Five Theoretical Perspectives on Curriculum

Five Theoretical Perspectives on Curriculum

1. based on sets of assumptions that we've made based on our education, experience, and other factors

2. five curriculum perspectives

   • The Traditional Perspective
     • bent on preserving cultural heritage
       • position that educational curricula’s’ primary goal is to transmit the accumulated knowledge of society
       • Hirsch, humanities professor at the University of Virginia
         • the main purpose of education is to acculturate children
   • The Experiential Perspective
     • curricula should take a holistic approach to students by considering all their experiences
     • American philosopher and psychologist John Dewey
     • In 1918, the National Education Association
       • principles of education stating that schooling should aim to promote health, prepare students for vocations, promote citizenship
   • The Behavioral Perspective
     • they should be on the behaviors students acquire while in school
     • Edward Thorndike and
       • behavioral objectives paved the way for this perspective
     • Franklin Bobbitt
       • life-activity analysis
   • The Constructivist Perspective
     • that curriculum should be based on the tenet that educators should develop curriculum to provide opportunities for students to make sense of the newly acquired knowledge in their personal ways
     • Jean Piaget
       • students assimilate information, as opposed to acquire it
         • is a prime way to create curricula for students to absorb knowledge
   • Disciplines perspective
     • If a student can understand the structure of a discipline, then the student can acquire the knowledge base of that discipline independently
     • Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach
       • Wherein students are taught how to approach their language learning as they acquire the English language instead of simply learning discrete language skills.