TEACHERS AS CURRICULUM LEADERS

Chapter 8

Educational Leadership

This chapter presents and discusses significant literatures and ideas that explore the important
roles of teachers as curriculum leaders. It suggests that a teacher’s role in curriculum is not
limited to curriculum implementation but also includes various curriculum leadership roles.

Objectives:

1. enumerate the key roles of teacher leaders in curriculum processes;

2. state the importance of teachers as curriculum leaders in planning and evaluating instruction;
3. appreciate the roles of teachers as curriculum leaders in the K-12 Education Program; and
4. identify ways to develop teacher leaders in curriculum.

I. Key Roles of Teachers as Leaders in Curriculum Processes

Teachers play an important role in almost all activities related to curriculum processes. They
are the chief implementers of the curriculum as they are directly involved in the teaching-learning
process. They are catalyst of the development of individuals and societies. They have a strong
passion for mission to make a positive difference in the lives of students. They see themselves as
key sources of knowledge and developers of skills and values that are imperative for human life.
Teachers are curriculum leaders in the education system.

Curriculum leadership can be simply defined as set of important roles and activities that each
teacher does in relation to curriculum planning, curriculum design, curriculum implementation,
and curriculum evaluation. In curriculum leadership , teachers are expected to innovate and
develop curriculum that are relevant and responsive to the needs and context of the learners. They
serve as education ambassadors to different stakeholders and they are advocates of various
curricular reforms.

Teachers as curriculum leaders share the vision and mission of the whole country on
education. They are shapers of positive educational environment and they are guardians of
education values. They are visionaries and effective problem-solvers. They develop visions of a
great society and use education as a tool for accomplishing this vision. They study social issues,
needs, and demands; they respond carefully to cater to the needs and interests of the students; and
they creatively solve problems related to teaching and learning.

In many literatures, instruction is included in curriculum; many teachers assume instructional

leadership in school especially in the subject they teach. The following are some of the specific
roles of the teachers as instructional leaders in the local school context:

1. Designing instructional plans;

2. Selecting and developing instructional materials;
3. Assessing and reporting students’ progress;
4. Designing learning environment appropriate for the students;
5. Selecting appropriate teaching strategies and approaches;
6. Preparing reports and accomplishing official forms;
7. Guiding students in their school life; and
8. Teaching subjects assigned to them.

These roles are important in the education processes; however, teachers must see themselves
as curriculum leaders. The idea of curriculum leadership goes beyond the concept of instructional
leadership. Being a curriculum leader allows every teacher to see themselves as prime movers
and advocates of educational reforms at any level from local school, district, division, region, and
national level.

The following are the A to Z roles and functions of teachers as curriculum leaders in their
own schools, district, division, or regional level:

A – Advocate positive curricular reforms to ensure quality of education.

B – Broaden understanding of the teaching and learning process.
C – Conduct research to enhance curriculum content and improve teaching and learning.
D – Develop appropriate curriculum for students.
E – Evaluate curriculum materials and the implementation of the curriculum.
F – Facilitate activities to ensure public understanding of every single curriculum reform.
G – Gather important data needed for curriculum planning.
H – Harness community resources in curriculum development.
I – Innovate curriculum and instruction.
 J – Justify the need to innovate, evaluation, and develop curriculum.
K – Know every learner needs, issues, and interests.
L – Lobby congressional support for bills that are needed for curriculum reforms.
M – Manage curriculum implementation and curriculum change.
N – Nurture creativity and critical thinking in the curriculum.
O – Orient teachers, students, parents, and other stakeholders on the new curriculum.
P – Provide updated knowledge on the subject they teach.
Q – Qualify acceptable curriculum ideas and theories .
R – Reflect on different researches that influence the curriculum.
S – Select appropriate instructional strategies, methods, and approaches.
T – Train teachers who will implement the curriculum.
U – understand implications of social issues and social changes in the curriculum.
V – Validate the contents of the curriculum.
W – Win support from stakeholders and government on needed curriculum reforms.
X – X-ing (crossing out) bureaucratic barriers to curriculum implementation.
Y – Yearn for quality education through a relevant and responsive curriculum.
Z – Zero out irrelevant and erroneous curriculum contents and materials.

The task of teachers as curriculum leaders may seem to be very ideal and overwhelming
considering the fact that teacher education in this country needs major reform. However, time is
changing fast and schools cannot wait and simply respond to the needs of the society. To prepare
would be inappropriate and too late. The proper response is to create the kind of citizen and
society we need. This means that teachers have no choice but to assume their roles as curriculum
leaders.

a. Teachers as Curriculum Leaders in Instructional Planning Process

Instructional leadership is always associated with school administrators particularly school

principal. Oliva (2005) and Ornstein and Hunkins (1993) defined curriculum to include
instruction. Accordingly, curriculum and instruction are inseparable. Part of curriculum
processes is instruction that deals with the implementation of the curriculum. Curriculum
leadership, therefore, is broader in scope and has more functions compared to instructional
leadership. Thus, instructional leadership is one of the functions of curriculum leaders.
McEwan (2003) pointed out that instructional leaders must be knowledgeable about learning
theory, effective instruction, and curriculum, which she recognized as the power within the
educational force. Consequently, curriculum leaders perform their instructional leadership
function when they are able to represent the school philosophy, vision, mission, core values,
curriculum, and plans to the learners, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders.

Instructional leadership as one of the functions of curriculum leaders may need to do the
following:

i. Supervise the implementation of curriculum and academic standards;

ii. Promote a school culture and climate conducive to teaching and learning;
iii. Communicate the philosophy, vision, and mission of the school;
iv. Train teachers and school staff;
v. Lead in the development and purchase of instructional materials;
vi. Prepare the school budget for instruction;
vi. Observe classes of teachers; and
viii.Check assessment tools (exams and authentic assessment).

Curriculum leaders fulfill these instructional leadership functions in dynamic and

democratic ways. They inspire teachers and students to commit themselves to excellent
teaching and learning. They create efficient systems to ensure smooth implementation of
instruction.

Planning effective instruction is an important task of teachers as curriculum leaders. Reiser

and Dick (1996) developed an instructional planning model that presents a very logical
sequence of instructional planning.

In Reiser and Dick’s model, the teachers as curriculum leaders, need to ensure that the
curriculum standards and competencies as reflected in the instructional goals are
implemented carefully. This model emphasizes the importance of analyzing the content and
the learners’ characteristics while teachers select the lesson objectives. The model also puts
emphasis on the development of assessment tools after identifying the objectives of the
lesson. This will ensure that proper assessment tools, aligned with the objectives of the
lesson, will be utilized to assess students’ learning.

Analyze
Content

Identify Identify Develop Plan Choose

Instructional Objectives Assessment Instructional Instructional
Goals Tools Activities Media

Analyze Implement
Learners Instruction
Characteristics

Revise Instruction

Figure 1. Reiser and Dick’s Instructional Planning Model

Planning instruction in Reiser and Dick’s model includes this instructional procedure:

1. Motivation
2. Presentation of objectives
3. Recalling prerequisite skills and knowledge
4. Presentation of information and examples
5. Practice and feedback
6. Summary
7. Assessment

Teachers may use several teaching strategies and learning activities in each procedure to
ensure the success of instruction. Teachers need to respond to the learning needs of the
students and align their teaching styles with the learning styles of every student. Thus,
planning is necessary.

Instructional media and other instructional materials also play an important role in
instruction. Teachers need to select the instructional media that can be used to help
 effectively implement the objectives of the lesson. Technology and other forms of
instructional media are parts of the interests of millennial students. Millennial students
almost always rely on technology, especially internet, in getting information about their
lessons. They use technology in almost all aspects of their studies.

Implementing instruction includes actual teaching and learning process. In this this part of
instruction, the teacher’s skill in effectively carrying out the lesson is needed. Effective
classroom management, utilization of appropriate activities, and assessment tools are also
needed.

The last part of the process is revision of instruction. Here, the teacher will use the result of
students’ assessment in revising the instruction. Teachers as curriculum leaders need to know
how to utilize the result of assessment in improving classroom instruction.

b. Teachers as Curriculum Leaders in Evaluating Instruction

Evaluating instruction is also an important function of teachers as curriculum leaders. It is

necessary for teachers to ensure that curriculum: i) is implemented as it was planned; and ii)
standards and competencies are taught effectively to every learner. Evaluating instruction
also measures the effectiveness of how the curriculum is implemented.

In evaluating instruction, teachers need to look at the following procedures:

1. Planning for the evaluation

i. Develop the purpose and objectives of the evaluation.
ii. Determine the data and other information needed.
iii. Set the timeline for the evaluation.

2. Determine instructional evaluation design – just like in doing curriculum evaluation, in

instructional evaluation the teachers will need to describe the following:
i. Types of information needed for the evaluation
ii. Sources of information
iii. Methods for collecting the needed information
iv. Methods for analyzing the data gathered
v. Timeline for conducting the evaluation

3. Develop instructional evaluation instrument

i. observation guide
ii. Checklists
 iii. Questionnaires
iv. Survey forms
v. Interview guide

4. Collect data – the teachers will collect or gather necessary data needed for the
instructional evaluation
i. Focus group discussion
ii. Interview with students and teachers
iii. Actual class observation
iv. Examining samples of students’ outputs
v. Examining assessment tools used in the classes
vi. Checking the facilities and other instructional materials
vii. Checking the lesson plans
viii. Interview with principals and supervisors

5. Analyze data – teachers will analyze the data gathered and interpret the results.

6. Report findings/results of the instructional evaluation. During actual observation of

classes, instructional evaluation could focus on the following aspects:
 Appropriateness of activities and strategies to the students and to the topic.
 Active participation of students in performing learning tasks
 Usefulness of instructional materials in meeting the desired objectives of the lesson
 Conduciveness of classroom environment for learning
 Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) level of teachers
 Classroom management
 Development of positive relationship between students and teachers
 Effective presentation of concepts
 Effectiveness of the teacher in carrying out the instructional procedures

The result of instructional evaluation is important in planning how to improve the curriculum
and its implementation. The result is also useful for designing a mentoring program for new
teachers.

c. Teachers as Curriculum Leaders in the K-12 Education Reform

Republic Act 10533, otherwise known as Enhanced Basic Education Act of the Philippines
includes specific provisions for teachers and principals to exercise leadership roles not only
in instruction but also in curriculum. Republic Act 9155, otherwise known as Governance of
 Basic Education Act of 2001 also specifies important provisions wherein teachers play
important roles to promote and protect the rights of every citizen to quality basic education.

Teacher empowerment is at the heart of K-12 Education. With all the reforms and
innovations in the K-12 Education Program, teachers need to view themselves as curriculum
leaders performing the following functions:
 Ensure effective implementation of curriculum standards and competencies.
 Develop and evaluate curriculum materials that are appropriate for the students.
 Develop assessment and evaluation tools to assess learning.
 Plan and evaluate curriculum.
 Plan activities that will help implement the curriculum.
 Solicit support from parents and other stakeholders.
 Make curricular decisions at the school level.
 Conduct research to improve learning and improve content.

Since K-12 Curriculum is a standards-based curriculum reform, all teachers are compelled to
focus their attention on the following:
1. Clarity of the standards – teachers should know the essential standards that every student
should learn in the curriculum. These standards are contents, skills, and values or attitudes
that students need to learn and master.
2. Visibility of performance measure – teachers need to ensure that each curriculum
standard shows visible outcome or performance .
3. Consistency of communication – teachers should effectively communicate the standards
to all students.

All teachers need to share the vision of K-12 Education. Teachers of K-12 Program need to:
 continuously improve their mastery of the subjects and disciplines that they teach;
 significantly improve their pedagogical skills;
 be creatively innovative;
 develop new ways of responding to the needs and interests of the learners; and
 effectively devise reliable ways to assess and evaluate the learning of students.

d. Teachers as Curriculum Leaders in Pre-school

Republic Act 10157, otherwise known as The Kindergarten Education Act integrates
kindergarten education in the formal education system of the country. Before the school year
2011-2012, kindergarten education was not a prerequisite to Grade 1; it was more of a
privilege for learners whose parents can afford kindergarten education for them. It was
desirable but not mandatory. Kindergarten Education Act now mandates all children aged
five (5) to enroll in kindergarten. A diploma in kindergarten is now a prerequisite to enroll in
Grade 1.

The Department of Education issued a curriculum to be implemented by all kindergarten

schools in the country. This curriculum includes several domains that need to be developed
among young children. The Kindergarten Curriculum includes the following areas:

 Values Education
 Physical Health and Motor Development
 Social and Emotional Development
 Cognitive Development
- Sensory-Perceptual Motor Development
- Mathematics
- Understanding of the Physical and Natural Environment
- Understanding of the Social Environment
- Language, Literacy, and Communication

The New Kindergarten Curriculum needs teachers who are:

o Highly trained in handling young children’s behavior and in guiding them toward
learning;
o Not only implementers of the curriculum but curriculum leaders who will make
decisions about selection of content, materials, and assessment tools to be used; and
o Advocate children’s education, rights, and protection.

Considering cultural diversity, there is a need for teachers to:

 Develop new curriculum materials relevant and responsive to context & culture of
learners; and
 Integrate multicultural literacy and cultural competencies in the curriculum.

ASEAN standards for global teachers necessitates ALL teachers to:

 Address the needs of culturally diverse schools.

With the implementation of Mother-Tongue-based Multilingual Education starting in

Kindergarten, there is a need for teachers to:
 Study new ways of learning, new pedagogy, and new curriculum designs for indigenizing
and contextualizing curriculum and instruction; and
 Study more on the language of the people and develop new methods and techniques in
teaching local languages.
 The inclusion of Kindergarten in the formal education curriculum necessitates all educators
to:
 Restudy the child-centered philosophy in the context of standardization of curriculum and
modernization of pedagogy;
 Review curriculum standards to ensure that learner’s needs and nature are reflected;
 Develop new ways od assessing learners’ progress;
 Find ways on how to play and other progressive approaches will fit in the new rules of
standards-based education.

e. Teachers as Curriculum Leaders in the Elementary Grades

Primary or Elementary education is always regarded as Laboratory of Life. As such, its

primary goal is to: develop basic skills, literacies, and life skills that all learners
need to prepare for life.

 subjects are designed to provide necessary information to help learners understand

the world and their roles, and develop necessary skills that they need in everyday
life
 essential in helping every learner learn how to learn, become creative and critical
thinkers, and to become builders of the society.
 Include important knowledge, skills, and values that all must learn to become
useful citizens and effective leaders in the society.

Teachers will/are:

 expose learners to the knowledge embedded in each subject- knowledge contains

history of people and society, culture and values, life-skills, communication
through language and other forms, thinking skills, quantitative reasoning, and basic
understanding of the natural and physical world;
 start to mold the minds & character of future leaders and citizens of the world;
 required to develop curriculum that will facilitate development of the mind, body,
and character of the students;
 need to present knowledge in the classroom or thru alternative learning in dynamic/
innovative ways requiring new types of instructional materials, new technology,
and new pedagogies;
 researchers- they study carefully how children learn, discover new ways of
teaching- learning, and discover new relevant information related to subjects they
teach;
  explore various ways of how to effectively assess learning;
 expose students to integrative learning;
 teach students to see the connection between and among subjects and see their
application to everyday life;
 empowered to design a new learning environment that celebrates diverse ideas and
learning styles;
 utilize technology effectively in teaching; and
 Make decision on curriculum content.

f. Teachers as Curriculum Leaders in the Junior High School

The Junior High School program of the K-12:

 includes Grade VII to Grade X of the secondary level; and
 serve as the entry point of students to the rigors of various disciplines in the areas of
science, social sciences, mathematics, humanities, and applied disciplines, i.e., Home
Economic and Vocational Technology.

The Curriculum for Junior High School:

 follows the spiral curriculum design enabling the learners to see the seamless
connection of one topic to another at the horizontal and vertical levels;
 spiral progression of contents is observed in the scope and sequence of the
curriculum; and
 teachers will need to master their disciplines and allow every learner to experience
and examine the beauty of each discipline.

In the Junior HS, students are/will (be):

 exposed to higher levels of learning- their 1 st encounter to study the disciplines as
disciplines and not as subjects;
 exposed to higher mathematics such as algebra, trigonometry,, calculus, and
geometry;
 introduced to Asian history, world history, economics, and deeper learning of
Philippine history;
 discover world and Philippine literatures;
 experience more of the applied disciplines that they will need in everyday life; and
 presented natural sciences in a spiral curriculum integrating physics, chemistry,
biology, earth science, and general sciences.

In the Junior HS, teachers will/are:

 assume leadership roles by sharing their disciplinary expertise to the students;
  content experts and effective facilitators of teaching and learning process;
 plan effective lessons, select contents, and identify strategies that are relevant to
students;
 understand the complexity of learners’ behavior in this stage of life, and
 serve as behavior compass for students to emulate.
g. Teachers as Curriculum Leaders in the Senior High School

Senior High School is something new in the educational program for basic education in our
country. It was added basically to prepare the Filipino for global demands. It is part of the
commitment of the country to make its educational system at par with global standards.

The Junior HS program is:

 a two-year education program added to the 10 years of basic education in our country.

In the Senior HS, students’ (will):

 choose their own track from the academic track, technical, and vocational tracks, and
arts and sports tracks.
 academic tracks has four specializations, namely: Humanities and Social Sciences,
Business, Science Technology Education and Mathematics (STEM), and General
Academic.
 four tracks aim to develop:
 life and career skills
 learning and innovation skills
 information and media skills
 communication skills

The Senior HS teachers will need to develop and implement lessons that are:
 learner-centered, inclusive, , and developmentally appropriate;
 relevant, responsive, and research-based;
 culture-sensitive, contextualized, and global;
 pedagogical approaches that are constructivist, inquiry-based, reflective,
collaborative, and integrative.

The Senior HS teachers (are):

 experts in their own field;
 will teach courses that prepare students for the profession they will choose and
provide them the necessary skills that they need to become entrepreneurs and
productive in everyday life.
 In the Senior HS, students are/will:
 exposed to several specialized courses;
 need to apply what they learned in JHS to understand better the lessons and develop
higher competencies.

In the Senior HS program, teachers will (are):

 play crucial role in developing professional skills and attitudes of their students;
 plan, design, develop, and implement curriculum appropriate for the students and
aligned to K-12 Education Program;
 expected to innovate and take the lead in ensuring that students will master the core
standards and competencies prescribed by DepEd for the SHS Curriculum.

ACTIVITY 1. Select a partner and answer the following questions:

A. Reflect on and address the following:

1. Write your own definition of curriculum leadership.

Curriculum leadership is…

2. Identify roles of teachers as curriculum leaders that you observed from teachers in your
school.

Curriculum leaders perform important tasks, such as…