CURRICULUM - A CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS

CURRICULUM

A curriculum is a plan of learning consisting of two major dimensions, vision and structure. Vision in a curriculum is the product of a set of assumptions about people and the world at large and takes the form of some conceptualization of reality. Any curriculum always contains a set of value laden assumptions about the purpose of education in our society. The term curriculum comes from the Latin word Currere which means 'to run'. Thus the traditional definition of curriculum is a course of study or training leading to a product or education.

The curriculum is now generally considered to be all of the experiences that learners have under the auspices of the school. (Doll in 1970).

It is perhaps best thought of as sum total of all deliberately planned set of activities which facilitate learning and which are designed to implement specific educational aims. It is a plan to explain what concepts are to be transacted and what knowledge, skills and attitudes are to be deliberately fostered. It includes statements of criteria for selection of content, and choice of methods for transaction of content as well as evaluation. It is concerned with

 the general objectives of education at a particular stage or class;

 subject-wise learning objectives and content;

 course of studies and time allocation;

 teaching-learning experiences;

 teaching-learning aids and materials; and

 evaluation of learning and feedback to learners.

Thus, curriculum is a plan to develop capabilities that are likely to help achieve the chosen aims. The curriculum should provide experiences that build the knowledge and provide capabilities of thinking rationally, to understand the world through various disciplines, fosters aesthetic appreciation and sensitivity towards others to work and to participate in economic process. It provides the vision of capabilities and values that every individual must have. It also gives a socio-political and cultural vision for society. In other words, curriculum is a complete plan for implementation of educational aims. Curriculum should respond to the new developments and the concern of the country.

SYLLABUS

It is a document that gives details of the content of subjects to be transacted and the skills, knowledge and the attitude which are to be deliberately fostered together with the stage-specific objectives. Syllabus covers the teaching learning items, materials, equipments and the evaluation tools. A finished syllabus is an overall plan of the learning process. It must specify what components, or learning items, must be available, or learned by a certain time; what is the most efficient sequence in which they are learned; what items can be learned simultaneously; what items are available from the stock, and the whole process is determined by consideration of how long it takes to produce or learn a component or item. The process is under continual scrutiny by means of stock checks, or tests and examinations. A syllabus is required to produce efficiency of two kinds-pragmatic and pedagogical. The former is concerned with the economy of time and money. It needs the setting of instructions to be planned, and that not all learners are to be given the same treatment.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CURRICULUM AND SYLLABUS

Some confusion exists over the distinction between syllabus and curriculum, since the terms are used differently on either side of the Atlantic. Curriculum is a very general concept, which involves consideration of the whole complex of philosophical, social and administrative factors, which contribute to the planning of an educational programme. Syllabus, on the other hand, refers the subpart of curriculum, which is concerned with a specification of what units will be taught.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

It is a basic cycle involving the process of  Analysis, Design, Implementation and Evaluation.

Analysis - What educational purposes shall the school seek to attain?

Design - What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?

Implementation - How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?

Evaluation - How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?

Through analysis, design, implementation and evaluation, curriculum developers set goals, plan experiences, select content and assess outcomes of school programs. These constant processes have contributed to the emergence of structure in curriculum planning.

PRINCIPLES OF CURRICULUM ORGANISATION

Curriculum organization is a scientific process involving basic principles on which the credibility of the curriculum rests. Some of the principles of curriculum organization are:

Principle of need - A well designed curriculum should provide suitable opportunities for fulfilling the varied needs of a learner. This implies that the pupil's physical, emotional and social needs must be met.

Principle of utility - Curriculum should help the children in living a wholesome and self fulfilling life. It should provide the child with sufficient opportunities for both academic and social growth so that the child can use his knowledge in his day to day life.

Principle of variety - The Curriculum should be flexible enough to cater to students of different ability, aptitude and intelligence. The curriculum should be broad based, capable of satisfying the varying interests and needs of students.

Principle of readiness - The Curriculum should be based on sound principles of learning. The learning environment should be geared to the student's needs and maturity should be provided. Matching the Curriculum to the stage of the students mental development is vital.

Principle of social relevance - The Curriculum should be relevant to the personal needs of the student as well as to the needs of the society. The future of the student in a technological age has to be given due consideration in the organization of the curriculum.

Principle of conservation - The Curriculum should help in preserving and spreading the traditions and culture of our nation.

Principle of balancing - There should be realistic balance between: objectives and content, objectives and abilities, objectives and learning experience.

Principle of integration - The Curriculum should integrate the child's needs and activities on one hand and the needs of society on the other. A good and well planned curriculum provides all those experiences to the child which help in his all round development, as a student, as an individual and as a productive citizen of the country.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT CURRICULUM ORGANIZATION

While organizing the curriculum, it is essential to keep the following factors in mind:

·         The pupils

·         The environment - including material resources, infrastructure, textbooks, etc.

·         Examination and evaluation

·         Guidance and counselling

·         Administration

·         The teacher

CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENCE CURRICULUM PROJECTS

1. The science curricular projects stressed the processes of science. Giving students a good understanding of the subject was one of the primary aims.

2. Practical work was seen as vital.

3. Recent subject matter of social relevance is also included.

4. Each course was developed after thorough content analysis of topics. This helped clarify the logical structure of the topic.

5. Besides textual material, the curriculum also contained teacher guides, films, supplementary experiments, laboratory manuals and test materials.

6. In service training of science teachers.

8. Continuous evaluation helped to identify any discrepancies thus enabling improvement of these programmes.