meaning of curriculum....athira

Meaning of Curriculum: The term curriculum has been derived from a Latin word ‘Currere’ which means a ‘race course’ or a runway on which one runs to reach a goal. Accordingly, a curriculum is the instructional and the educative programme by following which the pupils achieve their goals, ideals and aspirations of life. It is curriculum through which the general aims of a school education receive concrete expression. Traditional concept-The traditional curriculum was subjectcentered while the modern curriculum is child and life-centered.

Modern Concept of Curriculum: Modern education is the combination of two dynamic processes. The one is the process of individual development and the other is the process of socialization, which is commonly known as adjustment with the social environment.

Cunningham - “Curriculum is a tool in the hands of the artist (teacher) to mould his material (pupils) according to his ideas (aims and objectives) in his studio (school)”.

Morroe - “Curriculum includes all those activities which are utilized by the school to attain the aims of education.

Crow and Crow - The curriculum includes all the learners’ experience in or outside school that are included in a programme which has been devised to help him developmentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually and morally”

T.P. Nunn-“The curriculum should be viewed as various forms of activities that are grand expressions of human sprit and that are of the greatest and most permanent significance to the wide world”.

TYPES OF CURRICULUM

§  Explicit curriculum-

subjects that will be taught, the identified "mission" of the school, and the knowledge and skills that the school expects successful students to acquire

§  Implicit curriculum

lessons that arise from the culture of the school and the behaviors, attitudes, and expectations that characterize that culture

§  Null curriculum

school-sponsored programs that are intended to supplement the academic aspect of the school experience

§  Extra curriculum

school-sponsored programs that are intended to supplement the academic aspect of the school experience

SCOPE OF CURRICULUM

1. Goals: The benchmarks or expectations for teaching and learning often made explicit in the form of a scope and sequence of skills to be addressed;

2. Methods: The specific instructional methods for the teacher, often described in a teacher’s edition;

3. Materials: The media and tools that are used for teaching and learning

4. Assessment: The reasons for and methods of measuring student progress

Nature of curriculum

1. the instructional programme as indicated by the course offerings to meet the varies requirements of a vast heterogeneous population

2. the courses of study, embodying outlines of knowledge to be taught

3. all the experiences provided under the guidance of the school

Close examination of them reveals the difficulty in deciding the basic nature of curriculum.

1. Is it thought of as a programme and pattern of offerings?

2. Is thought of to be a content of courses?

3. Is it thought of to be experiences through which knowledge is communicated?

Nature of curriculum

Curriculum is that which makes a difference between maturity and immaturity, between growth and stasis, between literacy and illiteracy, between sophistication (intellectual, moral, social and emotional) and simplicity. It is the accumulated heritage of man’s knowledge filtered through the prisms of contemporary demands and pressures. It is that wisdom considered relevant to any age in any given location. It is that we choose from our vast amount of heritage of wisdom to make a difference in the life of man.

SOME ISSUES IN CURRICULUM

§  Scope relates to what should be taught or learned.

•Sequence relates to when different parts of the curriculum should be learned with respect to the other parts of the curriculum.

•Integration relates to how different strands of a piece of curriculum relate to other things

•Continuity relates to how previous learning and future learning relate in terms of cumulative effects of learning.

SCOPE

Scope refers to the breadth of the curriculum- the content, learning experiences and activities to be included in the curriculum

The scope can be arrived at by answering the following questions:

What do young people need in order to succeed in the society?

What are the needs of the locality, society, nation and world?

What are the essentials of the discipline?

Sequence

 Sequence relates to when different parts of the curriculum should be learned with respect to the other parts of the curriculum.

There are many ways in sequencing:

simple to complex                                            chronological

easy to difficult                                                 developmental

prerequisite learning                                   close at hand to far away

whole to parts                                                      easy to difficult

parts to whole                                                    known to unknown

Balance or integration

The curriculum should integrate:

1. Cognitive, affective and psychomotor objectives and abilities

2. Knowledge and experience

3. Objectives and content

4. Child’s activity and needs with the society needs and activity.

It should be related to the social environment of the students

Curriculum development is a comprehensive,ongoing,cyclical process

To determine the needs of a group of learners;

To develop aims or objectives for a programme to address those needs;

To determine an appropriate syllabuscourse structure,teaching methods and materials

The process of curriculum development is very essential for the following reasons

·         Assesment of educational needs

·         Formulation of objectives

·         Selection and organization of content

·         Selection and organization of learning experience

·         Evaluation of content and learning experience

Determinants of curriculum

The majorf determinants of curriculum are as follows:

·         Individual needs

·         Cultural change

·         Social change

·         Value system

                                                                            

Individual  needs

The curriculum is determined by the needs of the learner for physical development,intellectual development,social development,moral development and aesthetic development.

A holistic development of the learner is possible through a curriculum.

Therefore the needs of the learner is a major determinant of the curriculum.

CULTURE

Culture is the totality of one’s customs,norms,values,beliefs,techniques and practice that characterize social living.

This is an important determinant of curriculum

The beliefs,values and norms held by an propagated by a society is instrumental in deciding the different aspects of the curriculum.

Everry society is tries to preserve and transmit  its culture and education is a potent tool in this regard.

Curriculum is there for a very significant force in deciding the experience that are to be included in the curriculum

 SOCIAL CHANGE

A change in the life style of a group, a community or a society is called social change.

Social change includes technological changes, economic changes, political changes and changes in values.

The technological changes cause change in the style of living and therefore influences the curriculum accordingly.

Economic changes demand changes in curriculum by bringing about change in occupational structure.

Political changes have an impact on curricula. The policies of the government decide the core features of a curriculum.

VALUE SYSTEM

Values play a crucial part in the formulation and implementation of educational ideologies.

Generally, two kinds of values enter into curriculum making. They are:

•Ultimate values that determine the aims and purposes of education

•Instrumental values that are related to the means of education.

The ultimate values and instrumental values of a society decides the type of curriculum appropriate for it.

Archana

CURRICULUM

There is no generally agreed upon definition of curriculum.

·         Kerr defines curriculum as,’’all the learning which is planned and guided by the school,if it is carried on in groups or individually,inside or outside of school.’’

                                       Curriculum is almost always defined with relation to schooling. According to some,it is the major division between formal and informal education.However,under some circumstances it may also be applied to informal education or free choice learning settings.

                                     Curriculum development has a broad scope because it is not only about the school,the learners,and the teachers.It is also about the development of society in general.In today’s knowledge economy,curriculum development plays a vital role in improving the economy of a country.It also provides answers or solutions to the world’s pressing conditions and problems,such as Environment,Politics,Socio-economics and other issues of poverty,climate change and sustainable development.

IMPLEMENTING THE CURRICULUM

·         The role of stakeholders in curriculum implementation.

            Stakeholders are individuals or institutions that are interested in the school curriculum.Their interests vary in degree and complexity.They get involved in many different ways in the implementation,as curriculum affects them directly or indirectly.

·         Learners at the centre of the curriculum.

            The learner is placed at the center.They are the very reasona curriculum is developed.

·         Teachers as curriculum developers and implementers.

             In the teaching and learning process, the other side of the coin is the teacher.A teacher is a curriculum maker.

·         Curriculum managers and administrators.

             In school organization,there is always a curriculum manager or school administrator.

·         Parents as supporter to the curriculum.

             Parents would be willing to pay the cost of educating their child for as long as their children get the best learning experiences.

·         Community members as curriculum resources.

             The success in the implementation of the curriculum requires  resources.

·         Other stakeholders in curriculum implementation.

                           Professional organizations have shown great influence in school curriculum.Some of                                                                these  organizations are those of each profession,like teacher’s organization,lawyers organization,medical docters association,engineer organization and many other.

 

           

ISSUES OF CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION

                         Today increase in knowledge has posed numerous challenges in developing school curriculum lest alone in implementing same.One thing is to develop school curriculum and another thing is that of the implementation of the curriculum,this therefore,brings the difference or actually explained the difference that exists between the development of the government policies and the implementation aspects of it.

                          The problems bothering from development and planning to implementation are,

1.       Lack of teacher participation in decision making and curriculum planning.

              The teacher has a crucial role to play in the success of any educational programme in the

  Nation and as such should be in the centre and take an active part in the planning and development  of the curriculum.

2.       Lack of sufficient finance.

               Curriculum implementation is greatly dream back by the lack of finance as workshops and seminars that are necessary to sensitiveteacher and educationists across the country cost a lot of money.

3.       Frequent turnover of teachers.

                   The frequent turnover of teachers is caused by so many factors.One factor that plays a primary role is the excessive number of temporary and or parttime teachers.

4.       Policy changes.

                     Another factor that affects curriculum development is the frequent changes in educational policies.

5.       Rapid increase in knowledge.

                      Due to the development of science and technology,it become more tasking for the curriculum development process as knowledge becomes obsolete quickly hence the need for constant review of the curriculum,the method and materials of instruction.

6.       Review when needed.

                         Another important factor is that about review.

7.       Poor  ICT.

                       The world is developing at a rapid rate and therefore,even when the curriculum is updated,a new problem of meeting the requirements of the new elements added to the curriculum develops.

8.       Lack of trained and well informed teachers.

9.       Inflexibility of curriculum.

10.   Many exam bodies.

                        Different examination bodies have their different standards and techniques,not to talk of approaches to questions.

11.   Unwelcoming attitude to change.

                         Some teachers are soused to how they previously taught their subject.This makes it difficult to implement new curriculum.

                                                

                                          A curriculum is a set of courses,course work and topics,offered in schools.A curriculum is simple terms is the aggregate of subjects/courses and topics that are being or should be offered in schools.