Approaches and models in curriculum

Approaches and models in curriculum

1. Curriculum Approaches

   • Several curriculum approaches reflect the developers’ view of reality, philosophy, history, psychology, social issues and the domain of knowledge
     • Reconstructionism
       • Considers the school as an agent of change, an institution of social reform
         • Emphasizes cultural pluralism and internationalism
     • Reconceptualist Approach
       • Reflects on the existentialist orientation
         • Purpose of education is to anticipate society from traditional, outmoded orders through individual free choice
     • Intellectual- Academic Approach
       • Emphasis on the importance of theories and principles in curriculum planning.
         • the cognitive demand of the approach, it overwhelms many beginner students who usually lack sufficient philosophical
     • System- Managerial Approach
       • Considers the interconnected elements of inputs, throughputs (process) and output that comprise the educational system
         • Emphasizes the managerial/leadership and supervisory aspects of curriculum
     • Behavioral-Rational Approach
       • oldest and still the most preferred approach
         • it is a means- end approach which is logical and prescriptive
     • Technical-Scientific approaches
       • Reflect the traditional view on education and formal methods of schooling.
         • View curriculum development as something similar to engineering and architecture which used instruments and empirical methods

2. Models

   • Curriculum model refers to an educational system that combines theory with practice.
     • Provides rules for deliberate interaction and activities, criteria for intervention, and guidelines for evaluation
     • The Tyler model
       • Sometimes referred to as a linear model, since the steps of formulation run in linear form and one cannot come before the other
         • This model has identified four central questions to curriculum
     • The wheeler model
       • Commonly known as cyclic
         • Similar to Tyler’s in that the initial set of aims, goals and objectives are taken for granted as given.
     • Kerr's model
       • Kerr divided the domains into four areas: objectives knowledge evaluation school learning experiences
     • the taba model
       • argues that curriculum should be designed by the teachers rather than handed down by higher authority
         • the teachers should start the process by creating trial teaching-learning units in their schools rather than engaging in creating a general curriculum design.
     • Product/Objectives model
       • The intended outcome (product) of a learning experience is prescribed beforehand.
         • It is believed that behavioural objectives provide the foundations on which the product models of the curriculum are built
     • Process model
       • The model depicts process approaches to the curriculum as being open-ended
         • Examples are ways of thinking, acting and feeling which the learner is able to use for his/her own purpose
     • Situational model
       • is based on the assumption that the focus for curriculum development must be the individual school and its teachers.
         • School based curriculum development is the most effective way of promoting genuine change at school level