Introduction
Curriculum refers to the documents that outline educational plans and initiatives in both K-12 schools and higher education institutions. It is often developed by education professionals and includes the core and supplementary components of a school’s education program.
It is also basis for evaluation, such as end-of-year testing and examinations, and often drives decisions on resource allocation. This article explores what curriculum is, types of curriculum, and provides examples of curriculum to illustrate the concept.
Definition of Curriculum
A curriculum can be broadly defined as the courses and their content offered at the school level and higher education level. The term is derived from the Latin word currere, which means, “to run or to proceed. ” A curriculum can define any form of instruction, either formal or informal, and also outlines the learning outcomes that an individual student or a class as a whole should demonstrate.
In educational terms, a curriculum may include all formal instructional experiences, including lectures, independent study, e-learning, and any other activities that educators use to transmit knowledge.
Types of Curriculum
Curriculum is typically classified into three distinct types: the traditional curriculum, the hidden curriculum, and the written curriculum. The traditional curriculum refers to all forms of instruction not formalized into written form.
This may include religion, home culture, manual and craft skills, and extracurricular activities. The hidden curriculum is the beliefs and values that are transmitted, often without conscious awareness, through everyday activities and interactions in school. They transmit beliefs about gender roles, views of class, and expectations for behavior.
The written curriculum refers to objectives that are laid out in official instructional documents. These may include curriculum guides, school districts, course syllabi, and individual teachers’ guides and goals.
Examples of Curriculum in Action
At the K-12 level, written curriculum often includes basic core subjects such as language arts, math, science and social studies. Depending on the program, it may also include art, music, and physical education.
These are often supplemented by extracurricular activities, such as student foreign language clubs, drama clubs, and athletics. Higher education level curriculums may include core courses and electives in related disciplines. A bachelor’s degree in business, for example, might offer a core of accounting, finance, business law, and economics classes, while adding electives in sales, marketing, management, information technology, and microeconomic theory.
Doing Curriculum Development
Developing curriculum typically involves professionals in educational decisions and requires a broad range of skills and knowledge in order to create something that meets the needs of both teachers and students. This includes forming an understanding of goals, objectives, and outcomes related to the curriculum, and also means creating assessments and tests that measure these outcomes. Educational administrators typically create faculty committees and task forces that create, review, and evaluate curriculum plans for various departments.
These committees are responsible for making sure that the objectives of the curriculum align with the school’s mission and goals.
Benefits of Curriculum
Curriculum helps to guide the progress of learners from the start of their educational programs to their eventual exit. It helps create meaningful learning experiences and helps bridge the gap between what is taught and what students achieve. Curriculum also provides learning activities that are based on valid, relevant, and rigorous content while also supporting effective instruction.
The goals of the curriculum should be clearly defined and should help learners develop both subject-specific and contextual knowledge.
Challenges of Curriculum
One of the primary challenges inherent in curriculum creation is satisfying the needs and objectives of the stakeholders involved. This means balancing the needs of students, administrators, parents, educational institutions, and governmental policies. Another challenge relates to the complex nature of organizations in the educational setting, and the difficulty of navigating the various components.
Additionally, a curriculum must also account for the progress of individuals as well as the progress of the whole class or school.
Current Trends in Curriculum
Educational professionals are increasingly turning to technology to help facilitate the curriculum development process. This may involve creating e-learning courses or incorporating more technology-based solutions into the curriculum. Additionally, educators are attempting to make the curriculum more rigorous, requiring higher-level thinking skills and more authentic analyses from the students.
The use of online apps and websites is also becoming increasingly common in many classrooms.
Components of Curriculum
A curriculum usually consists of several key components. These include instructional objectives, assessment activities, content, learning standards, resources, and instructional plans. Each of these components must be designed and developed in order to create a successful curriculum that meets the needs of the stakeholders involved.
They should all work together to promote students’ academic success and lifelong learning.
Impact of Curriculum
The impact of curriculum is felt in different ways. It helps provide the structure and framework of learning objectives and can drive decisions on resource allocation. It also influences assessment activities, including examinations and tests.
Curriculum can also affect teacher performance and learner motivation. In higher education contexts, many universities define their goal through the curriculum, which can add to a college’s reputation and increase applications.
Conclusion
A curriculum is an essential part of the educational process. It sets the framework for forming and enriching learners’ understanding of the topics, and provides guidance for teacher performance and assessment activities. It should be developed carefully and rigorously, taking into account the needs and objectives of the various stakeholders, in order to maximize the impact of the educational experience.