CONCEPTS AND ISSUES IN CURRICULUM

CONCEPTS AND ISSUES IN CURRICULUMTOPIC ONELearning outcomesBy the end of the lesson, you will be able todefine curriculumdescribe different types of curriculaWHAT IS EDUCATION?a process of acquiring the desirable knowledge, skills and attitudes to fit well in society and become a useful member of that society. The term education means to draw out, i.e. facilitating realization of self-potential and latent talents of an individual. The teacher thus uses curriculum to bring out the best out of the learners.

FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATION?Intellectual function. This is to enable men awaken in and have a taste of knowledge. It is also to develop intellectual powers of learners.Productive function i.e. provide individuals with knowledge, skills and attitudes that could be used for economic activities in a society. Vocational training contributes to this function.Social function. in this context, education is considered as a process of preserving and transmission of cultural heritage. Beside education helps learners acquire skills for interpersonalEducation is also a means of individual development. It therefore serves a personal function.

The Word: CurriculumLatin: Running courseScotland 1603: Carriage way, roadUnited States 1906: Course of studyUnited States, 1940: Plan for learning (study)

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6/23/2015PISMP_TSL3143MEANING OF CURRICULUMNarrow definitions see curriculum as a plan, programme, course of study or a package that can bring about learning.

Following are some definitions from thisnarrow perspective: A course of study A plan for teaching and instruction; it can be viewed as a blueprint for instruction (Pratt, 1994)

MEANING OF CURRICULUMBroad definitions on the other hand see curriculum as a process.

The process includes the thinking behind coming up with a package and the continuous effort of making it serve the needs of society. It includes values, attitudes, and experiences of students inside and outside the school.

THE MEANING OF CURRICULUMThe term curriculum originated from the Greek word curere meaning to run a course. It therefore represents a course of subjects covered by learners in their race towards a certain educational goal or target. Curriculum definitions have developed along a continuum from narrow to broad ones. There is also a myriad of curriculum definitions by different scholars.

DEFINITIONS OF CURRICULUMA plan for achieving goals (Tyler and Taba).

Tanner (1980) defined curriculum as the planned and guided learning experiences and intended outcomes, formulated through the systematic reconstruction of knowledge and experiences under the auspices of the school, for the learners continuous and wilful growth in personal social competence.

DEFINITIONS OF CURRICULUMSchubert (1987) defines curriculum as the contents of a subject, concepts and tasks to be acquired, planned activities, the desired learning outcomes and experiences, product of culture and an agenda to reform society.

Pratt (1980) defines curriculum as a written document that systematically describes goals planned, objectives, content, learning activities, evaluation procedures and so forth.DEFINITIONS OF CURRICULUMGoodlad and Su (1992) define curriculum as a plan that consists of learning opportunities for a specific timeframe and place, a tool that aims to bring about behavioural changes in students as a result of planned activities and includes all learning experiences received by students with the guidance of the school.

Grundy (1987) defines curriculum as a programme of activities (by teachers and pupils) designed so that pupils will attain so far as possible certain educational and other schooling ends or objectives. DEFINITIONS OF CURRICULUMHass (1987) provides a broader definition, stating that a curriculum includes all of the experiences that individual learners have in a program of education whose purpose is to achieve broad goals and related specific objectives, which is planned in terms of a framework of theory and research or past and present professional practice.

CURRICULUM ISThat which is taught in school; A set of subjects; Content;A programme of studies;A set of materials; Sequence of courses; A set of performance objectives;A course of study; Everything that goes on within a school; Everything that is planned by school personnel;That which is taught both inside and outside of school directed by the school;A series of experiences undergone by learners in school; and That which an individual learner experiences as a result of schooling. CONSENSUSOf what students should know (knowledge or content); Be able to do (skills); How it is taught (instruction); How it is measured (assessment); and How the educational system is organised (context).

Planned curriculumThe overt curriculum is the open, or public, dimension and includes current and historical interpretations, learning experiences, and learning outcomes.the intended curriculum is captured most explicitly in state content standards.statements of what every student must know and be able to do by some specified point in time. Whatstudentsare supposed to learn.Openly discussed, consciously planned, usually written down, presented through the instructional processTextbooks, learning kits, lesson plans, school plays etc.

Hidden curriculumAhidden curriculumis a side effect of an education, "[lessons] which are learned but not openly intended such as the transmission of norms, values, and beliefs conveyed in the classroom and the social environment. Any learning experience may teach unintended lessons.The processesthe noise by which the overt curriculum is transmittedthey are also learning and modifying attitudes, motives, and values in relationship to the experiencesin the classroom.The nonacademic outcomes of formal education are sometimes of greater consequence than is learning the subject matter.

Enacted curriculumThe enacted curriculum refers to instruction (e.g. what happens in classrooms).the content actually delivered during instruction (i.e., instructional content), as well as how it is taught (i.e., instructional practices). Typically, the content targets are based on the intended/planned curriculum.In otherwords, the enacted curriculum is what students get the chance to learn, as well as how teachers "deliver" the content.The Enacted Curriculum reflects the daily curricular experience of a student within instructional settings exemplified by assignments, instructional practices, and managed content.

Null CurriculumWhen a topic is never taught:too unimportanttoo controversialtoo inappropriatenot worth the timenot essentialFORCES THAT INFLUENCES CURRICULUM INSTRUCTIONSchools exist within the context of society and influence culture which in turn shapes curriculum. A curriculum should be able to prepare students for the present and the future. A curriculum should address the wants and needs of learners by responding to social conditions locally, nationally and globally (McNeil, 1995).

POLITICAL Dennis Lawton observes that curriculum development is about selecting the most important aspects of culture for transmission to the next generation.One of the of the crucial questions to ask is the political question: who makes the selection. Education is normally a covert tool in the stratagem(scheme/ploy) of the political class. ECONOMICTraditionally primarily didactic and less book based and predominantly on basic skills 20th century industrial revolution brought drastic changes in the economy so new skills were needed (industrial jobs / large buildings / streaming / teacher centred)Post industrial or information society personalised education / differentiated / critical and creative thinking / IT / student centred)SOCIALSocieties are becoming more multicultural, multiethnic and multi-religious and it is important that curriculum understands and reflect these changesAssimilation or integration of the diverse groupsSalad Bowl ApproachThe Challengedeveloping curriculum that is responsive to students diverse social and cultural values and at the same time capable of creating a national identity based on core values and practices. CONCERNS OF DIFFERENT SHAREHOLDERS IN THE MALAYSIAN CONTEXTEnvironmental groupsSubstance abuseConsumer advocatesHealth groupsSex educationCrime preventionGovernments