THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

LEARNING OBJECTIVE TOPIC

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of philosophical,

socio-cultural, historical, psychological foundations of curriculum 1. Foundations of Curriculum
and curriculum development by; Development
a. Discussing the foundations of curriculum development; a. Philosophical foundations
b. Explaining how each foundation influences the curriculum b. Psychological foundation of
development; curriculum and the proponents
c. Identifying, describing and comparing the contribution of c. Humanistic foundation of the
each group/proponent in curriculum development; curriculum
d. Compare traditional with the constructivist classroom and d. Social foundations of the
Illustrate how it is applied in the present context; curriculum and the proponents
e. Justify the importance of psychological foundations e. Historical foundations and the
in curriculum development; proponents
f. Trace and analyze Curriculum Development in the f. Curriculum Development in the
Philippines. Philippines
g. Identify reforms implemented, issues and concerns
of the K to 12 curriculum in the light of the
present pandemic.
1.
2. Apply knowledge, understanding and skills in curriculum
designing, implementation and evaluation :
a. Explain the different sources and influences of The Curriculum Sources and
curriculum; Influences
b. Explain how curriculum influences affect curriculum
processes in the school level;
c. Identify the fundamentals of curriculum designing; Features of Curriculum Design
d. Analyze the curriculum designs & approaches in the
light of how these are applied to school setting;

e. Differentiate the types of curriculum designs.

Approaches to curriculum Designing
f. Discuss the principles/views of the different
approaches to curriculum designing;
g. Examine a sample syllabus, indicating the content,
design model, and innovation used; and
h. Propose a list of subjects/courses for the JHS (or GS)
which will be functional for the present new normal
context and will prepare students for future crisis.

MODULE NO.2: THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM A.Y. PREPARED BY: LETICIA FLORES, PHD
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Discussion

1.FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

1.1. Philosophical Foundations

To a large extent, our philosophy of education determines our educational decisions, choices, and
alternatives (Ornstein, 2018). The author added that philosophy is a source of educational frameworks that
curricularists used in organizing the curriculum of the school from what subjects to offer, books to read, materials
to use in teaching, learning experiences to provide students and assessment of learning.

Our education philosophy influenced the way we teach, the activities we do in the classroom. If we
believe in John Dewey’s philosophy, then we practice “learning by doing” when we teach our students. We will
take up some of these philosophies.

Major Philosophies in Education (Ornstein, 2018)

1. Perennialism. According to Ornstein (2018), perennialism is the oldest and most conservative educational
philosophy. Its stress is on preserving the best knowledge, values, dispositions, and mores of societies from
the distant and recent past. Education’s challenge is to offer curricula that enable students to comprehend
their history and culture. Education aims to foster in students, our future citizens, a re-affirmation of
commitment to their society and a renewal of valuing their culture’s contributions.

Aims : To educate the rational person ; cultivate intellect

Role : Teachers assist students to think with reason [critical thinking- HOTS]
Focus: Classical subjects, literary analysis. Curriculum is enduring.
Trends: Use of Great Books such as Bible, Koran, Classics; study of Liberal Arts

2. Essentialism. Essentialism is a belief that something is necessary; essential refers to basic education; it
tries to instill all students with the most essential or basic academic knowledge and skills and character
development (Kaynat, 2016).

Aim: To promote intellectual growth of learners to become competent.

Role: Teachers are sole authorities in the subject area.
Focus: Essential skills of the 3Rs: Essential subjects
Trends: Back to basics. Excellence in education, cultural Literacy

3. Pragmatism. It means action, from which the words practical and practice have come. The pragmatist lays
down standards which are attainable. Pragmatists are practical people. They face problems and try to solve
them from practical point of view. Pragmatists live in the world of realities, not in the world of ideals.
Pragmatists view life as it is, while idealists view life as it should be. The central theme of pragmatism is
activity; emphasis action rather than on thought. It accepts everything that has practical consequences.
Education is preparation for life. Pragmatism makes a man socially efficient. (Shawal)

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4. Existentialism (Diala, 2020)
- Focuses on the individual
- Not a logical theory, but one that can be felt as an attitude or mood
- Awareness, anxiety, choice take on special meaning
- Revolt against the traditional philosophical stance
- A way of life which involves one’s total self in complete seriousness about the self
- I make the choice. Even no choice is a choice.
- I must consider the alternatives.
- I must be aware of what the alternatives can do or lead to because I am
responsible for my choice.
- I must make the choice as though it were for all humankind.
- Life must be understood backward, but lived forward

5. Progressivism. The idea that education comes from the experience of the child; originated by an American
educator John Dewey. He believed that children should experience democracy in school to make them
better citizens. Instead of having an all-knowing teacher standing up front and talking, the students
themselves should be an active part of their education, according to Dewey.

Aim: Promote democratic social living.

Role: Teachers lead for growth and development of lifelong learners.
Focus: Interdisciplinary subjects; Learner- centered. Outcomes- based.
Trends: Equal opportunities for all. Contextualized curriculum. Humanistic education.

6. Reconstructionism. It is an educational philosophy that views schools as tools to solve social problems.
Social reconstructionists believe that, since all leaders are the product of schools, schools should provide a
curriculum that fosters their development. Rather than a philosophy of education, reconstructionism may be
referred to as more of a remedy for a society that seeks to build a more objective social order. (Edupedia,
2018)

Aim: To improve and reconstruct society. Education for change.

Role: Teachers act as agent of change and reforms.
Focus: Present and future educational landscape.
Trends: School and curricular reforms. Global education. Collaboration and convergence. Standards and
competencies.

7. Constructivism is the theory that says learners construct knowledge rather than just passively take in
information. As people experience the world and reflect upon those experiences, they build their own
representations and incorporate new information into their pre-existing knowledge (schemas).

Related to this are the processes of assimilation and accommodation.

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 • Assimilation refers to the process of taking new information and fitting it into an existing schema.
• Accommodation refers to using newly acquired information to revise and redevelop an existing
schema.

For example, if a person believes that friends are always nice, and meet a new person who is always nice to
him/her she may call this person a friend, assimilating them into her schema. Perhaps, however, this person
may meet a different individual who sometimes pushes her to try harder and is not always nice. She may
decide to change her schema to accommodate this person by deciding a friend doesn’t always need to be nice
if they have her best interests in mind. Further, this may make her reconsider whether the first person still fits
into her friend schema.

Consequences of constructivist theory are that:

• Students learn best when engaged in learning experiences rather passively receiving information.
• Learning is inherently a social process because it is embedded within a social context as students and
teachers work together to build knowledge.
• Because knowledge cannot be directly imparted to students, the goal of teaching is to provide
experiences that facilitate the construction of knowledge.
This last point is worth repeating. A traditional approach to teaching focuses on delivering information to
students, yet constructivism argues that you cannot directly impart this information. Only an
experience can facilitate students to construct their own knowledge. Therefore, the goal of teaching is
to design these experiences.

There are many consequences for teaching and the classroom if you adhere to constructivist principles. The
following chart compares traditional and constructivist classrooms across several components

Traditional Classroom Constructivist Classroom

Curriculum begins with the parts of the Curriculum emphasizes big concepts, beginning with the
whole. Emphasizes basic skills. whole and expanding to include the parts.

Strict adherence to fixed curriculum is

Pursuit of student questions and interests is valued.
highly valued.

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 Materials are primarily textbooks and Materials include primary sources of material and
workbooks. manipulative materials.

Learning is based on repetition. Learning is interactive, building on what the student already
knows.

Teachers disseminate information to

Teachers have a dialogue with students, helping students
students. Students are recipients of
construct their own knowledge.
knowledge.

Teacher's role is directive, rooted in

Teacher's role is interactive, rooted in negotiation.
authority.

Assessment is through testing and correct Assessment includes student works, observations and points
answers. of view, as well as tests. Process is as important as product.

Knowledge is seen as dynamic, ever changing with our

Knowledge is seen as inert.
experiences.

Students work primarily alone. Students work primarily in groups.

https://www.buffalo.edu/catt/develop/theory/constructivism.html

Constructivism is an important learning theory that educators use to help their students learn. Constructivism is
based on the idea that people actively construct or make their own knowledge, and that reality is determined
by your experiences as a learner. Basically, learners use their previous knowledge as a foundation and build
on it with new things that they learn. So, everyone’s individual experiences make their learning unique to
them.
Constructivism is crucial to understand as an educator because it influences the way all of your students learn.
Teachers and instructors that understand the constructivist learning theory understand that their students bring
their own unique experiences to the classroom every day. Their background and previous knowledge impacts
how they can learn. Educators can use constructivist learning theory to help their students understand their
previous knowledge. If you’re a current or aspiring educator, it’s important to get the education and credentials
you need. But it’s also important to understand learning theories and how they impact you and your future
students.

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Principles of Constructivism
There are many specific elements and principles of constructivism that shape the way the theory works and
applies to students.
• Knowledge is constructed. This is the basic principle, meaning that knowledge is built upon another
knowledge. Students take pieces and put them together in their own unique way, building something
different than what another student will build. The student’s previous knowledge, experiences, beliefs,
and insights are all important foundations for their continued learning.
• People learn to learn, as they learn. Learning involves constructing meaning and systems of meaning.
For example, if a student is learning the chronology of dates for a series of historical events, at the
same time they are learning the meaning of chronology. If a student is writing a paper about history,
they are also learning principles of grammar and writing as well. Each thing we learn gives us a better
understanding of other things in the future.
• Learning is an active process. Learning involves sensory input to construct meaning. The learner needs
to do something in order to learn, it’s not a passive activity. Learners need to engage in the world so
they are actively involved in their own learning and development. You can’t just sit and expect to be told
things and learn, you need to engage in discussions, reading, activities, etc.
• Learning is a social activity. Learning is directly associated to our connection with other people. Our
teachers, our family, or peers, and our acquaintances impact our learning. Educators are more likely to
be successful as they understand that peer involvement is key in learning. Isolating learnings isn’t the
best way to help students learn and grow together. Progressive education recognizes that social
interaction is key to learning and they use conversation, interaction, and group applications to help
students retain their knowledge.
• Learning is contextual. Students don’t learn isolated facts and theories separate from the rest of our
lives—we learn in ways connected to things we already know, what we believe, and more. The things
we learn and the points we tend to remember are connected to the things going on around us.
• Knowledge is personal. Because constructivism is based on your own experiences and beliefs,
knowledge becomes a personal affair. Each person will have their own prior knowledge and
experiences to bring to the table. So the way and things people learn and gain from education will all be
very different.
• Learning exists in the mind. Hands-on experiences and physical actions are necessary for learning, but
those elements aren’t enough. Engaging the mind is key to successful learning. Learning needs to
involve activities for the minds, not just our hands. Mental experiences are needed for retaining
knowledge.
• Motivation is key to learning. Students are unable to learn if they are unmotivated. Educators need to
have ways to engage and motivate learners to activate their minds and help them be excited about
education. Without motivation, it’s difficult for learners to reach into their past experience and make
connections for new learning.

Types of Constructivism
There are different types of constructivism that educators can use to find success with this learning theory.

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 • Cognitive. Cognitive constructivism focuses on the idea that learning should be related to the learner’s
stage of cognitive development. These methods work to help students in learning new information by
connecting it to things they already know, enabling them to make modifications in their existing
intelligence to accommodate the new information. Cognitive constructivism comes from the work of
Jean Piaget and his research on cognitive development in children.
• Social. Social constructivism focuses on the collaborative nature of learning. Knowledge develops from
how people interact with each other, their culture, and society at large. Students rely on others to help
create their building blocks, and learning from others helps them construct their own knowledge and
reality. Social constructivism comes from Lev Vygotsky, and is closely connected to cognitive
constructivism with the added element of societal and peer influence.
• Radical. Radical constructivism is very different from cognitive and social constructivism. It focuses on
the idea that learners and the knowledge they construct tell us nothing real, only help us function in our
environment. The overall idea is that knowledge is invented, not discovered. The things we bring to the
table make it impossible for us to have truth, only interpretations of knowledge. This theory was
developed by Ernst von Glasersfeld in 1974.

Constructivism in education.
It’s important to understand how teachers can apply constructivism inside their classroom to create a unique
learning environment for students. In constructivist classrooms, the teacher has a role to create a collaborative
environment where students are actively involved in their own learning. Teachers are more facilitators of
learning than actual instructors. Teachers must work to understand the preexisting conceptions and
understanding of students, then work to incorporate knowledge within those areas. Teachers will also need to
adjust their teaching to match the learner’s level of understanding.
Constructivist classrooms rely on four key areas to be successful:
• Shared knowledge between teachers and students.
• Shared authority between teachers and students.
• Teachers act as a guide or facilitator.
• Learning groups consist of small numbers of students.
Constructivist classrooms are often very different from normal classrooms in many ways. Constructivist
classrooms focus on student questions and interests, they build on what students already know, they focus on
interactive learning and are student-centered, teachers have a dialogue with students to help them construct
their own knowledge, they root in negotiation, and students work primarily in groups.
Constructivist classrooms often have teachers who do small group work, collaborative and interactive activities,
and open dialogues about what students need to find success.
https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-constructivism2005.html#close

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Humanism
Humanistic Psychology
Humanistic psychology believes that people have free will – can make choices in life (McLeod, 2020).
He added that people are basically good, and have an innate need to make themselves and the world better. It
emphasizes the personal worth of the individual, the person’s ability to self-actualize, and the ability of the person
to overcome hardship, pain and despair.

1. Gestalt
• Gestalt Theory
- Learning is explained in terms of “wholeness” of the problem.
- Human beings do not respond to isolated stimuli but to an organization or pattern of stimuli. You
are malling and if you are hungry, you will pay attention of the smell and sight of food rather than
to other stimuli presented by the environment.
• Keys to Learning
- Learning is complex and abstract.
- Learners analyze the problem, discriminate between essential and non-essential data, and
perceive relationship.
- Learners will perceive something in relation to the whole. What/how they perceive is related to
their previous experiences.

2. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

• A child whose basic needs are not met will not be interested in acquiring knowledge of the world.
• He proposed his well-known theory called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
• He put importance to human emotions based on love and trust.
• Key to learning
- Produce a healthy and happy learner who can accomplish, grow and actualize his or her human
self. (This is what you will be working for when you become a teacher.)
3. Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
• Non-directive and Therapeutic Learning
- He established counselling procedures and methods for facilitating learning.
- Children’s perceptions, which are highly individualistic, influence their learning and behavior in
class.

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 • Key to Learning
- Curriculum is concerned with process, not product; personal needs, not subject matter,
psychological meaning, not cognitive scores.
-
The Humanistic Curriculum
The learner as human being has prime significance for the Humanistic Curriculum which aims at development
and realization of complete human personality of the student. The humanistic curriculum does not take student
as subservient to society, history or philosophy but as a complete entity. The humanistic curriculum experts
suggest that if education succeeds in development of needs, interests, and aptitudes of every individual, the
students will willingly and intelligently cooperate with one another for common good. This will ensure a free and
universal society with shared interests rather than conflicting ones. Thus, humanists stress on individual
freedom and democratic rights to form global community based on “common humanity of all people”.

The Humanistic Curriculum is based on the belief that the education that is good for a person is also best for
the well-being of the nation. Here, the individual learner is not regarded as a passive or at least easily
managed recipient of input. S/he is the choosing or self-selecting organism. To design the Humanistic
Curriculum, we must focus on the question “What does the curriculum mean to the learner?” Self-
understanding, self-actualization, and fostering the emotional and physical well-being as well as well as the
intellectual skills necessary for independent judgment become the immediate concern of the Humanistic
Curriculum. To the humanists, the goals of education are related to the ideals of personal growth, integrity, and
autonomy. Healthier attitudes towards self, peers, and learning are among their expectations. The concept of
confluent curriculum and curriculum for consciousness are the important types of humanistic curriculum.
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseaue, Kant, and Pestalozzi are some of the great humanists of the
world history.

https://www.meshguides.org/guides/node/768#:~:text=The%20Humanistic%20Curriculum%20is%20based,well
%20being%20of%20the%20nation.&text=To%20

Psychological Foundations of Curriculum (Source: Bilbao 2015)

The psychological foundation of curriculum helps us to understand the teaching and the learning process
provided by groups of psychologists. We will review the three groups of learning theories – the behaviorism or
association theories; cognitive-information processing theories and humanistic theories as provided by Ornstein
(2018). Key concepts will only be given because you have already taken this up.

Association/Connectionism and Behaviorism

1. BEHAVIOURISM IN EDUCATION
Behaviorism was developed by B.F. Skinner and this school of thought assumes that the learning
process takes place through conditioning. Behaviorism techniques have used in education for a long
time to encourage behavior that is desirable and to discourage behavior that is not desirable.

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 Behaviorism techniques used in education are contracts (concentrate on behavior change),
consequence, reinforcement, and extinction and behavior modification. Approaches to Behaviorism
was the traditional approach used in our educational system and which gives more importance to
chalk and talk behavior of the teacher and emphasis on the importance of the teacher and also the
product or outcome. In the evaluation system conventional written, term end examination system
was prevalent. Behaviorism is about measuring information in and information out. We may as well
be a machine and in any case, it does not matter really what happens in the brain. Consciousness
does not come in to it. It is about stimulation and response, repetition, reinforcement and conditioning.
It is about a systematic conveyor belt of application of successful strategies of learning according to
repeated out comes like a scientific experiment produces repeated out comes. In a teaching situation
neo-behaviorism means getting the right new information in as successfully as possible, measured
by outcomes and maintaining these outputs. Reinforcement should be immediate. According to
traditional behaviorist approach learning is a change in behavior brought out through selective
reinforcement of response. (Dr.Baiju.K.Nath, 2010)

1. Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

• He is the father of the Classical Conditioning Theory, the S-R Theory.
• The key to learning in early years of life is to train them what you want them to become.
• S-R Theory is a foundation of learning practice called indoctrination

Connectionism (Edward Thorndike)

The learning theory of Thorndike represents the original S-R framework of behavioral psychology: Learning is
the result of associations forming between stimuli and responses. Such associations or "habits" become
strengthened or weakened by the nature and frequency of the S-R pairings. The paradigm for S-R theory was
trial and error learning in which certain responses come to dominate others due to rewards.
(1) law of effect - responses to a situation which are followed by a rewarding state of affairs will be strengthened
and become habitual responses to that situation, (2) law of readiness - a series of responses can be chained
together to satisfy some goal which will result in annoyance if blocked, and (3) law of exercise - connections
become strengthened with practice and weakened when practice is discontinued
™ Ivan Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning
™ B.F. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement

MODULE NO.2: THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM A.Y. PREPARED BY: LETICIA FLORES, PHD
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 Burrhus Frederic Skinner- Introduced the theory of operant conditioning

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Albert Bandura’s Socio-Cognitive Theory

• Reciprocal Determinism Model of Learning – environments affect individuals, individuals affect

environments. ( LGBT)
• Observational learning --- or modeling, is learning that occurs when a person observes and imitates
someone else’s behavior.

Observational learning includes self-instruction and self-reinforcement. It includes the aspects of imitation and
modeling.
His theory added a social element, arguing that people can learn new information and behaviors by watching
other people. Known as observational learning (or modeling), this type of learning can be used to explain a wide
variety of behaviors.

The Modeling Process

™ Attention:
To learn, you need to be paying attention. Anything that detracts your attention is going to have a negative
effect on observational learning. If the model interesting or there is a novel aspect to the situation, you
are far more likely to dedicate your full attention to learning.

™ Retention:
The ability to store information is also an important part of the learning process. Retention can be affected
by several factors, but the ability to pull up information later and act on it is vital to observational learning.

™ Reproduction:
Once you have paid attention to the model and retained the information, it is time to perform the behavior
you observed. Further practice of the learned behavior leads to improvement and skill advancement.

His social learning theory emphasized the importance of observing and modelling the behaviors,
attitudes and emotional reactions of others.

a. Cognitivism
Jean Piaget- He described cognitive development in terms of stages from birth to maturity.

Howard Gardner explained that humans have different ways of processing information and these ways
are relatively independent of one another.

Multiple Intelligences BY Dr. Howard Gardner: Breaking the IQ Myth

l IQ , as introduced by Alfred Binet was accepted as the primary measure of man’s capacity.
l It has propagated the myth that intelligence is limited to two dimensions: linguistic and logical-
mathematical.

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 l Starting 1983, intelligence has been slowly appreciated as a “many-splendored thing” as introduced
by Dr. Howard Gardner, an educational psychologist at Harvard University.
l With MI, we can contribute to making our children masters, not of other persons, but of themselves
and their own destinies.
l The global village is a world for global citizens, a world of multiple intelligences and personal
learning styles – individually unique yet compatible and mutually reinforcing – a world which may
finally be fit to nurture and witness the communion of peoples.

The Nine Intelligences:

l Verbal- Linguistic Intelligence

l Logical- Math Intelligence

l Musical Intelligence

l Visual-Spatial Intelligence

l Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

l Interpersonal Intelligence

l Intrapersonal Intelligence

l Naturalist Intelligence

l Existentialist

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Carrilloelementary.smusd.org

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Cognitive Information Processing Theory.

1. Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

• Theories of Jean Piaget
- Cognitive development has stages from birth to maturity – sensorimotor stage (0-2), preoperational
stage (2-7), concrete operation stage (7-11) and formal operation stage (11- onwards)
• Keys to Learning
- Assimilation (incorporation of new experience)
- Accommodation (learning modification and adaptation)
- Equilibration (balance between previous and later learning)
2. Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
• Theories of Lev Vygotsky
- Cultural transmission and development: Children could, as a result of their interaction with society,
actually perform certain cognitive actions prior to arriving at developmental stage.
- Learning precedes development

Vygotsky’s Socio-Cognitive Theory

Assumptions:
1. The child’s cognitive skills can be understood when they are developmentally analyzed and
interpreted.
2. Cognitive skills are mediated by words, language, and forms of discourse.
3. Cognitive skills have their origins in social relations and are embedded in a sociocultural backdrop.
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) – Vygotsky’s term for the range of tasks that is too difficult for children
to master alone but can be learned with guidance and assistance.
Scaffolding – a technique by which an adult or more skilled child changes/adjusts the level of support
extended to a learner to fit the latter’s performance level.

3. Daniel Goleman
• Emotion contains the power to affect action. (if the child is happy, he is motivated to learn.)
- He called this emotional quotient. (The level of your ability to understand other people, what
motivates them and how to work cooperatively with them.)

Activity 1.
1. What Philosophies must be emphasized in the Philippine curricula (K to 12,
Teacher Education Curricula, etc.) during pandemic or any national or global
crisis? Choose two from the given Philosophies. Explain your answer ( 20
pts., not more than 8 sentences).
2. Differentiate Operant from Classical Conditioning and how do teachers apply
these two theories in the classroom? (10 pts.)

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 3. In what way do psychological foundations enable curriculum workers (
curriculum developers, teachers, administrators) to perform their educational
responsibilities? ( 10 pts.)
4. Among the three (3) schools of thought : Constructivism, Humanism and
Behaviorism what is the most prevalent guiding theory which exists in the K
to 12 curriculum? Justify your answer in 5 sentences. ( 15 pts.)
5. In what ways do we address Multiple Intelligences in the classroom? ( 10)

Social Foundations of Curriculum

1. School and Society
• Society is a source of change (“new normal”)
• Schools as agent of change (how can you be a change agent in helping to make things happen when
you become a teacher?)
• Knowledge as an agent of change. ( “find your passion and act on it”) (Impact and Insights, 2019)

2. John Dewey
• Child-centered approach; hands on learning approach
• The Theory Experimentalism – "the will to inquire, to examine, to discriminate, to draw conclusions
only on the basis of evidence after taking pains to gather all available evidence" (Hlebowitsh, 2006)
• The three crucial factors in the learning process: (1) the nature of the learner, (2) the values and
aims of the society, and (3) the wider world of knowledge represented in the subject matter.
• That students learn from human experiences; that student experiences shape the future decisions
that a learner engages in. (Ex. The parent’s job affect the decision of the student in choosing the
course to enroll.)
• Make educational decision and building curriculum that meet the needs of individuals to promote a
positive global change. (Latasha, 2020).

3. Alvin Toffler
• Wrote the book Future Shock (according to New York Times, the classic work that predicted the
anxieties of a world upended by rapidly emerging technologies—and now provides a road map to
solving many of our most pressing crises.) The pandemic is our current anxiety.
• Believed that knowledge should prepare students for the future.
• Suggested that in the future, parents might have the resources to teach prescribed curriculum from
home because of technology, not in spite of it. (Home Schooling). Is this not true today?
• Foresaw schools and students work creatively, collaboratively, and independent of their age.

Social Foundations
A curriculum should address the wants and needs of the learners by responding to social conditions locally,
nationally and globally. (McNeil, 1995)

Changing Economy and Curriculum

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 Curriculum: Curriculum: Curriculum:

?
-Basic skills -Factory model
- Apprenticeship - Compartments
- Didactic teaching - Didactic teaching

AGRARIAN INDUSTRIAL INFORMATI

SOCIETY SOCIETY ON
SOCIETY

Cultural Diversity and Curriculum

Society is increasingly becoming diverse, especially in urban areas. Societies are becoming more
multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious and it is important that curriculum understands and reflect these
changes.

How should curriculum address cultural diversity or pluralism? The challenge confronting educators is
developing curriculum that is responsive to students’ diverse social and cultural values at the same time
capable of creating a national identity based on core values and practices.

Activity 2
1. Examine the picture below. What message is being depicted in the picture? (5 pts.)
2. How should curriculum address cultural diversity? ( 10 pts.)
3. Do you think the K-12 curriculum is addressing cultural diversity? Support your answer. ( 5 pts.)
4. How do schools adapt to the changes in society? ( 10 pts.)

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 https://www.mindthismagazine.com/diversity-education/

Historical Foundations (Source: Bilbao 2015)

We learned that curriculum is dynamic; periodically, it is changing to address the needs of society. Most
of the time change has to happen in order for education to be effective. According to Ornstein (2018), history
enables us to learn that programs and ideas can change, and people can break free of faulty suppositions or
ideas and history shows that what is now is not necessarily what needs to remain. Let us review the history of
curriculum development by studying the contributions of the different people that work for it and helped shaped
our education in the past. Bilbao, et.al (2015), listed eight of these people who contributed to curriculum
development.

In reading them, take note of their contributions and think whether their ideas, theory or principles can
still be applied today.

1. Franklin Bobbit (1876-1956)

• He started the curriculum development movement.
• Curriculum is a science that emphasizes students’ needs.
• Curriculum prepares learners for adult life.
• Objectives and activities should group together when tasks are created.

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2. Werret Charters (1875-1952)
• Like Bobbit, he posited that curriculum is a science and emphasizes students’ needs.
• Objectives and activities should match. Subject matter or content relates to objectives.
3. William Kilpatrick (1871-1965)
• Curricula are purposeful activities which are child-centered.
• The purpose of the curriculum is child development and growth. He introduced the project method
where the teacher and students plan the activity.
• Curriculum develops social relationships and small group instruction.
4. Harold Rugg (1886-1960)
• Curriculum should develop the whole child. It should be child –centered.
• With the statement of objectives and related learning activities, curriculum should produce outcomes.
Emphasized social studies and suggested that the teacher plans curriculum in advance.
5. Hollis Caswell (1961-1989)
• Curriculum is organized around social functions of themes, organized knowledge and learner’s
interest.
• Curriculum, instruction and learning are interrelated. Before teaching and learning could happen,
there should be a curriculum.
• Curriculum is a set of experiences, like researching, experimenting, inquiring, relating to one
another, etc. Subject matter is developed around social functions such as conservation of natural
resources, “worthy home membership,” and democratic living and learners’ interests.
6. Ralph Tyler (1902-1994)
Tyler’s basic questions (Ornstein, 2018) that he believes should be answered by anyone involved in
planning or writing a curriculum for any subject or grade level:
• What educational goals should a school seek to accomplish? (Goals)
• What educational experiences are likely to lead to these goals? (Content)
• How can these educational experiences be effectively organized? (Sequence of content)
• How can we determine whether a school’s goals are being accomplished? (Assessment)
• Curriculum is a science and an extension of school’s philosophy. It is based on student’s needs and
interests.
• Curriculum is always related to instruction. Instruction implements curriculum. Subject matter is
organized in terms of knowledge, skills and values.
• The process emphasizes problem solving. Curriculum aims to educate generalists and not
specialists.
7. Hilda Taba (1902-1967).
• She contributed to the theoretical and pedagogical foundations of concepts development and critical
thinking in social studies curriculum. She said that education for democracy was a critical component
of contemporary schooling and curricula, and that it needed to be experiential, where children learn
to solve problems and resolve conflicts together.
• She advocated the development of social responsibility, cooperative behavior and social sensitivity
to prepare students for effective democratic participation.
• She helped lay the foundation for diverse student population.

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8. Peter Oliva (1992-2012)
• He described how curriculum change is a cooperative endeavor.
• Teachers and curriculum specialist constitute the professional core of planners.
• Significant improvement is achieved through group activity.

Historical Foundations (Philippine context)

Curriculum Development in the Philippines

a. Pre-Hispanic Filipinos had no formal schools. Learning began in the home. Education was oral, practical
and hands-on.

b. The arrival of the Spaniards paved the way to the establishment of schools in the country. The friars
established parochial schools in accordance with the primary goal of colonial education to spread Christianity
throughout the archipelago. Hence, religion (Christian Doctrines was a compulsory subject at all levels.

c. Americans, in their almost 50 years of rule in the Philippines, were able to influence Philippine Educational
system. From the Thomasites, the Filipinos learned not only the English language but to adhere and
appreciate American way of life. It was during the Commonwealth regime that an organized effort to develop
a common language was started in compliance with the mandate of the 1935 constitution. The National
Language was made a compulsory subject in all schools in the beginning of SY 1940-1941. To help
strengthen the moral fibers of the Filipinos and to foster love of country, President Quezon issued his famous
Code of Ethics which was required to be taught in all schools.

d. When the Japanese occupied Manila they recognized the important role of education in realizing their
vision of a New Order in Asia. There were important changes in the curriculum. Fist, school calendar became
longer, no summer vacation for students and teachers. Second, class size increased to 60 and the Japanese
deleted anti-Asian opinions as well as American symbols, poems and pictures from all instructional materials.
Third, they banned the singing of American songs and Nihongo was used as means of introducing and
cultivating love for Japanese culture.

e. After the war, Philippine education intensely changed in terms of objective, focus and methodology. The
Board of National Education approved a new set of objectives in establishing an “integrated, nationalistic,
and democracy-inspired educational system”.

f. A bilingual education was established in 1974, requiring Filipino and English in schools. Science and
Math subjects as well as English language and literature classes were taught in English while the rest were
taught in Filipino.

g. The trifocal education system refocused DECS’ mandate to basic education which covers elementary,
secondary and non-formal education, including culture and sports. TESDA administers the post-secondary,
middle-level manpower training and development while CHED is responsible for higher education.

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Direction: watch the videoclips (Youtube) on Curriculum Development /Historical Foundation
uploaded in the GC.

Activity 3
1. Choose a problem or issue that the Philippine Education system experienced in the past. Has it
remained unresolved during the present/current time? Justify your answer. ( 10 pts.)
2. Based on our history and experiences, what reforms were implemented through the K to 12
curriculum? What changes were made? ( 15 pts.)

A. References

Bilbao, e. a. (2015). Curriculum Development for Teachers. Quezon City: Lorimar.

Hlebowitsh, P. (2006). John Dewey and the idea ofexperimentalism. Education and Culture 22(1), 73-76,
doi:10.1353/eac.2006.0005.
Impact and Insights. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.educationpioneers.org.
Kaynat, H. (2016, November 9). SlideShare.ne. Retrieved from IN:
https://www.slideshare.net/HinaKaynat/essentialism-68486145
Latasha, H. (2020). John Dewey: A look at his contributions to curriculum. Academicus International Scientific
Journal.
McLeod, S. (2020). Simply Psychlogy. Retrieved from Simply Psychology.org.
Ornstein, A. C. (2018). Curriculum Foundations, Principles, and Issues.
Shawal, M. (n.d.). Your article library. Retrieved from https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/.

Alvior, Mary G. (January 7, 2015). Seven School Curriculum Types and their Classroom Implications [Blog
Post]. In SimplyEducate.Me. Retrieved from https://simplyeducate.me/2015/01/07/seven-school-
curriculum-types-and-their-classroom-implications/
Bilbao, e. a. (2015). Curriculum Development for Teachers. Quezon City: Lorimar.
Bilbao, P. P., Lucido, P. I., Iringan, T. C., and R. B. Javier (2008). Curriculum development. Quezon City:
Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Higgins, S. (2014). Critical thinking for 21st century education: a sabre-tooth curriculum. Retrieved from
https://core.ac.uk/download: https://core.ac.uk/download
[email protected]. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.boisestate.edu.
Kennedy, J. (2013, April 14). James Kennedy. Retrieved from https://jameskennedymonash.wordpress.com.
Mires, G. e. (2009). A topical approach to planned teaching and using a topic-based study guide. Medical
Teacher, 20;5, 438-441.

Pawilen, Greg T. 2015. Curriculum Development, A Guide for Teachers and Students. Quezon City: Rex
Printing Company, Inc.

Pawilen, Greg T. 2019. The Teacher and the School Curriculum. Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, Inc.

Villena, Danilo K., Reyes, Emerita G., and Dizon, Erlinda B. 2015. Curriculum Development. Quezon City:
Adriana Publishing Co., Inc.

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Lesson 2 : Curriculum Sources and Influences

Curriculum Design ( Ritz John, Old Dominion University, USA 2019)

• Arrangement of curriculum elements into a substantive entity.

• Basic curriculum components:
o Aim, goals, and objectives
o Subject matter
o Learning experiences
o Evaluation

• Emphasis on different components shape the design of the curriculum.

• Taba, Hilda believes that most curriculum lack balance because -
o the components are poorly defined, or
o they not considered within a theoretical framework
• When curriculum are planned those who construct the curriculum may place differing emphases on
these components parts.
• Usually more emphasis is placed on the subject matter.
• Sometimes "fashion" exerts a disproportionate influence on a curriculum, i.e., TQM, customer service,
SOL's, basics, etc.

Horizontal and Vertical Organizations

• Horizontal - Scope and integration (subjects)

• Vertical - Sequence and continuity (corporate)

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Curriculum Design vs Instructional Design

• Curriculum Design - The total plan that arranges the four components into the curriculum, i.e.,
objectives, content, learning experiences and evaluation).
• Instructional Design - Refers specifically to one component, the potential experiences for the student,
learning activities (methods and organization).

Sources of Curriculum Design

• Science as Source
• Society as Source
• Eternal and Devine Sources
• Knowledge as a Source
• The Learner as a Source

Science as a Source

• The scientific method provides meaning for the curriculum design.

• Only those items that can be observed and quantified should be included.
• Problem-solving should have the prime position in the curriculum, i.e., stress thinking.
• Procedural knowledge or knowledge of process.
• The curriculum teaches rational processes for dealing with reality.

Society as a Source

• Curriculum is an agent of society.

• Curriculum are designed to serve the broad social interests of society, as well as the local community.
• Support is shown for society as a curriculum source since the universe is becoming, rather than
existing for our detached scientific viewing.
• Society shows where to modify the curriculum.

External and Devine Sources

• Curriculum design should be intended to perpetuate society.

• It should pass on the significance of people's values and personal morality.
• Devine will, eternal truth from the Bible.
• Today these sources are reflected through the curriculum designer's values and personal morality.

Knowledge as a Source

• One of the prime sources of curriculum.

• Disciplined knowledge has a particular structure and a particular method(s) used to extend its
boundaries.
• Disciplined vs Undisciplined Knowledge
o Disciplined = unique
o Undisciplined = various (training)

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The Learner as a Source

• Curriculum is derived from what we know about the learner.

• We draw much from the psychological foundations.
• Based on cognitive research.
• Emphasizes "learning by doing".

Side Note

• Even though decisions are essential, it appears that curricula are not the result of careful design
deliberations.
• Overall curriculum designs receive little attention both in schools and corporations.
• Curriculum design is left to specialists in subject matter areas.

Curricular Dimensions

• Scope
• Integration
• Sequence
• Continuity
• Articulation
• Balance

Scope

• Breadth
• Content, topics, and learning experiences

Integration

• Linking all the knowledge and experience within the curriculum.

• Assists in making meaning for the learner.

Sequence

• Ordering of knowledge
• Vertical relationships, i.e.,
• Simple to complex
• Prerequisite
• Whole to part
• Chronological

Continuity

• Recurring and continuing opportunity to practice skill development.

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Articulation

• Interrelatedness of various aspects of the curriculum.

• "Lost knowledge" - just taught but not related to other learning or lessons.

Balance

• Appropriate weight be given to each aspect of the design.

Representative Curriculum Designs

• Student-Centered Designs - content and/or processes.

• Learner-Centered Designs - based on students' lives - interests, needs, and empowerment.
• Problem-Centered Designs - focuses on problems of living and society (i.e., work, etc.)

• Curriculum design should possess internal consistency -

o Cohesiveness
o Coherence

Instructional Systems Design (ISD)

• The basic premise is that training is most effective when the trainees are provided a specific statement
of what they must do and how their performance will be evaluated.
• The instruction is then developed to teach learners through either hands-on or performance-based
instruction.
• The assumption is that a trainee can be taught to perform to a specified level or standard if the
instruction is presented on small enough segments, is interactive, and is performance oriented.
o American Society for Training and Development, March 1988, Issue 803

Instructional Systems Design Model (ISD)

• Analysis
• Design
• Development
• Implementation
• Evaluation

ISD - Analysis

• Gathers information to determine -

o if training is the organizational response to the problem.
o what the training should accomplish.
o groups needing training.
o resources available.
o other needed information related to training.

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ISD - Design (curriculum)

• Prepares the developer for selecting and writing program materials -

write program objectives.
• Develop test items.
• Establish design structure and sequence.

ISD - Development (instructional design)

• The developer prepares training program -

o Training materials support objectives.
o Media selection appropriate to objectives.
o Evaluation forms are prepared.
o Documentation tracks participants progress.
o Course documented.

ISD - Implementation (instruction)

• Actual instruction carried out -

o Instructors selected.
o Classes held.
o Problems recorded.
o Program revised up to implementation.

ISD - Evaluation

• Evaluation of training program

• Evaluation carried out.
• Use data to revise training program.

Competency-Based Education Model

• A system of education designed to develop prespecified, role relevant competence in those who are to
be products of the system.
o Writing Competency-Based Frameworks, VVCRC

CBE Components

• Duty Area
• Task/Competency
• Performance Objectives (conditions, performance and standard)
• Performance Measures
• Enabling Objectives
• Instructional Activities
• Resources

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Duty Area

• Represents a category of job responsibilities, a grouping of similar tasks, i.e., baking in catering course.

Task or Competency

• Describes a measurable item of knowledge, skill, or behavior related to the occupational area, i.e.,
ordering staples in a baking unit.

Performance Objectives

• Explains what the student must do to demonstrate that he or she has mastered this task/competency.
• Tells the student
o under what conditions the performance will take place
o exactly what performance is required
o how well the student must perform as a minimum standard.

Performance Measures

• Tells how the student performance will be assessed.

Enabling Objectives

• Offers suggested steps leading to mastery of the performance objective, including

o subskills
o related skills
o supporting concepts
o related knowledge
o theory behind a psychomotor skill
o reinforcement of prior learning
o parts of the performance required

Instructional Activities

• Presents suggested assignments contributing to the student's mastery, including such activities as -
o group projects
o individual projects
o written work
o oral work
o critical thinking activities
o demonstrations/simulations
o audiovisual presentations
o projects
o experiments

https://ww2.odu.edu/~jritz/oted885/ntg4.shtml

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Curriculum Sources

1. Society as source of curriculum

Society is an important source of curriculum. Teachers need to understand the cultural, socio-economic, and
political conditions of the people. There are many changes in the society that need to be considered in the
curriculum. Science and technology continue to influence or everyday life as new science findings, new
technology, and new information come in almost every single minute of the day. The new world of economy
also has its own issues and demands. For example, 21st century skills and new forms of knowledge should
be developed in the curriculum in order to develop a world-class workforce.
As a curriculum source, it ensures that education will be based on the current social situation. It appears as
an agent of society that serves social interests. It is critical to emphasize economic and political contexts as
well. Moreover, students’ backgrounds should be considered. For example, diversity can be emphasized
through the tasks, which discuss people of various nationalities with different economic conditions ( Ivy
Panda, 2021)

2. Learners as source of curriculum

Others consider that curriculum should stem from our knowledge of students: we must know how they learn,
form attitudes, create interests, and develop values. From progressive curricular leaders, humanistic
educators, and many curricular workers involved in postmodern dialogue, the learner should be the primary
source of curriculum change.

The learner can be treated as a source. In this situation, it is significant to find out as much information about
students as possible because it will be used to design the curriculum. This approach was developed based
on the psychological foundations that refer to cognitive research and reveal the great importance of “learning
by doing”. For example, professionals should identify the interests of their learners as well as their
background to adapt to the curriculum. In this way, when discussing art, more emphasis can be made on
modern works, etc. ( Ivy Panda, 2021)

3. Discipline or subject matter as source of curriculum

Tyler (1949) identified the nature of the discipline or subject matter as one of the main sources of
curriculum. Different subjects are unique in terms of design and content. There are specific skills and
contents that should be emphasized in each of the disciplines. In some cases, there are similarities in
skills, concepts, and strands in different subjects that may be possible for integration.

As it is critical in the framework of education to provide students with knowledge and skills, this source is
often considered to be among the main ones. When dealing with it, professionals do their best to define what
knowledge is the most essential for students so that they can obtain the most critical information. This point
is especially significant when dealing with some disciplines because they have their specific structure and
method that is used to extend their boundaries. For example, physics refers to the exact sciences, and it is
to be approached step by step, while environmental studies can be adapted to the specific interest.

4. Science as a source, it ensures the usage of the scientific method. Elements that are included can be
observed and quantified. The skill of problem-solving is prioritized due to the reflection of cognitive
psychology. For example, considering this source, a curriculum can focus on teaching students how to
deal with reality in which knowledge increases extremely quickly.

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Curriculum Influences

1. Students
2. School’s Vision, Mission and Core Values
3. Admission and Retention Policies
4. Faculty Members
5. School Administrators and Board of Trustees
6. Accrediting Agencies
7. Government Policies and Agencies
8. Market Demands
9. Environment (Socio-political)
10. Alumni
11. Media and Information and Communication Technologies
12. The Church and Church-related agencies
13. School Facilities and Other Resources
14. Student Services
Factors Influencing Curriculum Development

https://www.slideshare.net/AndreaAudineJandonga/curriculum-development-71010564

https://www.slideshare.net/denisevalino/curriculum-development-criteria-for-curriculum-assessmenthandout

Activity 3

Answer the following:

1. What are your school’s vision, mission and core values? How are these reflected in your lessons and
school activities? ( 10 pts.)
2. If you were given a chance to revise the school’s vision and mission, what would you change and why?
( 10 pts.)
3. Why should school administrators work for school accreditation? How can this assessment of an outside
agency contribute to the improvement of the quality of education, including the curriculum that a school
offers? ( 15 pts.)

Lesson 3: Features of Curriculum Design

1. Scope refers to the breadth and depth of the curriculum content – at any level or at any given time.

2. Sequence is concerned with the order of topics overtime.

Curriculum workers are faced with sequencing the content which is taken from some fairly well accepted
learning principles. Othaniel Smith, William Stanby and Harlan Shores in 1973, introduced four principles,
they are:

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 a. Simple to complex indicates that content to optimally organize in a sequence preceding from simple
subordinate components to complex components highlighting interrelationships among components.
Optimal learning results when individuals are presented with easy (often concrete) content and then with
more difficult (often abstract) content.

b. Prerequisite learning is similar to part-to-whole learning. It works on the assumption that bits of
information must be grasped before other bits can be comprehended.

c. Whole-to-part learning receives support from cognitive psychologists. They have urged that the
curriculum be arranged so that the content or experience is first presented in an overview that provides
students with a general idea of the information or situation.

d. Chronological learning refers to content whose sequence reflects the times of real world occurrences.
History, political science, and world events frequently are organized chronologically.

3. Continuity refers to “smoothness” or absence of disruption in the curriculum over time. Continuity is mostly
manifested in Jerome Bruner’s notion of the “spiral curriculum”.

4. Integration is linking all types of knowledge and experiences contained within the curriculum plan.

5. Articulation refers to the smooth flow of the curriculum on both vertical and horizontal dimensions, it is the
ways in which curriculum components occurring later in a program’s sequence relate to those occurring
earlier. Vertical articulation usually suggests the sequencing of content from one grade level to another.
Horizontal articulation usually is the association among simultaneous elements, as when curriculum
designers create relationships between grade 8 mathematics and grade 8 social studies.

6. Balance is achieved when content is fairly distributed in depth and breadth. This will guarantee that significant
contents should be covered to avoid too much or too little of the contents within the time allocation.

6 Steps in Designing the Curriculum

https://cornerstoneseducation.co.uk/news/how-to-design-your-curriculum/

Step 1: Principles and purpose – Set out the intent of your curriculum
Begin by establishing your curriculum principles. Your curriculum principles need to reflect your school’s
values, context, pedagogical approaches and needs. In essence, your principles should clarify the vision for
your curriculum.

Step 2: Entitlement and enrichment – Develop your pupil entitlement

After clarifying your principles and purpose, you should set out your pupil entitlement (sometimes known as
pupil offer). Your pupil entitlement should explain how you intend to broaden your curriculum with educational
visits, extracurricular activities and other curriculum enrichment experiences.

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Step 3: Breadth and balance – Curate the content of your curriculum

You now need to arrange your curriculum content into subject schemes. Begin by looking at the programs of
study and make careful choices about what you will teach, when and why. Decide which concepts and subject
aspects your curriculum will cover and how they interconnect with other subjects. You’ll then need to break
these down into smaller component parts, which are the knowledge and skills objectives that provide building
blocks for learning. These should be carefully sequenced, revisited and built upon through your curriculum.
These decisions will eventually form your school’s long-term curriculum plan.

Step 4: Teaching narrative – Plan the delivery of your curriculum

After creating your long-term curriculum plan, you will need to provide contexts for delivering it. At
Cornerstones, we do this using projects. For subjects like history, the national curriculum sets out various
contexts that must be covered, such as the ancient Egyptians. However, for subjects like art and design, you
can create your own engaging contexts. The teaching narrative within each project or unit should set out how
learning will be delivered. It should be sequenced and cohesive, clearly showing the starting point and how the
project develops. Crucially, your planning needs to show how the subject knowledge and skills outlined in your
long-term plan will be taught, revisited and built upon. This process is very complex and takes time to perfect.
However, when completed, it will set out your medium-term plan, which you can elaborate on in short-term
plans if required.

Step 5: Resources – Source high-quality resources to deliver your curriculum

Your curriculum should not be let down by poor quality or ad-hoc resources. Inadequate resources will not only
dilute the power of your curriculum but can also cause confusion and even misinform. Sourcing the best quality
resources is vital if you want children’s learning to be factually correct and ambitious. To make your curriculum
the best it can be, insist on high-quality resources and practical equipment. Don’t reduce the impact of your
curriculum by accepting anything less.

Step 6: Review and evaluate – Decide what works well and where there is room for improvement

You now have an established curriculum. The next step is to regularly review its impact on teaching and
learning, making any adaptations or changes you need to improve it further. At this stage,
you may also identify Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs of the staff. For example, the
knowledge of subject leaders might need to improve to make sure that each area of the curriculum is well
taught and supported.

Activity 4
Direction:
1. Using the list of JHS subjects/courses ( or Grade School subjects) in the K to 12 curriculum, propose a
revised list, integrating very important courses and eliminating unnecessary subjects/courses so we can
move forward after the pandemic. ( 20 pts.)
2. Did the K to 12 curriculum prepare the graduates to cope up and overcome health crisis (or any
adversity)?

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Lesson 4: Approaches to Curriculum Designing

Types of Curriculum Designs

1. Subject-Centered Designs
a. Subject Design
The curriculum is organized in terms of subjects like Mathematics, Science, Filipino, English and other
subjects. Most of these subjects are offered in the elementary level. The subjects are organized in
fragmented manner. Connections between and among these subjects are not emphasized in the subject
design. Instead, the nature of the subject is highlighted in this design to provide students with a general
knowledge of each subject.

b. Academic Discipline Design

This type of design organizes the curriculum in terms of disciplines like Algebra, Physics, Chemistry,
Literature, Economics, Philippine History and other disciplines. This type of design is mostly used in high
school or college. The contents are highly specialized particularly in the college level.

c. Integrated Design
This curriculum design is based on the principle that learners learn in an integrated manner. Thus, this
type of curriculum design tries to merge two or more related subjects. Basically, there are three types of
integration:

§ Interdisciplinary – includes the merging of two related disciplines or subjects.

§ Multidisciplinary or Broad fields – includes the integration of three or more related disciplines.

§ Core – requires all subjects or disciplines in the school curriculum be put together using a single
theme. Usually, this type of integrated curriculum design is used in preschool where subjects are
combined using curriculum themes.

2. Learner-Centered Designs
These designs focus on the needs, nature, and interests of the learners in the curriculum. The aim of these
designs is to develop the potentials and abilities of the learners and making the curriculum relevant and
responsive to them.

a. Activity/Experience Design
This concentrates on activities that are meaningful and interesting to the learners. In doing these
activities, learners will develop various skills like process skills, communication skills, problem solving,
critical thinking and creativity that are important for the learners.

b. Humanistic Design

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 The curriculum is composed of topics and learning experiences that focus on the holistic development of
an individual. It also addresses the needs and nature of the learners. The goal of this design is the
development of a well-rounded individual.

3. Problem-Centered Designs
These curriculum designs focus on understanding and finding solutions to individual and social issues and
problems. They require students to use their skills and knowledge of different subjects and disciplines as
they engage themselves in meaningful learning of various social and individual problems like poverty, climate
change, peace and order or terrorism, diseases and traffic among others.

a. Life-situations design
What makes the design unique is that the contents are organized in ways that allow students to clearly
view problem areas. It uses the past and the present experiences of learners as a means to analyze the
basic areas of living. As a starting point, the pressing immediate problems of the society and the students’
existing concerns are utilized.

b. Core problem design

It centers on the general education and the problems are based on the human activities. The central
focus of the core design includes common needs, problems and concerns of the learners.

Approaches to Curriculum Design

1. Subject-Centered Approach
This approach considers the following principles:
a. The primary focus is the subject matter.
b. The emphasis on bits and pieces of information which may be detached from life.
c. The subject matter serves as a means of identifying problems of living.
d. Learning means accumulation of content or knowledge.
e. Teacher’s role is to dispense the content.

2. Child/Learner- Centered Approach

Principles for Child-Centered Curriculum Approach:
a. Acknowledgement and respect the fundamental rights of the child.
b. All activities shall revolve around the overall development of the learner.
c. Consider the uniqueness of every learner in a multicultural classroom.
d. Consider using differentiated instruction or teaching.
e. Provide a motivating supportive learning environment for all learners.

3. Problem-Centered Approach
This approach is characterized by the following views and beliefs:
a. The learners can direct and guiding themselves in resolving problems, thus developing every
learner to be independent.
b. The learners are prepared to assume their civic responsibilities through direct participation in
different activities.

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 c. The curriculum leads the learners in the recognition of concerns and problems in seeking solutions.
Learners are problem solver themselves.

Activity 5
1. Examine the K-12 curriculum for elementary ( BEEd ) or JHS ( BSEd).
Identify the different curriculum designs used in the curriculum. Cite specific evidence/s of the presence
of the design/s. ( 30 pts.)

References:

Bilbao, e. a. (2015). Curriculum Development for Teachers. Quezon City: Lorimar.

Hlebowitsh, P. (2006). John Dewey and the idea ofexperimentalism. Education and Culture 22(1), 73-76,
doi:10.1353/eac.2006.0005.
Impact and Insights. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.educationpioneers.org.
Kaynat, H. (2016, November 9). SlideShare.ne. Retrieved from IN:
https://www.slideshare.net/HinaKaynat/essentialism-68486145
Latasha, H. (2020). John Dewey: A look at his contributions to curriculum. Academicus International Scientific
Journal.
McLeod, S. (2020). Simply Psychlogy. Retrieved from Simply Psychology.org.
Ornstein, A. C. (2018). Curriculum Foundations, Principles, and Issues.
Shawal, M. (n.d.). Your article library. Retrieved from https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/.

Alvior, Mary G. (January 7, 2015). Seven School Curriculum Types and their Classroom Implications [Blog
Post]. In SimplyEducate.Me. Retrieved from https://simplyeducate.me/2015/01/07/seven-school-
curriculum-types-and-their-classroom-implications/
Bilbao, e. a. (2015). Curriculum Development for Teachers. Quezon City: Lorimar.
Bilbao, P. P., Lucido, P. I., Iringan, T. C., and R. B. Javier (2008). Curriculum development. Quezon City:
Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Higgins, S. (2014). Critical thinking for 21st century education: a sabre-tooth curriculum. Retrieved from
https://core.ac.uk/download: https://core.ac.uk/download
[email protected]. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.boisestate.edu.
Kennedy, J. (2013, April 14). James Kennedy. Retrieved from https://jameskennedymonash.wordpress.com.
Mires, G. e. (2009). A topical approach to planned teaching and using a topic-based study guide. Medical
Teacher, 20;5, 438-441.

Pawilen, Greg T. 2015. Curriculum Development, A Guide for Teachers and Students. Quezon City: Rex
Printing Company, Inc.

Pawilen, Greg T. 2019. The Teacher and the School Curriculum. Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, Inc.

Villena, Danilo K., Reyes, Emerita G., and Dizon, Erlinda B. 2015. Curriculum Development. Quezon City:
Adriana Publishing Co., Inc.

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