TYPES OF CURRICULUM

 

TYPES OF CURRICULUM (On the basis of characteristics of the curriculum) 1. Overt/explicit/written: it is simply a written document as part of formal instruction of schooling experience. It may refer to a curriculum document along with text and supportive teaching material that is overtly chosen to support the intentional instructional agenda of a school.  the overt curriculum is usually confined to those written understandings and directions formally designated and reviewed by administrators, curriculum directors, and teachers, often collectively. 2. Societal curriculum: it is taught outside the school forming social knowledge of the world. Families, peer groups, neighborhoods, media, and other socializing forces that educate all of us throughout our lives are the agents of the societal curriculum. This type of curriculum can now be expanded to include the powerful effects of social media for example Facebook and how it actively helps to create new perspectives and can help to shape both individual and public opinion. 3. Hidden or covert curriculum: it is derived from the nature and organization of schools. It is what children learn from the administrative structure of schools and the attitude of teachers and administrators. Examples of the hidden curriculum: standing in line, raising hands to be called on, and discipline in the classroom. It may include both positive and negative messages depending on the environment provided and the perspective of the learner or the observer. 4. Null Curriculum: it is any subject matter that is not taught in school which can give students the impression that these materials are less important. For example, in the American school, the culture and history of many known Western people are often covered slightly or sometimes not at all. Physically it is not possible to teach everything in schools, many topics and subject areas must be intentionally excluded from the written curriculum. TYPES OF CURRICULUM (On the basis of the objective of the curriculum) Curriculum can be framed on the basis of its aims and objectives subject matter of teaching and the method adopted curriculum may be classified into different types as follows: 1. Subject centered 2. Child centered 3. Activity centered 4. Integrated curriculum SUBJECT-CENTRED CURRICULUM: the subject-centered curriculum emphasizes oral discourse and extensive explanation. It expects teachers to plan instruction before teaching begins and to organize it around the content and it assumes that certain content should be taught to all students. The subject-centered curriculum usually consists of a study of pacific facts and ideas. The teaching method usually includes direct strategies like lectures, discussion, and questioning. The most widely used subject-centered curriculum is the separate subject curriculum. The separated subject curriculum is divided into discrete areas of study like history, chemistry literature, etc. CHILD-CENTRED CURRICULUM: The curriculum is to be varied and elastic, meeting individual differences and adapting to individual needs and requirements. Satisfaction with the child's nature is one of the important objectives of education. Unsuitable subjects of study lead to frustration among the children and often hinder their normal development. School and subject are meant to be for the child and not the child for the school. The child is not to be victimized in the name of cultural heritage, or mental discipline. The curriculum is to be child-centered where the subjects of study fall in line with the child's nature. When the interest and needs of the learner are incorporated in the curriculum, motivation tends to become intrinsic rather than extrinsic. Some important characteristics of child-centered curriculum: A. It is centered on learners B. Emphasis on promoting the all-around development of learners. C. Subject matter selected and organized cooperatively by learners during learning. D. Controlled and directed cooperatively by learners in the learning situation. E. It emphasizes meaning immediate to improving living. F. Emphasis is also given to habit and skill as an integral part of larger experiences. G. Emphasis is also given to understanding and improving through the process of learning. H. Emphasis on variability in exposure to learning and in results expected. I. Education adds each child to build a socially creative individuality. J. Education is considered a continuous intelligent process of growth. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUBJECT-CENTRED AND CHILD-CENTRED CURRICULUM SUBJECT CENTRED CHILD-CENTERED 1. Centered on subject 1. Centered on learners. 2. Emphasize upon teaching subject matter 2. Promoting the all-round growth and development of the learners. 3. Subject matter selected and organized before the teaching situation. 3. Subject matter selected and organized cooperatively by all learners during the learning situation. 4. Emphasize upon teaching facts and imparting information to the students. 4. Emphasis upon meanings that will function immediately in improving living. 5. Motivation is mostly extrinsic. 5. Motivation is intrinsic. 6. Emphasis upon teaching specific habits and skills as separate and isolated aspect of learning 6. Emphasis upon building habits and skills as an integral part of larger experiences. ACTIVITY CENTRED CURRICULUM In its purest form activity centered curriculum operates with the child as the sole center of learning. Since education is life and life is ever-changing the activity-centered curriculum expects to change continually. In this approach, the psychology of learning is based on the emotional involvement of the learner. If a child develops an interest in something and becomes emotionally involved with it, Hindi learning will enhance according to the proponents of an activity-centered curriculum. This curriculum is never fixed and completely crosses subject-matter lines. Completely flexible, emphasis is placed on observation, play, stories, and handcraft. The activity-centered curriculum has not been acceptable to the public as the subject-centered curriculum. When used it has been most successful at the elementary level. Although it has never secured a foothold in secondary school, the activity-centered curriculum has had some influence on the High school program. The lack of full acceptance in high school may be partly due to the subject orientation that secondary teachers and administrators have. Also, the public seems to prefer the traditional organization and methodology of the subject-centered curriculum. Characteristics of activity-centered curriculum: 1. The interest and purposes of children determine the educational program. 2. Common learning comes about as a result of individual interest. 3. The curriculum is not planned in advance, but guidelines are established to help the students to choose alternatives as they progress through the program. 4. Solving problems becomes the principle teaching method. 5. The teacher, in preparing to teach in the activity-centered curriculum needs all the prerequisites of the core teacher and even more. 6. Because the activity-centered curriculum is flexible, the need for variety and scheduling arrangements is important. 7. Schedules using a large block of time are necessary to afford the program to its maximum potential. Integrated curriculum: Integrated curriculum transaction has come about in an attempt to decrease the number of separate subjects that have been gradually brought into the subject-centered curriculum. In place of separated and isolated classes in reading writing spelling grammar and literature the integrated curriculum combines these subjects under English or any other language. The integrated approach provides teachers and students more latitude within the broad subject area. The integrated social studies course encompasses history geography economics political science psychology sociology and anthropology. Integrated science program combines chemistry botany zoology physics geology. Mathematics gets integrated with arithmetic geometry and algebra. Advantages of integrated curriculum: a. This approach establishes logical an useful organization for presenting knowledge. b. In integrated curriculum knowledge is presented to the students in a comprehensive manner. c. Students can learn with understanding and appreciation. d. Basic principles and generalizations necessary for critical thinking are emphasized more than isolated facts. Disadvantages of integrated curriculum: A. Composition of several subjects into one does not guarantee integration in all cases. B. With the emphasis on generalization rather than specifics, learning tends to be too abstract.