COURSE CODE: EDU 731
COURSE TITLE: CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
MODULE 1
UNIT 1: BASIC CONCEPTS IN CURRICULUM
MEANING OF CURRICULUM
The word “curriculum” comes from the Latin word “currere”, which means: “to run or to run a
course”.
Curriculum is a “deliberate, systematic and planned attempt undertaken by the school to
modify or change the behaviors of the citizens of a particular society”.
Analysis and Summary of the Definitions
From the foregoing, it is clear that there is a programme which schools must run in order to
properly educate the citizens. This programme which the schools must follow or use has
been carefully divided into three namely:
i. Programme of studies – the subjects which must be taught in schools such as History,
Geography, Economics and Physics.
ii. Programme of activities – planned and organized out-of – classroom teaching activities
which help the learners to neither grow nor mature but are not formal as in classroom
teaching setting.
iii. Programme of Guidance – a programme of care for the well being of the learner.
Curriculum and Course of Study
A course of study is an educational programme leading to the award of a certificate at the
end of the programme for a particular set of learners.
Curriculum and Lesson Note
A lesson note (or note of lesson; or lesson plan) is a guide for teachers to assist them in the
orderly presentation of a lesson to the learners in order to facilitate learning.
UNIT 3 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY LIKE NIGERIA
Bureaucratic delays Influence Curriculum Implementation
Bureaucracy is the system by which Government operates.
How Nigeria came to have a National Curriculum
Immediately after Independence, Nigerians began to agitate for an educational system which
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will serve the needs of individuals and the new Nigerian society. This was as a result of the
desire to become a technologically advanced nation like the developed nations of the world.
Nigerians therefore made a call for curriculum change. Between September 8th and 17th,
1969, Nigerians from all walks of life converged to change the colonial orientation of
Nigeria’s Educational System. It was a major land work in the history of curriculum
development in Nigeria, because prior to that time different parts of Nigeria operated
different subsystems of education and the curriculum was not uniformed because Nigeria is
a multi-ethnic and multicultural society. The task was how to sort out and incorporate into
the curriculum what would make Nigeria as a nation great, but without losing sight of the
multicultural dimension. For example, in an attempt to foster oneness in the multicultural
nation, the language of the major tribes (Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba) were also to be taught in the
tribes other than the tribe of origin of the learner.
The 1969 Curriculum Conference was attend by every member of each of the strata of the
Nigerian Society: Medical Doctors, Artisans, Priests; Parents; Labour Unions; Legal
Practitioners; Experts in Education; Teachers, Students, Engineers as well as representatives
of the Ministry of Education and Businessmen. However, foreign observers mainly from
Europe and United States of America were present to share their experiences. The
Conference proceedings were edited by Professor Adeniji Adaralegbe and was published in a
book form under the title “A Philosophy for Nigerian Education”. Thus, is was the first time
Nigerian would give unto themselves an educational system and curriculum that is solely a
product of their own thinking as to what kind of society must Nigeria be, and what kind of
educational system and curriculum must be put in place to attain the objectives. In the
discussion, seven (7) major educational aspects of the conference them and nine (9) specific
decision area were identified as crucial to the attainment of conference objective.
The nine decision areas are:
1. To have a National Philosophy of Education;
2. To specify the goals of Primary Education;
3. Goals of Secondary Education;
4. Goals of Tertiary Education;
5. The role of Teacher Education;
6. Functions of Science and Technical Education;
7. Women Education;
8. Education for living;
9. Control of Public Education.
In summary, the decision taken at this Conference eventually led to the publication of a
National Policy on Education in 1977, which is basic to the provision of educational
programmes in Nigerian schools at all levels till today. An analysis of the policy would be a
major subject of study in subsequent units. Suffice it to say for now that as a result of the
Policy, Nigeria now has a uniform system throughout the country, which is 6 years of Primary
school, 6 years of Secondary school (until a division into Junior/Senior Secondary) and a
Tertiary Education of 4 years, especially at the University level. This abolished the differences
at the various regions permanently.
UNIT 4 AN INTRODUCTION TO CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS: PLANNING
Models of Curriculum Planning
A curriculum model is a presentation of a design upon which curriculum planning is based. In
other words, there are series of steps to be taken in curriculum planning and each of these
steps are connected and in series. A complete series is a curriculum model or design, but
there are different types of complete series that are called models.
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Wheeler’s Model
Wheeler’s model consists of the following five steps
(i) Determination of aims and objectives
(ii) Selection of Learning Experiences
(iii) Selection of Content: This involves the preparation of content; the subject to be taught
and the topics to be specified;
(iv) Organisation and Interpretation of Learning Experience
(v) Evaluation: In this model, evaluation is considered as a broad concept, not in terms of
paper and pencil tests.
Taba’s Model
Taba (1962) also presented a cyclic model of curriculum planning and added additional
elements. The major contribution of this model is the attempt to bridge the gap between
theory and practice. She (i.e. Taba) presented a seven step process of curriculum planning as
follows:
(i) Diagnosis of need (or needs assessment);
(ii) Formulation of objective;
(iii) Selection of content;
(iv) Organisation of content;
(v) Selection of learning experiences (methods/Activities;
(vi) Organisation of learning experiences (Methods/ Activities);
(vii) Determination of what to evaluate and ways and means of doing it.
General Principles of Curriculum Planning
(i) Principle of Validity: In other words, the curriculum is valid when the learning
experiences provided is actually capable of achieving the objectives specified;
(ii) Principle of Comprehensiveness: This deals with the scope of learning experiences
provided.
(iii) Principle of Variety: Curriculum planners are urged to include varied and wide range of
experiences in the curriculum content.
(iv) Principle of Suitability: The point being made here is that the age and level of the
development of the learner must be taken into consideration so that learning
experiences may not be above or below their level of understanding.
(v) Principle of Relevance: The learning experiences selected must be suitably applicable to
the learners’ daily experiences.
Types of Curriculum
(i) Formal Curriculum: This deals with the subject offered in schools. It is formal because
all the are done are specified by Ministries of Education according to certain rules and
regulations, with a formal testing or evaluation programme to find out if learning has
taken place.
(ii) Informal Curriculum: This is also called “hidden curriculum because students learn
rather unconsciously in this type. What is done are not specified with detailed or
elaborate procedures as in form curriculum.
MODULE 2 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT: SELECTION OF OBJECTIVES
UNIT 1 GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF EDUCATION
Differences among “Aims” “Objectives” and “Goals”
These three terms are similar in that they all describe the ends being
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sought, in this case for education. However, they are different in terms
of period to achieve them and the general or specific things to be done,
as the case may be.
(i) Aims: “Aim” is a word that describes a rather long-term, overall purpose which educating
the learner is expected to serve.
(ii) Objectives: Educational objectives are descriptions of an outcome of action
The purpose of pre-primary education shall be to:
a) effect a smooth transition from home to school;
b) prepare the child for the primary level of education;
c) Inculcate social norms.
General Objectives of Education: the Three Domains of Educational Objectives
(a) Cognitive Domain: There are six levels of the taxonomy in the cognitive domain. A scholar
known as Benjamin Bloom and his associates was the first to divide the cognitive domain
into six levels namely;
1. Knowledge
2. Comprehensive (understanding)
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation.
(b) Affective Domain: This domain deals with developing learners feelings and emotions,
especially in modifying their attitudes towards things and persons. It also deals with
interests, appreciations and modes of adjustment (Ndubisi 1985). However, unlike the
cognitive domain, the affective domain has five levels which comprise the following:
1. Receiving: This refers to willingness to attend to or listen to a given stimuli.
2. Responding: This refers to the response that comes from the learner as a result of
attending to or receiving stimuli presented.
3. Valuing: This refers to the acceptance of the value being taught as ‘courage’, ‘honesty’,
by the learner.
4. Organising/Organisation: This is the bringing together of different values and
organising them into a value system which eventually leads to character formation.
5. Characterisation by a value or value Complex: This is the last stage and the final or end
result of what learners is expected to become as a result of exposure to the learning
material in the affective domain. It is expected at this stage that the learner’s
behaviour would have been modified or his/her attitude changed for the better, and
that the new behaviour learnt becomes a permanent feature or aspect of his/her
character.
Levels of Curriculum Planning with Respect to Objectives
Three main levels are however clearly distinguishable in Nigeria, although there can be more
than three. The three basic levels are:
(i) National Level: An example of planning at National level is the national curriculum
conference of 1969, which had already been studies in previous units.
(ii) Intermediate Levels: This includes all levels where curriculum is planned before the
classroom level.
(iii) Classroom Level: This is where educational objectives at any level before this are
implemented. The teacher is the main actor at the classroom level.
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UNIT 2 SELECTING EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
Needs Assessment as a Prerequisite for Selecting Objectives
An assessment is an evaluation procedure to determine decisions to be taken on any
enterprise. A few areas from where data could be obtained for selecting educational
objectives include the following:
(i) Societal Needs/National philosophy
(ii) Student Needs and Interest
(iii) Academic specialists
(iv) Study of community Needs
(v) Psychology factors
UNIT 3 CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES AT CLASSROOM LEVEL
The Teacher as an important Personnel in Curriculum Implementation
Among the important functions of the teacher in curriculumimplementation are:
(i) Breaking down of the syllabus presented by curriculum planners into smaller segments
such as schemes of work, modules and unit;
(ii) Selecting and organizing learning content in such a way as to make learning meaningful
and easy;
(iii) Selecting appropriate learning objectives;
(iv) Evaluating student’s performance in the programme;
(v) Reporting or communicating student’s performance to parents, school administration
and bodies needing them;
(vi) Recognize the complex nature of school children’s development and reflect this in
planning classroom activities;
(vii) Act as loco parent for the learners in order to earn their respect as he shows concern for
their wellbeing.
Functions of the Classroom Teacher in Selecting Objectives
Teaching begins with the selection of appropriate lesson objectives by the teacher. The
Teacher needs to clearly spell out what learning outcomes he expects from the learners.
Although selection of objectives is crucial, it cannot be done without due consideration of the
following factors:
(i) Determination of the learner’s entry behaviours;
(ii) Determination of which new information or new knowledge is to be included as facts;
(iii) Determination of the relevance of the objectives to philosophy of the school;
(iv) Determination of materials available; (for example stating an objective which seeks to
enable students perform an experiment where there are no laboratories or laboratory
materials to use is an unattainable objective)
MODULE 3 LEARNING EXPERIENCES: SELECTION AND ORGANISATION
UNIT 1 CONCEPT CLARIFICATIONS
The Three Educational Programmes
1. Programme of Studies: Programme of studies refers, once again, to school subjects,
such as Mathematics, English Language, Social Studies, Secretarial Studies, Biology,
Physics, Chemistry etc.
2. Programmes of Activities: It has already been said in previous units that the programme
of activities is also a learning experience. Emeruwa (1985) defined it as “a programme
which embraces all the activities capable of enhancing the academic experiences of
students”.
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3. Programme of Guidance: Guidance is an activity that had existed long in society’s history
as a social service. Three aspects of a programme of School Guidance are
distinguishable. They are:
· Vocational guidance;
· Educational guidance; and
· Personal-social guidance
UNIT 2 SELECTING LEARNING EXPERIENCES: SOURCES AND SELECTION CRITERIA
Sources of Curriculum Content
(i) Subject Associations: These also specify curriculum content in terms of syllabus or
major outlines of topic to be taught in schools.
(ii) Existing Body of Knowledge in Books, Journals and Newspapers: New books in various
disciplines are being currently produced and from these books, a lot of new information
that can form adequate sources of curriculum content can be found.
(iii) Expert Opinion
(iv) Mass Media: The mass media, especially the Electronic media, is a good source of
curriculum content especially for the teacher.
(v) Field Experience of Individual Teacher: A personal working experience of individuals
can be a useful source of curriculum content. An experienced teacher in a particular
field would understand better from success or failures from the past and this
experience can be brought to bear upon current content selection.
Criteria for Selecting Appropriate Curriculum Content
1. The Principle of Validity: Findings from the field of psychology have shown that unless a
significant change in behaviour of a learner takes place as a result of exposure to some
learning experiences, learning can not be said to have occurred.
2. The Principle of Comprehensiveness: A curriculum is designed to provide opportunities
for learners to acquire different skills in all the three domains of education objectives.
3. The Principle of Variety: Variety, they say, is the spice of life. Findings from
developmental psychology have shown that before desired changes can take place in a
learner, he must be exposed to a variety of learning experiences and methods.
4. The Principle of Suitability: The learning experiences provided must be suitable for the
age and present level of experience of the learners.
5. The Principle of Cumulative Tendency: Learning experiences provided must lead to a
cumulative experience for the learner.
UNIT 3 ORGANISATION OF CURRICULUM OR LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Criteria for Organising Curriculum Effectively
1. Continuity: Continuity is an aspect of vertical relationship. It describes the repeated
presentation of learning material so that the cumulative effect of learning the material
helps the learners to master the concept or develop the attitude, or acquire the skill that
has been specified in the educational objectives.
2. Sequence: This is another aspect of the vertical relationship. It refers to the practice of
arranging both the content and material into a kind of order of succession.
3. Integration: Integration is a criterion, which describes the horizontal relationship among
subject areas.
Emergent Patterns of the Curriculum Due to Organisation
1. Subject or Disciplines-Centered Curriculum: This is the traditionalist view of curriculum,
in which disciplines are identified and compartmentalized into subject areas
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2. Broad Curriculum: This is the opposite of the subject-curriculum. It is an approach to
introduce learners to a synthesis of knowledge as a means of introducing pupils to the
methods of enquiry and generalization.
Advantages
(a) It promotes understanding;
(b) It bridges the gaps between different aspect of subjects;
(c) It makes for greater integration of subject matter;
(d) It encourages greater flexibility in the choice of content.
Disadvantages
(a) Teachers need to be specifically trained to handle it as most of them tend to stick to
their formal old ways;
(b) Knowledge in Science, Social Studies and Humanities, still fall short of promoting
interrelations of all field of knowledge, so true integration of all knowledge is yet to be
effected;
(c) Superficial treatment of concepts or lack of depth is usually a characteristics of this
approach.
3. Core Curriculum: It is designed to serve the needs of learners and promote active learning.
It is used in two main senses.
(a) As a subject which all students are required to take, e.g. EnglishLanguage at
Secondary School level;
(b) As a unit of work where broad problems or unifying theme are treated.
Important features of the called curriculum organisation include:
(i) Grouping learners heterogeneously.
(ii) Having a greater period of time for class activities.
(iii)Cuts across subject matter lines.
(iv) Highlights social and life problems.
(v) Attempts to make what is learnt relevant to a child’s life.
The Main Advantages are
(i) It does not offer significant and systematic knowledge.
(ii) Teachers are not sufficiently prepared for it.
(iii) Time is not always enough on the School Time Table.
MODULE 4 CURRICULUM EVALUATION
UNIT 1 CONCEPT, MEANINGS & TYPES OF EVALUATION
Concept/Meaning of Evaluation
Lewy (1977), defined evaluation essentially as the provision of information for the sake of
facilitating decision making at various stages of curriculum development;
Types of Evaluation
(a) Direct Evaluation: This is the evaluation of the educational programme itself. This is done
to determine whether the programme is adequately serving its purpose or not.
(b) Indirect Evaluation: This involves the assessment of students’ performance in the
programme.
(c) Formative Evaluation: This is the type which is done at the planning stage of curriculum
development. The outcome of such an evaluation is used as an input to improve on the
programme before its final adoption.
(d) Summative Evaluation: This is a systematic attempt to determine if a fully developed
programme in use is meeting its objectives or not.
(e) Diagnostic evaluation, to find out what is wrong with a learner or learning programme. So
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it diagnoses problems;
(f) Placement evaluation, the result of which is used to place (put in place) a student in a
class or an educational programme. It is also used in job interviews to place a worker in
certain job positions;
General Purposes Evaluation in Education
1. providing information about students’ progress;
2. rendering judgement about the worth of a programme;
3. serving as motivation for students;
4. allocating and selecting students into various courses or classes;
5. providing feedback to both students, teachers, school administrators and government.
Models of Curriculum Evaluation
(1) The Research and Development (R&D) Model: This model is taken from the industrial
setting where products are tested before it is marketed, as well as when it is already in the
markets to see whether it is achieving the stated objectives for manufacturing it.
(2) Goal Attainment Evaluation Model: In this model, an evaluator sends feedback in the
shortcomings of the curriculum to the designer so that he can continue to vary the
treatment or methodology until the learners’ behaviours matches the specified objectives.
(3) Stufflebeam’s CIPP Model: The full meaning of CIPP is context – input – process –
product. It sees evaluation from a holistic standpoint, a further development of Tyler’s
model.
General Steps to Follow in Evaluation
(1) Determination and clarification of what is to be evaluated in behavioural terms;
(2) Selection of suitable tools, materials, devices etc. to be used in evaluation. The tools must
be both valid and reliable;
(3) Measurement using the tools with particular care during the administrative and scoring to
avoid errors;
(4) Comparing the result of the measurement with what is to be expected;
(5) Passing judgment on the basis of the information collected by showing the difference
between the expected and actual outcome.
UNIT 2 CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES AND EVALUATION
Stating Clear Objectives for Evaluation Purposes
This is being re-stated below:
(i) The objective must specify what students are to do.
(ii) The situation or circumstances under which the behaviour must occur must also be
stated.
(iii) The third part is the minimum acceptable level of performance required before it can be
said that the objective has been satisfactorily stated.
UNIT 3 EVALUATION DEVICES
Measuring devices commonly used in Educational
Evaluation
There are various types including tests, direct observations, interviews, questionnaires and
rating scales etc.
Tests
There are many types used in the classroom but the four main types that are being studied in
this unit are: oral, objective, essay and performance test.
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a) Oral Tests: Oral tests include those requiring oral performance as in the languages or
singing, or wherever the oral productions of sounds are required.
b) Objective Tests: These include the multiple choice and the alternative forms. Others
include the short answer type in which words or phrases are supplied.
c) Essay Tests: This involves writing freely in sentences, responses to the question asked by
the instructional evaluator.
Questionnaire/Rating Scales
These forms of evaluation involve responses to questions which seek to assess the
curriculum. They are usually on a response pattern of Yes/No,
Direct Observations
Direct observations involve, as the name implies, a direct observation of learners or other
implementers of the curriculum.
Interviews
Interviews involve oral questioning of students to find out if the change in behaviour, attitude
or skills has taken place.
Constructing good Essay Tests
(i) The questions must be related to the objective of the course as well as the content; (i.e.
what was taught);
(ii) The language must be concise or specific, not ambiguous so that students know exactly
what is required of them;
(iii) The students should be given opportunity of free expression; in order words the
questions should require free response not one word or one sentence answers.
(iv) The time to answer the questions must be born in mind when constructing essay tests;
students need to be given a specific time limit but which must be sufficient to answer
the questions.
Advantages/Disadvantages of Essay Tests
(i) It is easy to set but more difficult to mark than the objective test;
(ii) Enables the teacher evaluate learners ability to interpret knowledge;
(iii) It promotes writing skills;
(iv) Scoring of essay tests may be subjective unless an adequate marking scheme is
provided.
UNIT 4 USES OF CURRICULUM EVALUATION
Relevance of Evaluation to Curriculum Revision: STAN as A Case
The process of review first started with the dissatisfaction with existing science curriculum
and a desire for change. STAN, a professional teacher’ organization, took up the challenge
and set up panels for a review of the science curriculum. The panel came up with the
production of the Nigerian Integrated science Project (NISP) which was first put into use in
1966. This was, and still is, an integrated approach to the study of science at the lower
classes of secondary school. You will recall that in your earlier study of curriculum
organization, the Broad field curriculum was discussed, among others, as an integrated
approach to curriculum organization. STAN embarked upon this revision in order to make
science education and activity related to life (or living) rather than a series of unrelated and
irrelevant (to life) of bits of information. Thus, a new focus for science education was to
relate it to daily life and pupils’ experiences. The materials eventually produced for school,
integrated to major disciplines of science such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics, into
Integrated Science which is still being taught today though further review are still being done.
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Other Uses of Curriculum Evaluation
1. Curriculum evaluation is an endless process. It constantly goes on by various agencies or
bodies set up by Government to monitor educational programmes within the school
system.
2. Bodies such as the National Commission of College of Education (NCCE) have also been
set up by the Federal Government to harmonize the curricula for all disciplines in the
Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
3. In Science Education, Daramola (1995) reported that scientific behaviours of learners are
evaluated and the result is ploughed back into improving the science curriculum
methodology in order to achieve the objectives for science education
4. Formative evaluation, as had already been studied is useful in determining the strength
and weaknesses of the designed curriculum.
5. Summative evaluation, which had also been studied already, is also useful to take the
decision whether to continue or discontinue with a curriculum or to specify the conditions
under which it must be used if it was to continue.
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NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA
Plot 91, Cadastral Zone, Nnamdi Azikwe Express Way, Jabi, Abuja
Faculty of Education
2020_1 Semester
COURSE CODE: EDU731 (2 CREDIT UNITS)
COURSE TITLE: CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND PRACTICE
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer three questions. Question one is compulsory
TIME ALLOWED: 2½ HRS
QUESTION 1
a) Define the curriculum. 4marks
b) Distinguish clearly between syllabus and scheme of work. Illustrate your answer with
appropriate diagram. 18 marks
c) Explain the importance of curriculum. 8 marks
QUESTION 2
a. Why do you need to understand the history of curriculum development? 10 marks
b. List five Nigerians National goals which influences curriculum development.10marks
QUESTION 3
a. Give a pictorial presentation of the Tyler’s model and explain. 10marks
b. List and explain the questions Tyler’s model was based on. 10marks
QUESTION 4
a. Discuss the principles guiding selection of appropriate learning content. 10marks
b. Differentiate between formal and informal curriculum or programme of studies. 10marks
NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA
Plot 91, Cadastral Zone, Nnamdi Azikwe Express Way, Jabi, Abuja
Faculty of Education
2020_1 Semester
COURSE CODE: EDU731 (2 CREDIT UNITS)
COURSE TITLE: CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND PRACTICE
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer three questions. Question one is compulsory
TIME ALLOWED: 2½ HRS
QUESTION 1
a) Define the curriculum. 4marks
b) Distinguish clearly between syllabus and scheme of work. Illustrate your answer with
appropriate diagram. 18 marks
c) Explain the importance of curriculum. 8 marks
QUESTION 2
a. Why do you need to understand the history of curriculum development? 10 marks
b. List five Nigerians National goals which influences curriculum development.10marks
QUESTION 3
a. Give a pictorial presentation of the Tyler’s model and explain. 10marks
b. List and explain the questions Tyler’s model was based on. 10marks
QUESTION 4
a. Discuss the principles guiding selection of appropriate learning content. 10marks
b. Differentiate between formal and informal curriculum or programme of studies. 10marks
NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA
University Village, Plot 91, Cadastral Zone, Jabi- Abuja
FACULTY OF EDUCATION 1234
2021_1
PROGRAMME: POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA
COURSE CODE: EDU 731
COURSE TITLE: CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND PRACTICE
COURSE UNITS: 2
TIME ALLOWED: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: ANSWER QUESTION ONE AND ANY OTHER TWO QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS
Question 1
Explain how the following outcomes of needs assessment of a society are translated into
curriculum objectives:
(a) Societal Needs/National philosophy
(b) Student Needs and Interest
(c) Academic specialists
(iv) Study of community Needs
(v) Psychology factors
(30 Marks)
Question 2
(a) In what FOUR ways does the vocational/technical education equip the youth for self-
development and provide the basis for Nigeria’s technological breakthrough? (8 Marks)
(b) Outline the THREE functions of the educational objectives. (12 Marks)
Question 3
Discuss any FOUR principles of curriculum planning. (20 Marks)
Question 4
Demonstrate how a classroom teacher would go about selecting objectives in preparation for a
40-minute lesson. (20 marks)
