FORCES THAT INFLUENCE

CURRICULUM
CONSTRUCTION
WEEK 1

PA R T 2
WHAT THEORIST SAY
McNeil (1990) views curriculum development as policy making.
• In the process of curriculum as policy making, there are
external and internal participants who influence curriculum
policy making.
• internal participants include the teachers, the principals, the
superintendents, and the students.  
• External participants include the local school board, the local
communities, the regional and state agencies, the testing
agencies, the federal government, the suppliers of textbooks
and materials, and the pressure groups.
WHAT THEORIST SAY (cont’d)
Oliva (1988) observes that curriculum development responds and is
affected by :-
• social forces,
• philosophical positions,
• psychological principles,
• accumulating knowledge, and
• educational leadership at its moment in history.
The influence of educational groups and individuals has been
responsible for the implementation of curricular innovations and
permanent changes.
WHAT THEORIST SAY (cont’d)
Zais (1976), for whom curriculum development can. be seen as a
policy‑making activity, mentions
• forces such as the private accrediting agencies,
• the state departments of education,
• the private testing agencies, and
• the associations of teachers of special subjects as groups which
influence curriculum development; since they establish
minimum curriculum standards.
(contd)
WHAT THEORIST SAY (cont’d)
ALTERNATIVE GENERATORS
These groups influence curriculum because they provide either
funds, materials, or expertise.
Some of them are:-
• the suppliers of curriculum materials,
• the corporate education industry,
• the federal government,
• private foundations,
• university professors, and
• professional educators and their journals.
These are all external forces which affect curriculum development
INFLUENCES BEHIND CURRICULUM
CONSTRUCTION

• Influence of politics on curriculum

• Influence of society in curriculum
• Influence of the economy on curriculum
• Influence of technology on the curriculum
• Influence of the environment on the curriculum
• Influence of child psychology on the curriculum
POLITICAL INFLUENCES
• Politics determine and define the goals, content, learning experiences and
evaluation strategies in education.
• Curricular materials and their interpretation are usually heavily influenced by
political considerations.
• Political considerations may play a part in the hiring of personnel.
• Funding of education is greatly influenced by politics.
• Entry into educational institutions and the examination systems are heavily
influenced by politics.
SOCIETAL INFLUENCES
• When you examine the curriculum being offered in your country, one question
you may need to deal with is the extent to which social factors or social
considerations influenced the design of the curriculum.
• Society has its own expectations about the aims and objectives that should be
considered when designing the curriculum.
• It also has a perception of what the product of the school system should look
like. It is therefore necessary for curriculum designers to take into account
these societal considerations. If this does not happen, the curriculum becomes
irrelevant.
SOCIETAL INFLUENCES
• A number of religions co-exist in countries in the . Your own community may
include Christians, Muslims, Hindus and adherents of other religions. Their
views must be considered when designing a curriculum.
• The design of curricular materials and their presentation should accommodate
the culture of the society that the curriculum is seeking to serve.
• Consideration of the number of groupings in the society in which you live.
These can be professional associations, cultural groups and religious
organisations. The list is endless. These groups can bring their views to bear on
curriculum design. This is so because any curriculum of value must result from
the broad consultation of a wide range of stakeholders.
ECONOMICAL FACTORS
• One of the reasons why education is financed by governments is to improve the
country’s economy. Therefore, the national curriculum should concern itself
with the requirements of the economy. Perhaps you are wondering how the
economy of the country affects the curriculum.
• The children you teach will need to be employed.
• The skills needed by industry should be translated into the content and learning
experiences of these children. The skills, knowledge base and attitudes required
by industry should be developed in the classroom.
• The market forces dictate what should be included in the national curriculum. It
also subtly determines the quantity of learners at different levels.
ECONOMICAL FACTORS
• As a teacher, you require classroom supplies such as:
• • textbooks,
• • charts,
• • equipment, and
• • chemicals for science experiments.
• These materials are products of industry. Without these materials, learning is
compromised. It is therefore crucial that serious consideration be given to
economic demands when designing the curriculum.
TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS
• The computer is the latest technological innovation that will have a significant
impact on education and society. If you are not computer literate, you may feel
that you are not up-to-date.
• The intention is to equip the learners with the requisite computer skills and
knowledge. In addition to computers, other forms of electronic media are being
used in teaching.
• These have provided a variety of learning experiences and have facilitated
individualised learning. Curriculum designers cannot afford to ignore
technology and its influence on the curriculum.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES
• Over time, people have become insensitive to their surroundings and natural
resources.
• The end result is that humanity is being adversely affected by these in-
considerations.
• People want this redressed. It is through education that remediation can be
effected. Consideration for the environment must of necessity influence
curriculum design to ensure the survival of future generations.
CHILD PSYCHOLOGY INFLUENCE
• Curriculum design is also influenced by child psychology.
• Theories of learning and child development have to be considered when
designing the content of the curriculum and how it is delivered.
• Learning can be maximised by ensuring that activities and experiences are
introduced at the most ‘teachable’ moment.
• Can you think of theories of learning that underpins the curriculum?
MALAYSIAN EDUCATION CONTEXT

• Identify the different stakeholders in the construction of the Malaysian

education curriculum.
• Identify and specify their roles and contributions.
STAKEHOLDERS
• Who are stakeholders?
• Who are the stakeholders in the education context?
• What do you think are the concerns of these
stakeholders?
 STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)
• Special Interest Groups and Curriculum
– Curriculum decision making is political.
– Various special interest groups continually
propose what should be included in school
curriculum.
– The topics range from substance abuse to the
rights and responsibilities of citizens.
STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)
• Environmental groups insist that students
should be taught about conservation and
preservation and the inculcation of values to
love the environment.
• Among the concerns of these groups are caring
for our rivers, industrial pollution, saving the
whales and leatherback turtles.
 STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)
• Substance abuse is another concern of society. Substance
abuse includes drugs (such as heroin, marijuana, ecstasy
pills, etc), alcohol, cigarettes, glue sniffing and so forth.
• Groups involved in prevention of drug addiction are keen
to see that students are taught about drug addiction in the
hope that they will be more aware of the problem and say
“no” to the habit.
STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)
• Consumer advocates are keen to see that
students are taught about their rights and
responsibilities as consumers in the hope that
they will be more prudent consumers as
students and later as adults.
STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)
• Health groups have also suggested that schools
introduce programmes about HIV Aids
awareness, nutritional information, and other
health related issues.
• As society becomes more developed, the rise in
obesity is of concern in terms of its consequences
on the health system, especially in worker
productivity and increased expenditure on health
care.
STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)

• Sex education has been a topic that has been

proposed at various points; especially when
statistics and instances of teen pregnancy and
promiscuity are highlighted by the media and
government reports.
 STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)
• Crime prevention
• Educating the community on crime prevention
techniques and by getting citizens involved in
crime prevention activities such as
neighbourhood watch to reduce the number of
crimes and increase the quality of life of
citizens.
 STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)
• Governments are also determined to ensure that
students are taught about their rights and
responsibilities as citizens.
• Citizenship education has been proposed in an effort to
politically socialise students with democratic ideals,
principles and practices.
• Being prepared to play a part in political institutions is
essential such as the ability to make informed decision
at the personal and societal level.
 STAKEHOLDERS (cont’d)
• Similarly, to be educated to take an active part in the
cultural life of society such as holding on to religious and
moral beliefs, the ability to use and interpret a wide range
of media, socialisation of children and so forth
TUTORIAL QUESTIONS
1. What other forces/factors influence curriculum construction?
2. Identify the stakeholders in the Malaysian curriculum. What are the main
concerns of the different stakeholders? (You can refer to the Malaysia
Education Blueprint 2015-2025)
3. Do you think that the syllabuses & textbooks used in Malaysia adequately
reflect your national ideology & the demands of the society?
4. “The curriculum does not stand apart from society – it is embedded in it.”
(Brady & Kennedy 2003).
To what extent do you agree with this statement? Discuss and provide
justifications