I.

TITLE: Fundamentals of Curriculum Design

II. OBJECTIVES:

 Identify the fundamentals of curriculum designing

 Appreciate the task of designing curriculum

III. MOTIVATION:

Give your own insight of this statement:

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with
gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is
so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for
the growing plant and for the soul of a child.”

IV. INTRODUCTION:

Curriculum design focuses on the creation of the overall course

blueprint, mapping content to learning objectives, including how to
develop a course outline and build the course. Each learning objective
is met with assessment strategies, exercise, content, subject matter
analysis and interactive analysis. The ultimate goal of curriculum
design is to deepen learning and support students in gaining
important core competencies such as critical and creative thinking,
skillful communication and demonstrating care for self and others.

The teacher’s involvement in the curriculum development process

is essential in the needs of society. The process of curriculum
development requires teachers to act and reflect on society’s needs In
each stage of the development process.
V. PRESENTATION OF THE CONTENT

As we begin to discuss about curriculum designing, all teachers

need to know the different axioms or theorems regarding curriculum as
presented by Gordon, W., Taylor R., and Olivia, Pin 2019. These axioms
will be used curricularists in designing a curriculum. Axioms are
principles that practitioners as curriculum designer can use guidelines or
a frame of reference.

Ten Axioms About Curriculum That Teachers Need As Reminders

1. Curriculum change is inevitable, necessary, and desirable.

Earlier it was stated that one of the characteristics of curriculum is its
being dynamic. Because of this, teachers should respond to the
changes that occur in schools and in their context. Societal
development and knowledge revolution come so fast that the need
curriculum designs.

2. Curriculum is a product of its time.

A relevant curriculum should respond to changes brought about by
current social forces, philosophical positions, psychological
principles, new knowledge, and educational reforms. This is also
called timeliness.

3. Curriculum changes made earlier can exist concurrently with newer

curriculum changes.
A revision in a curriculum starts and ends slowly. More often,
curriculum is gradually phased in and phased out, thus the changes
that occur can coexist and oftentimes overlap for long periods of
time.

4. Curriculum change depends on people who will implement the

change.
Teachers whom will implement the curriculum should be involved its
development, hence should know how to designs a curriculum.
Because the teachers are the implementers of the curriculum, it is
 best that they should design and own the changes. This will ensure
an effective and long lasting change.

5. Curriculum development is a cooperative group activity.

Group decisions in some aspects of curriculum development are
suggested. Consultations with stakeholders when possible will add to
a sense of ownership. Even learners should participate in some
aspect of curriculum designing. Any significant change in the
curriculum should involve a broad range of stakeholders to gain their
understanding, support, and input.

6. Curriculum development is a decision-making process made from

choices of alternatives.
A curriculum developer or designer must decide what contents to
teach, philosophy or point of view to support, how to provide for
multicultural groups, what methods or strategies, and what type of
evaluation to use.

7. Curriculum development is an ongoing process.

Continuous monitoring, examination, evaluation, and improvement
curricula are to be considered in the design of the curriculum. As
needs of learners change, as society changes, and as new knowledge
and technology appear, the curriculum must change.

8. Curriculum development is more effective if it is a comprehensive

process, rather than a “Piecemeal”. A curriculum design should be
based on a careful plan, should clearly establish intended outcomes,
support resources and needed time available and should equip
teaching staff pedagogically.

9. Curriculum development is more effective when it follows a

systematic process. A curriculum design is composed of desired
outcomes, subject matter content complemented with references, set
of procedures, needed materials and more resources and evaluation
procedure which can be paced in matrix.
10.Curriculum development starts from where the curriculum is.
Curriculum planners and designers should begin with existing
 curriculum. An existing design is a good starting point for any teachers
who plans to enhance and enrich a curriculum.

Building upon the ideas of Oliva, Let us continue learning how to design a
curriculum by identifying its components. For most curricula the major
components or elements are answers to the ff. questions:
1. What learning outcomes need to be achieved ? (Intended Learning
Outcomes)
2. What content should be included to achieved the Learning outcomes ?
( Subject Matter)
3. What learning experiences and resources should be employed ?
( Teaching-Learning Methods )
4. How will be the achieved learning ,outcomes be measured ?
( Assesment of Achieved Learning Outcomes)

Elements or Components of a Curriculum Design

There are many labels or names for curriculum design. Some would call it a
syllabus or a lesson plan . Some would call it a unit plan or a course design.
Whatever is the name of the design, the common components for all of them are
almost the same. However,some schools, institutions or departments may add
other minor parts or trimmings to the design.

Let us take the lesson plan as a miniscule curriculum. A lesson plan or

teaching or teaching guide includes (1) Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
Or the desired Learning Outcomes (DLO) formerly labelled as behavioral
objectives, (2) Subject matter or content, (3) Teaching and learning Methods and
(4) Assessment Evaluation. Each of these components or Elements is Described
below.

I. BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES or INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Begin with the end in view. The objectives or intended Learning outcomes are
the reason for undertaking the Lesson from the students point of view; it is
desired Learning outcome that is to be accomplished in a particular learning
episode, engaged in by the learners under the guidance of the teacher. As a
curriculum designer, the beginning of the learning journey is the learning
outcomes to be achieved. In this way, both the learner and the teacher are guided
by what to accomplish.
 The behavioral objectives, intended learning outcomes or desired learning
outcomes are expressed in action words found in the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy
of Objectives ( Andersen and Krathwohl, 2003) for the development of the
cognitive skills. For the affective skills, refer to the taxonomy made by krathwohl
and for the psychomotor domain by simpson.

The statement should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result

Oriented and time-bound. For a beginner, it would help if you provide the
Condition, Performance and Extent or Level of performance in the statement of
the intended learning outcomes.

For example, if a lesson intends the students to identify the parts of a

simple flower as stated in the desired learning outcomes, then students should
have identified the parts of a simple flower, at the end of the lesson.

Sometimes the phrase intended learning outcomes is used to refer to the

anticipated result after completing planned activity or lesson. In framing learning
outcomes, it is good practice to:
 Express each outcome in terms of what successful students will be able to
do. For example, rather than stating students will be able to explain the
reason why … it should be: ‘Students must have explained the reason
why…’ this helps students to focus on what they have to achieve as
learning. It will also help curricularists devise appropriate assessment tasks.
 Include different kinds of outcomes. The most common are cognitive
objectives (Learning facts, theories , formulae, principles etc.) and
performance outcomes (Learning how to carry out procedures, calculations
and processes, which typically include gathering information and
communicating results) in some contexts, affective outcomes are important
too (for developing attitudes or values, e.g. Those required as a person and
for a particular profession).

II. CONTENT/SUBJECT MATTER

The content of the Lesson or unit is the topic or subject matter that
will be covered. In selecting content, you should bear in mind the following
principles in addition to those mentioned about the content in previous
lessons:
  Subject matter should be relevant to the outcomes of the curriculum.
An effective curriculum is purposive and clearly focused on the
planned learning outcomes.
 Subject matter should be appropriate to the level of the lesson or
unit. An effective curriculum is progressive, leading students towards
building on previous lessons. Contents which are too basic or too
advanced for the development levels of learners make students
either bored or baffled and affect their motivation to learn.
 Subject matter should be up-to-date and, if possible, should reflect
current knowledge and concepts.
 Subject matter should follow the principle of B A S I C S .

III. Teaching and Learning Methods

These are the activities where the learners derive experiences. It is always
good to keep in mind the teaching strategies that students will experience
(lectures, laboratory classes, fieldwork etc.) and make them learn.

The teaching -learning methods should allow cooperation, competition as

well as individualism or independent learning among the students. For
example:

 Cooperative learning activities allow students to work together.

Students are guided to learn on their own to find solutions to their
problems.
 Independent learning activities allow learners to develop personal
responsibility.
 Competitive activities, where students will test their competencies
against another in a healthy manner, allow learners to perform to
their maximum.
 The use of various delivery modes to provide learning experiences
is recommended.

There are some examples of very simple teaching-learning methods with

detailed steps that you can start using as you begin teaching.

A. Direct Instruction: Barak Rosenshine Model (in Ornstien and Hunkins, 2018)
 Detailed Steps:
1. State Learning objective/ Outcomes: Begin lesson with a short statement
of objectives or desired lesson learning outcomes.
2. Review: Introduce short review of previous or prerequisite learning.
3. Present new materials: Present materials in small, sequenced manner:
4. Explain: Give clear and detailed instructions and explanations.
5. Practice: Provide active practice for all students.
6. Guide. Guide students during initial practice; or provide seatwork
activities.
7. Check for understanding. Ask several questions, assess students’
comprehension.
8. Provide Feedback. Provide systematic feedback and corrections.
9. Assess performance. Obtain student success rate of percent or more
during practice session.
10.Review and test. Provide for spaced review and testing.

B. Guided Instruction: Madeline Hunter model (in Ornstien & Hunkins, 2018)

1. Review. Focus on previous lesson, ask students to summarize main points.

2. Anticipatory set. Focus student’s attention on new lesson. Stimulate
interest in the new materials.
3. Objective. State explicitly what is to be learned; state rationale or how it
will be useful.
4. Input. Identify needed knowledge and skills for learning new lesson;
present materials in sequenced steps.
5. Modeling. Provide several examples or demonstration throughout the
lesson.
6. Check for understanding. Monitor students’ work before they become
involved in lesson activities, check to see they understand directions or
tasks.
7. Guided practice. Periodically ask students questions and check their
answers. Again monitor understanding.
8. Independent practice. Assign independent work or practice when it is
reasonably sure that students can work on their own with understanding
and minimal frustration.
 C. Mastery Learning; JH Block and Lorin Anderson model (in Ornstein &
Hunkins, 2018)

1. Clarify. Explain to students what they are expected to learn.

2. Inform. Teach the lesson, relying on the whole group instruction.
3. Pretest. Give a formative quiz on a no fault- basis, students can check
their own paper.
4. Group. Based on results, divide the class into mastery and non-mastery
groups (80% is considered mastery)
5. Enrich and correct. Give enrichment instruction to mastery group. Give
corrective (practice/drill) to non-mastery group.
6. Monitor. Monitor student progress; vary amount of teacher time and
support for each group based on group size and performance.
7. Posttest. Give a summary test for non-mastery group of the students.
8. Assess performance. At least 75% should achieved mastery by the
summative test.
9. Reteach. If not, repeat procedures; starting with corrective instructions
(small study groups, individual tutoring, alternative instructional
materials, extra homework, reading materials practice and drill.

D. Systematic Instruction: Thomas Good and Jere Brophy (in Ornstein and
Hunkins, 2018)
1. Review. Review concepts and skills related to homework, provide review
exercises.
2. Development. Promote students understanding, provide controlled
practice.
3. Assess comprehension. Ask questions, provide controlled practice.
4. Seatwork. Provide uninterrupted seatwork; get everyone involved,
sustain momentum.
5. Accountability. Check the students work.
6. Homework. Assign homework regularly; provide review problems.
7. Special reviews. Provide weekly reviews to check and further maintain
and enhance learning.

Teaching-Learning Environment
 In the choice of the teaching learning methods, equally important is the
teaching learning environment. Brian Castaldi in 1987 suggested four criteria in
the provision of the environment or learning spaces in designing a curriculum.
These criteria include (1) adequacy, (2) suitability, (3) efficiency and 4 economy.

1. Adequacy- This refers to the actual learning space or classrooms.

2. Suitability- This relates to planned activities. Suitability should
consider chronological and developmental ages of learners.
3. Efficiency- This refers to operational and instructional effectiveness.
4. Economy- This refers to cost effectiveness. How much is needed to provide
Instructional materials?

Learning occurs most effectively when students receive feedback, i.e. when
they receive information on what they have already (and have not) learned. The
process by which this information is generated is assessment.

*Self-assessment, through which students learn to monitor and evaluate their

own learning.
*Peer assessment, in which students provide feedback on each other’s learning.
*Teacher assessment, in which the teacher prepares and administers tests and
gives feedback on the student’s performance.

Application of the Fundamental Components to Other Curriculum Designs

While our example refers only to designing a lesson plan which is a mini
curriculum, similar components will also be used in making a syllabus for teaching
in higher education courses or other curricular projects. Based on the curriculum
models we have learned, the fundamental components include the following:

Major components of a Courses Design or Syllabus

1. Intended Outcomes (or Objectives)

2. Content/Subject Matter (with references)
3. Methods/ Strategies (with needed resources)
4. Evaluation (means of assessment)

IV. ASSESSMENT/ QUIZZES:

 With the reference of the content of this module, what is your general
insight of curriculum design? 50 pts.

V. SUMMARY:

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change
the world.- Nelson Mandela Education is the first step for people to gain
the knowledge, critical thinking, empowerment. As educators, we are
only as effective as what we know if we have no working knowledge of
what students studied in previous years, how can we build on their
learning? If we have no insight into the curriculum in later grades, how
can we prepare learners for the future classes? In a world that places a
growing premium on social skills, education systems need to do much
better at fostering those skills systematically across the school curriculum.

VI. REFERENCES
1 Project Wild (1992) K to 12 Activity Guide, An introdisciplinary,
Supplementary Conservation and Environmental Education Program.
Council of Environmental Education, Bethesda, MD

2. Shipman, James and Jerry Wilson, et al (2009). An Introduction to

Physical Science. Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston MA

3. Romo, Salvador B. (2013). Horticulture an Exploratory Course.

Lorimar Publishing Inc. Quezon City
I. TITLE: Approaches to Curriculum Designing

II. OBJECTIVES:
 Identify some familiar curriculum designs and approaches to the
designs
 Analyze the approaches in the light of how these are applied in
the school setting

III. MOTIVATION :

Explain this passage: Design is not a thing you do. It’s a way of life.

IV. INTRODUCTION

Curriculum design is the planning period when instructors organize

the instructional units for their course. Curriculum design involves
planning activities, readings, lessons and assessments that achieve
educational goals. These include the subject- centered design and
problem- centered design. The ultimate goal for curriculum design is
to deepen learning and support students in gaining important core
competencies such as critical and creative thinking, skillful
communication, demonstrating care for self and others.

V. PRESENTATION OF THE CONTENT

Types of Curriculum Design models

There are many ways of looking at curriculum and designing one. For our
own purposes, let us focus on the most widely used examples.
1. Subject- Centered Design
This is a curriculum design that focuses on the content of the
curriculum. The subject-centered design corresponds mostly to the
textbook are usually written based the specific subject or course.
 Subject-centered curriculum design has also some variations which are
focused on the individual subject, specific discipline and combination
of subjects or disciplines which are a broad field or interdisciplinary.
1.1 Subject design
Subject design curriculum is the oldest and so far, the most familiar
design for teachers, parents and other laymen. According to the
advocates, subject design has an advantage because it is easy to deliver.
1.2 Discipline design
This curriculum design model is related to the subject design. However,
while subject design centers only on the cluster of content, discipline
design focuses on academic disciplines. Discipline refers to the specific
knowledge learned through a method which the scholars use to study a
specific content of their fields.
Discipline design model of curriculum is often used in college, but not in
the elementary or secondary levels.
1.3 Correlation Design. Coming from a core, correlated curriculum design
links separate subject
Designs in order to reduce fragmentation. Subjects are related to one
another and still maintain their identity. For example, English literature
and Social Studies correlate well in the elementary level.
1.4 Broad field design/interdisciplinary. Board field design or
interdisciplinary is the variation of the subject-centered design. This
design was made to cure the compartmentalization of the separate
subjects and integrate the contents that are related to one another.
Sometimes called holistic curriculum, broad fields draw around themes
and integration. Interdisciplinary design is similar to the thematic design,
where specific theme is identified and all other subject areas revolve
around the theme.
1. Lerner-Centered Design
Among progressive educational psychologists, the learner is the center of
the educative process.

Here are some examples of curriculum designs.

1.1 Child-centered design. This design is often attributed to the influence of
 John Dewey, Rouseau, Pestallozi and Froebel. This curriculum design is
anchored on the needs and interests of the child.
Learning is a product of the child’s interaction with the environment.
1.2 Experience-centered design.
This design is similar to the child-centered design. Although the focus
remains to be the child, experience-centered design believes that the
interests and needs of learners cannot be pre-planned.
1.3 Humanistic design. The key influence in this curriculum design is
Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. Maslow’s theory of self-actualization
explains that a person who achieves this level is accepting of self, others
and nature; is simple, spontaneous and natural; is open to different
experiences; possesses empathy and sympathy towards the less
fortunate among the many others. The person can achieve this state of
self-actualization later in life but has to start the process while in school.
Carl Rogers, on the other hand, believed that a person can enhance self-
directed learning by improving self- understanding, the basic attitude to
guide behavior.

In a humanistic curriculum design, the development of self is the

ultimate objective of learning. It stresses the whole person and the
integration of thinking, feeling and doing. It considers the cognitive,
affective and psychomotor domains to be interconnected and must be
addressed in the curriculum. It stresses the development of positive self-
concept and interpersonal skills.

2. Problem-Centered Design
Generally, problem-centered design draws on social problems, needs,
interests and abilities of the learners. Various problems are given emphasis.
There are those that center on life situations, contemporary life problems,
areas of living and many others. In this curriculum, content cuts across
subject boundaries and must be based on the needs, concerns and abilities
of the students. Two examples are given for the problem -centered design
curriculum.
 2.1 Life-situation design. What makes the design unique is that the contents
are organized in ways that allow students to clearly view problem areas.
It uses the past and the present experiences of learners as a means to
analyze the basic areas of living. As a starting point, the pressing
immediate problems of the society and the students’ existing concerns
are utilized. Based on Herbert Spencer’s curriculum writing, his emphases
were activities that sustain life, enhance life, aid in rearing children,
maintain the individual’s social and political relations and enhance
leisure, tasks, and feelings. The connection of subject matter to real
situations increases the relevance of the curriculum.
1.1 Core problem design. Another example of problem-centered design is
core design. It centers on general education and the problems are based
on the common human activities. The central focus of the core design
includes common needs, problems, and concerns of the learners.
Popularized by Faunce and Bossing in 1959, it presented ways on how to
proceed using core design of a curriculum. These are the steps.

Step 1. Make group consensus on important problems.

Step 2. Develop criteria for selection of important problem.
Step 3. State and define the problem.
Step 4. Decide on areas of study, including class grouping.
Step 5. List the needed information for resources.
Step 6. Obtain and organize information.
Step 7. Analyze and interpret the information.
Step 8. State the tentative conclusion.
Step 9. Present a report to the class individually or by group.
Step 10. Evaluate the conclusions.
Step 11. Explore other avenues for further problem solving.

These are some examples of curriculum designs. There are many

more which are emerging and those that have evolved in the past. The
example given may be limited, however, for our purposes, they can very
well represent curriculum designs.
Table 1: Overview of the Major Curriculum Designs (Ornstein A & Hunkins, F, 2018)
 Design Emphasis Underlying Source/Focus Spokesperson/
Philosophy Champion

Subject-Centered
Subject Design Separate subject Essentialism Science, Harris, Hutchins
Perennialism Knowledge

Broad-Fields Interdisciplinary Essentialism Science, Broudy, Dewey

design subjects, Progressivism Knowledge
scholarly
discipline
Correlation Separate subject, Progressivism Knowledge Alberty, Alberty
design disciplines linked Essentialism
but identities
maintained
Learner-Centered
Child-Centered Child’s needs and Progressivism Child Dewey,
Design interest Kilpatrick,
Parker
Experience- Child’s Progressivism Child Dewey, Rugg,
Centered Design experiences and shumaker
needs
Humanistic Experiences, Reconstruc- Psychology, Combs, Abraham
design interest, needs tionism child, society Maslow, Carl
of a person and Existentialism Rogers
group
Problem-centered-design
Life-situation Life (social) Reconstruc- Society Spencer
design problem tionism

Transformatory Child, focus on Open System Society Slaterry

(or becoming) society and the Post modernism
change world, all reals of
culture
Reconstruc- Child, the Open System Post modernism Roth
tionist design teacher, the
world

Approaches to Curriculum Design Models

 How will a particular design be approached by the teacher? After writing a
curriculum based on the specific design, let us see how a teacher will approach
this. We will find out the utilization of the example design.
Child or Learner-Centered Approach. This approach to curriculum design is
based on the underlying philosophy that the child or the learner is the center of
the educational process. It means that the curriculum is constructed based on the
needs, interest, purposes and abilities of the learners. The curriculum is also built
upon the learners’ knowledge, skills, previous learnings and potentials.

From its design, how should a child-centered curriculum be approached?

Let us consider these principles.

Principles of Child-Centered Curriculum Approach

1. Acknowledge and respect the fundamental rights of the child.
2. Make all activities revolve around the overall development of the
learner.
3. Consider the uniqueness of every learner in a multicultural classroom.

1. Consider using differentiated instruction or teaching

2. Provide a motivating supportive learning environment for all the
learners.
The child-centered approached is illustrated in the example below:
 School X is anchored on the theory of multiple intelligences in all its curricular
and co-curricular activities. Every classroom provides activity centers where
children can learn on their own with the different learning resource materials.
Learners can just choose which learning center to engage in with different
resources. This arrangement allows for the capacity of every learner to be honed. It
also allows learning how to learn, hence will develop independence. The teacher
acts as guide for every learner. The learner sets the goal that can be done within
the frame of time.

Subject- Centered Approach. This is anchored on a curriculum design which

prescribes separate distinct subjects for every educational level: basic education,
higher education or vocational-technical education. This approach considers the
following principle:
1. The primary focus is the subject matter.
2. The emphasis is on bits and pieces of information which may be
detached from life.
3. The subject matter serves as a means of identifying problems of living.
4. Learning means accumulation of content, or knowledge.
5. Teacher’s role is to dispense the content
Example of subject-centered approach is given below.

In another setting, School Y aims to produce the best graduates in

the school district. Every learner must excel in all academic subjects to
be on top of every academic competition. The higher the level of
cognitive intelligence, the better the learner. Hence the focus of
learning is mastery of the subject matter in terms of content. Every
student is expected to be always on top in terms of mastery of
discipline. Memorization and drill are important learning skills. The
school gives emphasis to intellectual development, and sets aside
emotional, psychomotor and even value development. Success means
mastery of the content.
 Problem-Centered Approach. This approach is based on a design which
assumes that in the process of living, children experience problems. Thus,
problem solving enables the learners to become increasingly able to
achieve complete or total development as individuals.
This approach is characterized by the following views and beliefs:
1. The learners are capable of directing and guiding themselves in resolving
problems, thus developing every learner to be independent.
2. The learners are prepared to assume their civic responsibilities through
direct participation in different activities.
3. The curriculum leads the learners in the recognition of concerns and
problems in seeking solutions. Learners are problem solvers themselves.
An example of the problem-centered approach is presented below.

School Z believes that a learner should be trained to solve real life

problems that come about because of the needs, interest and abilities of the
learners. Problems persistent in life and society that affect daily living are also
considered. Most of the school activities revolve around finding solutions to
problems like poverty, drug problems, climate change, natural calamities and
many more. Since the school is using a problem-based design, the same
approach is used. Case study and practical work are the teaching strategies that
are utilized. Problem-centered approach has become popular in many schools.

VI. ASSESSMENT/ QUIZZES:

In approaches to curriculum design, how will you explain the

significance and relevance of these models in view of effective
teaching of the following models:1. Subject- centered, 2. learner-
centered and 3. problem -centered designs?

How does curriculum design affect the teaching and learning

process?
 How will you deal with the different types of students?

VII. SUMMARY:

The primary goal of curriculum design is aligning learning

strategies, materials and experience to defined outcomes. To
accomplish this, curriculum designers often use tools such as learner
personas, need analysis, and existing assessment data to determine
the scope of the project. A good curriculum is not rigid- it allows room
for flexibility, monitoring and evaluation by administration. It should
provide sufficient scope for the cultivation of unique skills, interest,
attitude and appreciations. A curriculum should be responsible for
personality development of the learners.

VIII. TEST:
Compare the concept of the following Curriculum designs;

1. Subject Design - Discipline Design

2.Correlation design- Broad Field Design

IX. ASSIGNMENT: Make a reaction paper in connection this factual

situation in country.

Studies and fact- finding commission have shown that the

deteriorating quality of education is due to the low government
budget for education, poor quality of material resources, poor
management of schools, poor school facilities such as laboratory and
library facilities and poor learning environment. What
recommendations can you propose to make these issues be solved in
favor of our primary clienteles?