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CURRICULUM - A CONCEPTUAL  ANALYSIS

Curriculum is the crux of the whole educational process. Without curriculum, we cannotconceive any educational endeavour. School curriculum of a country, like its constitution reflects the ethos of that country

  CURRICULUM

The word, ‘curriculum’ is derived from the Latin word " Currere ".  Currere means to run / to proceed. The word refers to the ‘course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults’  (Hlebowitsh, 2004). Curriculum is thus, a well-defined and prescribed course of studies which students must complete for them to pass a given level of education. It is a predetermined subject matter in a planned sequence of experiences leading to certifiable completion. Curriculum is the base for the learning outcomes and activities through which the teaching and learning process moves in advance. 

The concept of curriculum is as dynamic as the changes that occur in society. In its narrow sense, curriculum is viewed merely as a listing of subject to be taught in school. In a broader sense, it refers to the total learning experiences of individuals not only in schools but in society as well. 

 Traditional Concept of Curriculum

The traditional system of education used curriculum exactly in a similar sense when it insisted on the acquisition of mastery over certain skills and certain areas of knowledge, as the sole aim of education. The teacher was expected to train his pupils for realising the aim of education ‘by leading them through the curriculum, prescribed in the purpose’. So, the term ‘curriculum’ came to signify a group of subjects or courses of study arranged in a particular sequence, for instructional purposes in schools. In olden days life was simple and the needs of the society were also not very complicated and numerous. So only a few subjects in the curriculum were considered synonymous with academic subjects of instruction. 

Modern concept of curriculum

Modern curriculum covers all the wider areas of individual and group life. It encompasses all the meaning and desirable activities outside the school provided that these are planned, organized and used educationally. As such, curriculum is 

something more than textbooks, more than the subject matter, and even more than the courses of study. It is now viewed as a pursuit with no rigidly fixed goal, rather a ‘race’ in which the goal and the course, leading to that goal, are both fixed in advance.

NARROW AND BROADER MEANING OF CURRICULUM

In its narrow sense, curriculum means the plan reach the aims and objectives of education. It is restricted to classroom activities concentrating on the study of a few subjects in a major field of study. It is just a tool to achieve the aim of teaching a subject.

 • It is limited to classroom activity; 

• It emphasis teaching subjects; 

• It works to produce certificate and degree; 

• It develops only mental ability; and

• It is more under teacher and administrative control. 

In its broader sense, curriculum means not only the study of academic subjects traditionally taught in schools, but also includes the sum total of all experiences that a pupil receives through the manifold activities in a school. 

• It includes total experiences given by manifold activities;

 • Includes both curricular and co-curricular activities; 

• It works to develop the personality of the child;

 • It has a more creative and forward outlook; and

 • It is child-centred 

                                                   Teaching-learning process does not operate in a vacuum. Certain planned experiences have to be providing in school so that optimum human development according the, needs of a particular country is possible. Curriculum is the crux of the whole educational process. Without curriculum, cannot conceive any educational endeavor. School curriculum of a country, like its constitution, reflexes the ethos of the country. In the since curriculum is the path through which the student has to go forward in order to reach the goal envisaged by education. Usually the term curriculum is understood as a group of subject prescribed for study in a particular course. Thus the term curriculum in recent years has come to mean all the planned activities and experiences available to the student under the direction of the school. Curriculum is dynamic and changes according to the needs of the pupil and society. The curriculum offered by a school to students should not be simply a collection of separate bits of information and unrelated experiences. Schools need to be concerned with a ‘total curriculum’. There must be vertical and horizontal organisation of the curriculum elements. To achieve the objectives of education teacher need to employ suitable instructional methods and procedures. But this he can do only when he knows what efforts he is to make and in what order. In other words, he should know the aspects of curriculum which consists of subjects, activities and experiences in the properly graded form. Curriculum is  infact the warp and woof of the completely educational process. 

CONCEPT OF CURRICULUM

• Curriculum is the base in education on which the teaching-learning process is planned and implemented. 

• Curriculum includes all planned learning experiences organized by a school based on the educational aims and objectives.

 • Curriculum is the sum total of the academic and non-academic experiences of a school. It is based on educational intended outcomes to fulfill the personal and social growth of the learners. 

   DEFINITION OF CURRICULUM

     Curriculum has been defined by different person in different ways. Some base  the definition on its narrow scope while others define it in a much broader sense. Let us now acquaint ourselves with some of the definitions of curriculum.

MUNROE

" Curriculum embodies all the experiences which are utilized by the school to attain the aims of education "

ARTHUR CUNNINGHAM

" Curriculum is a tool in the hands of an artist ( teacher ) to mould his materials ( pupils ) according to his ideals ( objectives ) in his studio (school ) "

H.L. LASWELL

 " Curriculum is made up of everything that surrounds the learner in all his working hours "

H.H. HORNE

    " Curriculum is that which the pupil is taught. It involves more than the act of learning and quiet study. It involves occupations, productions, achievement, exercise and activity"

   In brief, curriculum is the means of achieving the goals of education. It includes  all those experiences , activities and environmental influences which the student receives during his educational career, for the realization of a variety of anticipated goals.

 CONCEPT OF CURRICULUM

The concepts of curriculum are described with the help of following points: 

1) Curriculum is experience: It is obvious, that the aim of curriculum is to provide experience to the educand so that he may achieve complete development. 

 2)  Curriculum is means or tools: The educator is compared to an artist and the curriculum as one of the instruments or tools used by him to develop the educand according to and in conformity with the aims of education.

 3) Curriculum is environment: In modern times, this term is interpreted in this more liberal sense because there is no questioning the fact that the child’s education is influenced by not only books, but the playgrounds, library, laboratory, reading room, extracurricular programmes the educational environment and a host of other factors.

 4) Curriculum involves all activities: In the light of the various definitions of curriculum given above, it is possible to arrive at a definition of the terms which includes all the points mentioned in these definitions. Briefly, the curriculum is the means of achieving the goals of education. 

BASES OF CURRICULUM

1) Aims of education

 2) Philosophy of education

3) Sociological basis

 4) Psychological basis

    THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES  OF CURRICULUM

• Synthesis of subject and life

• Complete development

• Development of democratic values

• Build confidence of education

• Realization of values

• Development of knowledge

• Creation of a useful environment

                        SCOPE OF CURRICULUM

 Curriculum, is therefore, very comprehensive in its scope. It touches all aspects of the life of the pupils- the need and interest of the pupils, environment which should be educationally congenial to them, ways and manners in which their interests can be handled and warmed up, the procedures and approaches which cause effective learning among them, the social efficiency of the individuals and how they fit in with the community around. It is intimately related with the individual as a member of the society. It embodies the educational philosophy, the values which it aims to achieve, the purposed it wants philosophy, the values it aims to achieve purposes it wants to realize and the specific goals that it wants to achieve. The emphasis is on the child. In the total education of the child, all the subjects’ likes history, geography, science and language are but tools. These are the means, and therefore, the children must not be made to fit in such study. 

   NATURE OF CURRICULUM

A curriculum is- 

• A sum of the school subjects and other activities;

 • A mirror which reflects a school’s curricular and co-curricular activities; and

 • Includes all subjects, which help a child in its cognitive development.

 • Curriculum includes many activities such as classroom lesson, cultural activities, laboratory activities, workshop, and sports activities.

 • Curriculum is the totality of experiences. 

• Curriculum provides experiences to respond, react, and reflect on various processes of learning. It depends on the learner, and as to what he experiences. 

• Curriculum is based on intended learning outcome. 

• Curriculum, in one sense, is cultural reproduction- Concepts of knowledge and skills such as values, religion, and political system are incorporated in the curriculum, which in turn reflects belief and all cultural aspects.

 • It is an agenda for social reconstruction- Schools provide an agenda of knowledge, which is curriculum based, and this guides students to enrich society and cultural institutions. 

            IMPORTANCE OF CURRICULUM IN SCHOOLS

Curriculum has a broader meaning, and helps in achieving educational aims and objectives. Curriculum is needed in schools since it contributes in the following ways: 

• Gives necessary constructional frame to achieve educational aims. It indirectly shows the specific path to achieve educational aims and gives effective learning to students by providing a variety of learning experiences.

 • Curriculum mainly helps in children’s all- round development. It builds a balanced personality and helps to use of leisure time constructively. 

• Curriculum coordinates the processes of learning-teaching-evaluation. • It develops creativity and forward outlook 

• It contributes to bring equality of education. 

• Curriculum helps teachers to maintain quality education. It sets standards, goals, and learning outcomes that enable teachers to judge whether or not students are able to move onto the next level.

 • An effective curriculum provides teachers, students, administrators, and community stakeholders with a measurable plan and structure for delivering quality education.

 • Curriculum develops discipline to achieve educational aims. It makes educational aims move in a right path through which develops discipline. 

• It provides opportunity to students to participate in curricular and co-curricular activities. 

• It helps to develop qualities such as friendship, co-operation, compassion and love for social justice via various social settings.

 • It develops democratic values such as liberty and fraternity among students. Society needs a curriculum, which is functional and relevant to achieve educational goals.

 • A curriculum identifies learning outcomes, standards, and core competencies that students must demonstrate before advancing to the next level. An evidenced based curriculum acts as a roadmap for teachers and students to follow on the path to academic success. It helps to understand the diverse culture, social system, and cultural heritage of people living in different parts of the country.

 • A curriculum is needed in carrying successfully educational programmes. 

Many people still equate a curriculum with a syllabus. An UNESCO publication entitled Preparing Text Book Manuscripts “(1970)” has differentiated between the curriculum and syllabus. The curriculum sets out the subjects to be studied, their order and sequence and so ensures some balance between humanities and science and consistency in the study of subjects, thus facilitating inter subject links. It follows that the curriculum determines the amount of school times allotted to each subject, the aim of teaching each subject, the place of the motor skills which take time to acquire and possibly, the variations between rural and urban school teaching. The curriculum in the schools of developing countries is often directly related to the requirements for developments. The syllabus determines the basic content of instructions in a given subject and the range of knowledge and skills which the pupils must acquire and establish in detail the themes and individual points to be studied in each school year. The syllabus is a refined detail of the curriculum at a particular stage of learning for a particular subject