THE CONCEPT OF

CURRICULUM
AND
NEED OF
CURRICULUM

By
Chandrang Pathak
What is curriculum?
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary
(n.d.), curriculum is defined as the following:
 the courses offered by an educational institution
 a set of courses constituting an area of specialization
 Latin: Running course
 Scotland 1603: Carriage way, road
 United States 1906: Course of study
 1940: Plan for learning (study)
 Curriculum is all planned learning for which
the school is responsible.
Curriculum is all the experiences learners
have under the guidance of the school.
~John Delnay.

FBI ~ ABILOVE
 In the early years of 20th century, the
traditional concepts held of the
“curriculum is that it is a body of
subjects or subject matter prepared by
the teachers for the students to learn”. It
was synonymous to the “course of
study” and “syllabus”.

FBI ~ ABILOVE
 “ A Curriculum is a written document which may
contain many ingredients, but basically it is a
plan for the education of pupils during their
enrollment in given school”.
George A. Beauchamp

Curriculum meaning trajectory

for horse race [at] Emperor
epoch of Galius Julius Caesar
FBI ~ ABILOVE
Marsh and Willis on the other hand
view curriculum as all the “experiences
in the classroom which are planned
and enacted by the teacher, and also
learned by the students.
Curriculum refers to the training
assigned to a student
This view is called progressive view of
curriculum
Curriculum is a design PLAN for learning
that requires the purposeful and proactive
organization, sequencing, and management of
the interactions among the teacher, the
students, and the content knowledge, we
want students to acquire.
Curriculum is a dynamic intellectual and
social enterprise. The dynamic nature of
human societies justifies regular innovations.
Curriculum can be viewed as the organised
knowledge presented to learners in a school.
 Grace C. Offorma
 •Franklin Bobbit (1876-1956) -
presented curriculum as a
science that emphasizes on
students' need. Curriculum
prepares for adult life.

•Werret Charters (1875-1952)

- considered curriculum also
as a science which is based
on students' need and the
teachers plan the activities.
 •William Kilpatrick (1871-1965)
– viewed curriculum as
purposeful activities which are
child-centered. The purpose of
curriculum is child development
and growth.

•Harold Rugg (1886-1960) -

Curriculum should develop the
whole child. He emphasized
social studies in the curriculum
and the teacher plans the lesson
in advance.
 •Hollis Caswell (1901-1989)
- sees curriculum as
organized around social functions
of themes, organized knowledge
and earner's interests.

•Ralph Tyler (1902-1994)

- believes that curriculum is a science
and an extension of school's
philosophy.
CHARACTERISTICS
• Fulfillment of objectives
• Determined by factors - social, human
development, nature of learning and nature of
knowledge
• Cater individual differences
• Pre- planned but can be changed
• It is a blue print
• It is a tool in hands of a teacher
• More than teaching and learning
• Describe environment in motion
• All learning inside and outside school
 SOME OF THE COMPONENTS OF A
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM UNIT
 Content  Grouping and Pacing

 Assessment  Products

 Introduction/Closure  Resources

 Teaching Strategies  Extension Activities

 Learning Activities  Differentiation

The concept of curriculum is as dynamic
as the changes that occur in society:
 In its narrow sense, curriculum is viewed merely as
a listing of subject to be taught in school.
In a broader sense, it refers to the total learning
experiences of individuals not only in schools but in
society as well.
To accommodate difference of view, Hamid Hasan
(1988) telling that curriculum concept can be
evaluated in four dimension, that is
1. Curriculum as an idea; yielded pass or through
research and theory's, specially in the field of
education and curriculum
2. Curriculum as plan written, as materialization of
curriculum as an idea; what in it load about target,
materials, activity, appliances, and time
3. Curriculum as an activity, representing execution of
curriculum as a plan written; in the form of study
practice
4. Curriculum as a result of representing consequence
of curriculum as an activity, in the form of got of
curriculum target namely reaching of change of certain
ability or behavior from all educative participant.
 1. 2. 3. 4.
Recommended Written Taught Supported
Curriculum Curriculum Curriculum Curriculum

5. 6. 7. 8.
Assessed Learned Hidden Concomitant
Curriculum Curriculum Curriculum Curriculum

9.
10.
Phantom
Null
Curriculum
 -most of the curricula are recommended

- Proposed by scholars and professional

1. organizations
Recommended
Curriculum

The curriculum may come from a national agency or

any professional organization who has stake in
education
 Includes documents, course of study or syllabi for
implementation.

2. Most written curricula are made by curriculum

Written experts with participation of teachers.
Curriculum

An example of this is the Basic Education Curriculum

(BEC) and the written lesson plan of each classroom
teacher made up of objectives and planned activities
of the teacher.
 The different planned activities which are put
into action in the classroom compose the taught
curriculum.

These are varied activities that are

3. implemented in order to arrive at the objectives or
purposes of the written curriculum.
Taught
Curriculum

It varied according to the learning styles of the

students and the teaching styles of the teacher.
 In order to have a successful teaching, other than the
teacher, there must be materials which should support
of help in the implementation of a written curriculum.

4. Support curriculum includes material resources such

as textbooks, computers, audio-visual materials,
Supported laboratory equipment, playgrounds, zoos and other
Curriculum
facilities.

Support curriculum should enable each learner to

achieve real and lifelong learning.
 This refers to a tested or evaluated curriculum.

Series of evaluations are being done by the teachers

5. at the duration and end of he teaching episodes to
determine the extent of teaching or to tell if the
Assessed students are progressing.
Curriculum

Assessment tools like pencil-and-paper tests, authentic

instruments like portfolio are being utilized.
 This refers to the learning outcomes achieved by
the students.

6.
Learned
Curriculum
Learning outcomes are indicated by the
results of the tests and changes in behavior which
can be either cognitive, affective or psychomotor.
 This is the unintended curriculum which is not
deliberately planned but ay modify behavior or
influence learning outcomes.

7.
Hidden
Curriculum

Peer influence, school environment, physical

condition, teacher-learner interaction, mood of the
teacher and many other factors make up the hidden
curriculum,
 Things that are taught at home; those experiences
that are part of a family's experiences, or related
experiences sanctioned by the family.

8.
Concomitant
Curriculum
This type of curriculum may be received at church, in
the context of religious expression, lessons on
values, ethics or morals, molded behaviors, or social
experiences based on a family's preferences.
 9.
The messages prevalent in and through exposure
Phantom to media
Curriculum
 is what is not taught. Not teaching some particular
10. idea or sets of ideas may be due to mandates from
Null higher authorities, to a teacher’s lack of knowledge,
or to deeply ingrained assumptions and biases.
 1.
Philosophical

7. 2.
Technological Historical

7
Dimensions
of
Curriculum
6. 3.
Global Political

4.
5.
Ethical /
Cultural Moral
 Philosophy provides educators, teachers and
curriculum makers with framework for planning,
implementing and evaluating curriculum in schools. It helps in
answering what school are for, what subjects are important,
how students should learn and what materials and methods
should be used. In decision making, philosophy provides the
starting point and will be used for the succeeding decision
making.

The philosophy of a curriculum planner, implementer

or evaluator reflects his or her life experiences, common
beliefs, social and economic background and education.
 • Edward Thorndike (which influenced Tyler
Connectionism and Taba, the well known curricularists)

Classical • Ivan Pavlov

Conditioning

Operant • B.F. Skinner

Conditioning

Modeling and • Albert Bandura

Observation theory

Hierarchical • Robert Gagne

Learning
Schools exist within the social context . Societal culture affects
and shapes schools and their curricula.

In considering the social foundations of curriculum, we must

recognize that schools are only one of the many institutions that
educates society. The home, the family, community, likewise ,
educate the people in the society. But schools are formal
institutions that address more complex and interrelated
societies and the world.
NEED OF CURRICULUM

• Achievement of educational aim

• To achieve the desire goal
• Selection of suitable method
• Reflect tends in education
• Providing suitable knowledge
• Providing suitable activity and experience
• Providing wholesome influences
CONT….

• National development
• Developing democratic life
• Raising standard of living
• National integration
• Modernizing the society
• Personal development
• Education of whole man