Selection and Organization of

Content

Focus Questions:

• What guiding principles must be observed in the selection and organization

of content?

• What is the structure of the subject matter that we teach?

• How can students be helped to the construction of a more enriched

knowledge-base?

• What strategies can be employed for teaching conceptual understanding.

Thinking skills in the different levels, and values?

REMEMBER : Let us teach the content:

• Is ALIGNED with the goals and objectives of the basic education curriculum.

• Responds to the NEEDS of the learner.

• Cognitive skill and affective elements.

• FULLY and DEEPLY covers the essentials to avoid the “mile-wide-and-inch-

deep” impression.

Introduction

What Knowledge is truly essential and enduring? What is

worth teaching and learning? Our leaders in the basic

education level came up with the Philippine Elementary

Learning Competition (PELCs) in 2001. The “intended”

content of what we teach is laid down in such document. In

the K to 12 Curriculum, standards and competencies are

also spelled out. This means that we are not entirely free in

the selection of our content. They are a “given” But how

they are organized and presented in the classroom,

ultimately depends on you. Below are some principles to

guide you.

Guiding Principles in the Selection and

Organization of Control

A.Validity – Teaching the content that we ought

to teach according to national standards explicit

in the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum; it

also means teaching the content in order to

realize the goals and objectives of the course as

laid down in the basic education curriculum.

(See figure)

B. Significance – What we teach should respond to the needs interests

of the learners, hence meaningful and significant.

Adapted from Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating

Significant Learning Experiences, Jossey-Bass.

A.Balance – Content includes not only facts but also

concepts and values. The use of the three-level

approach ensures a balance of cognitive,

psychomotor, and affective lesson content.

A balanced content is something that is not too

easy to be above average student, neither not too

difficult to turn off the average. It is something that

challenges the student. To observe the principle of

balance, no topic must be extensively discussed at

the expense of other topics.

D. Self-sufficiency – Content fully covers the

essentials. Learning content is not “mile-wide-and-

inch-deep”. The essentials sufficiently covered and

are treated in depth. This is a case of “less is more”.

E. Interest – Teacher considers interest of the

learners, their developmental stages and cultural and

ethnic background.

F.Utility – Will this content be of use to the learners?

It is not meant only to be memorized for test and

grade purposes. What is learned has a function

even after examination are over.

F. Feasibility – The content is feasible in the sense the essential

content can be covered in the amount of time available for

instruction. A guaranteed and a viable curriculum is the first in

the school-related factors that has great impact on student

achievement. (Marzano, 2003) It is observed that there is so

much content to cover within school year, so much so that

teachers tend to rush towards the end of school year, do

superficial teaching and contribute to mastery of content. This is

probably one reason why the mastered competencies in national

examinations given to the pupils and students are those

competencies which are found at the end of the Philippine

Elementary /Secondary Learning Competence (PELC/PSLC).

End

The Structure of Subject Matter Content

Critical Thinking

It involves evaluating information __ arguments in terms of their

accuracy and worth. (Reyes 1985) It takes a variety of forms –

verbal reasoning, argument analysis, hypothesis testing and

decision making.

• Verbal reasoning – An example is evaluating the

persuasive techniques found in oral or written language.

You employ this when you evaluate the reliability and the

truth of advertisements that bombard you everyday.

• Argument analysis – You are engaged in this critical thinking process when you

discriminate between reasons that do and do not support a particulate conclusion.

Example: The ground is wet so it must have rained last night.

When you analyze the given argument and determine whether or not the reason . “it

must have rained last night” logically support or does nor logically support the

argument.

• Hypothesis testing – It is evaluating the value of data and research results in

terms of the methods used to obtain them and their potential relevance to

particular conclusions. A questions you will ask when you are engaged in

critical thinking as you are engaged in hypothesis testing is: Did I make use of

an appropriate method to measure a particular outcome.

•Decision making – We are engaged in critical thinking when

we weigh the pros and cons of each proposed alternative

approach.

Creative Thinking

This type of thinking involves “producing something that is both original

and worthwhile. (Sternberg, 2003) It is both thinking, one type of divergent

thinking. It is the process of bringing something new into birth. It is seeing

new relationships and the use of imagination and inventiveness.

What creative thinking behaviors

should be developed?

Awareness

The ability to notice the attributes of things in the

environment so as to build a knowledge base that is the

beginning of all other forms of creative thinking.

Curiosity Replace your unknown mind with curiosity

The ability and inclination to wonder about things

and mentally explore the new, novel, unique

ideas.

Imagination

The ability to speculate about things that are

not necessarily based on reality.

Fluency

The ability to produce a large

quantity of ideas

Flexibility

The ability to look at things from several

different perspectives or view points.

Originality

The ability to produce new,

novel, unique ideas.

Elaboration

The ability to add on to an idea; to give details; build

groups of related ideas or expand on ideas.

Perseverance

The ability to keep trying to find answer;

to see a task through completion

Attitudes and Values

In the tree-level approach to teaching, values are

the apex of the triangle. It is because it is in the

teaching of facts, skills and concepts become

connected to the life of the students, thus

acquiring meaning. Without the value-level of

teaching, we contribute to the development of

persons who have big heads but tiny hearts. We

contribute to the formation of “intellectual giants”

but emotional dwarfs.

Shall we teach

Values

Can values be taught? Many say “NO,” rather values

are caught. The author, however, would dare say

“YES!” Values are taught and caught! Due to the

belief that values cannot be taught, many teachers

relegate values in the background. Values can be

taught, because like any subject matter, they too have

a cognitive dimension, in addition to the effective and

behavioral dimension. (Aquino, 1990)

The Cognitive Dimension – When we teach value of

honesty we ask the following questions: What is meant by

honesty? Why do I have to be honest? The affective

dimension – You have to feel something towards honesty.

You have to be moved towards honesty as preferable to

dishonesty. The behavioral dimension – You lead an

honest life.

The Big Questions Is:

How Can We Teach

Values?

By deutero-learning – Your student learns by being exposed to

the situation, by acquainting himself with a setting, by following

models, pursuing inspirations and copying behavior. YOUR

CRITICAL ROLE AS MODELS IN AND OUTSIDE THE

CLASSROOM CANNOT BE OVEREMPHASIZED.

By positively reinforcing good behavior.

By teaching the cognitive component of values in the classroom.