Chapter 2.

Crafting the Curriculum

Module 3: The Teacher as a Curriculum Designer

Module Overview:

A curriculum as a planned sequence of learning experiences should be at the heart and mind of
every teacher. Every teacher as a curricularist should be involved in designing a curriculum. In fact, it is
one of the teachers' roles as a curricularist. As such, you will be a part of the intellectual journey of your
learners. You will be providing them the necessary experiences that will enable the learner what you
intend them learn.

As a curriculum designer this task was not given much attention in the past. Every single day, a
teacher designs a lesson or utilizes a curriculum that has been made and was previously written.
Designing a curriculum is a very challenging task. It is here where the style and creativity of the teacher
come in. Thus this module will provide the necessary concepts and activities that you as a teacher can
refer to as you prepare yourself to be a curriculum designer.

Lesson 1: Fundamentals of Curriculum Designing

Desired Learning Outcomes

​ Identify the fundamentals of curriculum designing

​ Appreciate the task of designing a curriculum

Content Focus

Building on Peter Oliva's 10 Axioms for Curriculum Designers

Before a teacher designs a curriculum, it would be of great importance to connect to the

fundamental concepts and ideas about the curriculum mentioned in Modules 1 and 2. Every curriculum
designer, implementer, or evaluator should take in mind the following general axioms as a guide in
curriculum development (Oliva, 2003):

1.​ Curriculum change is inevitable, necessary, and desirable. Earlier it was stated that one of
the characteristics of curriculum is its being dynamic. Because of this, teachers should
respond to the changes that occur in schools and in its context. Societal development and
knowledge revolution come so fast that the need to address the changing condition requires
new curriculum designs.
2.​ Curriculum is a product of its time. A relevant curriculum should respond to changes
brought about by current social forces, philosophical positions, psychological principles, new
knowledge, and educational reforms. This is also called timeliness.
3.​ Curriculum changes made earlier can exist concurrently with newer curriculum changes. A
revision in a curriculum starts and ends slowly. More often, curriculum is gradually phased in
and phased out, thus the changes that occur can coexist and oftentimes overlap for long
periods of time.
4.​ Curriculum change depends on people who will implement the change. Teachers who will
implement the curriculum should be involved in its development, hence should know how to
 design a curriculum. Because the teachers are the implementers of the curriculum, it is best
that they should design and own the changes. This will ensure an effective and long lasting
change.
5.​ Curriculum development is a cooperative group activity. Group decisions in some aspects of
curriculum development are suggested. Consultations with stakeholders when possible will
add to a sense of ownership. Even learners should participate in some aspect of curriculum
designing. Any significant change in the curriculum should involve a broad range of
stakeholders to gain their understanding, support, and input.
6.​ Curriculum development is a decision-making process made from choices of alternatives. A
curriculum developer or designer must decide what contents to teach, philosophy or point
of view to support, how to provide for multicultural groups, what methods or strategies, and
what type of evaluation to use.
7.​ Curriculum development is an ongoing process. Continuous monitoring, examination,
evaluation, and improvement of curricula are to be considered in the design of the
curriculum. As the needs of learners change, as society changes, and as new knowledge and
technology appear, the curriculum must change.
8.​ Curriculum development is more effective if it is A comprehensive process, rather than a
“piecemeal". A curriculum design should be based on a careful plan, should clearly establish
intended outcomes, support resources and needed time available and should equip teaching
staff pedagogically.
9.​ Curriculum development is more effective when it follows a systematic process. A
curriculum design is composed of desired outcomes, subject matter content complemented
with references, set of procedures, needed materials and resources and evaluation
procedure which can be placed in a matrix.
10.​Curriculum development starts from where the curriculum is. Curriculum planners and
designers should begin with existing curriculum. An existing design is a good starting point
for any teacher who plans to enhance and enrich a curriculum.

Building upon the ideas of Oliva, let us continue learning how to design a curriculum by
identifying its components. For most curricula the major components or elements are answers to the
following questions:

1.​ What learning outcomes need to be achieved? (Intended Learning Outcomes)

2.​ What content should be included to achieve the learning outcomes? (Subject Matter)
3.​ What learning experiences and resources should be employed? (Teaching-Learning
Methods)
4.​ How will the achieved learning outcomes be measured? (Assessment of Achieved Learning
Outcomes)

Elements or Components of a Curriculum Design

There are many labels or names for curriculum design. Some would call it a syllabus, or a lesson
plan. Some would call it a unit plan or a course design. Whatever is the name of the design, the common
components for all of them are almost the same. However some schools, institutions or departments
may add other minor parts or trimmings to the design.
 Let us take the Lesson Plan as a miniscule curriculum. A lesson plan or teaching guide includes
(1) Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO) or the Desired Learning Outcome (DLO) formerly labelled as
behavioral objectives, (2) Subject Matter or Content, (3) Teaching and Learning Methods, and (4)
Assessment Evaluation. Each of these components or elements is described below.

I.​ Behavioral Objectives or Intended Learning Outcomes

Begin with the end in view. The objectives or intended learning outcomes are the reasons for
undertaking the learning lesson from the student's point of view; it is desired learning outcome that is to
be accomplished in a particular learning episode, engaged in by the learners under the guidance of the
teacher. As a curriculum designer, the beginning of the learning journey is the learning outcomes.to be
achieved. In this way, both the learner and the teacher are guided by what to accomplish.

The behavioral objectives, intended learning outcomes or desired learning outcomes are expressed
in action words found in the revised Bloom's Taxonomy of Objectives (Andersen and Krathwohl,2003) for
the development of the cognitive skills. For the affective skills, the taxonomy made by Krathwohl and for
the psychomotor domain by Simpson.

The statement should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result oriented and Time bound.
For a beginner, it would help if you provide the Condition, Performance and Extent or Level of
Performance in the statement of the intended earning outcomes.

For example, if a lesson intends the students to identify the parts of a simple flower as stated in the
desired learning outcomes, then students should have identified the parts of a simple flower, at the end
of the lesson.

Sometimes the phrase intended learning outcomes is used to refer to the anticipated results after
completing the planned activity or lesson. In framing learning outcomes, it is good practice to:

❖​ Express each outcome in terms of what successful students will be able to do. For example,
rather than stating Students will be able to explain the reason why... it should be: 'Students must
have explained the reasons why...' This helps students to focus on what they have to achieve as
learning. It will also help curricularist devise appropriate assessment tasks.
❖​ Include different kinds of outcomes. The most common are cognitive objectives (learning facts,
theories, formulae, principles etc.) and performance outcomes (learning how to carry out
procedures, calculations and processes, which typically include gathering information and
communicating results). In some contexts, affective outcomes are important too (for developing,
attitudes or values, e.g. those required as a person and for a particular profession).

II.​ Content/Subject Matter

The content of the lesson or unit is the topic or subject matter that will be covered. In selecting
content, you should bear in mind the following principles in addition to those mentioned about the
content in previous lessons:

●​ Subject matter should be relevant to the outcomes of the curriculum. An effective curriculum is
purposive and clearly focused on the planned learning outcomes.
 ●​ Subject matter should be appropriate to the level of the lesson or unit. An effective curriculum is
progressive, leading students towards building on previous lessons. Contents which are too basic
or too advanced for the development levels of learners make students either bored or baffled,
and affect their motivation to learn.
●​ Subject matter should be up to date and, if possible, should reflect current knowledge and
concepts.

III.​ References

The reference follows the content. It tells where the content or subject matter has been taken. The
reference may be a book, a module, or any publication. It must bear the author of the material and if
possible, the publications. Some examples are given below.

1.​ Project Wild (1992) K to 12 Activity Guide, An Interdisciplinary, Supplementary Conservation and
Environmental Education Program. Council of Environmental Education, Bethesda, MD
2.​ Shipman, James and Jerry Wilson, et al (2009). An Introduction to Physical Science. Houghton
Mifflin Co. Boston MA
3.​ Romo, Salvador B. (2013). Horticulture an Exploratory Course. Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon
City
4.​ Bilbao, Purita P. and Corpuz, Brenda B. et al (2012). The Teaching Profession 2nd Ed. Lorimar
Publishing Inc. Quezon City

IV.​ Teaching and Learning Methods

These are the activities where the learners derive experiences. It is always good to keep in mind the
teaching strategies that students will experience (lectures, laboratory classes, fieldwork etc.) and make
them learn. The teaching-learning methods should allow cooperation, competition as well as
individualism or independent learning among the students. For example:

❖​ Cooperative learning activities allow students to work together. Students are guided to learn on
their own to find solutions to their problems. The role of the teachers is to guide the learners.
Democratic process is encouraged, and each one contributes to the success of learning. Students
learn from each other in ways. Group projects and activities considerably enhance the
curriculum.
❖​ Independent learning activities allow learners to develop personal responsibility. The degree of
independence to learn how to learn is enhanced. This strategy is more appropriate for fast
learners.
❖​ Competitive activities, where students will test their competencies against another in a healthy
manner allow learners to perform to their maximum. Most successful individuals in their adult
life are competitive, even in early schooling. They mostly become the survivors in a very
competitive world.
 ❖​ The use of various delivery modes to provide learning experiences is recommended. Online
learning and similar modes are increasingly important in many curricula, but these need to be
planned carefully to be effective.

V.​ Assessment/Evaluation

Learning occurs most effectively when students receive feedback, i.e. when they receive information
on what they have already (and have not) learned. The process by which this information is generated is
assessment. It has three main forms:

❖​ Self-assessment, through which students learn to monitor and evaluate their own learning. This
should be a significant element in the curriculum because we aim to produce graduates who are
appropriately reflective and self-critical.
❖​ Peer assessment, in which students provide feedback on each other's learning. This can be
viewed as an extension of self- assessment and presupposes trust and mutual respect. Research
suggests that students can learn to judge each other's work as reliably as staff.
❖​ Teacher assessment, in which the teacher prepares and administers tests and gives feedback on
the student's performance.

Assessment may be formative (providing feedback to help the student learn more) or summative
(expressing a judgment on the student's achievement by reference to stated criteria). Many assessment
tasks involve an element of both, e.g. an assignment that is marked and returned to the student with
detailed comments.

Summative assessment usually involves the allocation of marks or grades. This helps the teacher
make decisions about the progress or performance of the students.

Students usually learn more by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their work than by,
knowing the mark or grade given to it. For this reason, summative assessment tasks (including unseen
examinations) should include an element of formative feedback, if possible.

Application of the Fundamental Components to Other Curriculum Designs

While our example refers only to designing a lesson plan which is a mini curriculum, similar
components will also be used in making a syllabus for teaching in higher education courses or other
curricular projects. Based on the curriculum models we have learned, the fundamental components
include the following:

Major components of a Course Design or Syllabus

1.​ Intended Outcomes (or Objectives)

2.​ Content/Subject Matter (with references)
3.​ Methods/Strategies (with needed resources)
 4.​ Evaluation (means of assessment)

All other additional components are trimmings that each designer may place. This additional part
may be an institutional template, suggested by other curriculum experts and as required by educational
agencies like the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Accrediting Agencies,
Professional Organizations that would serve the purposes they intend to achieve.
Lesson 2: Approaches to Curriculum Designing

Desired Learning Outcomes

​ Identify some familiar curriculum designs and approaches to the designs

​ Analyze the approaches in the light of how these are applied in the school setting

Take Off

You have started to be familiar with the preliminaries of making a simple design through a lesson
plan component. You will further enrich your knowledge by looking into how other curricularists
approach the curriculum design. In this lesson, we will see how several examples of curriculum designs
are used in the schools and classrooms.

Content Focus

Types of Curriculum Design Models

There are many ways of looking at curriculum and designing one. For our own purposes, let us
focus on the most widely used examples.

1.​ Subject-Centered Design

This is a curriculum design that focuses on the content of the curriculum. The subject-centered
design corresponds mostly to the textbook because textbooks are usually written based the specific
subject or course. Henry Morrison and William Harris are the few curricularists who firmly believed in
this design. As practiced, school hours are allocated to different school subjects such as Science,
Mathematics, Language, Social Studies, Physical Education, and others. This is also practiced in the
Philippines, because a school day is divided into class period, a school year into quarters or semester.
Most of the schools using this kind of structure and curriculum design aim for excellence in the specific
subject discipline content.

Subject-centered curriculum design has also some variations which are focused on the individual
subject, specific discipline and a combination of subjects or disciplines which are a broad field or
interdisciplinary.

1.1.​Subject design. What subject are you teaching? What subject are you taking? These are two
simple questions that the teacher and the learner can easily answer. It is because they are
familiar with the subject design curriculum.
Subject design curriculum is the oldest and so far the most familiar design for teachers,
parents and other laymen. According to the advocates, subject design has an advantage because
it is easy to deliver. Textbooks are written and support instructional materials are commercially
available. Teachers are familiar with the format, because they were educated using also the
design. In the Philippine educational system, the number of subjects in the elementary
education is fewer than in the secondary level. In college, the number of subjects also differs
according to the degree programs being pursued. For each subject, a curriculum is being
designed.
 However, the drawback of this design is that sometimes, learning is so
compartmentalized. It stresses so much the content and forgets about students' natural
tendencies, interests and experiences. The teacher becomes the dispenser of knowledge and the
learners are the simply the empty vessel to receive the information or content from the teacher.
This is a traditional approach to teaching and learning.
1.2.​Discipline design. This curriculum design model is related to the subject design. However, while
subject design centers only on the cluster of content, discipline design focuses on academic
disciplines. Discipline refers to specific knowledge learned through a method which the scholars
use to study a specific content of their fields. Students in history should learn the subject matter
like historians, students in biology should learn how the biologists learn, and so with students in
mathematics, who should learn how mathematicians learn. In the same manner, teachers should
teach how the scholars in the discipline will convey the particular knowledge.
Discipline design model of curriculum is often used in college, but not in the elementary
or secondary levels. So from the subject centered curriculum, curriculum moves higher to a
discipline when the students are more mature and are already moving towards their career path
or disciplines as science, mathematics, psychology, humanities, history and others.
1.3.​Correlation design. Coming from a core, correlated curriculum design links separate subject
designs in order to reduce fragmentation. Subjects are related to one another and still maintain
their identity. For example, English literature and social studies correlate well in the elementary
level. In the two subjects, while history is being studied, different literary pieces during the
historical period are also being studied. The same is true when science becomes the core,
mathematics is related to it, as they are taken in chemistry, physics and biology. Another
example is literature as the core with art, music, history, geography related to it. To use
correlated design, teachers should come together and plan their lessons cooperatively.
1.4.​Broad field design/interdisciplinary. Broad field design or interdisciplinary is a variation of the
subject-centered design. This design was made to cure the compartmentalization of the separate
subjects and integrate the contents that are related to one another. Thus subjects. such as
geography, economics, political science, anthropology, sociology and history are fused into one
subject called social studies. Language arts will include grammar, literature, linguistics, spelling,
and composition.
Sometimes called holistic curriculum, broad fields draw around themes and integration.
Interdisciplinary design is similar to thematic design, where a specific theme is identified, and all
other subject areas revolve around the theme.

2.​ Learner-Centered Design

Among the progressive educational psychologists, the learner is the center of the educative process.
This emphasis is very strong in the elementary level, however; more concern has been placed on the
secondary and even the tertiary levels. Although in high school, the subject or content has become the
focus and in the college level, the discipline is the center, both levels still recognize the importance of the
learner in the curriculum.

Here are some examples of curriculum designs which are learner-centered.

2.1.​Child-centered design. This design is often attributed to the influence of John Dewey, Rouseau,
Pestallozi and Froebel. This curriculum design is anchored on the needs and interests of the
 child. The learner is not considered a passive individual but one who engages with his/her
environment. One learns by doing. Learners actively create, construct meanings and
understanding as viewed by the constructivists. In the child-centered design, learners interact
with the teachers and the environment, thus there is a collaborative effort on both sides to plan
lessons, select content and do activities together. Learning is a product of the child's interaction
with the environment.
2.2.​Experience-centered design. This design is similar to the child-centered design. Although the
focus remains to be the child, experience-centered design believes that the interests and needs
of learners cannot be pre-planned. Instead, experiences of the learners become the starting
point of the curriculum, thus the school environment is left open and free. Learners are made to
choose from various activities that the teacher provides. The learners are empowered to shape
their own learning from the different opportunities given by the teacher. In a school where
experience-centered curriculum is provided, different learning centers are found, time is flexible
and children are free to make options. Activities revolve around different emphasis such as
touching, feeling, imagining, constructing, relating and others. The emergence of multiple
intelligence theory blends well with experience-centered design curriculum.
2.3.​Humanistic design. The key influence in this curriculum design is Abraham Maslow and Carl
Rogers. Maslow's theory of self- actualization explains that a person who achieves this level is
accepting of self, others and nature; is simple, spontaneous and natural; is open to different
experiences; possesses empathy and sympathy towards the less fortunate among the many
others. The person can achieve this state of self-actualization later in life but has to start the
process while still in school. Carl Rogers, on the other hand, believed that a person can enhance
self-directed learning by improving self-understanding, the basic attitude to guide behavior.
In humanistic curriculum design, the development of self is the ultimate objective of
learning. It stresses the whole person and the integration of thinking, feeling and doing. It
considers the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains to be interconnected and must be
addressed in the curriculum. It stresses the development of positive self-concept and
interpersonal skills.
3.​ Problem-Centered Design

Generally, problem-centered design draws on social problems, needs, interest and abilities of the
learners. Various problems are given emphasis. There are those that center on life situations,
contemporary life problems, areas of living and many others. In this curriculum, content cuts across
subject boundaries and must be based on the needs, concerns and abilities of the students. Two
examples are given for the problem- centered design curriculum.

3.1.​ Life-situations design. What makes the design unique is that the contents are organized in ways
that allow students to clearly view problem areas. It uses the past and the present experiences
of learners as a means to analyze the basic areas of living. As a starting point, the pressing
immediate problems of the society and the students’ existing concerns are utilized. Based on
Herbert Spencer's curriculum writing, his 'emphases were activities that sustain life, enhance
life, aid in rearing children, maintain the individual's social and political relations and enhance
leisure, tasks and feelings. The connection of subject matter to real situations increases the
relevance of the curriculum.
 3.2.​ Core problem design. Another example of problem-centered design is core design. It centers on
general education and the problems are based on the common human activities. The central
focus of the core design includes common needs, problems, and concerns of the learners.
Popularized by Faunce and Bossing in 1959, it presented ways on how to proceed using core
design of a curriculum. These are the steps.

Step 1. Make group consensus on important problems.

Step 2. Develop criteria for selection of important problem.

Step 3. State and define the problem.

Step 4. Decide on areas of study, including class grouping.

Step 5. List the needed information for resources.

Step 6. Obtain and organize information.

Step 7. Analyze and interpret the information.

Step 8. State the tentative conclusions.

Step 9. Present a report to the class individually or by group.

Step 10. Evaluate the conclusions.

Step 11. Explore other avenues for further problem solving.

These are some examples of curriculum designs. There are many more which are emerging and
those that have evolved in the past. The example given may be limited, however; for our purposes, they
can very well represent curriculum designs.

Approaches to Curriculum Design

How will a particular design be approached by the teacher? After writing a curriculum based on
the specific design, let us see how a teacher will approach this. We will find out the utilization of the
example design.

Child or Learner-Centered Approach. This approach to curriculum design is based on the

underlying philosophy that the child or the learner is the center of the educational process. It means that
the curriculum is constructed based on the needs, interest, purposes and abilities of the learners. The
curriculum is also built upon the learners' knowledge, skills, previous learnings and potentials.

From its design, how should a child-centered curriculum be approached? Let us consider these
principles.

Principles of Child-Centered Curriculum Approach

1.​ Acknowledge and respect the fundamental rights of the child.

2.​ Make all activities 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.

The child-centered approach is illustrated in the example below:

​ School X is anchored on the theory of multiple intelligences in all its curricular and
co-curricular activities. Every classroom provides activity centers where children can learn on their
own with the different learning resource materials. Learners can just choose which learning center to
engage in with different resources. This arrangement allows for the capacity of every learner to be
honed. It also allows learning how to learn, hence will develop independence. The teacher acts as
guide for every learner. The learner sets the goal that can be done within the frame of time.
​
​ Subject-Centered Approach. This is anchored on a curriculum design which prescribes separate
distinct subjects for every educational level: basic education, higher education or vocational-technical
education. This approach considers the following principles:

1.​ The primary focus is the subject matter.

2.​ The emphasis is on bits and pieces of information which may be detached from 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 dispense the content.

Example of subject-centered approach is given below.

​ In another setting, School Y aims to produce the best graduates in the school district. Every
learner must excel in all academic subjects to be on top of every academic competition. The higher
the level of cognitive intelligence is, the better the learner. Hence the focus of learning is mastery of
the subject matter in terms of content. Every student is expected to be always on top in terms of
mastery of discipline. Memorization, and drill are important learning skills. The school gives emphasis
to intellectual development, and sets aside emotional, psychomotor and even value development.
Success means mastery of the content.
​
​ 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.

This approach is characterized by the following views and beliefs:

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.

Example of the problem-centered approach is presented below.

 ​ School Z believes that a learner should be trained to solve real life problems that come about
because of the needs, interests and abilities of the learners. Problems persistent in life and society
that affect daily living are also considered. Most of the school activities revolve around finding
solutions to problems like poverty, drug problems, climate change, natural calamities
and many more. Since the school is using a problem-based design, the same approach is used. Case
study and practical work are the teaching strategies that are utilized. Problem-centered approach has
become popular in many schools.
​
​ We have given examples of curriculum design and the corresponding approaches. Again, the
choice of the design is influenced by philosophical and psychological beliefs of the designer. It is very
important that as a curricularist, you will be able to understand the different design models and how to
approach each one.

Lesson 3: Curriculum Mapping

Desired Learning Outcomes

​ Define curriculum mapping as part of curriculum designing

​ Identify the purposes of curriculum maps

​ Familiarize oneself of some examples of curriculum maps

Take Off

A curriculum design is reflected in a written curriculum either as a lesson plan, syllabus, unit plan
or a bigger curriculum like K to 12. Before a teacher shall put this plan or design into action, he/she must
need to do a curriculum map.

Have you ever wondered how to pace your lesson, so that it will cover a period of time like
hours, weeks, quarters, semester or the whole year?

This lesson will teach us, curricularists, an important process and tool in curriculum development
which is Curriculum Mapping and Curriculum Maps.

Content Focus

Curriculum Mapping

Curriculum mapping is a process or procedure that follows curriculum designing. It is done

before curriculum implementation or the operationalization of the written curriculum. This process was
introduced by Heidi Hayes Jacobs in 2004 in her book Getting Results with Curriculum Mapping
(ASCD,2004). This approach is an ongoing process or “work- in- progress”. It. is not a one time initiative
but a continuing action, which involves the teacher and other stakeholders, who have common concerns.
Curriculum mapping can be done by teachers alone, a group of teachers teaching the same subject, the
department, the whole school or district or the whole educational system.
 Some curricularists would describe curriculum mapping as making a map to success. There are
common questions that are asked by different stakeholders, like teachers, colleagues, parents, school
officials and the community as well. These questions may include:

1.​ What do my students learn?

2.​ What do they study in the first quarter?
3.​ What are they studying in the school throughout the year?
4.​ Do my co-teachers who handle the same subject, cover the same content? Achieve the same
outcomes? Use similar strategies?
5.​ How do I help my students understand the connections between my subjects and other subjects
within the year? Next year?

Curriculum mapping, may be able to answer these questions above. Furthermore, mapping will
produce a curriculum map, which is a very. functional tool in curriculum development.

Curriculum Mapping Process

There are many ways of doing things, according to what outcome one needs to produce. This is
also true with curriculum mapping. However, whatever outcome (map) will be made, there are
suggested steps to follow.

Example A.

1.​ Make a matrix or a spread sheet.

2.​ Place a timeline that you need to cover. (one quarter, one semester, one year) This should be
dependent on time frame of a particular curriculum that was written.
3.​ Enter the intended learning outcomes, skills needed to be taught or achieved at the end of the
teaching.
4.​ Enter in the same matrix the content areas/subject areas to be covered.
5.​ Align and name each resource available such as textbooks, workbooks, module next to subject
areas.
6.​ Enter the teaching-learning methods to be used to achieve the outcomes.
7.​ Align and enter the assessment procedure and tools to the intended learning outcomes, content
areas, and resources.
8.​ Circulate the map among all involved personnel for their inputs.
9.​ Revise and refine map based on suggestions and distribute to all concerned.

You will find Example A as a component of an OBE-Inspired syllabus for the higher education.
However, this can be modified for basic education to serve the specific purpose as you will see in some

maps.

Example B (For a degree program in college)*

1.​ Make a matrix or a spreadsheet.

2.​ Identify the degree or program outcomes (ex. BEEd, or BSED)
3.​ Identify the subjects or courses under the degree (GenEd, Prof. Ed, and Major for BSEd)
4.​ List the subjects along the vertical cells of the matrix in a logical or chronological order.
 5.​ List the degree program outcomes along the horizontal cell (use code as PO1, PO2...if outcomes
are too long to fit in the cell) PO means Program Outcomes
6.​ Cross the Subject and the Outcome, and determine if such subject accomplishes the outcomes
as either Learned (L), Performed (P) or given Opportunity (O). Place the code in the
corresponding cell.
7.​ Fill up all cells.
8.​ After accomplishing the map, use it as a guide for all teachers teaching the course for students to
complete the degree in four years.

The Curriculum Map

Curriculum maps are visual timelines that outline desired learning outcomes to be achieved,
contents, skills and values taught, instructional time, assessment to be used, and the overall student
movement towards the attainment of the intended outcomes. Curricular maps may be simple or
elaborate that can be used by individual teacher, a department, the whole school or educational system.
A map is geared to a school calendar.

Curriculum maps provide quality control of what are taught in schools to maintain excellence,
efficiency and effectiveness. It is intended to improve instruction and maintain quality of education that
all stakeholders need to be assured.

Sometimes, parents and teachers would ask questions like: “Why is my friend's son studying
decimals in Mr. Bernardo's class and my own son is not studying the same in Miss Julia's class when
they are of the same grade level?” or “Why do some of my students recognize the parts of speech
while others are totally lost?”

Parents, teachers and the whole educational community can look at the curriculum map to see
that intended outcomes and content are covered. A map can reassure stakeholders specific information
for pacing, and alignment of the subject horizontally or vertically. It will also avoid redundancy,
inconsistencies and misalignment. Courses that are not correctly aligned will allow teachers to quickly
assess the mastery of the skills in the previous grade, to avoid unnecessary reteaching.

Horizontal alignment, called sometimes as “pacing guide”, will make all teachers, teaching the
same subject in a grade level follow the same timeline and accomplishing the same learning outcomes.
This is necessary for state-mandated, standard-based assessment that we have in schools. Vertical
alignment, will see to it that concept development which may be in hierarchy or in spiral form does not
overlap but building from a simple to more complicated concepts and skills. Alignment, either vertical or
horizontal, will also develop interdisciplinary connections among teachers and students, between and
among courses. Teachers can verify that skills and content are addressed in other courses or to higher
levels, thus making learning more relevant.

A curriculum map is always a work in progress, that enables the teacher or the curriculum review
team to create and recreate the curriculum. It provides a good information for modification of
curriculum, changing of standards and competencies in order to find ways to build connections in the
elements of the curricula.

Example of a Curriculum Map

 Here are two examples of a curriculum map. Sample A is for Basic Education and Sample B is for
a College Level.

Example A: Excerpt from DepEd Curriculum Guide for Science 3 shows a sample of a map for Quarter 1
and 2. A column for Code was not included.

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE GRADE 3​

Note: For Quarter 2, there are still two major content which are 3. Living ​
Things 3.1 Plants and 4. Heredity: Inheritance and Variation.

Content Content Performance Learning Learning

Standards Standards Competency Materials
Grade 3-Matter​
FIRST QUARTER/FIRST GRADING PERIOD
1.Properties The Learners The learners The learners Learning Guide in
1.1 Characteristics demonstrate should be able should be able to.. Science & Health:
of solids, liquids, understanding to… Mixtures
gases of…….
ways of sorting group common describe the BEAM-Grade 3
materials and objects found at different objects Unit 4 Materials
describing them home and in based on their LG-Science 3
as solid, liquid or school according characteristics Materials Module
gas based on to solids, liquids (e.g. Shape, 1
observable and gas. Weight, Volume,
properties Ease o Flow)
classify objects
and materials as
solid, liquid, and
gas based on
some observable
characteristics
describe ways on
the proper use
and handling
solid, liquid and
gas found at
home and in
school
Changes that Effects of investigate the describe changes BEAM-G3 Unit 3
materials undergo temperature on different changes in materials based Materials-Distanc
materials in materials as on the effect of e Learning
affected by temperature: Module BEAM G3
temperature 4.1 Solid to liquid Unit3 Materials
4.2 Liquid to solid Module 44-49
4.3 Liquid to gas
4.4 Solid to gas
 Grade 3-Living Things and Their Environment​
SECOND QUARTER/SECOND GRADING PERIOD
1. Living Things The learners The learners The learners
1.1 Humans demonstrate should be able to . should be able
1.2 A Sense Organs understanding of . . . . to…….
.

parts and practice healthful 1. describe the

functions of the habits in taking parts and
sense organs of cake of the sense functions of the
the human body. organs sense organs of
the human body;
2. enumerate
healthful habits to
protect the sense
organs;
2. Living Things parts and Enumerate ways 3. describe the
2.1 Animals functions of of grouping animals in their
animals and animals based on immediate
importance to their structure surrounding;
humans and importance
BEAM – Grade
4. identify the
3-Unit 2 Animals
parts and function
DLP Science 3 DLP
of animals;
19 Beam-Grade
5. classify animal
3-Unit 2 Animals
according arts and
DLP Science 3
use; body
31-32 Learning
6. state the
Guide in Science
importance of
& Health: The
animals to
Body Guards
humans;
7. describe ways
of proper
handling of
animals

Sample A1- Science Curriculum Map Showing the Sequence of Domain for the Year per Quarter
Qtr G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10
Force, Living Things
Earth and
1 Matter Matter Matter Matter Matter Motion, and Their
Space
Energy Environment
Living Things Living Things Living Things Living Things Living Things Force,
Earth and
2 & Their & Their & Their & Their & Their Matter Motion,
Space
Environment Environment Environment Environment Environment Energy
 Force, Force, Force, Force, Force, Living Things
Earth &
3 Motion, Motion, Motion, Motion, Motion, Matter and Their
Space
Energy Energy Energy Energy Energy Environment
Living Things Force,
Earth & Earth & Earth & Earth & Earth &
4 and Their Motion & Matter
Space Space Space Space Space
Environment Energy

Sample B- Curriculum Map for Bachelor of Elementary Education (Professional Education Courses)
Outcomes PO1 PO2 PO3 PO4 PO5 PO6 PO7 PO8
Sample
Subjects
Child Dev P L L O L O O O
Facilitating
Human P P L O L O L O
Learning
Social
P L L O L O L O
Dimensions
Teaching
P P P P P O P P
Profession
Principles of
P P P P L O P O
teaching
Assessment of
P P P P L O P O
Learning
Educational
P P P P L O P O
Technology
Curriculum
P P P P O O P P
Development
Developmental
P P P P O O P O
Reading
Field Study P P O P O P P P
Practice
P P P P P P P P
Teaching
​
Legend:

L- Learned outcomes (knowledge, skills, values)/outcomes achieved in the subject

P- Practiced the learned outcomes (knowledge, skills, values)

O- Opportunity to learn and practice (opportunities to learn and practice knowledge, skills and values
but not taught formally)

Note:

1.​ Not all professional subjects are entered in the matrix.

2.​ Desired outcomes for the professional courses are:

PO1- Applied basic and higher 21st century skills.

PO2 - Acquired deep understanding of the learning process.
PO3- Comprehended knowledge of the content they will teach.
PO4 - Applied teaching process skills (curriculum designing, materials development, educational
assessment, teaching approaches).
PO5 - Facilitated learning of different types of learners in diverse learning environments
PO6- Directed experiences in the field and classrooms (observation, teaching, assistance,
practice teaching)
PO7 - Demonstrated professional and ethical standards of the profession.
PO8- Demonstrated creative and innovative thinking and practice of alternative teaching
approaches.

REFERENCE:

BILBAO, PP., DAYAGBIL, FT., CORPUZ, BB., CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS, 2015