Meaning of Curriculum:

The term curriculum has been derived from a Latin word

‘Currere’ which means a ‘race course’ or a runway on which one

runs to reach a goal. Accordingly, a curriculum is the instructional

and the educative programme by following which the pupils

achieve their goals, ideals and aspirations of life.

It is curriculum through which the general aims of a school

education receive concrete expression.

Traditional concept-The traditional curriculum was subject-

centered while the modern curriculum is child and life-centered.

Modern Concept of Curriculum:

Modern education is the combination of two dynamic

processes. The one is the process of individual development and

the other is the process of socialization, which is commonly known

as adjustment with the social environment.

Cunningham - “Curriculum is a tool in the hands of the artist

(teacher) to mould his material (pupils) according to his ideas

(aims and objectives) in his studio (school)”.

Morroe - “Curriculum includes all those activities which are utilized

by the school to attain the aims of education.

Crow and Crow - The curriculum includes all the learners’

experience in or outside school that are included in a programme

which has been devised to help him developmentally, emotionally,

socially, spiritually and morally”.

T.P. Nunn-“The curriculum should be viewed as various forms of

activities that are grand expressions of human sprit and that are of

the greatest and most permanent significance to the wide world”.

• subjects that will be taught, the identified "mission" of the school, and the knowledge and skills that the school expects successful students to acquire

Explicit curriculum

• lessons that arise from the culture of the school and the behaviors, attitudes, and expectations that characterize that culture

Implicit curriculum

• topics or perspectives that are specifically excluded from the curriculum

Null curriculum

• school-sponsored programs that are

intended to supplement the academic aspect

of the school experience

Extra curriculum

1. Goals: The benchmarks or expectations for teaching and

learning often made explicit in the form of a scope and

sequence of skills to be addressed;

2. Methods: The specific instructional methods for the teacher,

often described in a teacher’s edition;

3. Materials: The media and tools that are used for teaching

and learning;

4. Assessment: The reasons for and methods of measuring

student progress.

Nature of curriculum

1. the instructional programme as indicated by the

course offerings to meet the varies requirements

of a vast heterogeneous population

2. the courses of study, embodying outlines of

knowledge to be taught

3. all the experiences provided under the guidance of

the school

Nature of curriculum

Close examination of them reveals the difficulty in

deciding

the basic nature of curriculum.

1. Is it thought of as a programme and pattern of

offerings?

2. Is thought of to be a content of courses?

3. Is it thought of to be experiences through which

knowledge is communicated?

Nature of curriculum

Curriculum is that which makes a difference between

maturity and immaturity, between growth and stasis,

between literacy and illiteracy, between sophistication

(intellectual, moral, social and emotional) and

simplicity.

It is the accumulated heritage of man’s knowledge

filtered through the prisms of contemporary demands

and pressures.

It is that wisdom considered relevant to any age in

any given location.

It is that we choose from our vast amount of heritage

of wisdom to make a difference in the life of man.

Scope relates to what should be taught or learned.

•Sequence relates to when different parts of the

curriculum should be learned with respect to the

other parts of the curriculum.

•Integration relates to how different strands of a

piece of curriculum relate to other things

•Continuity relates to how previous learning and

future learning relate in terms of cumulative effects

of learning.

Scope refers to the breadth of the curriculum- the

content, learning experiences and activities to be

included in the curriculum.

The scope can be arrived at by answering the following

questions:

What do young people need in order to succeed in the

society?

What are the needs of the locality, society, nation and

world?

What are the essentials of the discipline?

SequenceSequence relates to when different parts of the

curriculum should be learned with respect to the other

parts of the curriculum.

There are many ways in sequencing:

simple to complex chronological

easy to difficult developmental

prerequisite learning close at hand to far

away

whole to parts easy to difficult

parts to whole known to unknown

Balance or integration

The curriculum should integrate:

1. Cognitive, affective and psychomotor objectives and

abilities

2. Knowledge and experience

3. Objectives and content

4. Child’s activity and needs with the society needs and

activity.

It should be related to the social environment of the

students

A change in the life style of a group, a community

or a society is called social change.

Social change includes technological changes,

economic changes, political changes and changes

in values.

The technological changes cause change in the

style of living and therefore influences the

curriculum accordingly.

Economic changes demand changes in curriculum

by bringing about change in occupational structure.

Political changes have an impact on curricula. The

policies of the government decide the core features

of a curriculum.

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Values play a crucial part in the formulation and

implementation of educational ideologies.

Generally, two kinds of values enter into curriculum

making. They are:

•Ultimate values that determine the aims and

purposes of education

•Instrumental values that are related to the means of

education.

The ultimate values and instrumental values of a

society decides the type of curriculum appropriate

for it.

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