Module 1 – CURRICULUM AND THE TEACHER

Lesson 1 Curriculum in Schools

The curriculum of a school is the formal and informal content and process by which

learners gain knowledge and understanding, develop skills, and alter attitudes,

appreciations, and values under the auspices of that school.

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. This level includes Kindergarten, Grade 1 to

Grade 6 for elementary, and for secondary, Grade 7 to Grade 10 for the Junior High

School and Grade 11 to Grade 12 and for the Senior High School. Each of the levels has

its specific recommended curriculum. 2. Technical Vocational Education. This is post-

secondary technical vocational educational and training taken care of by Technical

Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). For the TechVoc track in SHS of

DepEd and TESDA work in close coordination. 3. Higher Education. This includes the

Baccalaureate or Bachelor Degrees and the Graduate Degrees (Master’s and Doctorate)

which are under the regulation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Types of Curriculum Operating Schools:

Allen Glatthorn , as cited by Bilbao describes seven (7) types of curriculum operating in

the schools.
Recommended Curriculum proposed by scholars and professional organization. The

curriculum may come from a national agency like the Department of Education

(DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Science and

Technology (DOST) or any professional organization who has stake in education for

example like the PAFTE.

Written Curriculum appears in school, district, division, or country documents. This

includes documents, course of study or syllabi handed down to the schools, districts,

divisions, departments, or colleges for implementation. Most of the written curricula are

made by the curriculum experts with the participation of teachers. These were pilot-

tested or tried out in sample schools or population. An example is the Basic Education

Curriculum (BEC). Another example is the written lesson plan, made up of objectives

and planned activities of the teachers.

Taught Curriculum- what teachers implement of deliver in the classrooms or schools

The different planned activities which are put into action in the classroom compose the

taught curriculum. These are varied activities that are implemented in order to arrive at

the objectives or purposes of the written curriculum. These are used by the learners

with the guidance of teachers. Taught curriculum varies according to the learning styles

of students and the teaching styles of teachers

Supported Curriculum resources like textbooks, computers, audio-visual materials

which support and help in the implementation of the curriculum. In order to have a

successful teaching, other than the teacher, there must be materials which should
support or help in the implementation of a written curriculum. These refer to the

material resources, such as textbooks, computers, audio-visual materials. Laboratory

equipment, play ground, zoos, and other facilities. Support curriculum should enable

the learner to achieve real and lifelong learning

Assessed Curriculum that which is tested and evaluated. This refers to a tested or

evaluated curriculum. At the end of the teaching episodes, series of evaluation is done

by the teachers to determine the extent of learning or to tell if the students are

progressing. This refers to the assessed curriculum. Assessment tool like pencil-and –

paper tests; authentic instruments like portfolio are being utilized.

Learned Curriculum what students actually learn and what is measured. Refers to

the learning outcomes achieved by the students. Learning outcomes are indicated by

the results of the tests and changes in behavior, which can either be cognitive,

affective, or psychomotor.

Hidden Curriculum the unintended curriculum. This unintended curriculum which is

not deliberately planned but may modify behavior or influence learning outcomes.

There are lost of hidden curricula that transpire in the schools. Peer influence, school

environment, physical condition, teacher-learner interaction, mood of the teachers and

many other factors to make up.

In every teacher’s classroom, not all these curricula maybe present at one time. Many

of them are deliberately planned, like the recommended, written, taught, supported,

assessed and learned curricula.

Lesson 2 The Teacher As A Curricularist

A curricularist is an education professional who is a specialist of the curriculum. The

teacher, aside from teaching the curriculum, carries other functions in the curriculum,

and therefore, he/she is a curricularist. As a curricularist, a teacher will be

knowing, writing, planning, implementing, innovating, initiating and evaluating the

curriculum in the school and classrooms just like the role models and advocates in

curriculum and curriculum development who have shown the way. A teacher’s role is

broader and inclusive of other functions and so a teacher is a curricularist. The

classroom is the first 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. So what does a teacher should do to deserve a label

as a curricularist? TEACHER must be a….

Know the curriculum (Knower). Learning begins with knowing. The Teacher as a

learner starts with knowing about curriculum, the subject matter or the content. As a

teacher one has to master what are included in the curriculum. It is acquiring academic

knowledge both formal (disciplines, logic) or informal (derived from experiences

vicarious, and unintended). It is the mastery of the subject matter.

Writes the curriculum (Writer). A classroom teacher takes record of knowledge

concepts, subject matter or content. These need to be written or preserved. The

teacher writes books, modules,laboratory manuals, instructional guides, and reference

materials in paper or electronic media as a curriculum writer or reviewer.

Plans the curriculum (Planner). A good curriculum has to be planned. It is the role

of the teacher to make a yearly, monthly or daily plan of the curriculum. This will serve

as a guide in the implementation in the curriculum. The teacher takes into consideration

several factors in planning a curriculum. These factors include the learners, the support

material, time, subject matter or content, the desired outcomes, the context of the

learners among others. By doing this, the teacher becomes a curriculum planner.

Initiates the curriculum (Initiator). In cases where the curriculum is recommended

to the schools from DepEd, CHED, TESDA UNESCO, UNICEF or other educational

agencies for improvement of quality education, the teacher is obliged to implement.

Implementation of a new curriculum requires the open mindedness of the teacher, and

the full belief that the curriculum will enhance learning. There will be many constraints

and difficulties in doing things first or leading, however, a transformative teacher will

never hesitate to try something novel and relevant.

Innovates the curriculum (Innovator). Creativity and innovation are hallmarks of

an excellent teacher. A curriculum is always dynamic, hence keeps on changing. From

the content, strategies, ways of doing, blocks of time, ways of evaluating, kinds of

students and skills of teachers, one cannot find a single eternal curriculum that would

perpetually fit. A good teacher, therefore, innovates the curriculum and thus becomes a

curriculum innovator.

Implements the curriculum (Implementor). The curriculum that remains

recommended or written will never serve its purpose. Somebody has to implement it.
As mentioned previously, at the heart of schooling is the curriculum. It is this role

where the teacher becomes the curriculum implementor. An implementor gives life to

the curriculum plan. The teacher is at the height of an engagement with the learners,

with support materials in order to achieve the desired outcome. It is where teaching,

guiding, facilitating skills of the teacher is expectedto the highest level. It is here, where

all the elements of the curriculum will come into play. The success of a recommended,

well written and planned curriculum depends on the implementation.

Evaluates the curriculum (Evaluator). How can one determine if the desire

learning outcomes have been achieved? Is the curriculum working? Does it bring the

desired results? What do outcomes reveal? Are the learners achieving? Are there

sompractices that should be modified? Should the curriculum be modified, terminated

or continued? These are some few questions that need the help of the curriculum

evaluator. That a person is the teacher.

The seven different roles are those which a responsible teacher does in the classroom

everyday! Doing multi-faceted work qualifies a teacher to be a curricularist.

MODULE 2: THE TEACHER AS A KNOWER OF CURRICULUM

Lesson 1: The School Curriculum: Definition, Nature and Scope

The term curriculum has been differently defined by different people. These definitions

are dependent on their different conceptions of education and the functions of school

and the types of products they expect from educational institutions. The origin of the

word curriculum was from the Latin word 'currus', which means to run a race. This

means that once a child starts to learn, he/she begins to run the race. This race is

comprehensive in nature because, in the course of the race, the child or the learner

encounters a lot of experiences, which may be intellectual, social, moral, spiritual or

physical. These experiences are provided to produce the total man. The experiences

may be formal and planned or informal and accidental or unplanned. In the course of

the race, the child may also encounter some obstacles which he/she must surmount

either through his/her efforts or by the assistance of someone else to enable him/her to

attain the expectations of the society. The child is the main focus of the curriculum.

Curriculum can be defined as the document, plan or blue print for instructional guide,

which is used for teaching and learning to bring about positive and desirable learner

behavior change. This definition refers to the formal curriculum, which is planned ahead

of time, bearing in mind the characteristics of the curriculum recipients, the philosophy

and goals of education, the environment, the resources, methods of teaching, and

evaluation procedures. It is the road map to attainment of the goals of education. The

curriculum document can be regarded as the syllabus, the scheme of work or the
course outline. It refers to the planned curriculum. The definition of curriculum as a

structured series of learning experiences intended for the education of the learners is

related to the above definition. It is a course of studies offered in the school for the

education of the learners, and which students pursue in order to get a degree, a

certificate, a diploma or any other forms of academic awards. Learning experiences are

embedded in courses taught to the learners in schools. The learning experiences are

learner oriented, goal oriented; and they can be physical or mental activities,

observable or unobservable. The learning experiences are the means while the content

is the end. Curriculum content is made up of the subject matter to be taught, body of

knowledge, topics, ideas, concepts, symbols, facts and cognitions, presented to the

learners.

CURRICULUM is considered as the “heart” of any learning institution which means that

schools or universities cannot exist without a curriculum.

The Traditional Points of View

In early years of the 20th century, “Curriculum was a”body of subject or subject matter

prepared by the teacher for the student to learn.” It was synonymous to the”course of

study” and “syllabus”

Robert M. Hutchins- curriculum for basic education should emphasize 3Rs, and

college education should be grounded on liberal education

Joseph Schwab -“ Discipline” is the sole source of curriculum. Thus, the education

system curriculum is divided into chunkc of knowledge called subject areas in basic
education, such as math science, English etc…, and college, discipline may include

humanities, sciences, languages, etc.

Progressive Points of View of Curriculum

To a progressivist, “a listing of school subjects, syllabi, course of study, and list of

course or specific discipline do not make a curriculum,”. This can only be called

curriculum if the written materials are actualized by the learner.

John Dewey-Curriculum is based in Dewye;s definition of experience and education.

He believes that reflective thinking is a means that unifies curricular elements.

Caswell and Campbell viewed curriculum as “all experiences children have under the

guidance of teachers”.

Marsh and Willis view curriculum as “all the experiences in the classroom which are

planned and enacted by the teacher, and also learned by the students.”
Lesson 2: Approaches to School Curriculum

Curriculum can be approached or seen in three ways. It can be defined as content or

body of knowledge. All curricula have content, regardless of their design or models. To

the subject centered view, content or subject matter is another term for knowledge. It

is compendium of facts, concepts generalization, principles and theories. To the learner-

centered view, the content relates knowledge to the individual’s personal and social

world and how he/she defines reality. According to Jerome Bruner,” knowledge is a

model we construct to give meaning and structure to regularities in experience”

Curriculum as a process is seen as a scheme about the practice of teaching. It is where

the knowledge to be transmitted. Curriculum as a product is what the students desire to

achieve as learning outcomes.

There are four ways of presenting the content in the curriculum. These are: 1. Tropical

approach, where much content is based on knowledge, and experiences are included;

2. Concept approach with fewer topics in clusters around major and sub-concepts and

their interaction, with relatedness emphasized; 3. Thematic approach as a combination

of concepts that develop conceptual structures, and 4. Modular approach that leads to

complete units of instruction.

There are some suggested criteria in the selection of knowledge or subject matter.

First, significance, when content or subject matter will contribute to basic ideas,

concepts principles, and generalization to achieve the overall aim of the curriculum,

then it is significant. It is also significant if it will develop learning abilities, skills,

processes and attitude. Second, validity, the authenticity of the subject matter forms its

validity and when it measures what it intends to measure. Third, utility, usefulness of

the content or subject matter may be relative to the learner who is going to use it and

can apply in real life. Fourth, learnability, subject matter in the curriculum should be

within the range of the experiences of the learners. Fifth, feasibility, the subject content

is learned within the allotted time. Sixth, interest for a learner –centered curriculum,

this is the key criterion. A learner will value the content if it is meaningful to him or her.

Students’ interests should be considered and adjusted taking into consideration

maturity, prior experiences, educational and social value of their interest among others.

The core or the heart of the curriculum includes the different instructional strategies

and methods that realize the goals and use the content in order to produce an outcome

teaching strategies convert the written curriculum into instruction. Both the teacher and

learner take actions to facilitate learning. Whatever methods the teacher utilizes to

implement the curriculum, there will be some guide for the selection and use, such as:

Teaching methods are means to achieve the end. They are used to translate the

objectives into action. There is no single best teaching method. Its effectiveness will

depend on the learning objectives, the learners, and skill of the teacher. Teaching

methods should stimulate the learners desire to develop in the cognitive, affective,

psychomotor, social and spiritual domains. In the choice of the teaching methods, the

learning styles of the students should be considered. Every method should lead to the

development of the three domains: cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Flexibility

should be a consideration in the use of the teaching methods. Curriculum as a process

is a collective term that encompasses all of the considerations about which curriculum

workers ponder and ultimately use to make choices in the development and evaluation

of a curriculum project. These processes involve changes that some students, teachers,

school staff, and community members welcome, but that others resist either actively or

passively. Curriculum can be taken to mean the instrument by means of which schools

seek to translate the hopes of the society in which they function into concrete realities.

It is planned and sequenced. It is a vehicle through which education is attained. The

essence of education is the ability to transfer the knowledge, facts, skills, values and

attitudes learnt from one situation to solving, problems in another situation, and this is

done through curriculum. Curriculum products or projects result from curriculum

development processes and provide the bases for instructional decisions in classrooms.

Curriculum projects include curriculum guides, courses of study, syllabi, resource units,

lists of goals and objectives, and other documents that deal with the content of

schooling. Curriculum guides "usually include details about the topics to be taught,

predetermined teaching goals and suggestions for instructional strategies.

All curricula, to be effective, must have the element of evaluation. Curriculum

evaluation refers to the formal determination of the quality, effectiveness or value of

the program process, and product of the curriculum. Evaluation is meeting the goals

and matching them with the intended outcomes.

Lesson 3 Curriculum Development: Processes and Models

Curriculum Development, may be defines as the process of selecting, organizing,

executing and evaluating the learning experiences on the basis of the nature of the

society or community. It is a continuous process for the possibilities of improving the

teaching-learning situation. Its goal is a positive change; process and transformation in

the lives of the learners based on the schools mission and goals. Current curriculum

models can be broken down into two broad categories—the product model and the

process model. The product model is results-oriented. Grades are the prime objective,

with the focus lying more on the finished product rather than on the learning process.

The process model, however, is more open-ended, and focuses on how learning

develops over a period of time. These two models need to be taken into account when

developing curriculum. Curriculum planning involves the implementation of

different types of instructional strategies and organizational methods that are focused

on achieving optimal student development and student learning outcomes. Instructors

might structure their curriculum around daily lesson plans, a specific assignment, a

chunk of coursework, certain units within a class, or an entire educational program.

During the curriculum planning phase, teachers consider factors that might complement

Or hinder their lesson curriculum. These include institutional requirements. Each

administrator at a university or college will have guidelines, principles and a framework

that instructors are required to reference as they build out their curriculums. Educators

are responsible for ensuring that their curriculum planning meets the students’
Educators should employ the curriculum process that best incorporates the six

components of effective teaching.

Curriculum design is the deliberate organization of curriculum within a course or

classroom. When instructors design their curriculums, they identity what will be done,

who will do it and when, as well as what the objective of each course is. Remember

that the curriculum contains the knowledge and skills that a student needs to master in

order to move to the next level. By thinking about how their curriculum is designed,

teachers ensure they’ve covered all the necessary requirements. From there, they can

start exploring various approaches and teaching methods that can help them achieve

their goals. Development connotes changes which are systematic. A change for the

better means any alteration, modification or improvement of existing condition. To

produce positive changes, development should be purposeful, planned and progressive.

This is how curriculum evolves. Curriculum is a document which describes as structured

series of learning objectives and outcomes for a given subject matter/ area. It includes

a specification of what should be learned, how it should be taught, and the plan for

implementing/ assessing the learning. Some authors define curriculum as the total

effort of the school to bring about desired outcomes in the school and out-of-school

situations. It is also defined as a sequence of potential experiences set up in school for

the purpose of disciplining children and youth in group ways of thinking and acting.

Howel and Evans (1995) define curriculum as standard set of learning outcomes or task

that educators usually call goals and objectives, while other writers define curriculum

as” the what of teaching”, or listing of subjects to be taught in school.

The models of curriculum development are Ralph Tyler Model, Hilda Taba Model, and

Galen Saylor and William Alexander. Ralph Tyler Model ( also known as Tyler’s

Rationale) he posited forum fundamental questions or principles in examining any

curriculum: 1. What educational purposes should schools seek to attain? 2. What

educational experiences can be provided that is likely to attain these purposes? 3. How

can these educational experiences be effectively organized? 4. How can we determine

whether these purposes are being attained or not? Tyler’s Model shows that in the

curriculum development the following considerations should be made” 1. Purpose of the

school 2. Educational experiences related to the purpose 3.Organization of the

experiences 4. Evaluation of the experiences/ outcomes.

Hilda Taba Model She improved on Tyler’s Rationale by making a linear model. She

believes that teachers who teach or implement the curriculum should participate in

developing it. Her advocacy was called the “grassroots approach” Presented seven

majors steps her model, where teachers could have a major input. Diagnosis of learners

needs and expectations of the larger society, Formulation of learning objectives,

Selection of the learning content, Organization of the learning content, Selection of the

learning experiences, Organization of learning activities, Determination of what to

evaluate and the means of doing it.

Thus, looking at the curriculum models, the three interacting process in curriculum

development are: (1) planning; (2) implementing; and (3) evaluating.

Lesson 4 Foundations of Curriculum Development

Philosophy provides educators, teachers and curriculum makers with framework for

planning, implementing and evaluating curriculum in school. It helps in answering what

schools are for, what subjects are important, how students should learn and what

materials and methods should be used. In decision-making, philosophy provides the

starting point and will be used for the succeeding decision-making. The commonly

accepted foundations of curriculum include the following: Philosophical, Historical,

Psychological, And Social. The following four educational philosophies relate to

curriculum: First, perennialism the focus in the curriculum is classical subjects, literary

analysis and considers curriculum as constant. Second essentialism the essential skills

of the 3 R's and essential subjects of English, Science, History, Math and Foreign

Language is the focus of the curriculum. Third progressivism he curriculum is focused

on students' interest, human problems and affairs. The subjects are interdisciplinary,

integrative and interactive. Fourth reconstructionism the focus of the curriculum is on

present and future trends and issues of national and international interests.

Educational philosophy lays the strong foundation of any curriculum. A curriculum

planner or specialist, implementer or the teacher, school heads, evaluator anchors

his/her decision making process on a sound philosophy.

Historical Foundations of Curriculum. Curriculum is not an old field. Majority of scholars

would place its beginning in 1918 with the publication of Franklin Bobbit's book."The

Curriculum". Philippine education came about from various foreign influences. This can

be traced back to the glorious history. Of all foreign educational systems, the American
educational system has the greatest influence on our educational system.

The following six curriculum theorists contributed their views on curriculum: 1. Franklin

Bobbit (1876-1956)- presented curriculum as a science that emphasizes on students'

need. 2. Werret Charters (1875-1952) - considered curriculum also as a science which is

based on students' need, and the teachers plan the activities. 3. William Kilpatrick

(1871-1965) - viewed curriculum as purposeful activities which are child-centered.4.

Harold Rugg (1886-1960) - emphasized social studies in the curriculum and the teacher

plans the lesson in advance. 5. Hollis Caswell (1901-1989) - sees curriculum as

organized around social functions of themes, organized knowledge and earner's

interests. 6. Ralph Tyler (1902-1994) - believes that curriculum is a science and an

extension of school's philosophy. based on students' need and interests.

The historical development shows the different changes in the purposes, principles and

content of the curriculum.

Psychological Foundations Psychology provides basis for the teaching and learning

process. It unifies elements of the learning process and some of the questions which

can be addressed by psychological foundations. The following are the three major

groups f learning theories: 1. Behaviorists Psychology - consider that learning should be

organized in order that students can experience success in the process of mastering the

subject matter, and thus, method of teaching should be introduced in a step by step

manner with proper sequencing of task. 2. Cognitive Psychology - focus their attention

on how individuals process information and how the monitor and manage thinking. For
the cognitive theorists, learning constitutes a logical method for organizing and

interpreting learning. Learning is rooted in the tradition of subject matter where

teachers use a lot of problem and thinking skills in teaching learning. These are

exemplified by practices like reflective thinking, creative thinking, intuitive thinking,

discovery learning, etc. 3. Humanistic Psychology - concerned with how learners can

develop their human potential. Based on Gestalt psychology where learning can be

explained in terms of the wholeness of the problem and where the environment is

changing and the learner is continuously reorganizing his/her perceptions. Curriculum is

concerned with the process not the products, personal needs not subject matter;

psychological meaning and environmental situations. 4. Social Foundations of

Education. Schools exist within the social context. Societal culture affects and shapes

schools and their curricula. The relationship of curriculum and society is mutual and

encompassing. Hence, to be relevant, the curricula should reflect and preserve the

culture of society and its aspirations. At the same time, society should also imbibe the

changes brought about by the formal institutions called schools. The way school

buildings are structured and they way classrooms and students are organized reflect the

cultural views and values of the society. In considering the social foundations of the

curriculum, we must recognize that schools are only one of the many institutions that

educate society. However, schools are formal institutions that address more complex

and interrelated societies and the world.

 MODULE 3 THE TEACHER AS A CURRICULUM DESIGNER

Lesson 1 Fundamentals of Curriculum Designing

Curriculum design is a term used to describe the purposeful, deliberate, and systematic

organization of curriculum (instructional blocks) within a class or course. In other

words, it is a way for teachers to plan instruction. When teachers design curriculum,

they identify what will be done, who will do it, and what schedule to follow. Teachers

design each curriculum with a specific educational purpose in mind. The ultimate goal is

to improve student learning, but there are other reasons to employ curriculum design

as well. Every curriculum designer, implementer, or evaluator should take in mind the

following general axioms as a guide in curriculum development.

Curriculum change is inevitable, necessary and desirable. Curriculum should be

dynamic. Teachers should respond to the changes that occur in schools and in its

context. Societal development and knowledge revolution come so fast that the need to

address the changing condition requires new curriculum designs.

Curriculum reflects as a product of its time

For a curriculum to be relevant, it should respond to changes brought about by current

social forces, philosophical positions, psychological principles, new knowledge, and

educational reforms.

Curriculum changes made earlier can exist concurrently with newer

curriculum changes
A revision in curriculum starts and ends slowly. More often, curriculum is gradually

phase in and phased out, thus the changes that occur can coexist and oftentimes

overlap for long period of times.

Curriculum change depends on people who will implement the change

Teachers who will implement the curriculum should be involved in its development,

hence should know how to design the curriculum.

Curriculum development is a cooperative group activity.

Group decisions in some aspects of curriculum development are suggested.

Consultations with stakeholders when possible will add a sense of ownership. Even

learners should participate in some aspect of curriculum designing.

Curriculum development is a decision-making process made from choices of

alternatives

A curriculum developer or designer must decide what contents to teach, philosophy or

point of view to support, how to provide multicultural groups, what methods or

strategies, and what type of evaluation to use.

Curriculum development is an ongoing process

Continuous monitoring, examination, evaluation, and improvement of curricula are to

be considered in the design. As the needs of learners change, as society changes, and

as new knowledge and technology appear, the curriculum must change.

Curriculum development is more effective if it is a comprehensive process,

rather than a “piecemeal”

It must be carefully planned, should clearly establish intended outcomes, support

resources and needed time available and should equip teaching staff pedagogically.

Curriculum development is more effective if it follows a systematic process

A curriculum design is composed of desired outcomes, subject matter content

complemented with references, set of procedures, needed materials and resources and

evaluation procedure which can be placed in a matrix.

Curriculum development starts from where the curriculum is

Curriculum planners and designers should begin with existing curriculum. An existing

design is a good starting point for any teacher who plans to enhance and enrich the

curriculum.  

ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS OF A CURRICULUM DESIGN

Behavioral objectives or intended learning outcomes. These are the reasons for

undertaking the learning lesson from the student’s point of view. This is what to be

achieved after the discussion. Content/subject matter 1. It should be relevant to the

outcomes of the curriculum. 2. Should be appropriate to the level of the lesson or unit.

3. Should be up to date and, if possible, should reflect current knowledge and concepts.

References  It may be a book, a module, or any publication.It tells where the content

or subject matter has been taken. Teaching and learning methods. It should allow

cooperation, competition, as well as individualism or independent learning among the

students. Assessment/evaluation these are the activities where the learners derives

experiences. It has three domains. this is to know if learning occurs to the students.
Lesson 2 Approaches to Curriculum Designing

Subject-Centered Design model- focuses on the content of the curriculum. Corresponds

mostly to the textbook written for the specific subject. In this design, schools divided

the school hours across different subjects. Subject Design- this is the oldest and so far

the most familiar for teachers, parents and other layman. It is easy to deliver, has

complementary books, written, and available support instructional materials. The

drawback is that learning is so compartmentalized. It stresses the content so much

that it forgets about student’s natural tendencies, interests and experiences. Discipline

Design. Related to the subject design, but focuses on academic discipline. It is often

used in college. Correlation Design- This comes from a core, correlated curriculum

designs that links separate subjects designs in order to reduce fragmentation. Subjects

related to one another, but each subject maintains identity. Broad Field

design/interdisciplinary- it is variation of the subject-centered design. This design was

made to prevent the compartmentalization of subjects and integrate the contents that

are related to each other. It sometimes called a holistic curriculum because it draws

around themes and integration. Learner-Centered Design- Among the progressive

educational psychologists, the learner is the center of the educative process. The

emphasis is very strong in the elementary level. However, more concern has been

placed on the secondary and even the tertiary level. In high school, the subject or

content has become the focus and in the college level, the discipline is the center. Both

levels, however still recognize the importance of the learner in the curriculum. Child-

centered Design- attributed to the influence of John Dewey, Rouseau, Pestallozi, and
Froebel. The curriculum is anchored on the needs and interest of the child. The is not

considered as a passive individual, but as on, who engages with his/her environment.

One learns by doing. Learners actively create and construct meaning and

understanding as viewed by the constructivists. Learners interact with the teachers and

environment. Thus, there is a collaborative effort on both sides of the plan lessons,

select content, and do activities together. Learning is the product of the child’s

interaction with the environment. Experienced-Centered Design- This is similar to child-

centered design. Although the child remains to be the focus, experience-centered

design believes that the interests and needs of the learners cannot be pre-planned.

Instead, experiences of the learners become the starting point of the curriculum. Thus,

the school environment is left open and free. Learners are made to choose from

various activities that the teacher provides. The learners are empowered to shape their

own learning form different opportunities given by the teacher. The emergence of

multiple intelligence blends well with experience-centered design curriculum.

Humanistic Design- The key personalities in this curriculum design were Abraham

Maslow and Carl Rogers. Maslow’s theory of self-actualization explains that a person

who achieves this level is accepting of self, others and nature; is simple , spontaneous

and natural; is open to different experiences; possesses empathy and sympathy to

wards the less fortunate, among many others, Carl Rogers, on the other hand,

believed that a person can enhance self-directed learning by improving self-

understanding and basic attitudes to guide behavior. In the humanistic curriculum

design, the development of self is the ultimate obje4ctice of learning. It stresses the
development of positive self-concept and interpersonal skills. Problem –Centered

Design- Generally, this design draws on social problems, needs, interests, and abilities

of the learners. Various problems are given emphases. In this curriculum, content cuts

across subject boundaries and must be based on the needs, concerns and abilities of

the students. Life-Situation Design- The contents are organized in ways that allow the

students to clarify view problem areas. It uses the past and the present experiences of

learners as a means to analyze the basic areas of living. Core Design- It centers on

general education, and the problems are based on common human activities. The

central focus of the core design includes common needs, problems, and concerns of

the learners. Instructional strategies and methods will link to curriculum experiences,

the core and heart of the curriculum. The instructional strategies and methods will put

into action the goals and use of the content in order to produce an outcome.

Teaching strategies convert the written curriculum to instruction. Among these are

time-tested methods, inquiry approaches, constructivist and other emerging strategies

that complement new theories in teaching and learning. Educational activities like field

trips, conducting experiments, interacting with computer programs and other

experiential learning will also form par of the repertoire of teaching.

To be effective, all curricula must have an element of evaluation. Curriculum evaluation

refer to the formal determination of the quality, effectiveness or value of the program,

process, and product of the curriculum.

Lesson 3 Curriculum Mapping

Curriculum mapping is the process indexing or diagraming a curriculum to identify and

address academic gaps, redundancies, and misalignments for purposes of improving the

overall coherence of a course of study and, by extension, its effectiveness (a

curriculum, in the sense that the term is typically used by educators, encompasses

everything that teachers teach to students in a school or course, including the

instructional materials and techniques they use).

In most cases, curriculum mapping refers to the alignment of learning standards and

teaching—i.e., how well and to what extent a school or teacher has matched the

content that students are actually taught with the academic expectations described in

learning standards—but it may also refer to the mapping and alignment of all the many

elements that are entailed in educating students, including assessments, textbooks,

assignments, lessons, and instructional techniques.

Generally speaking, a coherent curriculum is (1) well organized and purposefully

designed to facilitate learning, (2) free of academic gaps and needless repetitions, and

(3) aligned across lessons, courses, subject areas, and grade levels. When educators

map a curriculum, they are working to ensure that what students are actually taught

matches the academic expectations in a particular subject area or grade level.

Before the advent of computers and the internet, educators would create curriculum

maps on paper and poster board; today, educators are far more likely to use

spreadsheets, software programs, and online services that are specifically dedicated to

curriculum mapping. The final product is often called a “curriculum map,” and educators
will use the maps to plan courses, lessons, and teaching strategies in a school. For a

related discussion, see backward design.

While the specific approach or strategies used to map a curriculum may vary widely

from district to district, school to school, or even teacher to teacher, the process

typically aims to achieve a few common goals:

Vertical coherence: When a curriculum is vertically aligned or vertically coherent, what

students learn in one lesson, course, or grade level prepares them for the next lesson,

course, or grade level. Curriculum mapping aims to ensure that teaching is purposefully

structured and logically sequenced across grade levels so that students are building on

what they have previous learned and learning the knowledge and skills that will

progressively prepare them for more challenging, higher-level work. For a related

discussion, see learning progression.

Horizontal coherence: When a curriculum is horizontally aligned or horizontally

coherent, what students are learning in one ninth-grade biology course, for example,

mirrors what other students are learning in a different ninth-grade biology course.

Curriculum mapping aims to ensure that the assessments, tests, and other methods

teachers use to evaluate learning achievement and progress are based on what has

actually been taught to students and on the learning standards that the students are

expected to meet in a particular course, subject area, or grade level.

Subject-area coherence: When a curriculum is coherent within a subject area—such as

mathematics, science, or history—it may be aligned both within and across grade levels.

Curriculum mapping for subject-area coherence aims to ensure that teachers are
working toward the same learning standards in similar courses (say, three different

ninth-grade algebra courses taught by different teachers), and that students are also

learning the same amount of content, and receiving the same quality of instruction,

across subject-area courses.

Interdisciplinary coherence: When a curriculum is coherent across multiple subject

areas—such as mathematics, science, and history—it may be aligned both within and

across grade levels. Curriculum mapping for interdisciplinary coherence may focus on

skills and work habits that students need to succeed in any academic course or

discipline, such as reading skills, writing skills, technology skills, and critical-thinking

skills. Improving interdisciplinary coherence across a curriculum, for example, might

entail teaching students reading and writing skills in all academic courses, not just

English courses.

In addition to assisting with reflective practice and better communication among

faculty, curriculum mapping also helps to improve overall coherence from grade to

grade, thus increasing the likelihood of students achieving program- or school-level

outcomes. For example, if all of the teachers in a middle school create a curriculum

map for their math classes, teachers in every grade can look at each other's maps and

identify areas in which they can reinforce learning. This also works well for

interdisciplinary instruction.  

DAVAO DEL SUR STATE COLLEGE

 Matti, Digos City

Academic Abstract
EDEM-506 Management of Curriculum and Instruction
Module 1 to Module 3

Jessa C. Layohoy
Student

Dr. Zandro P. Ibañez

Professor