What is Curriculum? A variety of definitions

But I don’t work in a

classroom, what does

curriculum have to do with me?

Definitions of Curriculum Definition 1: Curriculum is such “permanent” subjects as grammar, reading, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, and the greatest books of the Western world that best embody essential knowledge.

Definition 2: Curriculum is those subjects that are most useful for living in contemporary society.

Definitions of Curriculum

Definition 3: Curriculum is all planned learnings for which the school is responsible.

Definition 4: Curriculum is all the experiences learners have under the guidance of the school.

Definitions of Curriculum Definition 5: Curriculum is the totality of learning experiences provided to students so that they can attain general skills and knowledge at a variety of learning sites. Definition 6: Curriculum is what the student constructs from working with the computer and its various networks, such as the Internet.

Definitions of Curriculum Definition 7: Curriculum is the questioning of authority and the searching for complex views of human situations.Definition 8: Curriculum is all the experiences that learners have in the course of living. (From Marsh, C. J. & Willis, G. (2003). Curriculum: Alternative approaches, ongoing issues. (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.)

What is curriculum?• Five basic definitions of curriculum1. A plan for achieving goals2. Dealing with learner’s experience3. A system for dealing with people4. A field of study5. Subject matter (e.g. Math, Science,

English, etc.)

DEFINITIONS OF CURRICULUM

• Curriculum experts have arrived at some understanding as to what constitutes the term curriculum. Tyler (1949) and Taba (1962) stipulated four elements of curriculum.

• These are:(i) goals and objectives;(ii) content or subject matter;(iii) learning experiences; and(iv) evaluation.

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• Any good curriculum must at least follow these basic elements mentioned above if such curriculum is to effect any change on the learners.

• In our discussion of the meaning or definitions of curriculum, our focus will be on the four basic elements of the curriculum stated by Tyler and Taba.

• Kerr (1962) defines curriculum as “all the learning, which is planned

and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually inside or outside the school”.

• Kerr in this definition sees curriculum as a plan for learning, or plan for action. Just like Kerr, Nicholls & Nicholls (1978) sees curriculum as “the opportunities planned by teachers for pupils”.

• Another definition for our consideration comes from Caswell and Campbell (1935) who defined curriculum as

“all the experiences the learners have under the guidance of the school”.

• This definition limits curriculum to what is obtainable in the school alone not minding that learning takes place outside the school and without the guidance of the guided learning experiences.

• Tyler (1963) defined curriculum “as all of learning of students which

is planned by and directed by the school to attain its educational goals.”

• Tanner and Tanner (1975) defined curriculum as

“the planned and guided learning experience and intended learning outcomes, formulated through the systematic reconstruction of knowledge and experience, under auspices of the school for learner’s continuous and willful growth in personal-social competence”.

• In considering the validity of any definition of curriculum it is very vital to bear in mind all the four elements of curriculum that is

i. goals and objectives ii. content or subject and subject matter iii. learning experiences and iv. evaluation. • Our judgment and conclusions about any

definition of curriculum should be based on these elements.

Concepts of CurriculumWe shall discuss four prevailing conceptions of the curriculum which are;1. the humanistic, 2. social reconstructionist, 3. technological, and 4. academic.

The advocates of these viewpoints have different ideas about what should be taught, to whom, when and how.

Concepts of Curriculum• Those with a humanistic orientation hold the view

that the curriculum should provide personally satisfying experiences for each individual.

• The social reconstructionists stress societal needs over individual needs.

• Those with technological orientation view curriculum making as a technological process for producing whatever ends policy makers demand.

• Persons with an academic orientation see curriculum as the vehicle by which learners are introduced to subject disciplines and organised fields of study.

The Humanistic Curriculum• The humanistic curriculum has been described by

some critics as a gimmick, others see it as a way to cut vandalism, deviance and boost learning of school subjects.

• Some scholars also describe it as a truly liberating education.

• The main objective of the humanistic orientation is that the curriculum should provide personally satisfying experiences for each individual.

• This group sees curriculum as way of accelerating human growth and promoting personal integrity.

The Social Reconstruction Curriculum

• The social reconstructionists do not buy the idea that the curriculum should help student to adjust or fit into the existing society.

• They perceive curriculum as a vehicle for fostering critical discontent and for equipping learners with the skills needed for conceiving new goals and effecting social change.

• This development began in America in 1970’s. One of the protagonists, Harold Rugg (1932), emphasised work. He wanted the learners to use newly emerging concepts from the social sciences and aesthetics to identify and correct social issues.

• Rugg and his colleagues thus called on the school to begin creating a “new” and “more” equitable” Society.

Conception through the Academic Subject Curriculum

• It is no gain saying the fact that the heart of schooling is curriculum and that the irreducible element of curriculum is knowledge.

• The central focus of knowledge and the chief content or subject matter of instruction are found in academic subjects that are basically intellectual, such as language and literature, mathematics, the natural sciences, history, social sciences and the fine arts.

• The aforementioned disciplines represent a range of ways at arriving at the truth and knowledge. We will regard knowledge as “justified belief” opposed to ignorance, mere opinions or guesses.

Child-centred Curriculum• The Child-centred curriculum holds that the child

is an important individual and should be considered first.

• The curriculum in this respect should be based on the development needs of the child taking care of the interests of the child.

• The protagonists of this school of thought hold the belief that the child has active mind, which has been developed and has conceived ideas ever before it comes in contact with the teacher.

Child-centred Curriculum- Cont.

• A child like every individual has aspirations and beliefs and hopes.

• The scholars believe that the purpose of education is to assist the child in achieving his goals in life and there is nothing to educate but the child.

• In this sense curriculum is not expected to be chosen by the educators for the child to learn but has to include things that agitate the minds of the child and enable him to realize his aspirations, hopes and desires.

Child-centred Curriculum- Cont.

• Jean Rousseau believed that education should be child-centred. He noted that the child should be seen as possessing unique characteristics of his own and so he should be handled as such. He emphasises that the child is good and innocent and he should be allowed to enjoy the experience of his age.

• Teaching should be suitable to the age and ability of the children. Education should focus on the needs and interest of children.

The Core-Curriculum• The common core-curriculum is an example of

a content-based curriculum common body of fundamental knowledge and skills as taught to all pupils in some countries.

• The core curriculum denotes those stipulated subjects for all pupils of given age in any particular school.

• In Nigeria the implementation committee of the National Policy on Education recommends the following as the core subjects for Junior Secondary School.

• Mathematics• English

The Core-Curriculum - Cont

• Nigerian Language• Science• Art and Music• Moral and Religious Instruction• Physical Education• Vocational subjects • It is important that no one opts out of a

discipline or subject merely through lack of interest.

• Any similarities in Malaysia??

Hidden or Unstudied Curriculum

• Hidden or unstudied curriculum is not the same thing as unplanned curriculum.

• Hidden curriculum takes into consideration the fact that student in school have purposes and objectives that may not be fully congruent with those of the school or the teacher.

• They also have their own aims and objectives that are usually unrecognised by the teachers who interact with the students in the classrooms or non-classroom situation.

Relationships between curriculum, syllabus, course and programme

Syllabus Vs CurriculumDefinition of syllabus:• This term covers the teaching learning items,

materials, equipments and the evaluation tools.

• A finished syllabus is an overall plan the learning process.

It must specify; what components, or learning items, must be

available, or learned by a certain time; what is the most efficient sequence in which the

are learned; what items can be learned simultaneously; what

items are available from the stock, and the whole process is determined by consideration of how long it takes to produce or learn a component or item.

The process is under continual scrutiny by means of stock checks, or tests and examinations.

Difference between Curriculum and Syllabus:

• Some confusion exists over the distinction between syllabus and curriculum, since the terms are used differently on either side of the Atlantic. Curriculum is a very general concept, which involves consideration of the whole complex of philosophical, social and administrative factors, which contribute to the planning of an educational programme. Syllabus, on the other hand, refers the subpart of curriculum, which is concerned with a specification of what units will be taught.

Difference between Curriculum and Syllabus:

• The European term ‘syllabus’ and its North American counterpart ‘curriculum’ often seem to be very close in meaning and sometimes further apart, depending on the context in which they are used.

• In a distinction that is commonly drawn in Britain, ‘syllabus’ refers to the content or subject matter of an individual subject, whereas ‘curriculum’ stands for the totality of content to be taught and aims to be realised within one school or educational system.

• In the USA ‘curriculum’ tends the synonymous with ‘syllabus’ in the British sense.

Difference between curriculum and syllabus:

• Curriculum should not simply be seen as a kind of super syllabus because there is a qualitative difference between the two.

• On the one hand, curriculum may be viewed as the programme of activities, the course to learn by pupils in being educated.

• On the other, curriculum may be defined as all learning, which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school.

• That is one school of thought regards the curriculum as a plan, while the other views it as activities.

Allen distinguishes at least six aspects of levels of curriculum:• 1. Concept formation• 2. Administrative decision making• 3. Syllabus planning• 4. Materials design• 5. Classroom activities• 6. Evaluation

Programme

• Course of study: an integrated course of academic studies; "he was admitted to a new program at the university"

Types of Curriculum1. Overt, explicit, or written curriculum2. Societal curriculum (or social curricula)3. The hidden or covert curriculum4. The null curriculum5. Phantom curriculum6. Concomitant curriculum 7. Rhetorical curriculum 8. Curriculum-in-use 9. Received curriculum 10.The internal curriculum11.The electronic curriculum

The Curriculum Field

1. Curriculum Approaches

2. Foundations of Curriculum

3. Curriculum Domains

Looking into concept of curriculum

• it encompasses what we mean by curriculum

• what it involves, and • who is involved and served by the

curriculum…. thus

Curriculum Approach• reflects our perceptions, values, and knowledge.• how we view schools and society• can be viewed from a technical/scientific or

nontechnical/nonscientific perspective• technical/scientific – traditional theories and

models of education• nontechnical/nonscientific – experimental

philosophies and politics; they tend to challenge established, formalised ed. practices.

Curriculum Approach

1. Behavioral Approach2. Managerial approach3. Systems Approach4. Academic Approach5. Humanistic Approach6. Reconceptualist Approach

technical/scientific

nontechnical/nonscientific

Foundations of Curriculum

I. Philosophical Foundations of CurriculumII. Historical Foundations of CurriculumIII. Social Foundations of CurriculumIV. Psychological Foundations of Curriculum

Curriculum Domains

- Beauchamp divided curriculum knowledge into planning, implementation and evaluation

- Edmund Short listed curriculum’s domains as policy making, development, evaluation, change, decision making, activities or field of study, and forms and language of inquiry.

Curriculum Domainsi. Curriculum Development • - how curriculum is planned, implemented

and evaluated; what people, processes and procedures are involved in constructing the curriculum

ii. Curriculum Design• - refers to the way we conceptualize the

curriculum and arrange its major components

Curriculum Domains

iii. Other Curriculum Domains  a- planned (formal) curriculumb-unplanned (informal) curriculumc- hidden curriculum

 

Tutorial 1

In your group, discuss the following;1. In one/two sentences, define the term

‘curriculum’2. Differentiate the types of curricula.3. Identify the core curriculum at your school, and 4. Explain to colleagues the characteristics of each

types of curriculum.

ReferencesAllen, J. P. B. “General-Purpose Language Teaching: A Variable Focus Approach.” ELT Documents 118. Ed. C.J. Brumfit. Oxford: The British Council and Pergamon Press, 1994: 61-74.Marsh, C. J. & Willis, G. (2003). Curriculum: Alternative approaches, ongoing issues. (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.Marsh, C.J. & Willis, G. (2007). Curriculum: Alternative Approaches, ongoing issues (4th Ed.). New Jersey: Merril Prentice Hall.Ornstein, A.C. & Hunkins, F.P. (2009). Curriculum:Foundations, Principles, and Issues (5th Ed.). US: Pearson Education, Inc.