UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO

CURRICULUM   DEVELOPMENT
Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Concept, Definition and Components of Curriculum
1.2.1 Concept of Curriculum
1.2.2 Definition of Curriculum
1.2.3 Components of Curriculum
1.3 Level of Curriculum Planning
1.3.1 The Societa1 Curriculum
1.3.2 The Institutional Curriculum
1.3.3 The Instructional Curriculum
1.4 Types of Curriculum
1.4.1 Subject Oriented Curriculum
1.4.2 Competence-based Curriculum
1.4.3 Experience-based Curriculum
1.4.4 Core Curriculum
1.5 Factors Influencing Curriculum Development
1.5.1 Philosophy of Nursing Education
1.5.2 Educationa1 Psychology
1.5.3 Social Changes
1.5.4 Epidemiology
1.5.5 Population Explosion
1.6 Basic Principles and features of Curriculum Construction
1.7 Steps in Curriculum Development
1.7.1 Formulation of Educational Objectives/Outcomes
1.7.2 Selection of Learning Experiences
1.7.3 Organization of Learning Experiences
1.7.4 Evaluation of Learning Objectives/Outcomes
1.8 Revising a Curriculum
1.9 Let Us Sum Up
1.10 Answers to Check Your Progress

1.0 OBJECTIVES
After completing this unit, you should be able to:
●● explain the concept of curriculum;
●● define curriculum;
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Curriculum Development ●● enumerate curriculum components;
and Implementation
●● describe the level of curriculum planning,
●● explain the factors/issues influencing curriculum development;
●● discuss types of curriculum;
●● explain the process of curriculum construction.

1.1 INTRODUCTION
In today’s world of rapidly shifting resources and fast development of
technology has affected curriculum development. Nurse educators must
be cognizant of the implications of technology in Nursing education.
Universities and Nursing education programmes that expect to survive must
respond to the needs of the consumers and communities. Nursing Education
is an instrument to bring about desired change in Nursing practice with
curriculum as it is instrumental to achieve the goals of Nursing Education,
that leads to change in Nursing practice according to the changing needs of
society.

Resources in health care system are rapidly changing the focus of Nursing
Education and Nursing educators will have to develop flexible curriculum
so as to provide cost effective quality programme to diverse population of
students. Thus the challenge before nursing educators and administrators
is what learning experiences need to be selected for imparting education to
nursing students at various levels of courses, so that the desired outcomes
are possible with minimum time and resources. This necessitates to devote
sufficient time for curriculum planning in Nursing.

1.2 CONCEPT, DEFINITION AND

COMPONENTS OF CURRICULUM
Curriculum development is planned as per the levels and group for whom
it is being planned. In the following text you will read about the broader
concept, definition and components of curriculum.

1.2.1 Concept of Curriculum

The term “curriculum” is derived from the latin word “currere”, which
means “run”. Thus curriculum means a course to be run for reaching a
certain goal or “destination” here education is imagined as a race, with its
aim as the goal and curriculum as the course leading to that goal. So the
term “curriculum” came to signify a group of subjects or courses of study,
arranged in particular sequence, for instructional purpose in school.

A curriculum is more than just a syllabus or a statement of content. A

curriculum is about what should happen in a teaching programme—about
the intention of teachers and the way they make this happen. This extended
vision of a curriculum is illustrated in Fig. l.l.

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 Introduction to Curriculum
STUDENT
Development

Student Support System

What to learn How to learn

– Content – Methods and Strategies

Assessment

Education Outcomes

Fig. 1.1: Extended vision of a curriculum

Thus the curriculum must include all the subject matter, teaching strategies,
learners experiences and assessment of students, which a particular school
or college of Nursing Plans for its students and which is developed by the
members of its own curriculum committee.
Cunningham has put curriculum as a tool in the hands of the artist (the
teacher) to mould his material (the pupils) according to his aim and
objectives in his studies (the school).
Another concept of curriculum development is that it is a plan of logical
sequence of correlated and integrated subjects, which students may pursue
in the attainment of a given goal.
According to the modern concept curriculum —does not mean only the
academic subjects, traditionally taught in schools but it includes the sum
total of experiences that pupil receives through the manifold activities
that go on in the school, in the classroom, library, laboratory, workshop,
play-grounds and in the numerous informal contacts between teachers and
pupils. In this sense, curriculum touches the life of the students at all points
and help in the evolution of a balanced personality.
Thus a curriculum is a systematic arrangement of the sum total of
selected learning experiences planned by a school for a defined group
of students to attain the aim of particular educational programme. It is
commonly formed as a “Programme of Studies”.
You have seen curriculum is intimately related with education. While
education is a process, curriculum is a means to the process. While education
is learning, curriculum signifies situation for learning.
Let us see how is curriculum defined.
1.2.2 Definition of Curriculum
There are many definitions of the word curriculum. Three of the following
definitions are accepted widely and used in Nursing:
●● Curriculum is a formal plan of educational experiences and activities
offered to a learner under the guidance of an educational institution.
It is more structured in schools and more flexible in higher education.
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Curriculum Development ●● A curriculum is a systematic arrangement of the sum total of selected
and Implementation experiences planned by a school for a defined group of students to
attain the aims of a particular educational programmes. (Florence
Nightingale International Foundation)
●● A composite of the entire range of experiences the learner undergoes
under the guidance of the school. (Lamberston Education for Nursing
Leadership)
Curriculum is viewed from a variety of perspective ranging from narrow
and circumscribed to broad and encompassing.
1.2.3 Components of Curriculum
Curriculum is planned for a particular educational programme. Hence,
curriculum invariably includes:
i) The statement of philosophy of the educational programme. You have
read about the philosophy of the educational programme and Nursing
in Block-1 of this course.
ii) The statement of objectives of the educational programme.
iiii) Total duration of the educational programme with break up of course
for theoretical and practical courses and supervised clinical experience
and clinical practices, if any.
iv) Learning experience for theory, practical and clinical component with
their respective objectives, courses of studies, placement sequences
and learnings situations.
v) Instructional methods or methods of teaching for the theoretical,
practical and clinical component of the educational programme.
vi) Programme of evaluation to ascertain effectiveness of the educational
programme through curriculum evaluation (covers evaluation
methods, plan and schedule of evaluation and use of results of
evaluation).
1.3 LEVEL OF CURRICULUM PLANNING
T he construction of curriculum is the responsibility of’ the school or college
of Nursing. Just as the Philosophy resources and other condition vary front
one school to another, so will the curriculum. The common element in all
the curricula in one state or country will be the requirements laid down by
statutory body (INC) in the form of syllabus.
Curriculum can be planned at three different levels as follows:
1.3.1 The Societal Curriculum
The Societal curriculum refers to the curricula or parts of curricula. which
are planned for a large group or class of students, such as the baccalaureate
curriculum for basic nursing. It is the curriculum, which is planned by
groups outside of an educational institution.
1.3.2 The Institutional Curriculum
The institutional curriculum is one planned by a faculty for a clearly
identified group of students who will spend a specified time period in a
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particular institution. It is this that is generally referred to when one speaks Introduction to Curriculum
or a curriculum in a particular school. Development

13.3 The Instructional Curriculum

The instructional curriculum consists of the content (subject matter and
learning activities) planned day by day and week by week by a particular
teacher for a particular group of students.
Cheek Your Progress 1
1) Define Curriculum.
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2) List the basic components of curriculum development.
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1.4 TYPES OF CURRICULUM

Curriculum may be of different types to suit the requirement of the course.
Let us now proceed to discuss about the types of curriculum.
1.4.1 Subject Oriented Curriculum
In this type, the teaching-learning experiences and evaluation are subject
based. Most Nursing curriculum fall under this category. Nursing student has
to pass through various subjects or disciplines before successfully completing
the course. Fragmented learning, piece-meal approach to learning are some
of the problems with this type of curriculum. System based curriculum has
been designed to rectify some of the deficiencies mentioned above. Hence
the teaching—learning experiences and evaluation are system based. For,
e.g., students leant all about musculo-skeletal system including clinical and
therapeutic aspects before moving onto another system.
1.4.2 Competence-based Curriculum
This is also known as task oriented or activity based curriculum “what
should a learner be able to do and what S/he should learn during the
course?” is the basic question that drives the making of such a curriculum
plan. The focus is on the tasks that a successful graduate Nurse need to do
later as a competent professional. The tasks could be of cognitive problem
solving skills, definitive communication skills or mixed type encompassing
more than one domain. Nursing curricula need to adopt this approach more
widely.
1.4.3 Experience-based Curriculum
In this type curriculum learner is placed in the natural setting of the
community. Perhaps community oriented nursing education is an ideal
method of educating learners.
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Curriculum Development 1.4.4 Core Curriculum
and Implementation
Core curriculum is defined as the essential or key aspect of a subject or
discipline covered in the curriculum, for the study and mastery by all groups
of students with the same level of learning. Core curriculum is about the
competencies required of all students and here students study an area in depth
e.g., Nursing process, quality assurance, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation are
some of the topics of core course.
Nature of Nursing Curriculum
Let us learn what kind of curriculum we have in Nursing.
The curriculum in nursing is like any other curriculum, in addition it reflects
health, and it is health oriented, but flexible to meet the changing needs of
the people in the health scenario, it is geared to shift its emphasis in terms of
National Health Policy and goals and meets the primary health care needs.

1.5 FACTORS INFLUENCING CURRICULUM

DEVELOPMENT
To plan and develop meaningful curriculum, faculty must closely examine
and analyze various forces that provide direction for curriculum changes.
Factors influencing curriculum are discussed in the following subsections.
1.5.1 Philosophy of Nursing Education
Philosophy of nursing education is the vital factor in the curriculum as its
forms the basis for the final selection of aims and objectives of the curriculum.
To determine what changes are desired involves value judgements and is
influenced by the underlying philosophy of the curriculum.
1.5.2 Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology provides the background for the principles of
learning. There are individual differences among students, and the principles
of educational psychology help in the selection and organization of learning
experiences for students.
1.5.3 Social Changes
Social change has been brought about largely by the advances of science and
technology, resulting in urban-industrial culture, which has brought in many
health problems and they need to be taken into account while developing
curriculum as they have implications for nursing practice.
1.5.4 Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of the description and determinants of the
state of health and illness in human populations. Epidemiology provides
nursing faculty with systematic ways to understand pattern of disease
i.e. Characteristics of people at risk, environmental factors and shift in
demographic characteristics of the population.
In nutshell, nurse educators should develop curriculum that matches global
characteristics. Nurse educators attuned of prevailing and visionary thinking
can shape the future through progressive curriculum.
1.5.5 Population Explosion
Population explosion has led to the paucity of resources and it has brought
about shift in the age structure towards elderly, which results from improved
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interventions for health and longevity, as well as decline in fertility rates Introduction to Curriculum
and fewer births. Issues surrounding geriatric and small family norms are Development
important areas, which need to be incorporated in curriculum.

1.6 BASIC PRINCIPLES AND FEATURES OF

CURRICULUM CONSTRUCTION
The success of a curriculum depends on certain principles, which need to
be born in mind while developing a curriculum. We shall discuss principles
and features as follows.
i) The purpose of Educational Objectives of the Programme should
be fulfilled.
In nursing curriculum especially, it is essential that the purpose of
capacity building for performance of the appropriate and relevant
tasks demanded of the job responsibilities of the prospective nurses
be attained.
ii) The educational objective should be stated in clear, unambiguous
and behavioural terms, which should be achievable and
measurable. The development of objective will be discussed in Unit
2 of this block.
iii) The third principle is that the students and teachers of the
particular educational programme should have a clear perception
of the expected results i.e., objectives as well as purpose of the
educational programme.
iv) The fourth principle is that the learning activities to provide
learning experiences related to the theoretical, practical and
clinical component should be in conformity with the educational
objectives of the programme.
v) The fifth principle is that the teaching-learning activities should
relate to class room activities, clinical fields and community.
Cheek Your Progress 2
1) Define Core Curriculum.
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2) Explain the Principles of Curriculum Construction.
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1.7 STEPS IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

There are four steps in curriculum development which you would study
in sub-sections 1.7.1, 1.7.2, 1.7.3 and 1.7.4. Before discussing steps let us
focus on features, need of curriculum and philosophy of nursing education.
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Curriculum Development Important Features
and Implementation
You have studied the principles of curriculum construction. Now will
discuss features:
●● A well thought of and a planned curriculum helps to realise the
educational objectives.
●● The educational system leading to the development of health
personnel, at all levels, must be re-examined within the context of the
needs or the country concerned.
●● The members of the health team must be trained specifically for the
tasks they will have to perform, taking into account the circumstances
under which they will have to work.
●● The subjects and activities in the curriculum should be such as to
gear towards capacity building of the students in areas of prevetive,
promotive, case and problem solving.
●● In order to keep up-to-date with the modern trend and changes in the
health field it is essential that the curriculum undergoes revision over
a period of time based on periodic evaluation.
●● A curriculum should be prepared from social view point and since
society in not static, its need are also not static and so the curriculum
development is an ongoing activity.
●● The construction of the nursing curriculum is the responsibility of the
nursing school; their sources, philosophy, need and other conditions
vary from one school to another so also the curriculum.
●● The core content will be common to all the curricula in the state or
country prescribed by a statutory body like the Indian Nursing Council
in our country.
However, it must be noted, the syllabus lays down the minimum required
by law and in constructing their own curricula, the schools can add as
much as is required to meet their own particular objectives. Therefore, the
curriculum includes all the subject matter and experience which a particular
school of nursing plans for its own students and which is developed by its
own curriculum committee.
a) Identification of the Curriculum Need
A range of approaches can be used to identify the curriculum needs.
●● The wise-man approach is that the senior teachers, nurse practitioners
from different specialty backgrounds reach a common consensus about
what is expected of the young graduate nurse and the competencies
gained from the training programme.
●● The views of the senior health professionals are sought.
●● The errors in practice areas are identified where the curriculum is
likely to be deficient.
●● Critical review of the research studies, on patient satisfaction, job
satisfaction, hospital infection to be done. So as to identify areas
where there are gaps in nursing practice.
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●● Feedback from health professionals and community regarding major Introduction to Curriculum
health problems is obtained. Development

●● Review of books and journals on scientific advances.

●● National health policy
●● Job description or task analysis
●● Indian Nursing Council’s regulations.
The information collected through the various sources will contribute for the
task analysis for which the nurses need to be prepared. These two processes
together determine the needs and purposes of establishing a particular
nursing education programme.
Next question comes what do they learn? Which depends on philosophy of
nursing education.
b) Formulation of Philosophy of Nursing Education
The programme must integrate the Philosophy and learning outcomes
(objectives) of the programme within the curriculum as there is a close
relationship between the Philosophy and the curriculum. Philosophy sets
the goals (e.g., what is expected of a nurse after the successful completion
of a programme) through the implementation of curriculum we achieve
the goals set (to bring about a desired change in the behaviour of student
nurse). It is important that faculty must have broad based agreement on
the philosophy because such agreement is fundamental to the consistent
interpretation, implementation and evaluation of the curriculum.
To formulate a statement of Philosophy the staff should hold discussions
and come to unanimous decisions as to what is desirable and feasible in the
interest of the students, school and profession.
Philosophy needs no be stated in clear concise terms and relate to curriculum.
Following is a simple statement of Philosophy and subsequent planned
activities to attain the goal hidden in Philosophy. You may refer Block 1 of
this Course (BNS-211).
Sample Statement
We believe that the basic course in Nursing should prepare nurses for first
level positions in Nursing, both in hospital and in the community.
Actions/Planned Activities
The curriculum should emphasize preventive, promotive and rehabilitative
aspects of health throughout in the hospitals, community, school environment
and provide facilities to put these principles into practice. The curriculum
should plan and provide learning experiences in all major clinical areas of
Nursing in the hospital and in the community.
Once the philosophy of an educational programme is established, the next
step in the curriculum process would be to formulate educational o ectives/
outcomes.
Steps of Curriculum Development
Curriculum development has four major steps as described below:
All these steps are inter-related which are discussed with the help of diagram
as given in Fig. 1.2.
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Curriculum Development
and Implementation Evaluation of Formulation of
Learning Outcomes Objectives

Curriculum
Development

Implementation of Selection of
teaching-learning teaching-learning
experiences experiences

Fig. 1.2: Steps of curriculum development

1.7.1 Formulation of Educational Objectives/Outcomes

Educational objectives/outcomes must be consistent with philosophy of the
educational programme and Institution.
When identifying educational objectives/curriculum outcomes, faculty
must have an understanding of the qualities and characteristics they want the
graduates of nursing programmes to possess on graduation for competent
Nursing practice.
Educational objectives must be stated in behavioural terms and be clear and
concise and keep pace with the ongoing changes in health care. Educational
objectives are the road maps and may be equated with the trip’s destination.
The objectives are three types general objectives, intermediate objectives
and specific objectives.
Once the objectives are spelt out, the next step is to decide, how do they
achieve leaning objectives/outcome.
This question leads to the decision on the following:
Time : Time allotment, sequencing of topics and subjects.
Duration : Balancing of various subjects and the duration of nursing
education
Scope : Depth and breadth of study, i.e., deciding on weightage and
time allotment for theory, practice and evaluation.
1.7.2 Selection of Teaching, Learning Experiences
Selection of teaching learning experiences are integral part of curriculum
and courses.
Definition of Learning Experiences
Learning experiences may be defined as deliberately planned experiences
in selected situations where students actively participate, interact and which
result in desirable changes of behaviour in students.
Faculty need to select instructional strategies that match the objectives/
outcomes of the curriculum so as to facilitate the student’s acquisition of the
desired knowledge, competencies, behaviours specified by the curriculum.
Selected leaning activities should be appropriate for the cognitive, affective
and psychomotor development of students. Active engagement of students
in their own learning have positive benefits for students and faculty must
integrate critical thinking skills into the activities so as to maximize student
learning.
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Since the knowledge is very vast and it is not possible to learn everything the Introduction to Curriculum
teacher must select what is essential for the student to learn in a programme Development
and in a particular course of study i.e. anatomy, physiology, pharmacology,
etc. In order to decide the content area to be included in curriculum, content
is graded in three broad categories, as given in following example.
For instance:
i) Essential or Must Learn: Basic Nursing principles in carrying for
an unconscious patient for students of GNM Programme. (Medical
Surgical Course)
ii) Desirable-Useful to Learn or Preferable: Complications of
unconciousness.
iii) Additional or Supportive: Nice to learn, computer technology for
GNM.
Must learn is the target. These form the content, which every student must
learn and the teacher must stress the learning of these when s/he is teaching.
Useful to learn need the same emphasis on learning and should not be
given more emphasis in the examination only.
Nice to learn teachers can direct the students how to learn and from where
to learn.
1.7.3 Organization of Learning Experiences
Once the learning experiences have been selected the next step is sequencing
or placement of learning experience. It should be done in a manner that
leads to a gradual progress from simple to complex. Concrete to abstract
and from normal to abnormal (Refer Block 1 of BNS-Ill).
Keeping these maxims in mind,
●● organization and sequencing of theoretical experiences
●● organization and sequencing of supervised and guided experiences in
arrangement of students rotation in hospital and community practical.
●● organization and sequencing of teaching learning methods.
Learning experiences need to be integrated so that student see interrelation
in various subjects that leads to life long learning or holistic learning.
1.7.4 Evaluation of Learning Objectives/Outcomes
The last step in the curriculum process is evaluating planning system of
evaluation that include:
●● Purposes of the test
— Formative
— Summative
●● Timing of various tests
●● Duration of tests
●● Frequency of tests
●● Criteria for pass and fail and grading of students.
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Curriculum Development You will be learning all these steps of curriculum development in detail in
and Implementation the subsequent units.

1.8 REVISING A CURRICULUM

In view of advances in medical sciences and technology, changing pattern
of disease, occurrence of new diseases such as (Covid-19 etc.) and changing
socio-economic realities, a curriculum gets outdated within a few year.
Periodic updating of a curriculum is necessary. Evaluation of curriculum
helps in inquiry based curriculum reference.
Using the results of curricular assessment, the following decisions could be
taken:
●● Redefining curricular objectives.
●● Introduction of newer topics and skills.
●● Deletion of obsolete or irrelevant topics and skills.
●● Improving teaching learning experiences.
●● Modifying duration, timing and sequencing subjects.
●● Modifying evaluation system.
●● Accessing the need and scope for introducing new courses.
Check Your Progress 3
a) List the steps of curriculum development
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b) State the sources that can be utilized for getting feedback / opinion on
existing curriculum.
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1.9 LET US SUM UP

In this unit you have learnt about definition of curriculum according
to different authors. Curriculum components were reviewed. Levels of
curriculum planning has been explained briefly. Types of curriculum, the
impact of various factors on curriculum development and principles of
curriculum construction have been also explained.
We have concluded this unit with the discussion on the process of curriculum
revision also. We hope after reading this unit you would be able to apply the
knowledge while developing curriculum for the nursing.

1.10   ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check Your Progress 1
●● Curriculum is a formal plan of educational experiences and activities
offered to a learner under the guidance of an educational institution.
It is more structured in schools and more flexible in higher education.
200
●● A curriculum is a systematic arrangement of the sum total of selected Introduction to Curriculum
experiences planned by a school for a defined group of students to Development
attain the aims of a particular educational programmes. (Florence
Nightingale International Foundation)
●● A composite of the entire range of experiences the learner undergoes
under the guidance of the school. (Lamberston Education for Nursing
Leadership)
1) • Statement of Philosophy and objectives.
●● Duration of the programme showing theoretical and practical
how.
●● Learning experiences.
●● Method of Instruction.
●● Evaluation of students.
Check Your Progress 2
l) Core curriculum is defined as essential or key aspect of a subject or
discipline covered in the curriculum for the study and mastery by all
groups of students with the same level of learning.
●● The purpose of educational programme should be fulfilled.
●● The educational objectives should be stated in clear,
unambiguous and behavioral terms.
●● The students and teachers should have clear perception of the
expected results.
●● The learning activities should be in conformity with the
educational objectives of the programme.
●● The teaching-learning activities should relate to the class room,
clinical fields community.
Check Your Progress 3
I. a) Formulation of educational objectives (which will be based on
philosophy of nursing education.)
b) Selection of Teaching-Learning experiences
c) Implementation of Teaching-Learning experiences and
d) Evaluation of Learning / outcomes
II) The following sources can be utilized to gather opinion on an existing
curriculum:
●● Student opinion during the course and at the end.
●●  elf assessment of the outcome and impact of the existing
S
curriculum.
●● rofessional evaluation done systematically by curriculum
P
specialists on all aspects of the curriculum including its input,
process, outcome and impact.

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