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Written Assignment Unit 4

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14 views

Written Assignment Unit 4

Uploaded by

xivicnickko
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Written Assignment Unit 3

University of the People

EDUC 5440- Assessment and Evaluation

Dr. Ismail Yuksel

December 4, 2024
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Philosophical Reflections on Curriculum Decisions for WPU Practicing Teachers

The article Philosophical Foundations for Curriculum Decision: A Reflective Analysis

gives a deep insight into how philosophical standpoints guide the curriculum design and delivery

process. Being a classroom teacher at the Western Philippines University (WPU), this reflects

upon the curricular decision that affects the improvement of learning results as well as its

conformity with the institutional set of objectives. The discussion here revolves around my

classroom curriculum through the perspective of the paper, critically reviewing the assessment

practices that influence the curricular decisions.

Defining Classroom Curriculum Based on Philosophical Foundations

The three major philosophical perspectives on curriculum that have been presented in the

article can be applied to analyze the WPU classroom curriculum. In my classroom, the

curriculum is basically progressivist. Progressivism is a philosophy that focuses on experiential

learning, problem-solving, and collaboration with others for the purpose of preparing students for

practical challenges in their communities. It fits with WPU's mission of fostering holistic

development and community engagement.

For example, community-based projects integrated in agricultural education are a perfect

reflection of this philosophy. My students are encouraged to apply theoretical knowledge in real

life, such as crop experiments or sustainable farming practices. Such activities embody Dewey's
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idea that education should be rooted in experience and aligned with societal needs (Dewey,

1938).

However, perennial elements do exist, especially with the foundational courses that focus

much more on universal truths and time-tried principles. For example, soil science and animal

husbandry usually focus much more on time-tested knowledge and skills used for the agricultural

industry. According to Adler (1982), these are beliefs that some truths transcend time and culture.

The Role of Assessment in Shaping Decisions over the Curriculum

Assessment plays a very important role in informing curriculum decisions at WPU. From

the article, effective assessment practices must be aligned with the philosophical goals of the

curriculum. My experience has been that both formative and summative assessments are used to

assess student learning and guide instructional strategies.

Formative assessments like quizzes, reflective journals, and class discussions also assist

in identifying the student's strengths and weaknesses, thereby matching the progressivist

philosophy of continuous feedback and creating a critical thinking culture. For example, in

project-based learning activities, my students receive constant feedback to shape their work that

helps them develop a growth mindset (Black & Wiliam, 1998).

Summative assessments, particularly midterm and final exams, are commonly used to test

students' mastery of fundamental concepts. Although summative assessment is more in line with

the perennialist approach, it still can be used to obtain valuable curriculum improvement data.
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For example, if a lot of my students are weak on some topic, it reminds me to reflect on my

pedagogy and the design of my content.

Aggregated at the institutional level, the assessment data can be used to evaluate the

effectiveness of programs and guide curricular revisions. For example, performance in licensure

examinations of graduates is used to update the content of courses to align with industry

standards and regulatory requirements. Such systemic application of assessment puts across the

point made by Stiggins (2005) that it is a continuous improvement tool.

This is reflective of philosophical foundations and assessment practices from an article to

emphasize how interconnectedly they influence decisions made on the curricula. Being a

practicing teacher at WPU, being able to take a reflective approach ensures that my educational

practice has relevance and effectiveness and is both aligned to philosophies and the needs of

society. Having reached a balance between perennialism, progressivism, and reconstructionism,

the curriculum will tend towards a balanced and responsive model that should empower students

with success both in their academic pursuit and professional world.


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References:

Adler, M. J. (1982). The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto. Macmillan.

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education:

Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. Macmillan.

Stiggins, R. J. (2005). Student-Involved Assessment for Learning. Pearson.

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