TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION TO CURRICULUM

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

1. Conceptualize the terms education and curriculum

2. Explain the relationship between education, schooling and curriculum
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how the aims and national goals of
education are achieved through the curriculum

Introduction

The term curriculum is in most cases associated with school and education.
Education is concerned with the preparation of the young to be useful members
of the society. It is therefore imperative to conceptualize the term education in
order to understand how curriculum relates to it.

Reflection: What do you understand by the term “education”?

a) The Concept of education

The word “education” is derived from the Latin word ‘educare’ meaning to
‘nourish’ or to ‘raise’. Education is concerned with the preparation of the young
to be useful members of the society. Many scholars, researchers and educators
have tried to define the concept of “education” differently.

According to Oluoch (1982) education is the process of acquiring and

developing desirable knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to make one a
useful member of the society. He argued that education is a process since it is a
lifelong and continuous activity that never ends; it begins and ends with
schooling, but education per se continues throughout a person’s life. On the
other hand, developing means that acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes
and values do not happen at once but that the acquisition of more and more
knowledge is necessary to advance what one already has acquired.

Acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values implies involvement of the

learner in the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.

Importance of education to both individual’s and society’s development thus

‘desirable knowledge’
Therefore, education can be defined as the sum of all processes that enable
the learner to acquire and develop desirable knowledge, skills, attitudes and
values which make him/her a useful, productive, creative and practical
member of the society. Education should enable one to realize his/her full
potential and also take an active part in societal development.

Acquisition of education

Education is acquired in a variety of forms but basically three forms are

identifiable:

i. Formal education: This refers to education carried out in institutions with

specific goals and well stated curriculum, venues, well defined teachers and
learners. It involves those experiences provided within the subject areas such
as Maths, English, History, etc and other activities in the school; that is both
inside and outside the classroom. It is carefully structured, systematically
presented and evaluated. It has syllabuses, timetables, careful supervision
and certificates are awarded.

ii. Non-formal education: these are organized learning activities that go on

outside the structure of formal education. It is meant to meet the needs of
particular groups in the community. It is similar to formal education. The
difference is in the teaching methods and strategies. In non-formal
education, apprenticeship method is used, and organised in a more flexible
manner. Examples include Adult education, Jua kali industry, Maendeleo ya
wanawake/wanaume, Football clubs etc
iii. Informal education: This is learning which takes place when a person, by
exposure, learns from family, friends, experiences and the environment. It
takes place through imitation, observation and participation. This kind of
education is more haphazard, un-organized, unstructured but more
permanent and goes on throughout a person’s life e.g. Mannerisms, dressing,
way of thinking and gesturing, organizational skills, work ethics etc. Learning is
spontaneous and sometimes happens unconsciously.

Note: Education acquired in whatever form should help the learner develop
abilities which are essential for becoming an efficient learner and a useful
member of the community. Such a learner should be able to acquire
knowledge, use the knowledge acquired and generate/produce new
knowledge.
Reflection: In what ways have you put to use the knowledge, skills, attitudes
and values you have acquired so far?

: What new knowledge have you generated or can you generate?

b) Functions and aims of education

Education is a process which involves the realization of certain individual and

social ideals such as honesty, respect for truth and other individuals, self-
discipline, capacity to identify right from wrong, good or bad etc. In serving
these ideals, education fulfils both the individual and social functions. These
ideals can be referred to as aims of education. Aims indicate the specific
direction that education must follow in all parts of the education system.

The main purpose of the education is to socialize the individual. Education

prepares individuals to live and participate in society. Education helps
individuals to acquire ways, beliefs, and standards of society.

Education aims can be perceived at different levels and considered in terms of:

i) Personal development including intellectual and spiritual growth.

ii) Vocational preparation in terms of the acquisition of necessary
practical skills and character qualities.
iii) Social training in which young people are initiated into society at local
and national levels.

These general aims of education are translated by various systems of education

to suit the circumstances in which the individuals and social systems operate.
Individual nations define their own aims of education as influenced by social,
economic and political context that are specific to them.

Aims of education are broad purposes of intent to be achieved after going

through the whole spectrum of education. They are governed by the whole
system of the particular groups of people e.g. Kenyans to which the education is
to be provided.

From the broad aims of education, education planners in the MOE and planners
at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development derive national goals of
education and the school wide goals of education for various cycles of
education, i.e. Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels.
Current National goals of education in Kenya

1. Fostering nationalism, patriotism and promoting unity.

2. Promoting social, economic, technological and Industrial needs for
national development
3. Promoting individual development and self-fulfilment
4. Promoting sound moral and religious values
5. Promoting social equality and responsibility
6. Promoting respect for and development of Kenya’s rich and varied
cultures
7. Promoting international consciousness and foster positive attitudes
towards other nations.
8. Promoting positive attitudes towards good health and environmental
protection.

Importance of outlining aims and goals of education

1. Specify the qualities that are more desirable to develop among the
citizens of the country
2. Assist those concerned with the country's education to organise relevant
and appropriate programmes of study i.e. guide curriculum planners
3. Enable individuals in society to act with uniformity of purpose
4. Constitute a form of political slogan for commitment to the education
programmes
5. Serve a visionary function

Activity 1: For each of your two subjects of specialization, identify four ways in
which its teaching at the Secondary school level, contributes to the
achievement of any four national goals of education?

c) Education, schooling and curriculum

Education goes on in schools and beyond and has no rigid plans. Learning can
be from parents, siblings, peers, community etc. However as educators, we are
more concerned with learning that takes place in learning institutions (planned
education).

Malinoski (1974) defines schooling as that somewhat restricted part of education

which is given by professional educators to those who come under their
tutelage in organised institutions of learning. Schooling therefore refers to the
act of attending an institution of formal learning whether primary, secondary or
tertiary with the hope of gaining something worthwhile. This implies physical
presence (except in case of ODEL) and systematic promotion. Hence schooling
facilitates education.

The systematically planned programme in learning institutions/formal education

is generally referred to as curriculum. School is an institution that facilitates
education and curriculum is an important instrument of education. Education
and curriculum are therefore related concepts. Whereas education deals with
the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes and values, curriculum
defines clearly the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to be acquired, how to
acquire them and how to determine the level of acquisition.

Activity 2: In your understanding, what is the relationship between education,

the school and the curriculum?

References

1. Kridel, C. (2010). Encyclopedia of curriculum studies. Available online at

https://www.scribd.com/document/397321070/Curriculum-studies-
pdf
2. Okech, J. G. & Asiachi, A. J. (1992). Curriculum development for schools.
Nairobi: Educational Research and Publishers (ERAP).
3. Shiundu, J. O. & Omulando, S. J. (1992). Curriculum theory and practice in
Kenya. Nairobi: Oxford University press
4. Syomwene, A., Nyandusi, C. M., & Yungungu, A. M. (2017). Core principles
in curriculum. Eldoret: Utafiti Foundation.
5. Republic of Kenya (2016). Basic education curriculum framework. Nairobi:
Government Printers.
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