Designing the School Curriculum

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What do we mean by curriculum? That is, what exactly is the curriculum for an elementary or secondary school? School varies in a number of ways i.e. in their teaching strategies, student body, curriculum etc. Curriculum taught in a school is an important thing that decides whether a particular school is a successful school. Curriculum is a tool to develop the skills and knowledge of a student. What is taught in a school has its own huge importance in giving a meaning and purpose to child’s life. Curriculum builds up the foundation of a child’s career in future. Designing a meaningful curriculum is a most important element of teaching. Curriculum is all learning, planned or unplanned, that takes place in a school. Learning should always be meaningful. It is the responsibility of the teachers to select the curriculum on both the short-term and long-term goals. To accomplish such task, the teacher must consult a variety of sources, including national curriculum framework, district curriculum guides, school guidelines, and relevant textbooks and websites. It is important to develop a blueprint of instruction and content.

Curriculum Mapping

There is a big gap between what has been mentioned in the national curriculum framework and what is actually taught in a school. Generally, schools differ a lot on the basis of curriculum adopted by them. There is a big variation between the state suggested curriculum and the one which is actually implemented in schools. There is a challenge to bridge this gap. National Curriculum Framework 2005 has been designed in India (NCERT) to give a common framework of curriculum to be applied throughout the country. It has defined some of the minimum standards to be achieved through a universal curriculum. National curriculum framework must be based on the desired goals and schools should embrace the curriculum that intends to accomplish those goals. Curriculum mapping is required to bridge this gap. It is a technique for gathering data on what is actually being taught through the course of a school year (Jacobs, 1997). In this, the teachers enter the information about their classroom curricula for a year into a computer database. Through the maps, other schools can come to know what is missing in the curriculum adopted by them.  By carefully analyzing the gaps, schools can detect and fix curriculum gaps, address repetitions in the curriculum, and refine scope and sequence connections. The schools can also identify potential areas for curriculum integration, better align their assessment with state and district standards, and even consider ways to update teaching strategies and materials. Curriculum mapping is something important that has not been yet experienced in India. It helps in defining curriculum according to the present needs. It collects feedbacks from different schools on how the curriculum is and how it should be and thus, helps both the state curriculum makers as well as schools in planning and implementing an effective curriculum. Curriculum mapping helps in setting up the goals or desired results intended to be achieved through the curriculum.

Curriculum Reform

It is very important to continuously assess the curriculum taught in our schools and to judge whether it is successful in developing the skills of students and fulfilling the needs and demands of society and nation. In India, there is lethargy to do research in the area of curriculum reform and curriculum mapping. India requires assessing the curriculum being taught in our schools, how it is fulfilling the present needs of society and global demands as well. The need is to investigate how the curriculum has been adapted in schools as per the needs and interests of children and society. It is important to know what our children are learning and how it is going to benefit other consumers or stakeholders. Curriculum and teaching strategies are two important elements of learning that need to be researched. The decision should be made regarding whether the curriculum planning will focus on subject-centered approach or student centered approach. The need is to develop a relevant or rigorous content for students at all levels within the K-12 system. New views of learning and teaching require changes in other components of schooling, namely, curriculum and assessment. Curriculum should be such that ask students not only to master factual information but also learn to apply that information to solve novel problems. Curriculum should be such that stimulate the high order of thinking skill. The better way of planning an effective curriculum is to integrate both the subject-centered approach and the student-centered approach i.e. proving basic subject knowledge as well as organizing activities to imply that knowledge to produce something new.

Research Based Approach (Brain studies)

Curriculum designing should be done by keeping on mind the research based evidences. Brain studies would help a lot in designing an effective curriculum. Recent studies of the brain and how it learns have given educators new insights about teaching and learning.  Brain studies help a lot is planning curriculum and designing instruction and assessment strategies. A curriculum planner must be aware of how brain works and how it can work effectively. New research has shown that the idea of learners being predominantly left or right brained is misleading. In reality, brain is much more complex than that. We do not operate in one function for science and mathematics and another for the fine arts. Brain research indicates that the brain needs 6 to 12 glasses of water per day. Without enough water, we do not learn as well. Hannaford (1995) identifies dehydration as a common classroom problem that can lead to impaired learning. Findings indicate that physical activity is also essential in promoting the growth of mental functions. Jensen (2005) suggests that learning is enhanced by daily stretching, walking, and dancing, as well as other physical movement. Researchers agree that an optimal learning environment requires comfortable temperatures and protection from distracting sounds. Noise and physical discomfort hamper learning by sending distress messages to the brain, which limits brain’s normal functions. The brain learns faster in challenging, creative, accommodating, relaxed, and healthy environments. Suggested teaching strategies that enhance brain-based learning include the use of manipulatives, active learning, field trips, guest speakers, and real life projects that allow students to use many learning styles and intelligences.

The following are the two contrast approaches to curriculum:

Subject-Centered Curriculum

The curriculum that focuses on content is a subject-oriented curriculum. It regards learning primarily as cognitive development and the acquisition of knowledge and information. With this approach, all the subjects for instruction are separated. The content areas are taught in isolation and there is no integration of different subjects. This curriculum expects teachers to plan curriculum before teaching begins and to develop plan around the content to be taught to all students. It includes only the study-specific facts and ideas that builds up the basic information about any particular subject. This is the most common type of curriculum used in our schools. The most widely used subject-centered curriculum is the separate-subjects curriculum. The separate-subjects curriculum content is divided into fairly discrete areas of study-reading, language arts, math, history, science, literature, social studies and so forth. These are the few subjects available in most of the school programmes and students are given little choice to select courses.

Some feel that the subject-centered curriculum puts special emphasis on the memorization of facts and ideas and tends to focus on past. For example, social studies generally put emphasis on the study of the past and the related facts. It does not adequately foster critical or creative thinking or develop an understanding of societal issues. On the other hand, supporters of subject-centered curriculum argue that all subjects cannot be taught together as each of them hold differently related contents and concepts. It believes that not all subjects can be studied together. There is simply too much information and it must be ordered and well segmented.

Spiral curriculum is a solution as it is notable in a way that it helps in generalizing the facts and ideas. It is more likely a separate subject curriculum but it puts emphasis on generalizing the concept i.e. what is learned from one subject can be generalized on other subject.

Student-Centered Curriculum

Student-centered curriculum can be defined as an activity curriculum. It focuses on students’ needs, interests, and activities. In its purest form, student-centered curriculum operates with students as the centre of the learning process. Activities are planned jointly by the teacher and the students. The teacher is seen as a stimulator and facilitator of student activity. In India, student-centered curriculum is applied only for the elementary school level and has never secured a firm foothold at the secondary level. One of the examples of this type of curriculum is the core curriculum. In it, two or more subjects are categorized into a broad fields of study i.e. two or more subjects are combined together to form a core curricula. For example, mathematics and science, social studies and language arts, etc. Activity-centered curriculum is another example of student-centered curriculum. Activity-centered curriculum is designed around the needs and interests of students. Learning by doing and problem solving is emphasized. Here, the lessons are not often planned because teachers cannot anticipate what the students’ interest would be and where their inquiry will take them.

Subject-centered curriculum and the student-centered curriculum patterns are opposite to each other.

Curriculum Integration

Curriculum integration is very important to facilitate overall learning of a student where a child can know the facts and ideas and master the skill by doing it practically. Curriculum integration is one of the immediate demands of curriculum reform to be introduced in our schools. Curriculum integration is a form of teaching and learning that draws upon the knowledge and skills of a variety of discipline areas as they become more necessary in problem solving (Beane, 1995). It helps in studying one subject in the context of other that helps in relating the information gained from one perspective to another one. Curriculum integration facilitates both the cognitive understanding as well as practical skills. This kind of strategy helps in solving real-world problems than does the single subject teaching. Integrated curriculum is a need of today. It provides holistic, problem solving skills that helps in making connections to a real world and to solve the problems associated in it.  Example of curriculum integration can be teaching science in the context of math or teaching language arts in the context of social studies.

For example, ask students to find out the total number of days earth will take to complete one round of the sun when we subtract the total number of planets in the universe from the total number of days in a year. The expected answer would be 357 (365-8). Now, explain them that when we will subtract 8 from 365, the earth will take only 357 days to complete one round of the sun. Here, the students will gain different information: 1. Total number of planets in the universe (8 planets), 2. Total number of days in a year (365 days), 3. Earth completes one round of sun in 365 days and that forms one year, 4. Subtraction method. Students come to know that if we will reduce 8 days from 365 days then the logic says that earth will be able to complete one round of sun only in 357 days. This kind of problem solving will be interesting as well as challenging for the students. However, to solve this problem they require basic information about the subject. Once they gain it, they can relate it anywhere. In this way, teacher can integrate science and math or any other subjects. The students will learn one subject in the context of other subjects. 

Curriculum Selection

Curriculum selection is a most important step to be taken by the schools. Before the selection of curriculum, it is important to analyze the needs of students as well as society. Therefore, it is important to collect the inputs both from students and society. Another important criteria for curriculum selection is to keep in mind the minimum standards to be achieved through a subject. Curriculum should include the content that is required to build up the minimum learning outcomes. It means that the structure of a subject should be dictated in terms of competencies to be demonstrated by the learners. Thus, students’ needs, society’s interests and structure of the subject should be thoroughly kept for consideration before the selection of curriculum. Curriculum is not static and it is like a continuum that needs to be changed or reformed or supplemented according to the changing demands of the society. State standards should be kept into consideration for curriculum selection. National Curriculum Framework 2005 provides a clear framework for incorporating the general standards and contents in the curriculum to be adopted by the schools in India.   

Designing Curriculum

Every school must provide their teachers ‘guidelines’ for planning curriculum and implementing it. Integrated curriculum is best for developing high order of thinking skill among students that will lead to problem solving approach, which is the demand of 21^st century. Today, there is only one curriculum adopted by many of the schools i.e. test preparation. Very few schools are engaged with instructions designed to teach students to think instead of merely drilling for the test. To teach and test the skills, we must first redefine our curriculum that would include both the learning experiences and teaching strategies. Curriculum planning involves- 1. What is the desired result or goal? 2. What content to be taught? 3. What skills to be developed? 4. What activities should be planned? 5. What would be the mode and method of teaching? 6. How the assessment would be planned? 7. How the evaluation would be done?

Teachers are the curriculum designers. Before designing a curriculum, national/state/district/school standards and students’ needs, interests, skills, abilities, talents, culture, learning styles and multiple intelligences should be considered by the teacher. Before designing a curriculum, a teacher must ensure four basic elements i.e. Knowledge, Understanding, Attitudes and Skills. Teacher should see what knowledge (specific facts, concepts, theory, vocabulary, etc) curriculum will provide to students?; what understanding (big ideas and theme) need to be covered?; what attitudes or dispositions will the curriculum instill in students?; and what skills need to be developed in students?

Once the curriculum is planned and implemented, teacher should reflect on curriculum to judge its success in accomplishing the desired results. Feedbacks should be taken from students and appropriate reform should be introduced. Curriculum planning is not a onetime task but it requires continuous assessment and reform according to the changing needs of the society- an ultimate consumer of the school curriculum.

References

Beane, J. A. (1995). Curriculum integration and the disciplines of knowledge. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(8), 616-622.

Hannaford, C. (1995). Smart moves. Arlington, VA: Great Ocean.

Jacobs, H. H. (1997). Mapping the big picture: Integrating curriculum and assessment K-12. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Deepshikha