Curriculum Foundation
Foundations of curriculum are the considerations of educational programs and policies in the light of an interdisciplinary endeavor involving philosophical, psychological, sociological, and historical, understandings.
The foundations of curriculum set the external boundaries of the knowledge of curriculum and define what constitutes valid sources from which to derive the field’s theories, principles, and ideas. The curriculum’s commonly accepted foundations are philosophical, psychological, social, and historical areas that are explained below.
Psychology
Understanding human behavior, which is important development
Five important are ( PRINT, 1993)
1.Education objective
2.Student characteristic
3.Learning process
4.Teaching methods
5.Evaluation procedures
Sociology and Anthropology
After all curriculum process Sowell pointed out that knowledge about society and its culture is important selecting that content of curriculum
It provides a clear understanding of the context in w/c the curriculum is development it is also help curriculum workers in understanding several social and educational issues that effect curriculum process and education general
Philosophy
Helps curriculum workers in understanding the nature of knowledge and what subsect or topics are worthwhile. Important in making decisions about content of curriculum. Ornstein and Hankins mentioned that it provides curriculum workers with a framework or base for organizing school and classroom. It also provides educator with a framework for board issues and task
• Determine the goals of education
• The context and its organization
• Teaching and learning process
Curriculum Conception
Curriculum workers have different ideas about curriculum matters and curriculum development process have different view about curriculum concerns, goals of what curriculum should accomplish, and how a curriculum should be designed or constructed
Identified 6 curriculum conception
1.Academic Rationalist- Oldest
Stresses the important of knowledge known as disciplines or subject area’s as focus of curriculum
2. Cognitive Process Conception
Seeks to develop a repertoire of cognitive skills that are applicable to a ide rage f intellectual problem the subject matters are instrument or tools for developing these cognitive skills that are lasting in the lives of individual
3.Humanistic Conception
Stress the ideas that curriculum or education is an instrument of developing the full potentials of individual. It seeks to help individual discover and develop their unique identities. Stress that curriculum should focus on the needs and interest of individuals
4.Social Reconstructionist Conception
Views that school and schooling an agency of social change. Stresses that curriculum should respond to the different needs, issues, problem, and demands o society
5.Technological Conception
Preoccupied with the development of means to achieve curriculum or educational goals. Views schooling as a complex system that can be analyze constituent components
6.Eclectic Conception
Is where curriculum workers find themselves aligning their ideas with two or more curriculum conception. I reiterates the realities in curriculum development that each of the curriculum conception is to be considered and its influence to a certain extent in designing the curriculum.