FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM

DEVELOPMENT
Lesson 4
 PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION

• The various activities in school are influenced in one way

or another by a philosophy.
• Philosophy of the curriculum answers questions like:
1. What are schools for?
2. What subjects are important?
3. How should students learn?
4. What methods should be used?
5. What outcomes should be achieved and why?
• Ornstein and Hunkins’ philosophy in education:
• Perennialism
Aim: To educate the rational person; cultivating intelligence
Role: Teachers assist students to think with reason (critical thinking/ HOTS)
Focus: Classical Subjects, Literary analysis; Curriculum is enduring.
Trends: Use of great books, liberal arts
• Essentialism
Aim: To promote intellectual growth of learners to become competent
Role: Teachers are sole authorities in the subject area
Focus: Essential skills of the 3Rs, Essential Subjects.
Trends: Back to basics, Excellence in Education, Cultural Literacy
• Progressivism
Aim: To promote democratic social living
Role: Teachers lead for growth and development of lifelong learners
Focus: Interdisciplinary subjects, Learner-Centered; Outcomes-based
Trends: Equal opportunities for all; Contectualized curriculum, Humanistic education
• Reconstructionism
Aim: To improve and reconstruct society; Education for change
Role: Teachers act as agents of change and reforms
Focus: Present and future educational landscapes
Trends: School and curricular reform, global education, Collaboration and Convergence,
Standards and Competencies
 HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS

Werret Charles (1875-

1952)
Franklin Bobbit (1876-1956) William Kilpartick (1875-
1952)
 Hilda Taba
Hollis Caswell (1901-1989) Ralph Tyler (1902-1994)
(1902-1967)
Peter Oliva (1992-
2012)
• Bobbit started the curriculum development movement
• Charles, like Bobbit, believes curriculum is science
and emphasizes students’ needs.
• The project method was introduced by Kilpartick
where teacher and student plan the activities.
• Caswell believes that curriculum, instruction and
learning are interrelated.
• To Tyler, curriculum is always related to instruction.
• Taba helped lay the foundation for diverse student
population.
• Oliva described how curriculum change is a
cooperative endeavor.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF
CURRICULUM

Association and Behaviorism

• Father of the Classical Conditioning

Theory (S-R Theory)
• The key to learning in early years of life
is to train them what you want them to
become.
• S-R Theory is a foundation of learning
practice called indoctrination.
Ivan Pavlov (81849-
1948)
Edward Thorndike (1874-
1949)

• Championed the Connectionism

Theory.
• Proposed the three laws of learning:
Law of readiness
Law of exercise
Law of effect
• Specific stimulus has specific response.
• Proposed the Hierarchical Learning
Theory; learning follows a hierarchy.
• Behavior is based on prerequisite
conditions.
• Introduced tasking in the formulation
of objectives.
Jean Piaget (1896-
1980)
• Theories:
1. Describes cognitive development in terms
of stages from birth to maturity.
2. Sensorimotor stage (0-2), Pre-occupational
stage (2-7), Concrete operational stage (7-
11) and formal operations (11-onwards)
• Key to learning
1. Assimilation
2. Accomodation
3. Equilibration
Lev Vygotsky (1896-
1934) • Cultural transmission and development.
• Children could, as a result of their interaction
with the society, actually perform certain
cognitive actions prior to arriving at
developmental stage.
• Learning precedes development.
• Sociological development theory.

• Pedagogical creates learning process that lead to

development.
• Child is an active agent in his/her educational
process
Howard Gardner
• Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences

Daniel Goleman
• Emotional Quotient
 Humanistic Psychology

Abraham Maslow (1908- • Self-Actualization Theory

1970) • Classic Theory of Human Needs
• A child whose basic needs are not met
will not be interested in acquiring
knowledge of the world.
• Put importance of human emotions based
on love and trust.
• Produce a healthy and happy learner who
can accomplish, grow and actualize his
or her human self.
Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

• Nondirective and Therapeutic

Learning
• Curriculum concerned with
process, not product; personal
needs, not subject matter;
psychological meaning, not
cognitive scores.
 Gestalt Theory • Learning is complex and abstract.
• Learners analyze the problem, discriminate
between essential and nonessential data and
perceive relationships.
• Learners will perceive something in relation to the
whole. What/how they will receive is related to
their previous experiences.

• Learning is explained in terms of “wholeness” of the

problem.
• Human beings do not respond to isolated stimuli but to an
organization/pattern of stimuli.
 SOCIAL FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM

• Society as a source of change

• Schools as agents of change
• Knowledge as an agent of change
John Dewey (1859-1952)

• Considered two fundamental

elements --- schools and civil
society --- to be major subjects
needing attention and
reconstruction to encourage
experimental intelligence and
plurality.
Alvin Toffler • Wrote the book “Future Shock”
• Believed that knowledge should prepare
students for the future.
• Suggested that in the future, parents might
have the resources to teach prescribed
curriculum from home as a result of
technology, not in spite of it.
• Foresaw schools and students work
creatively, collaboratively, and
independent of their age.