By Khan
Key words; curriculum, What is curriculum, old concept of
curriculum , modern concept of curriculum, Curriculum development
process, Need and importance of curriculum development,
The purpose of curriculum construction, Meaning
and concept of curriculum development, definition of curriculum
Need and importance of
curriculum development
Curriculum development
explains all the methods through which teaching or training is planned and
guides the learning process in learning institutions. This learning process
could take place in groups or with individual learners. This learning process could
take place inside classroom or outside the classroom. It could also take place
in an institutional setting like school, college, training center, or in a social
gathering in villages.
Curriculum
development process
Curriculum development is a
process which involve activities;
- conceptualizing the curriculum
- selection and organization of the content, material and learning
experiences
- suggesting the method of teaching and
ways of imparting these experiences
- Evaluating the learning outcomes in
terms of objectives attainment of desired subject.
In simple words
A curriculum refers to a
defined and prescribed course of studies, which students must fulfill in order
to pass a certain level of education.
CURRICULUM:
Encarta
Dictionary defines “Curriculum” as:
“The subjects taught at an educational institution
or the elements taught in a particular subject”.
The
Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary defines the word “Curriculum” as:
“The Subjects included in a course of study or
taught at a particular school or college”.
Some influential definitions
combining various elements to describe curriculum are as follows
- According
to John Kerr a curriculum is a planned and guided by the school, whether
it is carried on in groups, individually inside or outside the school.
- The
curriculum is a total learning experience provided by the school. It
includes the content of courses (the syllabus), the method employed
(strategies) and other aspects like norms and values, which relate to the
way school are organized.
- Thus
a curriculum is neither a development nor a sequence of experiences. It is
a plan for facilitating learning for students.
- This
plan starts with where the child is. It enumerates all the aspects and
dimensions of learning that are considered necessary. It gives a reason
why such learning is considered necessary and what educational aims it
would serve.
In a nutshell,
- The curriculum is a means followed by
the teachers and students for achieving the set of goals, aims and
objectives of education being provided in the school.
- The purpose of curriculum is to provide
all experiences. These experiences may be curricular or co-curricular,
imparted by the school or college for the realization and achievement aims
and objectives of school education system.
Old
Concept of Curriculum:
According
to old concept of curriculum, in the past the teacher used to impart some
factual knowledge to his pupils and the pupil had to memorize it and produce it
on the demand of the teacher.
In
short, we can say that, in the old concept of curriculum was nothing but a
second name of text book. This was a static view of curriculum because it emphasized
only on the text book knowledge or factual information.
Modern
concept of curriculum:
The
modern concept of curriculum was developed with the beginning of Twentieth
Century. This concept of curriculum is
different from the old one. According to
the modern concept, “curriculum” is not the name of text book knowledge of
factual information. It is not a
static-view but a dynamic one.
Now-a-days,
“Curriculum is used for the whole environment in which a child is given
education. It is a series of all those
activities which a school performs to organize students for physical, social,
moral and spiritual development. These
activities are necessary for the development of a balance personality of the
child.
Need and importance of
curriculum development
- Curriculum development is a purposeful
activity for the development of a nation
- Curriculum is design or redesign for the
realization of certain specific educational objectives according to needs
of a society or a nation.
- The curriculum is the foundation of
imparting learning experiences to the student’s in school or college.
- The curriculum should be reviewed and
revised on a regular basis on the needs and requirements of a society and
the learner so that it serves the changing needs of both students and
society.
Following
points highlight the needs and importance of curriculum development.
- The purpose of curriculum construction
provides written curricular aims and goals which are the intended student over
all development outcomes. These aims, goals and objectives are specified
in detail.
- Continuous assessment and improvement of
quality of curriculum;
A valid and reliable assessment of curriculum is very necessary. The
curriculum followed by an institution or nation should be reviewed
regularly in order to maintain its effectiveness for the changing needs of
the students and society as a whole.
- A rational sequence;
curriculum educational activities are carefully planned
in specific ordered.
- Making strategy in teaching and learning;
Curriculum development helps in suggesting suitable
teaching-learning strategies for institutions, teaching methods for
teachers and instructional materials etc. It
helps in the proper implementation of the curriculum and methods of
teaching for of teachers and learning suitable opportunities for learners.
- It helps in the
selection of learning experiences for learner. The main purpose of Curriculum
development is for the selection of appropriate learning content and organization
of learning experiences for learner. It helps in the selection of study
material and educational activities for the learners so they acquire their
aims, goals and objectives of teaching.
- The process of curriculum development is
needed for conceptualizing a curriculum in terms of the determination of
educational objectives for teaching-learning at a particular grade of
school education.
- Curriculum development helps in the continuous
and comprehensive education system. Continuous changes in curriculum and
education system for the betterment of society and learner.
Curriculum
development considers the need of providing a scheme of education that helps in
teaching-learning process and outcomes. With proper feedback from society and
learner it can bring necessary improvement in the teaching-learning process and
environment in the institutions
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