Curriculum Models in Education and Everything You Need To Know
INTRODUCTION
The curriculum is the “strategic plan” of educational activities. Whether in a centralized educational system or not, curriculum development constitutes a major priority, since it dictates the daily actions of every educational organization. The curriculum describes an educational process and in this respect, the notion is applicable to extra-curricular activities, as well. General concepts, theories and designing principles are available for developing a curriculum, being also a course of formal teachers’ training.
The adequacy of educators in designing curricula is even more important in decentralized educational systems, where the responsibility of educational activities resides heavily in the individual educator, while this responsibility is the normal situation for tertiary education.
SPECIFIC CURRICULUM MODELS FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION
The introduction of crafts in the school timetable was meant to teach the pupils’ skills acquisition to prepare them for the world of tomorrow. However, the gradual decline of handwork/craft started with monetizing these crafts by way of accepting money in place of baskets, brooms, handkerchiefs and other artistic works, and money finally took over craft.
Apart from the re-introduction of crafts as part of the innovative process, the education of these children at this level of their formative stage can be tailored to entrepreneurial studies. Entrepreneurship education at this point can take the form of teaching the pupils, how to make soap, detergents, confectionaries, pomade etc. This may not require on account of their age-complicated skills but the fundamentals bearing in mind their maturational level. Entrepreneurship education is a clear manifestation of effective manipulation of human intelligence as demonstrated in creative performance, bringing out the best in individuals. Specifically, the following curriculum model support primary education; base on their objectives application.
Tyler’s Model
Tyler’s model for curriculum designing is based on the following questions:
- What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?
- Module 13, Unit 4: Models of Curriculum Design 32
- What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?
- How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?
- How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?
The model is linear in nature, starting from objectives and ending with evaluation. In this model, evaluation is terminal. It is important to note that:
- Objectives form the basis for the selection and organization of learning experiences.
- Objectives form the basis for assessing the curriculum.
- Objectives are derived from the learner, contemporary life and subject specialist.
To Tyler, evaluation is a process by which one matches the initial expectation with the outcomes.
Wheeler’s Model
Wheeler’s model for curriculum design is an improvement upon Tyler’s model. Instead of a linear model, Wheeler developed a cyclical model. Evaluation in Wheeler’s model is not terminal.
Findings from the evaluation are fed back into the objectives and the goals, which influence other stages.
Curriculum Models in Education and Everything You Need To Know
Wheeler contends that:
Aims should be discussed as behaviours referring to the end product of learning which yields the ultimate goals. One can think of these ultimate goals as outcomes.
Aims are formulated from the general to the specific in curriculum planning. This results in the formulation of objectives at both an enabling and a terminal level.
Content is distinguished from the learning experiences which determine that content.
Kerr’s Model
Most of the features in Kerr’s model resemble those in Wheeler’s and Tyler’s models. However, Kerr divided the domains into four areas (Urevbu, 1985: 23):
- Objectives,
- Knowledge,
- Evaluation, and
- School learning experiences
What should note about the model is that:
The four domains are interrelated directly or indirectly, and objectives are derived from school learning experiences and knowledge.
In Kerr’s model, objectives are divided into three groups:
- Affective
- Cognitive
- Psychomotor
The model further indicates that knowledge should be:
- Organized,
- Integrated,
- Sequenced, and
- Reinforced
Evaluation in Kerr’s model is the collection of information for use in making decisions about the curriculum.
School learning experiences are influenced by societal opportunities, the school community, pupil and teacher relationships, individual differences, teaching methods, content and the maturity of the learners. These experiences are evaluated through tests, interviews, assessments and other reasonable methods.
In his model, Kerr asserts that everything influences everything else and that it is possible to start analysis at any point (Urevbu, 1985: 22).
Curriculum Models in Education and Everything You Need To Know
Model
Hilda Taba advocated that those who use curriculum should be the curriculum designers as well. She believed that teachers should create specific teaching-learning situations for their students. They should adopt an inductive approach to teaching i.e. from – specific to general rather than the traditional deductive approach, starting from general and building to the specifics. Tabs’s grassroots model has seven steps as listed below, advocating a major role for teachers.
These are – Diagnosis of needs – Identify needs of the students for whom curriculum is to be planned. Formulation of Objectives – Specify the objectives by which needs will be fulfilled. Selection of Content – Select subject matter based on objectives and determines validity of the chosen content. Organization of content – Arrange the content in a particular sequence keeping in mind the maturity of learners, academic achievement, interests etc.
Curriculum and its Various Aspects Selection of learning experiences – Facilitate interaction of learners with content through appropriate instructional methodology.
Organization of learning activities – The learning activities be organized in a sequence depending both on content sequence and learner characteristics.
Evaluation – To assess the achievement of learning objectives, evaluation procedures need to be devised.
Taba’s grass-root model emphasizes that a broad base of involvement is necessary for curriculum decision-making. However, in spite of its having several merits its weaknesses are as follows:
The model has employed the concept of participatory democracy to a highly technical, complex and specialized process, and this will not guarantee effective curricula.
It takes for granted that teachers have the time and expertise to engage in such extensive curricular activities. (Hunkins and Omstein, 1988.)
Goodlad Model
In this model the basis of formulating educational aims is the analysis of values of the existing culture. These aims are translated into educational objectives, which are stated in behavioural terms. Learning opportunities are provided based on the learning objectives, for example providing courses or readings.
According to Goodlad, educational planners deduce specific educational objectives from these learning opportunities and general objectives. From these objectives, the curriculum planners design and or select organizing centers, which provide learning opportunities for a group of students or a student.
The model is characterized as a technical-scientific one because its various parts are inter-connected. Feedback and adjustment of the entire model result from analyzing the student’s performances and relating them to the values of the general society. This model permits those working with the model to adjust their decision-making about curricular actions. For instance, at the content selection stage if the curricular finds that no content exists for a particular student, they can go back to the beginning and rethink the curriculum or go to the curriculum diagnosis stage to recreate the learning objectives.
This model has seven major stages: curriculum conceptua1ization and legitimization, diagnosis content, selection experience, selection, implementation, evaluation, maintenance.
Curriculum Models in Education and Everything You Need To Know
Open Classroom Model
The Open Classroom Model is based on the Activity Curriculum. The proponents of activity curriculum do not believe in planning any activity for the children. In their view planning in advance could stifle the child’s development. This movement was encouraged by William Kilpatrick at the time when learning was teacher-dominated and learners were passive recipients of knowledge. According to the activity model, children learned by doing and were free to move around in the classroom. Another popular supporter of the model is Herbert Kohl ( 1969). He believes that open classroom is a place where learners can, “…make choices and pursue what interests them.”
The teacher also finds that “the things that work best for him are the unplanned ones, the ones that arise spontaneously because of a student’s suggestion or sudden perception.”
Open classroom model emphasizes freedom of the child from teacher control and from a rigid curriculum. The child should choose goals as per needs, interests and aptitudes and thus choose his own curriculum. The model places great faith in the child’s ability and advocates learner autonomy.
Weinstein and Fantini Model
This model is based on the belief that teachers generate new content and techniques by keeping the learner central to the whole process. They can assess the relevance of the existing curriculum, content and instructional methods employed. Based on the assessment the curriculum is modified to meet the learner’s needs.
The first step in the process of curriculum development is to identify the learner group. Since learners are taught in groups, their interests and characteristics form the basis of teaching. This is followed by the identification of student concerns, and because of this 82 the model is called non-scientific or non-technical. Concerns of the learner determine the organization of content. More than demands of the subject matter they organize ideas Models of Curriculum, Designing and Development and content based on learner needs.
The sources of content could be – Learners’ feelings, students’ identity, experiences of a growing person, and students’ knowledge of the social content. The type of content will determine the skills to be developed by the students. The last stage is the identification of teaching procedures. The model aims to develop feelings of self-worth in the learners after interaction with content and teachers. It emphasizes the enhancement of the self-image of the learner and instills in them confidence and belief in themselves Ornstein and Hunkins, 19881.
Curriculum Models in Education and Everything You Need To Know
Roger’s Model of Interpersonal Relations
Carl Rogers (1 979) has developed a model for changing human behaviour that can be used for curriculum development. In this model, the emphasis is on human experiences rather than content or learning activities. He believes that by interacting in a group, learners can solve their problems. They express themselves honestly and explore each other’s feelings. Rogers contends that the group experience “permits individuals.. . to know themselves and each other more fully than is possible in the usual social or working relationships, the climate of openness, risk taking and honesty generates trust”, which permits each participant to “test out and adopt more innovative and constructive behaviours.” In short, the model promotes curriculum change by changing the participants involved in curriculum development” Omstein and Hunkins, 1981.
Summary
The curriculum design models discussed show that curriculum designing is conducted stage by stage. Some of the models discussed consider the process to be more important than the objectives. Other models take objectives to be the most important feature of curriculum design. Generally, all models stress the importance of considering a variety of factors that influence curriculum.
CONCLUSION
Curriculum models have five areas they define: Focus- subject or student. Where is the emphasis? Approach – traditional or modern. What type of instruction will be used? Content – topic-based or content-based. How will units or strands be written? Process – formative or summative. How will assessments be used? Structure – system, linear or cyclical. How often does the curriculum get reviewed?
Most curriculum models have already been developed. Most times, when curriculum writing teams come together, they take a look at existing models and weigh them against their needs before choosing the best. For example, a newly opened innovative school would look for a model that’s approach is modern.
Although there are several models for curriculum, the two most recognizable are the product model and the process model. It is vitally important to understand that any decision regarding one area of the curriculum process is almost bound to affect other areas. Merely considering aims, content, teaching and learning and assessment in isolation will lead to major difficulties; ignoring course aims will create problems of equal magnitude. Models can be useful when developing curricula and some of these have been outlined in this article.
REFERENCES
Isner, E. W. (1979). The educational imagination: On the design and evaluation of school programs. New York: Macmillan.
Ferrero, D. J. (2006). Having it all. Educational Leadership, 63(8), 8–14.
Glatthorn, A. A. (1987). Curriculum leadership. New York: HarperCollins.
Guba, E., & Lincoln, Y. (1981). Effective evaluation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lewy, A (1977), Handbook of Curriculum Evaluation. N. Y. Harpernad Row
Rogers, C. R., 1969, Freedom to Learn, Merrill. : Tyler, R. W., 1950, Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction, Chicago University Press.
Kerr, J. F., 1968. Changing the Curriculum, University of London Press.
Eisner, E. W., 1967, “Educational Objectives, Help or Hindrance?”, School Review. 75, 250-260.
Bloom, B. S., el of. 19 56, Tax a /Willy of Educational Objectives, Vols. I and 2, David McKay Co. Inc.
Curriculum Models in Education and Everything You Need To Know