CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

TERMS COMMONLY USED INCURRICULUM DEVOPMENT

1. Curriculum development:
• Curriculum development can be referred to as a
gradual evolution and growth of a curriculum
through design and planning.
• The term is generally understood to describe the
beginning stages of the process of the curriculum.
• It is the process that signifies and piloting curricular
materials through deploying human resource and
other resources.
Curriculum dev……cont
• Curriculum development is more comprehensive term; which
include designing, planning, implementation and evaluation.
2. Curriculum design
• Curriculum design is the process of analyzing, choosing and
synthesizing curriculum elements, learning processes,
assessment criteria for and evaluation processes to create
learning.
• It is the structure, pattern, or organization of the curriculum.
• Curriculum designers apply curriculum theory to guide their
decision-making in a reasoned and practical way.

.
3. Curriculum planning
• Curriculum planning is the preliminary phase of curriculum
development when the curriculum workers/developers make
decisions and take actions to establish the plan that teachers and
students will carry out in their teaching/learning process
4. Curriculum Implementation
• Curriculum implementation is the stage where teachers and students
carry out practice done before.
• Curriculum implementation is concerned with translating plans into
action.
• It is traditionally seen as the delivery process.
• It simply means putting into effect the curriculum that was developed.
Curriculum Evaluation
5. Curriculum evaluation are those intermediate and final stages of
curriculum development in which successes of both the learners and
the programs results are assessed on strengths and weaknesses
• It is an attempt to assess or judge the worth of students and the
suitability of educational practices, materials and programs
• It can serve as a starting, an end, or a means of continuous review
and renewal of the curriculum
• Curriculum evaluation should include the following:
Judgment of teaching and learning standards
Evaluation of the effects of the curriculum
Assessment of the degree to which curriculum objectives have been
achieved
Testing and assessment of pupils
Formative evaluation of pupils and teachers
Summative evaluation of pupils and teachers
Diagnostic evaluation of pupils and teachers
CURRICULUM MODELS
• Models are essentially patterns serving as guidelines for action.
Brodbeck (1963) defines the term model as often used in the most
general sense as a synonym for theory.
• Models help to conceptualize a process by showing certain principles
and procedures.
• Models are applied to curriculum to look at the relationship between
the parts of the process of curriculum development. These parts
(better known as curriculum elements or components) are:
Objectives
Content
Method
Evaluation
The three common types of curriculum designs include: (table
COMMON CURRICULUM MODELS

Rational/ objectives Cyclical Models Dynamic/Interactive

Models situational Models

Sequential, rigid -Gradual change from -Flexible, interactive

approaches to the one form to the other and modifiable
curriculum process

Advocates Advocates Advocates

1. Ralph Tyler 1. D.K Wheeler 1. Malcolm Skilbeck
2. Hilda Taba 2. James O. Nichols 2. Kerr
1. THE OBJECTIVE MODEL
Advocates of this model are R. Tyler (19490) H. Taba (1962)
Ralph Tyler (1949) – Rational Curriculum Planning
• The concept of rational curriculum planning refers to
systematic curriculum design, which is based on scientific
principles.
• The objective model is the most familiar in the field of
curriculum development. It is sometimes called the:
Linear model
Sequential model
Logical model
Scientific model
Classical model, or
Means-end model
• The objectives model tries to improve education practice by first
obtaining clarity about the end(s) of education.
• Objective model assumes that once it is clear about what we seek to
achieve; we can then plan more effectively the means to achieve
those ends.
• In this way, Tyler (1949) identified four fundamental questions which
must be posed and answered to develop any curriculum.
These are shown in Table below
Questions Model
1. What educational purposes Curriculum aims and Objectives
should the school seek to attain?
2. What educational experiences Selecting learning experiences
can be provided that are likely to (instructional strategies and
attain these objectives? content).
3.How can these educational Organizing learning experiences
experiences be organized
effectively?
4. How can we determine whether Evaluation
these purposes are being attained?
Hilda Taba (1962)
• Taba looks bottom-line approach to curriculum development
• She argued that those who teach curriculum must participate in
it.
• She modified Tyler’s basic model to make it more representative
of school curriculum development.
• While still using the linear approach, Taba argued for more
information input at the stage of development
 • She strongly believed that teachers should design curricula rather
than be handed down by a higher authority.
• She claimed that all curricula should contain some fundamental
elements as follows:
Steps Element
1. Diagnosis of needs
2. Formulation of objectives
3 Selection of content
4 Organization of content
5 Selection of learning experiences
6 Organization of learning experiences
7 Determination of what to evaluate and ways and means of doing it
Advantages of the Rational Objectives Model
The rational objective model offers the following advantages:
• It provides the developer with a clear direction and guidance for the
remainder of the process by making objectives essential first.
• Its logical structure provides a useful base for planning and
developing curricula
• It provides a straight forward, time-efficient approach to meeting the
curriculum development task
• It forces curriculum developers to be serious about their task by
emphasizing the role and values of objectives
Disadvantages of Objectives Rational Model
The model also has disadvantages, as outlined below:
• The models prescribe specified objectives to be achieved, while
learning occurs beyond these objectives.
• Most teachers prefer not to follow a logical sequential approach;
instead, they prefer to work with what they know (content) and work
there.
• There can be an overemphasis on formulating measurable outcomes
(such as behavioural objectives), which causes problems in the model.
• Leading educationists like Brunner have argued that leaving
evaluation until the last stage of the process is not wise. Evaluation
should take place at every step.
• Seem to be static, while, Kerr has argued that the whole curriculum
process should not be static but dynamic and continuously evolving.
• John Dewey also argued that there should be flexibility and freedom
to change the ends – as they interact with the means.
• Although Taba’s model has merit, some educators think that putting
such effort into a grassroots framework weakens it. In agreement
with that observation, Zais (1976) says the model applies the concept
of participatory democracy to a highly technical, complex specialized
process.
THE CYCLICAL MODEL
D.R Wheeler (1971)
• To meet some of the criticisms in Tyler’s and Taba’s linear models,
Wheeler suggested a cyclical model instead of a linear model.
• Wheeler’s notion of cyclical curriculum process emphasizing the
interdependent nature of curriculum elements.
• In his model, Wheeler extended ideas introduced by Tyler and
particular Taba. He suggested five interrelated phases in the
curriculum process.
 2 . Selection of
Selection
3.
learning
of content
experiences

Organization and
4.

. Aims and
1 integration of learning
objectives experiences, content
and methods
5.
Evaluations
• Advantages of the Cyclical Models
The cyclical models have the following advantages.
• It incorporates advantages of the objectives model and also
overcomes many of the objectives model's disadvantages.
• By applying situational analysis as a starting point, the cyclical models
provide baseline data upon which effective objectives may be
devised.
• The various elements in the cyclical model are seen as continuous
motion, able to cope with new situations and react to changing
circumstances.
• The model is flexible in that as the situation changes are made,
corresponding changes are made to subsequent elements of the
model.
• Because the cyclical model is less rigid, it is more relevant to
school curriculum situations and hence more appropriate to
curriculum development

The disadvantages of the Cyclical Models

• Developers could ignore the model because of its local approach.
• Curriculum developers may be unhappy about the time required to
undertake an effective situational analysis
KERR MODEL
• Kerr proposed an interactive curriculum model based on Wheeler, but
with slight modifications.
• While Wheeler model has five elements, Kerr’s model has only four
which are:
1. Specific objectives,
2. knowledge (content),
3. learning experiences and
4. Evaluation.
• Each element interacts with each other in the model
• Kerr’s model also specifies (like Tyler’s) the source of specific
objectives as (pupils, society and disciplines)
 OBJECTIVES

KNOWLEDGE
EVALUATION
(content)

LEARNING
EXPERIENCE
• Kerr’s Model is more realistic than that of Wheeler because
it has two-way interaction, interactive
• According to Kerr, curriculum is all the learning which is
planned and guided by the school whether it is carried out in
groups or individually or inside or outside the school.
Advantages of Kerrs model
• Evaluation is done in all element
• The process can start anywhere and is multidirectional
• It allows to change the order of planning
• It offers flexibilit
Malcolm Skilbeck’s Situational Model
(1976)
• Skilbek’s model suggests that the curriculum may commence with any
element rather than the fixed sequence, as in the objective model.
• Suggested five steps which are
Situation analysis
Goal formation
Program building
Interpretation and implementation
Monitoring, assessment, feedback, reconstruction
Advantages of the Situational / Interactive Models
Interactive models are by far more realistic ways of
handling curriculum development.
 By avoiding writing objectives, developers are
free to be more creative.
 The model offers developers considerable
flexibility when approaching developmental tasks.
 The models reflect the reality of curriculum
development though it is complex and confusing.
• Disadvantages of the Interactive Models
These models have the following disadvantages.
• They can appear confusing and complex
• They offer little direction and developers can become lost
• Developers can spend a lot of time wandering around the curriculum
maze
Contributions of curriculum development Models
towards Education settings.
• Encourage new researchers to make more research
• It specifies the relationship between various component of
curriculum development and Education institutions concern like TIE,
NECTA.
• It shows the dynamistic of Education Programs due to various
weaknesses shown by different researchers.
• It gives the framework of Curriculum Educational systems (i.e. it helps
not to go beyond the boundary) eg. teach out of syllabus.
• It identifies the weakness of Education Program and how to overcome
them
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
• The curriculum development process encompasses the
design and development of plans, their implementation, and
in the broadest sense, the evaluation of the plans, their
implementation and outcome. It is a process that posses
critical questions about:
• intent (why?),
• content (what?),
• practice (when? Where? How?),
• participants (who) and
• outcomes (how well?).
• The curriculum development is a comprehensive, ongoing,
purposeful, process that involves series of stages.
PURPOSE OF THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
• The fundamental purpose of the curriculum development
process is to translate broad statements of intent into
specific plans and actions.
• This process ensures that students receive integrated
learning experiences that contribute to their personal,
academic and professional learning and development.
MAJOR PHASES AND OUTCOMES
• Generally five phases of curriculum development which include:
PHASE I: Planning and Organization
In this phase,
• Issues are identified,
• The objectives of the program/education are identified
• Consultations are made with stakeholders.
• Educational aims, goals and objectives are then established.
• Curriculum Development Team is formed
• Needs Assessment & Analysis is conducted
• Determining teachers qualifications
PHASE II: Content and Methods
In this phase ,
• the curriculum is designed where educational content and learning
materials are identified.
• Logistics and delivery mode is also sought and operationalized.
• Clear Intended Outcomes goals & objectives
• Design Experiential Methods
• PHASE III: Implementation

• It is a trial phase where the content, learning materials and teaching

strategies are tested.