MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Education
Bachelor of Secondary Education
CPE108 THE TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Salome France-Sestina, Ph.D
MODULE 2 LESSON 4
Foundations of Curriculum Development
Curriculum development is anchored on a very solid foundation. Although considered to be a new
discipline, its significance in the light of global developments has now been acknowledged. What
philosophical, historical, psychological and sociological influences inform the current school
curriculum? How do these foundations reflect the development of curriculum in our 21st century
classrooms and leaming environment? Who are the identified curricularists with these foundations? Let
us find out!
Foundations of Curriculum
1. Philosophical Foundations
Educators, teachers, educational planners and policy makers must have a philosophy or strong belief
about education and schooling and the kind of curriculum in the teachers' classrooms or learning
environment. Philosophy of the curriculum answers questions like: What are schools for? What subjects
are important? How should students learn? What methods should be used? What outcomes should be
achieved? Why?
The various activities in school are influenced in one way or another by a philosophy, John Dewey
influenced the ure c "learning by doing", he being a pragmatist. Or to an essentialist, the focus on the
fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic are essential subjects in the curriculum.
There are many philosophies in education but we will illustrate only those presented by Ornstein and
Hunkins in 2004.
A. Perennialism
Aim: To educate the rational person, cultivate intellect
Role: Teachers assist students to think with reason (critical thinking HOTS)
Focus: Classical subjects, literary analysis. Curriculum is enduring
Trends: Use of great books (Bible, Koran, Classics) and Liberal Arts
B. Essentialism
Aim: To promote intellectual growth of learners to become competent
Role: Teachers are some authorities in the subject area
Focus: Essential skills of the 3Rs; essential subjects
Trends: Back to basics, Excellence in education, cultural literacy
C. Progressivism
Aim: Promote democratic social living •
Role: Teacher leads for growth and development of lifelong learners
Focus: Interdisciplinary subjects. Learner-centered. Outcomes-based
Trends: Equal opportunities for all, Contextualized curriculum, Humanistic education
D. Reconstructionism
Aim: To improve and reconstruct society. Education for change
Role: Teacher acts as agent of change and reforms
Focus: Present and future educational landscape
Trends: School and curricular reform, Global education, Collaboration and Convergence,
Standards and Competencies
2. Historical Foundations
Where is curriculum development coming from? The historical foundations will show to us the
chronological development along a time line. Reading materials would tell us that curriculum
development started when Franklin Bobbit 18761956 wrote the book "The Curriculum." Let us see how
each one contributed to curriculum development during his own time. Here are eight among the many,
we consider to have great contributions.
Franklin Bobbit (1876-1956)
He started the curriculum development movement.
Curriculum is a science that emphasizes students' needs.
Curriculum prepares learners for adult life.
Objectives and activities should group together when tasks are clarified.
Werret Charters (1875-1952)
Like Bobbit, he posited that curriculum is science and emphasizes students'
needs.
Objectives and activities should match. Subject matter or content relates to
objectives.
William Kilpatrick (1875- 1952)
Curricula are purposeful activities which are child centered.
The purpose of the curriculum is child development and growth. He
introduced this project method where teacher and student plan the activities.
Curriculum develops social relationships and small group instruction
Harold Rugg (1886-1960)
Curriculum should develop the whole child. It is child-centered.
With the statement of objectives and related learning activities, curriculum
should produce outcomes
Emphasized social studies and suggested that the teacher plans curriculum
in advance.
Hollis Caswell (1901-1989)
Curriculum is organized around social functions of themes, organized
knowledge and learner's interest.
Curriculum, instruction and learning are interrelated.
Curriculum is a set of experiences. Subject matter is developed around
social functions and lemurs' interests.
Ralph Tyler (1902-1994)
Curriculum is a science and an extension of school's philosophy. It is based
on students' needs and interest.
Curriculum is always related to instruction. Subject matter is organized in
terms of knowledge, skills and values.
The process emphasizes problem solving, Curriculum aims to educate
generalists and not specialists.
Hilda Taba (1902-1967)
She contributed to the theoretical and pedagogical foundations of concepts
development and critical thinking in social studies curriculum.
She helped lay the foundation for diverse student population
Peter Oliva (1992-2012)
He described how curriculum change is cooperative endeavor.
Teachers and curriculum specialist constitute the professional core
of planners.
Significant improvement is achieved through group activity
3. Psychological Foundation of Curriculum
Psychology provides a basis to understand the teaching and learning process. It unifies elements of
the learning process. Questions which can be addressed by psychological foundations of education
are: How should curriculum be organized to enhance learning? What is the optimal level of students'
participation in learning the various contents of the curriculum? In this module, we shall consider three
groups of learning theories: behaviorism or association theories; cognitive-information processing
theories and humanistic theories (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2004). Let us review some theories in learning
related to these clusters of learning theories.
3.1 Association and Behaviorism
3.2 Cognitive Information Processing Theory
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
He is the father of the Classical Conditioning Theory, the S-R Theory
The key to learning is early years of life is to train them what you
want them to become.
S-R Theory is a foundation of learning practice called indoctrination.
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)
He championed the Connectionism Theory,
He proposed the three laws of learning:
-Law of readiness
-Law of exercise
-Law of effect
Specific stimulus has specific response.
Robert Gagne (1916-2002)
He proposed the Hierarchical Learning Learning follows a hierarchy
Behavior is based on prerequisite conditions.
He introduced tasking in the formulation of objectives
Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
• Theories of Jean Piaget
Cognitive development has stages from birth to maturity:
Sensorimotor stage (0-2), preoperational stage (2-7), concrete
operations stage (7-11) and formal operations (11 - onwards)
• Keys to learning
o Assimilation (incorporation of new experience)
o Accommodation (learning modification and adaptation)
o Equilibration (balance between previous and later learning)
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
• Theories of Lev Vygotsky
Cultural transmission and development: Children could, as a result
of their interaction with society, actually perform certain cognitive actions
prior to arriving at developmental stage
Learning precedes development
Sociocultural development theory
• Keys to Learning
Pedagogy creates learning processes that lead . to development.
The child is an active agent in his or her educational process.
Howard Gardner
Gardner's multiple intelligences
- Humans have several different ways of processing information and
these ways are relatively independent of one another
- There are eight intelligences: linguistic, logico-mathematical, musical,
spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic
Daniel Goleman
Emotion contains the power to affect action.
o He called this Emotional Quotient.
Humanistic Psychology
GESTALT
Gestalt Theory
o Learning is explained in terms of "wholeness" of the problem.
o Human beings do not respond to isolated stimuli but to an
organization or pattern of stimuli.
Keys to learning
o Learning is complex and abstract.
o Learners analyze the problem, discriminate between essential and
nonessential data, and perceive relationships.
o Learners will perceive something in relation to the whole. What how
they perceive is related to their previous experiences.
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
He advanced the Self-Actualization Theory and classic theory of
human needs.
A child whose basic needs are not met will not be interested in
acquiring knowledge of the world.
He put importance to human emotions, based on love and trust.
Keys to learning
Produce a healthy and happy learner who can accomplish, grow and
actualize his or her human self
Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
Nondirective and Therapeutic Learning
o He established counselling procedures and methods for
facilitating learning.
o Children's perceptions, which are highly individualistic, influence
their learning and behaviour in class.
Key to learning
o Curriculum is concerned with process, not product; personal
needs, not subject matter, psychological meaning, not cognitive
scores.
Social Foundations of Curriculum
SCHOOLS AND SOCIETY
Society as a source of change
Schools as agents of change
Knowledge as an agent of change
John Dewey (1859-1952)
Considered two fundamental elements Schools and civil society-10
be major topics needing attention and reconstruction to encourage
experimental intelligence and plurality
Alvin Toffler
Wrote the book Future Shock
Believed that knowledge should prepare students for the future
Suggested that in the future, parents might have the resources to
teach prescribed curriculum from home as a result of technology, not in
spite of it. (Home Schooling)
Foresaw schools and students worked creatively, collaboratively,
and independent of their age.
In summary, the foundation upon which curriculum is based are educational philosophies, historical
developments, psychological explanations, and societal influences. All of these foundations are
interrelated to each.
