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.
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