CHAPTER 3

CRAFTING THE CURRICULUM

INTRODUCTION

In this lesson, we will talk about the role of the teacher as a currciclum designer as one of
the roles of the teacher as a curricularist. You will be taught about the necessary concepts and
activities that you will need in order for your stduents to actively engage in the teaching-learning
process. You, as a future teacher, will need to be crea tive and innovative in designing a curriculum.

WHAT TO EXPECT

After going through this chapter, you are expected to:

1. identify the fundamentals of curriculum designing;

2. appreicate the task of designing a curriculum;
3. explain the four (4) elements of curriculum designing based on your understanding and give example
in each elements.P

LESSON 1
THE TEACHER AS A CURRICULUM
DESIGNER

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 Fundamentals of CURRICULUM DESIGNING?

PETER OLIVIA’S 10 AXIOMS FOR CURRICULUM DESIGNERS

Every curriculum designer, implementer, or evaluator should take in mind the following general
axioms as a huide in curriculum development.

1. CURRICULUM CHANGE IS INEVITABLE, NECESSARY AND DESIRABLE.

One of the charactiersitics of curriculum is being dynamic which is why teachers should respond
to the changes that occur in school and its context. Addressing the changing condition also requires
new curriculum designs.

2. CURRICULUM IS A PRODUCT OF ITS TIME.

Curriculum is timeless which means it responds to changes that came from current social forces,
educational reforms, and etc.

3. CURRICULUM CHANGES MADE EARLIER CAN EXIST CONCURRENTLY WITH

NEWER CURRICULUM CHANGES
Curriculum is gradually phased in and phased out thus the change that occurs can coexist and
oftentimes overlaps for a lon period of time.

4. CURRICULUM CHANGE DEPENDS DEPENDS ON PEOPLE WHO WILL IMPLEMENT

THE CHANGE.
Since teachers are the ones who implement the curriculum, it is best that they are also the ones to
design it. This will ensure an effective and long lasting change.

5. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IS A COOPERATIVE GROUP ACTIVITY.

Any significant change should involve a broad range of stakeholders including the teachers and
the learners to gain their understanding, support and input. Consultations and group decisions must
be suggested to the stakeholders in any decisions made.

6. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IS A DECISION MAKING PROCESS MADE FROM

CHOICES OF ALTERNATIVES
A curriculum designer/developer must decide what contents to teach and what methods or
strategies to use and what type of evaluation to use.

7. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IS AN ON-GOING PROCESS

As the needs of learners change, as society changes, as new knowledge and technology appearm
the curriclum must change. This is why continuous imporvement of the curriculum must be done.

8. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IS MORE EFFECTIVE IF ITS A COMPREHENSIVE

PROCESS RATHER THAN A PIECEMEAL.

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 A curriculum design must be based on a careful plan, intended outcomes clearly established,
support resources and needed time available and teaching staff pedgagogically equipped.

9. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IS MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN IT FOLLOWS A

SYSTEMATIC PROCESS.
A curriclum design should always be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result-oiented,
Time bound). Also, it should be composed of desired outcomes, subject matter cotent, set of prodecures,
needed materials and resources and evaluation procedure.

10. CURRICULUM DEVELPOMENT STARTS FROM WHERE THE CURRICULUM IS

An existing design is a good starting point for any teacher who plans to enrich and enhance a
curriculum.

Elements of a CURRICULUM DESIGN

Curriculum design has many names, it can be called syllabus, lesson plan,
and other call it unit plan or course design. These are atually almost the same.
They consist of 1) Intended/Desired Learning Outcomes or Objectives
2) Subject matter or content 3) Teaching and Learning Methods 4)
Assessment or Evaluation.

1. BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES OR INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Begin with the end in mind. It is what you need to accomplish in a particular learning
episode, they are expressed in action words which should be SMART (Specific, Measurable,
Attainable, Result-Oriented, Time Bound). Objectives target to develop the three domains of
learning namely: Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor.
Example: students should be able to:
1. Define curriculum (cognitive)
2. Relate curriculum to your current educational situation (affective)
3. Create your own curriculum (psychomotor)

2. SUBJECT MATTER OR CONTENT

Is is the content or topics which need to be covered. It should be relevant to the outcome or
objectives. It should also be appropriate to the level of learners and most importantly, it should be
timely relevant, thus, reflect current concepts and information. Also, references shall be included
following the content.

3. TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS

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 As a teacher, you have to keep in mind the strategies appropriate for students to learn better.
Methods to be used shall include cooperative learning as well as independent learning. The
following are some of the strategies you may use:

1. COOPERATIVE LEARNING
Allows stduents to work together by groups. Teachers guide students to find
solutions to their problems.
2. INDEPENDENT LEARNING
Allows learners to develop personal responsibility. Teaching students to learn how to
learn.
3. VARIOUS DELIVERY MODES
Using these modes to provide learning experiences is recommended. Online learning
is becoming increasingly important during these times but also needs to be carefully
planned.

4. ASSESSMENT OR EVALUATION
Learning occurs most effectively when students receive feedback. The process by which
students receive information about what they have learned is called assessment. It has three main forms

 Self-Assessment - this is done to monitor and evaluate their own learning. This is also one
way of honing the students self-critical and reflective skills.
 Peer Assessment - students provide feedback on their classmate’s learning.
 Teacher Assessment - the teacher prepares and administers tests and gives feedback on the
student’s performance.

Approaches to CURRICULUM
DESIGNING
TYPES OF CURRICULUM DESIGN MODELS
1. SUBJECT-CENTERED APPROACH- this design focuses on the content of the curriculum. It
corresponds mostly to the textbooks because they are written based on speicfic subject or course.
School hours are allocated to different subjects such as Science, Mathematics, Language, Social
Studies and etc, which is a practice in the Philippine’s educational system. It aims to excell in the
specific discipline content. Under subject-centered design are the following:

i. SUBJECT DESIGN- the oldest and most familiar design for teachers and students in
the Philippines. This design is easy to deliver and its support instructional materials can
be found easily. However, it focuses so much on the content thatabout the students’
interests and experiences. Learners tend to be passive and just receive information. This

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 is the traditional approach to teaching and learning. This is usually used in elementary
and high school levels.
ii. DISCIPLINE DESIGN- it focuses on academic disciplines. Disciplines means specific
knowledge, for example, students in biology should learn how the biologists learn. In the
same manner, teachers should teach how the scholars in the discipline will convey the
knowledge. It is often used in college.
iii. CORRELATION DESIGN- subjects are related to one another and still maintain the
identity of the subject. For example, English literature and social studies correlate well in
the elementary level. In the two subjects, while two subjects are being studied, different
literary pieces during the historical period are being studied . the same way, when
Chemistry or Physics is being taught, it’s a correlation between Mathematics and
Science.
iv. BROAD FIELD/INTERDISCIPLINARY DESIGN- it is a variation of the subject-
centered design. This design was made to integrate the contents that are related to each
other. For example, the subjects such as geography, economics, political sciences,
anthropology, sociology and history are fused into one subject called social sciences. It is
sometimes called ‘holistic curriculum’.

2. LEARNER-CENTERED APPROACH- the learner is the center of the educative process. This
emphasis is very strong in the elementary level.

i. CHILD-CENTERED DESIGN- this deisgn is anhored on the needs and interest of the
learners. Learners actively participates in their environment. One learns by doing.
Learners create, constructs meaning and understanding. Learning is a product of the
child’s interaction with the environment.
ii. EXPERIENCE-CENTERED DESIGN- almost similar to the child-centered approach.
However, experience-centered believes that the learners’ interests and needs can’t be
pre-planned. Instead, experiences of the learners become the starting point of the
curriculum. Learners are made to choose from various activities that the teacher
provides. Learners shape their own learning since they are free to make options.
Activities revolve around different emphasis such as touching, feeling, imagining,
constructing, relating and others.
iii. HUMANISTIC DESIGN- this is influenced by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers’s
theories. In humanistic design, the development of self is the ultimate objective of
learning. It stresses the development of positive self-concept and interpersonal skills.

3. PROBLEM-CENTERED APPROACH- this approach is based on a design which assumes that

in the process of living, children experience problems. Thus, problem solving enables the learners
to become increasingly able to achieve complete or total development as individuals. It draws on
social problems, needs, interests, and abilities of the learners. It centers on life situations,
contemporary life problems, areas of living and many others.
i. LIFE-CENTERED DESIGN- it uses the past and the present experiences of learners
as a means to analyze the basic areas of living. As a starting point, students’ concern and
the societal problems are used. It emphasizes activities that sustain life, enhance life and
in rearing children. The connections of subject matter to real situation increases the
relevance of the curriculum.

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 ii. CORE-PROBLEM DESIGN- it centers on general education and the problems are
based on the common human activities. The central focus includes common needs,
problems, concerns of the learners,

PRINCIPLE OF SUBJECT-CENTERED APPROACH

1. The primary focus is the SUBJECT-MATTER

2. The emphasis is on information that may be detached from your life.
3. The subject-matter serves as a means of identifying problems of living.
4. Learning means accumulation of content, or knowledge.
5. Teacher’s role is to deliver the content.

PRINCIPLES OF CHILD or LEARNER-CENTERED APPROACH

1. Acknowledgment and respect the fundamental rights of the child.

2. All activities shall revolve around the overall development of the learner.
3. Consider the uniqueness of every learner in a multicultural classroom.
4. Consider using differentiated instruction or teaching.
5. Provide a motivating supportive learning environment for all the learner.

PRINCIPLES OF CHILD or LEARNER-CENTERED APPROACH

1. The learners are capable of directing and guiding themselves in resolving problems,
thus, developing every learner to be independent.
2. The learners are prepared to assume their civic responsibilities through direct
participation in different activities.
3. The curriculum leads the learners in the recognition of concerns and problems in
seeking solutions.Learners are problem-solvers themselves.

Assessment

ACTIVITY 1

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 ACTIVITY I. Identify what kind of approach are utilized in the following description?

1. Only students who master the subject content can succeed.

2. Students are encouraged to work together to find answers to their task.
3. No learner is left behind in reading, writing and arithmetic.
4. School means survival of the fittest.
5. Teacher extends class because the children have not mastered the lessons.
6. Lesson deals with finding solutions to everyday problems.
7. Differentiated instruction for different ability groups.
8. Accumulation of knowledge is the primary importance in teaching.
9. Learning how to learn is observable among students.
10. Students are problem-finder and solution-giver.

ACTIVITY II. Briefly explain the apporoaches based on what you understand and give each an
example scenario.

CURRICULUM EXPLANATION
DESIGNS
SUBJECT-
CENTERED
APPROACH

LEARNER-
CENTERED
APPROACH

PROBLEM-
CENTERED
APPROACH

References:
Bilbao, P. and Dayagbil and Corpuz, B. (2014). Curriculum Development for Teachers.
Lorimar Publishing.

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 Boyles B. and Charler M. (2016). Curriculum Development: A Guide for Educators. SAGE
Publishing.

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