described as support
materials that the teacher needs
to make learning and teaching
meaningful.
It also includes facilities when
learning occurs outside or inside
the four-walled building.
5. Assessed Curriculum
Taught and supported curriculum
have to be evaluated to find out if
the teacher has succeeded or not
in facilitating learning.
In the process of teaching and at
the end of every lesson or
teaching episode, an assessment
made (assessment for/of/as
learning).
6. Learned Curriculum
Teachers always believed that if
a student changed behavior,
he/she has learned. The positive
outcome of teaching is an
indicator of learning.
These are measured by tools in
assessment, which can indicate
the cognitive, affective and
psychomotor outcomes.
It will also demonstrate higher
order thinking and critical thinking
and lifelong skills.
7. Hidden/Implicit Curriculum
This curriculum is not deliberately
planned, but has greater impact
on the behavior of the learner.
Peer influence, school
environment, media, parental
pressures, societal changes,
cultural practices, natural
calamities are some factors that
create the hidden curriculum.
Teacher as the Curricularist
Exciting Facilitating Recommending
Growing Knowing Planning
Initiating
Growing Evaluating Frustrating
Rewarding Innovating
Broadening
Believing
Showing Building
Copying
Curricularist
Teachers doing a series of
interrelated actions about
curriculum, instruction,
assessment, evaluation, teaching
and learning.
A classroom teacher involved with
curriculum continuously all day.
In the past, they are referred only
to those who developed curriculum
theories.
Most influential curricularist in
America:
John Dewey
Ralph Tyler
Hilda Taba
Franklin Bobbit
Hayes (1991)
Curricularist
A professional who is a curriculum
specialist (Hayes, 1991; Ornstein
& Hunkins; Hewitt, 2006).
A person who is involved in
curriculum knowing, writing,
planning, implementing,
evaluating, innovating, and
initiating.
The classroom is the first place of
curricular engagement.
The first school experience sets
the tone to understand the
meaning of schooling through the
interactions of learners and
teachers that will lead to learning.
Curriculum is the heart of
schooling.
Different roles of teacher in the
classroom and in the school:
The teacher as curricularist…
1. knows the curriculum (Knower)
2. writes the curriculum (Writer)
3. plans the curriculum (Planner)
4. initiates the curriculum (Initiator)
5. innovates the curriculum
(Innovator)
6. implements the curriculum
(Implementor)
7. evaluates the curriculum
(Evaluator)
The Teacher as a Knower of Curriculum
Curriculum
The word originates from the Latin word
“currere” referring to the oval track upon which
Roman chariots raced.
The whole body of a course in an educational
institution or by a department (The New
International Dictionary).
Courses taught in school or universities (Oxford
English Dictionary)
Some Definitions of Curriculum
1. Curriculum is a planned and guided
learning experiences and intended
outcomes, formulated through the
systematic reconstruction of
knowledge and experiences under
the auspices of the school, for the
learners’ continuous and willful
growth in personal social
competence (Tanner, 1980).
2. Curriculum is a written document
that systematically describes goals
planned, objectives, content, learning
activities, evaluation procedures and
so forth (Pratt, 1980).
3. Curriculum refers to the contents of
a subject, concepts and tasks to be
acquired, planned activities, the
desired learning outcomes and
experiences, product of culture and
an agenda to reform society
(Schubert, 1987)
4. Hass (1987) provides a broader
definition, stating that a curriculum
includes “all of the experiences that
individual learners have in a program
of education whose purpose is to
achieve broad goals and related
specific objectives, which is planned
in terms of a framework of theory
and research or past and present
professional practice”
5. Grundy (1987) defines curriculum as
a programme of activities (by
teachers and pupils) designed so
that pupils will attain so far as
possible certain educational and
other schooling ends or objectives.
6. Cronbleth (1992) defines curriculum
as answering three questions: what
knowledge, skills and values are
most worthwhile? Why are they most
worthwhile? How should the young
acquire them?
7. Curriculum is a plan that consists of
learning opportunities for a specific
time frame and place, a tool that
aims to bring about behaviour
changes in students as a result of
planned activities and includes all
learning experiences received by
students with the guidance of the
school (Goodland and Su, 1992).
Curriculum from Traditional
Points of View
3. Utility
Another criterion is the usefulness
of the content or subject matter.
Students think that a subject matter
or some subjects are not important
to them. They view it useless. As a
result, they do not study.
4. Learnability
The subject matter or content
must be within the schema of the
learners. It should be within their
experiences. Teachers should
apply theories in the psychology
of learning to know how subjects
are presented, sequenced, and
organized to maximize the
learning capacity of the students.
5. Feasibility
It means full implementation of
the subject matter. It should
consider the real situation of the
school, the government, and the
society, in general. Students
must learn within the allowable
time and the use of resources
available. Do not give them a
topic that is impossible to finish.
6. Interest
This criterion is true to the learner-
centered curriculum. Students learn
best if the subject matter is
meaningful to them. It becomes
meaningful if they are interested in
it. However, if the curriculum is
subject-centered, teachers have no
choice but to finish the pacing
schedule religiously and only teach
what is in the book. This approach
explains why many fail in the
subject.
Guide in the Selection of the
Content in the Curriculum
1. Commonly used in the daily life.
2. Appropriate to the maturity levels
and abilities of the learners
3. Valuable in meeting the needs and
competencies of the future career
4. Related to other subject fields or
discipline for complementation and
integration
5. Important in the transfer of learning
to other disciplines
BASIC Principles of Curriculum
Content