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What Is Curriculum? Anonymous University of The People Professor Raymond Cain

The document discusses different definitions and conceptualizations of curriculum. It begins by explaining the author's initial narrow view of curriculum in high school as textbooks and topics, but later learns it is more holistic. The document presents definitions of curriculum as an interactive process between students, teachers, materials and environment; as the range of experiences students undergo in education; and as the set of prescribed learning activities. It also discusses the goals of Pakistan's national curriculum to equip students with skills and values to contribute to society and economy. In conclusion, the author views students as central to the curriculum and teachers as architects responsible for lifelong learning and considering the hidden curriculum.

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92 views

What Is Curriculum? Anonymous University of The People Professor Raymond Cain

The document discusses different definitions and conceptualizations of curriculum. It begins by explaining the author's initial narrow view of curriculum in high school as textbooks and topics, but later learns it is more holistic. The document presents definitions of curriculum as an interactive process between students, teachers, materials and environment; as the range of experiences students undergo in education; and as the set of prescribed learning activities. It also discusses the goals of Pakistan's national curriculum to equip students with skills and values to contribute to society and economy. In conclusion, the author views students as central to the curriculum and teachers as architects responsible for lifelong learning and considering the hidden curriculum.

Uploaded by

sania
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is Curriculum?

Anonymous

University of the People

Professor Raymond Cain


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The first time I encountered the term curriculum was in my high school when I thought the set of

the topics and the subtopics to be covered in the course for the whole year. I thought it was the

set of the textbooks we were taught for a particular subject. I did not anticipate that my idea

disregarded “wider goals of competencies and personal development” (International Bureau of

Education, n.d, para.2). Su (2012) submits “Instead of regarding curricula narrowly as

formalized classroom content or prescriptive learning objectives, it may be useful to think of

them more holistically as programs of experience” (p.154).

According to Chen (2007) as cited by Su (2012) “Curriculum is an interactive process developed

among learners, teachers, material and environment” (p. 155).These interactions I believe are

what make the curriculum come alive. Su also says that “The whole range of experiences

students are likely to undergo in the course of their education” like “the subject matter provided

for students, the actions of teachers (attitudes and motivations) in the classroom, the actions of

students (reactions, attitudes and motivation), and the instructional materials can all be

understood as facets of the experiential curriculum” (p. 154).

According to my learning and experience my professional definition of curriculum is the set of

learning activities which the students must experience as prescribed by the relevant education

system. Our National Curriculum as created and administered by the National Curriculum

Council (FCC) is a “guide and a set of binding regulations” for all those involved in the

provision of formal education (National Curriculum Frame work Pakistan, 2018). This guide

constitutes the set of educational goals and objectives, the content, the educators’ instructional

methods and how the learners will go about learning.

The preface of the National Curriculum Framework of Pakistan (2018) states that it is envisaged

that the curriculum will equip learners at all levels of education with vital knowledge, skills, and
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values that are necessary for contributing to the development of society and the economy . As a

developing country, it is our duty as educators to respond to the call for better educated citizens

who will contribute to the development of our society and economy. The ideological stance of

our curriculum is that of social efficiency. As posited by Schiro (2013) “The purpose of

schooling is to efficiently meet the needs of society by training youth to function as future

mature contributing members of society (p. 5).” Based on this, I believe that the end goal of the

curriculum in my milieu should be the manifestation of a steady stream of citizens who are

empowered life-long learners. These should be citizens who will transform the legacy of

ignorance, dependence and poverty into knowledge, independence and wealth. From citizens

who feel stifled by their culture to those that embrace and celebrate it. Taking ownership of such

a stance will arouse creativity and ingenuity that cannot help but guarantee the development of

our society.

In the final analysis, learners are at the center of the curriculum; they are the ones that are

directly influenced by it. As teachers, we are architects of school curriculum. In the classroom,

we use our creativity and expertise towards lifelong learning for our students. Beyond this, we

must be ever conscious of the hidden curriculum which “reinforces culture and value systems”

(Sager, 2013, p. 4).


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References

International Bureau of Education.(n.d.).Different Meanings of Curriculum. Retrieved from

 http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/geqaf/annexes/technical-notes/different-meanings-
%E2%80%9Ccurriculum%E2%80%9D

National Curriculum council.(2018). National curriculum framework of Pakistan. Retrieved from

https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/planipolis/files/ressources/pakistan_national_curriculum_f

ramework.pdf

Sager, M. (2013). Understanding the Hidden Curriculum: Connecting teachers to themselves,

their students and the earth. Retrieved from

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/37768079.pdf

Schiro, M. S. (2013). Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concerns  (2nd ed.).

Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc. Retrieved from

 https://talkcurriculum.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/schiro-m-2013-introduction-to-the-
curriculum-ideologies.pdf

Su, S. (2012). The Various Concepts of Curriculum and the Factors Involved in Curricula-

making. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268348184_The_Various_Concepts_of_Curriculum_a

nd_the_Factors_Involved_in_Curricula-making

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