Approaches

to the School
Curriculum
Lesson 2.2
 Three Ways
of Approaching a
Curriculum

I. Content
II. Product
III. Process
 1. Curriculum
as a Content or
Body of
Knowledge
Three Ways of
Approaching a Curriculum
 If curriculum is equated as content, then
the focus will be the body of knowledge to
be transmitted to students using
appropriate teaching method. There can
be a likelihood that teaching will be
limited to the acquisition of facts, concepts
and principles of the subject matter,
however, the content or subject matter can
also be taken as a means to an end.
 There are four ways of presenting the content in the
curriculum. These are:
1. Topical Approach, where much content is
based on knowledge, and experience are
included;
2. Concept Approach with fewer topics in
clusters around major and sub-concepts and their
interaction, with relatedness emphasized;
3. Thematic Approach as a combination of
concepts that develop conceptual structures, and
4. Modular Approach that leads to complete units
of instruction.
 Criteria in the Selection of
Content
There are some suggested criteria in the
selection of knowledge or subject matter.
(Scheffer, 1970 in Bilbao, et al 2015)
1. Significance
Content should contribute to ideas, concepts,
principles and generalization that should attain
the overall purpose of the curriculum.
 Criteria in the Selection of
Content
There are some suggested criteria in the
selection of knowledge or subject matter.
(Scheffer, 1970 in Bilbao, et al 2015)
2. Validity.
The authenticity of the subject matter
forms its validity.
 Criteria in the Selection of
Content
There are some suggested criteria in the
selection of knowledge or subject matter.
(Scheffer, 1970 in Bilbao, et al 2015)
3. Utility.
Usefulness of the content in the
curriculum is relative to the learners who
are going to use these.
 Criteria in the Selection of
Content
There are some suggested criteria in the
selection of knowledge or subject matter.
(Scheffer, 1970 in Bilbao, et al 2015)
4. Learnability.
The complexity of the content should be
within the range of experiences of the
learners.
 Criteria in the Selection of
Content
There are some suggested criteria in the
selection of knowledge or subject matter.
(Scheffer, 1970 in Bilbao, et al 2015)
5. Feasibility.
Can the subject content be learned within the
time allowed, resources available, expertise of
the teachers and the nature of the learners?
 Criteria in the Selection of
Content
There are some suggested criteria in the
selection of knowledge or subject matter.
(Scheffer, 1970 in Bilbao, et al 2015)
6. Interest.
Will the learners take interest in the
content? Why? Are the contents
meaningful?
 Guide in the Selection
of the Content in the
Curriculum
1. Commonly used in the daily life
2. Appropriate to the maturity levels and abilities of
the learners
3. Valuable in meeting the needs and competencies
of the future career
4. Related to other subjects fields or discipline for
complementation and integration
5. Important in the transfer of learning to other
disciplines
 BASICS:
Fundamental Principles for Curriculum
Contents
Balance.
Content should be 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 needed with in the time
allocation.
 BASICS:
Fundamental Principles for Curriculum
Contents
Articulation.
As the content complexity progresses
with the educational levels, vertically or
horizontally, across the same discipline
smooth connections or bridging should
be provided.
 BASICS:
Fundamental Principles for Curriculum
Contents
Integration.
Content in the curriculum does not
stand alone or in isolation. It has
some ways of relatedness or
connectedness to other contents.
 BASICS:
Fundamental Principles for Curriculum
Contents
Continuity.
Content when viewed as a
curriculum should continuously flow
as it was before, to where it is now,
and where it will be in the future.
 BASICS:
Fundamental Principles for Curriculum
Contents

Scope.
The breadth and depth of the
curriculum content are vital in a
curriculum.
 2. Curriculum
as a
Process
Three Ways of
Approaching a Curriculum
 2. Curriculum as a
Process
Curriculum as a process is seen
as a scheme about the practice
of teaching. It is not a package
of materials or a syllabus of
content to be covered.
 2. Curriculum as a
Process
As a process, curriculum links to
the content. While content
provides materials on what to
teach, the process provides
curriculum on how to teach the
content.
 2. Curriculum as a Process
These are the ways of teaching and learning and
strategies of teaching or delivery modes.

1. Problem –based.
2. Hands-on, Minds-on
3. Cooperative Learning
4. Blended Curriculum
5. On-line
6. Case-based and many more.
 When curriculum is approached
as a PROCESS, guiding principles
are presented.

1. Curriculum process in the form of

teaching methods or strategies are means
to achieve the end.
2. There is no single best process or
method. Its effectiveness will depend on
the desired learning outcomes, the
learners, support materials and the
teacher.
 When curriculum is approached
as a PROCESS, guiding principles
are presented.

3. Curriculum process should stimulate

the learners’ desire to develop the
cognitive, affective, psychomotor
domains in each individual.
4. In the choice of methods, learning
and teaching styles should be
considered.
 When curriculum is approached
as a PROCESS, guiding principles
are presented.

5. Every method or process should result to

learning outcomes which can be described as
cognitive, affective and psychomotor.
6. Flexibility in the use of the process or
methods should be learning outcomes.
7. Both teaching and learning are the two
important processes in the implementation
of the curriculum.
 3. Curriculum
as a
Product
Three Ways of
Approaching a Curriculum
 3. Curriculum as a
Product

The product from the

curriculum is a student
equipped with knowledge,
skills and values to
function effectively and
efficiently.
 3. Curriculum as a
Product

 Products of learning
are operationalized
as knowledge, skills
and values.
 3. Curriculum as a
Product

Curriculum product is
expressed in the form of
outcomes which are
referred to as the achieved
learning outcomes.
 Approaches
to the School
Curriculum
Lesson 2.2