Unit 1: Curriculum Essentials: Intended Learning Outcomes

Unit 1: CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS
1.1Intended Learning Outcomes

1.1.1 Define curriculum from different perspectives.
1.1.2 Distinguish the different curricula that exist in the schools.
1.1.3 Described and accept the role of a teacher as a curricularist in the school.
1.1.4 Reflect on how the 3 approaches interrelated with each other.
1.2Introduction
The introductory unit is about the curriculum in terms of its definition, nature
and scope.
It also exposes the different type of curricula that exists in the teacher’s classroom
and school, describing the important roles of the teachers as a curricularist who
engages in the different aspects of curriculum development in any educational level.
It is vital that one should understand these concepts in order to develop a
curriculum that would be applicable and relevant in today’s teaching-learning
process to meet the changing needs of the learners.
1.3Topics of Curriculum Essentials

1.3.1 Meaning and Nature of Curriculum
1.3.2 Subsystems of Curriculum
1.3.3 The Teacher as Curricularist
1.3.4 Approaches About School Curriculum
Let’s Focus
1.3.1 Meaning and Nature of Curriculum
Have you ever asked yourself about these questions?
To introduce what curriculum all about, read “The Sabre-tooth Curriculum
by Harold Benjamin (1939)”
Enjoy reading and find out what curriculum is all about those times.
A man by the name of New-Fist-Hammer-Maker knew how to do things his

community needed to have done, and he had the energy and the will to go ahead
and do them. By virtue of these characteristics, he was an educated man. New-Fist
was also a thinker. Then as now, there were few lengths to which men would not go
to avoid the labour and pain of thought….New-Fist go to the point where he become
strongly dissatisfied with the accustomed ways of his tribe. He began to catch
glimpse of ways in which life might be made better for himself, his family and his
group. By virtue of this development, he became a dangerous man.
New-Fist thought about how he could harness the children’s play to better the
life of the community. He considered what adults do for survival and introduce
these activities to children in a deliberate and formal way. These included catching
fish with bare hands, clubbing little wooly horses, and chasing away-sabre-toothed-
tigers-with-fire. These then became the curriculum and the community began to
prosper-with plenty of food, hides for attire and protection from threat. “It is
supposed that all would have gone well forever with this good educational system,
if conditions of life in the community remained forever the same”. But conditions
changed.
The glacier began to melt and the community could no longer see the fish to catch
with bare hands, and only the most agile and clever fish remained who hid from the
people. The wooly horses were ambitious and decided to leave the region. The tigers
got pneumonia and most died. The few remaining tigers left. In their place, fierce
bears arrived who would not be chased by fire. The community was in trouble.
One day, in desperation, someone made a net from willow twigs and found a
new way to catch fish and the supply was even more plentiful than before. The
community also devised a system of traps on the path to snare the bears. Attempts to
change education system to include these new techniques however encountered
“stern opposition”. These are also activities we need to know. Why can’t the schools
teach them? But most of the tribe particularly the wise old men who controlled the
school, smiled indulgently at this suggestion. “That wouldn’t be education… it
would be more training”. We don’t teach fish grabbing to catch fish, we teach it to
develop a generalized agility which can never be duplicated be mere training.. and
so on.
“If you had any education yourself, you would know that the essence of true
education is timeless. It is something that endures through changing conditions like
a solid rock standing squarely and firmly in the middle of a raging torrent.”
The story was written in 1939. Curriculum then, was seen as a tradition of
organized knowledge taught in schools of the 19 th century. Two centuries later, the
concept of a curriculum has broadened to include several modes of thoughts or
experiences.
Let’s Reflect
ACTIVITY # 1
A. Give personal insights on Sabre-Tooth Curriculum.
B. Answer the following:

1. Does the sabre-tooth curriculum still exist at present? Give examples.
2. Describe the kind of curriculum that exists as describe in the article.
3. What does the author mean, when he said “A curriculum should be
timeless?” Explain.
Note: Answer sheet is provided in page 9. This task will be credited to term requirement.
Let’s Focus
There are many meanings of curriculum, presented among others are just a few
definitions;
 Curriculum as a list of subjects. It suggests that curriculum includes the subjects

offered in school like Mathematics, Science, English, History, and others.
 Curriculum as learning experiences. It includes student’s curricular and
cocurricular activities they encounter inside or outside the school.
 Curriculum as intended learning outcomes. It consists of list of learning
competencies or standards that students should learn in specific discipline.
 Curriculum as planned experiences. It is associated with documents specifying
objectives, activities or general ideas to attain quality education.
There are many definitions of curriculum. Because of this, the concept of curriculum
is sometimes characterized as fragmentary, difficult and confusing. However, the
numerous definitions indicate dynamism as the changes that occur in a society.
Let’s take Action

ACTIVITY # 2 Concepts of Curriculum
Give your own idea of curriculum according to:
a) Student’s viewpoint
b) Teacher’s standpoint
c) Administrator’s opinion
Note: Answer sheet is provided in page 10. This task will be credited to class participation.
Let us study some of the different points of view of curriculum.
1. Traditional point of view

Most of the traditional ideas view curriculum as written documents or a plan of
action in accomplishing goals; a body of subjects or subject matter prepared by
the teachers for the students to learn. This definition is based on the assumption
that the role of education is to fit the individual for his place in society.
2. Progressive point of view
On the other hand, to a progressivist, a listing of school subjects, syllabi, course of
study do not make curriculum. These can only be called a curriculum if it is
actualized by the learner. It refers then to the total learning experiences of the
individual under the skillful guidance of a teacher.
Let’s Apply
ACTIVITY # 3
Complete the H-chart found on page 11.
Note: This task will be credited to term requirement.
Let’s Focus!
1.3.2 Subsystems of Curriculum
From the various concepts of curriculum, Allan Glatthorn (2000) describes
seven types of curriculum operating in the schools.
1. Recommended of Curriculum. The recommended curriculum is that which is

recommended by scholars and professional organizations. It also
encompasses the curriculum requirements of policy making groups, such as
DepEd, CHED and DOST.
2. Written Curriculum. This includes documents, course of study or syllabi
handed down to schools, districts, division, departments or colleges for
implementation. Most of the written curricula are made by curriculum
experts with participations of teachers.
3. Taught Curriculum. The different planned activities which are put into
actions in the classrooms compose the taught curriculum. These are varied
activities that are implemented in order to arrive at the objectives or purpose
of written curriculum.
4. Supported Curriculum. The supported curriculum includes those resources
that support the curriculum-textbooks, software, and other media. Support
curriculum should enable each learner to achieve real and lifelong learning.
5. Assessed Curriculum. The assessed curriculum is that which appears in tests
and performance measures: state test, standardized tests, district tests, and
teacher made tests. Series of evaluation are being done by the teachers to
determine the extent of teaching or to tell if the students are progressing.
6. Learned Curriculum. The learned curriculum is the bottom line curriculum,
the curriculum that students actually learn. It denotes all the changes in
values, perceptions, and behaviour that occur as a result of school experience.
7. Hidden Curriculum. This is the unintended curriculum which is deliberately
planned but may modify behaviour or influence learning outcomes. There are
lots of hidden curricula that transpire in the schools. Peer influence, school
environment, physical condition, teacher-learner interaction, mood of the
teachers and many other factors make up the hidden curriculum.
Let’s Take Action!
Activity #4
Prepare a two-column matrix identifying the existence of the different curricula
operating in school and give at least two specific examples from observations of each
type.
1.3.3 The Teacher as Curricularist

What specific role do teachers play as a curriculant?
Let’s Take Action!
Activity #5
Roles of teacher as curricularist
Let’s Focus!
Curricularist is a professional who is a

curricular specialist (Orstein & Hunkins; 2004;
Hewitt; 2006). A teacher’s role is to do a series
of interrelated actions on instruction and
evaluation and other functions involved in
curriculum and so a teacher is a curricularist.
Let us describe the teacher as a curricularist.
The teacher as a curricularist…
1. Knows the curriculum. As a teacher, one has to master what are included in
the curriculum. It is acquiring academic knowledge both formal (disciplines,
logic) or informal (derived from experiences and unintended). It is the
mastery of the subject matter. (Knower)
2. Writes the curriculum. A classroom teacher takes record of knowledge
concepts, subject matter or content. These need to be written on preserved.
The teacher writes books, modules, laboratory manuals, instructional guides,
and reference materials in paper or electronic media as a curriculum writer or
viewers. (Writer)
3. Plans the curriculum. A good curriculum has to be planned. It is role of the
teacher to make a yearly, monthly or daily plan of the curriculum. This will
serve a guide in the implementation of the curriculum. The teacher takes into
considerations several factors in planning a curriculum. (Planner)
4. Initiates curriculum. The teacher is obliged to implement curriculum
recommended from educational agencies. Implementation of new curriculum
requires the open mindless of the teacher, and the full belief that the
curriculum will enhance learning. A transformative teacher will never
hesitate to try something novel and relevant. (Initiator)
5. Innovates curriculum. Creativity an innovation are hallmarks of an excellent
teacher. A curriculum is always dynamic, hence keeps changing. From the
content strategies, ways doing, blocks of time, ways of evaluating, kinds of
students and skills of teachers, one cannot find a single eternal curriculum
that would perpetually fit. A good teacher, therefore innovates the
curriculum.( Innovator)
6. Implements the curriculum. The success of recommended, well written and
planned curriculum depends on the implementation. An implementation
gives life to the curriculum plan. It is where the teaching, guiding and
facilitating skills of the teacher are expected at the highest level.
(Implementer)
7. Evaluates the curriculum. How can one determine of the desired learning
outcomes have been achieved? Is the curriculum working? Are the learners
achieving? Are there some practices that should be modified? These are some
few questions that need the help of curriculum evaluator. That person is the
teacher. (Evaluator)

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Unit 1: CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS

1.1Intended Learning Outcomes

1.3Topics of Curriculum Essentials

A man by the name of New-Fist-Hammer-Maker knew how to do things his

B. Answer the following:

 Curriculum as a list of subjects. It suggests that curriculum includes the subjects

Let’s take Action

Let us study some of the different points of view of curriculum.

1. Traditional point of view

Note: This task will be credited to term requirement.

1. Recommended of Curriculum. The recommended curriculum is that which is

1.3.3 The Teacher as Curricularist

Let’s Take Action!

Curricularist is a professional who is a

The teacher as a curricularist…

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