CHAPTER 3

MANAGING THE CURRICULUM

MANAGING THE CURRICULUM

 CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

 UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS CURRICULUM

 UNDERSTAND THE ROLES OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THE EMS
 HAVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE EMS CURRICULUM
 KNOW HOW TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A YEAR PLANNER
 KNOW HOW TO BALANCE WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE
 KNOW HOW TO REFLECT ON PRACTICE.
 INTRODUCTION

 As a new teacher it can be challenging to implement the curriculum policy as

prescribed by the Department of Basic Education. There are various challenges
such as how to plan and execute the intended curriculum at different levels, for
example, at Grade 7, 8 & 9. often novice teachers neglect to give equal attention
to all the topics that need to be taught in the EMS curriculum.
 This can be due to lack of planning as well as to other factors such as other factors
such as learner absenteeism and teaching periods that are shortened for control
test or for other school events planned during school times. Novice teachers are
often bombarded with many subjects and grade levels to teach
3.1 Defining the concept ‘curriculum’

 A curriculum can be defined as a set of subject or a programme of studies that is

taught in an educational setting such as a school, college, or tertiary institution
(Jack,2015). For the purpose of this textbook, it refers to everything that is
happening within the school context, including extramural activities, guidance
from teachers and social activities.
 Definitions of curriculum cited in Jack (2015):
 A curriculum can be defined as a plan that includes strategies for achieving
desired objectives.
 A curriculum usually contains a statement of aims and specific objective
 Curriculum is an organised set of formal education and/ or training intentions.
 Curriculum is the planned experiences offered to the learners under the guidance
of the school.
Jack (2015) distinguish between the total, formal, informal,
and hidden curriculum.

 3.1.1 Total curriculum

 School need to be concerned with the total curriculum.
 Vertical and horizontal organisations of the curriculum elements are mandatory.
 The vertical organisation ensure that progression within a particular subject area
occurs, not only for a specific grade, but also between grades.

 An example of vertical organisation is when learners are taught only ‘VAT

concepts’ in the Grade 8 EMS subject and in Grade 9 the learners are taught how
to do ‘VAT calculations’ vertical organisation is therefore where subject curricula
are organised so that the same topics are taught in different grades, but the degree
of difficulty increase at a higher level.
3.1.3 formal and informal curriculum

 The formal curriculum includes activities scheduled in normal school hours.

 The timetable of the school allocates specific periods of teaching time for
different areas of the formal curriculum. However, the formal curriculum does not
include everything the learners learns in school.
 The informal curriculum refers to activities that occur when the normal school
day ends, for example, activities such as market days that take place after normal
school hours and sometimes on weekends and which are also sources of learning.
 Learners are usually not assessed on activities that form part of the informal
curriculum.
 3.1.3 The hidden curriculum

 When educationists speaks of the ‘hidden curriculum’ they mean those things
which pupils learn at school because of the way in which the school is planned
and organised, but which are not in themselves overly included in the planning, or
even in the consciousness of those responsible for school arrangements (Miller &
Donna, 2011, cited in Jack, 2015).
 For example, a good work ethic, which is advocated through teachers who are
committed and always well prepared for their lessons, can be seen as a part of the
hidden curriculum.
 3.2 The objectives of a curriculum.

 The objectives of a school curriculum are to develop the learners knowledge,

skills, talents, social responsiveness and attitude in order to respond to various life
situations.
 It is through a responsive curriculum that these objectives can be achieved.

 A responsive curriculum is achieved by having set rules and routines for teachers
and learners to create an environment that is conducive for learning and teaching.
 The success of the curriculum can only be measured by the extent of learning that
learners achieve.
 3.3 Elements of curriculum
development
 1. Situational analysis
 2. Formulation of objectives
 3. Selection of content, scope & sequence
 4. Activities, strategies and method of teaching
 5. Evaluation.
 Situational analysis
 occurs when different scenarios such as the emotional, cultural, political,
geographical and religious condition of a country are analysed.
 Only after these conditions have been analysed will curriculum planners be able
to develop objectives, select relevant teaching material & recommend appropriate
evaluations procedures.

 There are 4 main factors to consider when formulating the objectives of the
curriculum, namely, the society; knowledge in terms of the subject under the
study, the learner & the learning process
When subject content is considered, the
ff factors must be taken into account:
 Level & age of the learner
 Methods of content organisation
 Scope of the subject matter
 Availability of resources and sources
 Quantity of subjects for a particular grade and phase
 System of assessment
 Challenges & needs of the country
 Type of culture & community
 Global needs
3.4 Roles of stakeholders in curriculum
implementation
 3.4.1 Learners
 Learners are considered to be at the centre of a curriculum.
 They are directly affected by it & the main objective of the curriculum is to ensure
that learners learn.
 Everything in the curriculum should revolve around their interests, needs, abilities
& capabilities.
 The nature of the learner must be the main focus of the science of learning.
Roles of stakeholders in curriculum
implementation (Continue)
 3.4.2 Teachers
 A teachers is a curriculum maker.
 He/ she drafts a daily, weekly, quarterly or yearly curriculum through a micro- or
macro lesson plan.
 In order to do this, the teacher needs to engage with the CAPS document.
 The teacher prepare activities & assessments based on the formal curriculum.
 He/she focuses on the objectives, challenges, needs & interests of the learners by
creating scenarios from which students can learn. Teachers not only develops a
curriculum, but also implement it.
Roles of stakeholders in curriculum
implementation (Continue)
 3.4.3 Parents
 Parents should be considered as the best supporters of the school because they are
responsible for the physical needs of the child, for example, purchasing school
uniforms & stationary.
 The parents involvement extends from the school environment to the home
because parents play an active part in the child’s learning at home.
 Parents who are actively involved in the affairs of the school can contribute to a
more meaningful experiences of learning for the child.
Roles of stakeholders in curriculum
implementation (Continue)
 3.4.4 school managers & administrators
 Schools principal and subject heads of department are considered curriculum
managers.
 The studies of these managers include procuring equipment and learner material,
admission of learners, selection & recruitment of teachers, & quality, assuring the
implementation of the school curriculum.
 School managers play a vital role in the development of the school curriculum
because they are responsible for the school’s vision, mission & objectives.
Roles of stakeholders in curriculum
implementation (Continue)
 3.4.5 Community members
 Community members are people who live in the geographical area where the
school is located.
 They can provide insight into the challenges and needs of the community which
do not necessarily form part of the formal curriculum, for example, sports clubs
and youth centres that are managed by community members.
 Community members who play an active role in the upliftment of the community
can be included in the governing body and can also be asked to share knowledge,
which will form part of the informal school curriculum.
Roles of stakeholders in curriculum
implementation (Continue)
 3.4.6 Other stakeholders
 The South African curriculum is designed and developed by the government and
all public schools are obligated to implement the Curriculum and Assessment
Policy Statement (CAPS).
3.5 Curriculum in South Africa context
 3.6 Curriculum implementation

 Several steps must be followed to ensure that the curriculum is effectively

implemented:
 Development of a year planner
 Development of a term planner
 Planning of lessons as per the timetable
 Using the appropriate media, as outlined in Chapter 6 & 7
 Providing the learning resources discussed in chapter 6
 Promoting classroom learning experiences
 Continuous assessment as discussed in Chapter 8
3.6.1 Developing and implementing a
year planner
 In the CAPS document, an annual teaching plan is provided as a guide for
teachers, outlining which topics to be cover during the year. There are a number
of steps to follow when developing a year planner for EMS: (N/B write those
step’s)
 Step 1
 Step 2
 Step 3
 Step 4
 Step 5
3.6.2 Developing & implementing a
term planner
 A teacher should draft a term planner at the beginning of each term & provide
detailed information of the topic and / or activities that will be taught according to
the periods allocated on the teacher’s timetable for a specific grade and subject.
 When developing a term planner, the following considerations should be taken
into account by the subject teacher: (N/B write them)
Developing & implementing a term
planner(Continue)
 Teachers require the following documents to draft a term planner:
 CAPS
 A school academic calendar
 A copy of the prescribed textbook
 Other textbook related to Grade 11 Accounting
3.6.3 Developing and implementing a
personal planner
 The objective of a personal planner is to ensure that a teacher allocates sufficient
time to prepare for lessons and assessments.
 Factors such as personal commitments such as family, extramural activities,
hobbies and social events must be taken into account when developing a personal
planner.
 Furthermore, teachers must consider how much time they need to allocate for
lesson preparation, drafting question papers and marking scripts before, during
and after the school day.
 3.7 Reflection as a tool to improve
curriculum implementation
 Reflection, in the context of curriculum implementation, is a vital tool for
teachers to improve their practice.
 Teachers who reflect on their lessons are able to analyse challenges they face
while teaching a particular lesson.
 Once a teacher has reflected on their practice, they can devise new strategies for
how to overcome their challenges. A teacher who does not reflect on practice can
pose a threat to the quality of a learner’s education (Mills, 2007:69).
 It is advisable for novice teachers to ask experienced teachers to assist with their
reflection on practice. For example, an EMS novice teacher can request an
experienced teacher to observe their lesson & provide feedback on the
strengths & challenges of the lesson.