CURRICULUM

LAST UPDATED: 08.12.15

The term curriculum refers to the lessons and academic content taught in a
school or in a specific course or program. In dictionaries, curriculum is often
defined as the courses offered by a school, but it is rarely used in such a
general sense in schools. Depending on how broadly educators define or
employ the term, curriculum typically refers to the knowledge and skills
students are expected to learn, which includes the learning
standards or learning objectives they are expected to meet; the units
and lessons that teachers teach; the assignments and projects given to
students; the books, materials, videos, presentations, and readings used in a
course; and the tests, assessments, and other methods used to evaluate
student learning. An individual teachers curriculum, for example, would be
the specific learning standards, lessons, assignments, and materials used to
organize and teach a particular course.
When the terms curriculum or curricula are used in educational contexts
without qualification, specific examples, or additional explanation, it may be
difficult to determine precisely what the terms are referring tomainly
because they could be applied to either all or only some of the component
parts of a schools academic program or courses.

In many cases, teachers develop their own curricula, often refining and
improving them over years, although it is also common for teachers to adapt
lessons and syllabi created by other teachers, use curriculum templates and
guides to structure their lessons and courses, or purchase prepackaged
curricula from individuals and companies. In some cases, schools purchase
comprehensive, multigrade curriculum packagesoften in a particular
subject area, such as mathematicsthat teachers are required to use or
follow. Curriculum may also encompass a schools academic requirements for
graduation, such as the courses students have to take and pass, the number
of credits students must complete, and other requirements, such as
completing a capstone project or a certain number of community-service
hours. Generally speaking, curriculum takes many different forms in schools
too many to comprehensively catalog here.
It is important to note that while curriculum encompasses a wide variety of
potential educational and instructional practices, educators often have a very
precise, technical meaning in mind when they use the term. Most teachers
spend a lot of time thinking about, studying, discussing, and analyzing
curriculum, and many educators have acquired a specialists expertise in
curriculum developmenti.e., they know how to structure, organize, and
deliver lessons in ways that facilitate or accelerate student learning. To
noneducators, some curriculum materials may seem simple or
straightforward (such as a list of required reading, for example), but they
may reflect a deep and sophisticated understanding of an academic
discipline and of the most effective strategies for learning acquisition
and classroom management.

Defining Curriculum
Curriculum refers to the means and materials with which students will interact for the
purpose of achieving identified educational outcomes. Arising in medieval Europe was
the trivium, an educational curriculum based upon the study of grammar, rhetoric, and
logic. The later quadrivium (referring to four subjects rather than three as represented
by the trivium) emphasized the study of arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy.
These seven liberal arts should sound a lot like what you experienced during your
formal education.

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The emphasis on single subjects persists even today. Very likely you moved from
classroom to classroom, particularly throughout your secondary education, studying a
different subject with each teacher. Yet there was more to your education. Perhaps you
participated in athletics, or the band, or clubs, or student government, or made the
choice not to participate in any extracurricular activities. All of these (including the option
not to participate) are part of what we might call the contemporary curriculum. But there
is more.

Some educators would say that the curriculum consists of all the planned
experiences that the school offers as part of its educational responsibility. Then there
are those who contend that the curriculum includes not only the planned, but also
the unplanned experiences as well. For example, incidents of violence that have
occurred at a number of schools across the nation are hardly a planned component of
the curriculum. However, the manner in which violence is addressed before, during, and
after the actual event sends a very definite message about how people in our culture
interact and how the laws of our nation are applied.
Another perspective suggests that curriculum involves organized rather than planned
experiences because any event must flow of its own accord, the outcome not being
certain beforehand. For instance, competitions, whether academic or athletic, can be
organized, but the outcomes will depend on a myriad of factors that cannot be planned.

Which brings us to the notion of emphasizing outcomes versus experiences. This shift
to the notion of outcomes is very much in keeping with the current movement
toward accountability in the public schools, that is, the perspective that there are
indeed specific things that the schools are supposed to accomplish with children.
District personnel, school administrators, and you as one of many teachers are to be
held accountable by the public/taxpayers for ensuring that those objectives are met.

Curriculum, it turns out, is indeed much more than the idea of specific subjects as
represented by the trivium or the quadrivium. And, as we will see in the next section, it
can be characterized not only by what it does include but also by what it intentionally
excludes.

A key concept to keep in mind is that the curriculum is only that part of the plan
that directly affects students. Anything in the plan that does not reach the students
constitutes an educational wish, but not a curriculum. Half a century ago Bruner (1960)
wrote, "Many curricula are originally planned with a guiding idea . . . But as curricula are
actually executed, as they grow and change, they often lose their original form and
suffer a relapse into a certain shapelessness" (p. 54). Curriculumhowever grand the
plans may becan only be that portion of the plan that actually reaches the student.
Planning that keeps that point in focus can be expected to result in a more focused
curriculum.

The Purpose of Curriculum

We have suggested that curriculum refers to the means and materials with which the
student interacts. To determine what will constitute those means and materials, we must
decide what we want the curriculum to yield. What will constitute the "educated"
individual in our society? In other words, what purpose does the curriculum serve?

The things that teachers teach represent what the larger society wants children to learn.
However, beyond teaching reading and writing, what are the necessary things that they
should be taught? Is it really necessary to teach science? Does teaching mathematics
really lead to logical thinking, or does it just provide students with some basic
computational skills that may or may not come in handy at some future time? You may
feel that answering such questions is not something a teacher has to be able to do, but
rest assured that at some point a parent will ask you questions like these. As a teacher,
you will be the representative of "the curriculum" to whom parents and students turn for
answers. The purpose of the curriculum is to prepare the student to thrive within the
society as it isand that includes the capacity for positive change and growth.

You Actually Have Four Curriculums

There are essentially four curriculums at work in most educational settings: the explicit,
implicit, null, and extra-, or cocurriculum. You are probably familiar with the notions of
explicit curriculum and extracurricular activities. The real intrigue of curriculum debate
and design comes into play with the implicit and null curriculums.

There are four curriculums:

Explicit curriculum: subjects that will be taught, the identified "mission" of the
school, and the knowledge and skills that the school expects successful students
to acquire

Implicit curriculum: lessons that arise from the culture of the school and the
behaviors, attitudes, and expectations that characterize that culture

Null curriculum: topics or perspectives that are specifically excluded from the
curriculum

Extra curriculum: school-sponsored programs that are intended to supplement

the academic aspect of the school experience

The Explicit Curriculum

Explicit means "obvious" or "apparent," and that's just what the explicit curriculum is all
about: the subjects that will be taught, the identified "mission" of the school, and the
knowledge and skills that the school expects successful students to acquire. If you
speak with an administrator at your school or where you do your observations or
practicum work, ask about the curriculum; it is this publicly announced (and publicly
sanctioned) explanation of the message of school that will be explained to you. The
explicit curriculum can be discussed in terms of time on task, contact hours, or Carnegie
units (high school credit courses). It can be qualified in terms of specific observable,
measurable learning objectives.

The Implicit Curriculum

Sometimes referred to as the hidden curriculum, the implicit curriculum refers to the
lessons that arise from the culture of the school and the behaviors, attitudes, and
expectations that characterize that culture. While good citizenship may be part of the
explicit curriculum, a particular ethos that promotes, for example, multiethnic
acceptance and cooperation may also characterize a particular school. This is not to
say that parents, teachers, and administrators sat around a table and said, "Hey, let's
promote acceptance of diverse ethnic values in the context of the American
experience." That would be nice, of course, but then it tends to fall into the category of
the explicit curriculum. By virtue of a high multiethnic enrollment, a particular school
may have a culture of multiethnic cooperation. Another school, isolated in that its
enrollment is primarily that of one ethnic group, would develop a different sort of culture.
Individual schools within a district, or even classrooms within a school that share a
common explicit curriculum, can differ greatly with regard to the implicit curriculum. This
is not an altogether bad situation, but to a great degree the implicit curriculum is
subjected to less scrutiny than is the explicit curriculum.

There are other aspects to the implicit curriculum, and interestingly enough it is the
students who pick up on these messages. Notice how the classrooms and common
areas are decorated. These decorations will demonstrate what the implicit curriculum of
the school values. Watch the children to see how they interact with each other within the
class and throughout the building. Does the school display student work throughout the
building? Is there an unwritten rule that children are to be seen and not heard? All of
these contribute to a very particular message sent to students about expectations,
demands, and codes of conduct.

If you want to investigate the notion of the implicit curriculum further, speak with some
elementary school students. Ask them what is required to get good grades or the
approval of the teacher. Don't be surprised when rather than telling you about studying
for an hour every night or completing homework correctly, they tell you things like "sit up
straight" or "be quiet in class" or "be on time." The implicit curriculum, difficult as it is to
identify and articulate, is something that students understand very quickly. When young
children explain the expectations for a student in school, it will likely be the implicit
curriculum that they discuss.

The Null Curriculum

Just as compelling as the notion of the implicit curriculum is Eisner's (1994) concept of
the null curriculum. This aspect of curriculum refers to "the options students are not
afforded, the perspectives they may never know about, much less be able to use, the
concepts and skills that are not a part of their intellectual repertoire" (p. 106-107). The
teaching of evolution provides an example. For more than seventy-five years this topic
has been an issue of debate. The decision by individual states or school districts within
states not to include this topic within its explicit curriculum places it in the category of
the null curriculum. In other words, the decision to exclude particular topics or subjects
from a curriculum nonetheless affects the curriculum by its very omission.

Another example would be the topic of sex education. Sex education has long been an
issue with regard to the degree to which it should be included in the school curriculum,
but the newer issues of gender orientation, alternative lifestyles, and alternative family
configurationsjust to mention a fewexemplify how exclusion from the explicit or
implicit curriculum, and thus inclusion in the null curriculum, affects the overall
educational experience.

Extracurricular Programs

The fourth aspect of curriculum is that of the extracurriculum or cocurriculum. This

curriculum represents all of those school-sponsored programs that are intended to
supplement the academic aspect of the school experience. Athletics, band, drama,
student government, clubs, honor societies and student organizations, and school
dances and social events all fall under the heading of extracurricular activities.
Participation in these activities is purely voluntary and does not contribute to grades or
credits earned toward advancement from one grade to the next or to graduation.
Extracurricular activities are typically open to all, though participation often depends on
skill level.

Curriculum is the set of ideals followed by the institutions philosophical views. It speaks about courses, and
their content, which is generally offered at a school or university (Pinal, Reynolds et.al).
According to Lisa Fratt (1982), Curriculum involves general aims and specific objectives to attain.
Curriculum as conceptualized by Bilbao (2008), it is as dynamic as the changes that occur in society, with its
narrow sense as listing of subjects to be taught in school while in broader sense refers to the total learning
experiences of individuals not only in schools but in the society as a whole.
According to Kelly (2009), a curriculum is prescriptive, and is based on a more general syllabus which merely
specifies what topics must be understood and to what level to achieve a particular grade or standard.
John Franklin Bobbitt said that curriculum, as an idea, has its roots in the Latin word for race-course,
explaining the curriculum as the course of deeds and experiences through which children become
the adults they should be, for success in adult society.
Curriculum is the course of experience(s) that forms human beings into persons as told by Jackson (1992).
Curriculum is the set of courses, course work, and content offered at a school or university.
Curriculum as defined via electronic resources as the range of courses from which students choose what
subject matters to study, and a specific learning program.
Based from the idea of different authors above, on my own sense of understanding I formally define the
curriculum as collectively describes the way of teaching, learning, and assessment process in which the
mentors are able to formulate and provide materials available for a given course of study.

The word curriculum has been originated from Latin meaning course. It has been derived from curro
or curree which means to run or move quickly. Simply curriculum can be defined as :

-The set of courses, coursework, and their content, offered at a school or university.
As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and
experiences through which children grow to become mature adults. A curriculum is prescriptive, and is
based on a more general syllabus which merely specifies what topics must be understood and to what
level to achieve a particular grade or standard. (Wikipedia)
Kerr defines curriculum as, All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is
carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school.
Regans definition of curriculum is, The curriculum is all the experiences of a child under direction of
the school.

Other definitions of curriculum by famous authors are:

Tanner (1980) defined curriculum as the planned and guided learning experiences
and intended outcomes, formulated through the systematic reconstruction of
knowledge and experiences under the auspices of the school, for the learners
continuous and wilful growth in personal social competence .
Schubert (1987) defines curriculum as the contents of a subject, concepts and
tasks to be acquired, planned activities, the desired learning outcomes and experiences,
product of culture and an agenda to reform society.
Pratt (1980) defines curriculum as a written document that systematically
describes goals planned, objectives, content, learning activities, evaluation procedures
and so forth.
Goodlad and Su (1992) define curriculum as a plan that consists of learning
opportunities for a specific time frame and place, a tool that aims to bring about
behaviour changes in students as a result of planned activities and includes all learning
experiences received by students with the guidance of the school.
Cronbleth (1992) defines curriculum as answering three questions: what
knowledge, skills and values are most worthwhile? Why are they most worthwhile? How
should the young acquire them?
Grundy (1987) defines curriculum as a programme of activities (by teachers and
pupils) designed so that pupils will attain so far as possible certain educational and
other schooling ends or objectives.
Hass (1987) provides a broader definition, stating that a curriculum includes all of
the experiences that individual learners have in a program of education whose purpose
is to achieve broad goals and related specific objectives, which is planned in terms of a
framework of theory and research or past and present professional practice .

Curriculum is:
1. The aggregate of courses of study given in a school, college,
university, etc.: The school is adding more science courses to its
curriculum.
2. The regular or a particular course of study in a school, college,
etc.
According to COLLINS DICTIONARIES that Curriculum is:
1. A course of study in one subject at a school or college
2. A list of all the courses of study offered by a school or college
3. Any programme or plan of activities.
According to CAMBRIDGE ONLINE DICTIONARIES that Curriculum is:
1. The subjects studied in a school, college, etc. and what each
subject includes: the school curriculum.
2. National Curriculum in some countries, the set of subjects
that children must study.
According to OXFORD ADVANCED LEARNERS DICTIONARY that
Curriculum is:
1. The subjects that are included in a course of study or taught in
a school, college, etc.
According to YOUR DICTIONARY that Curriculum is:
1. The definition of curriculum is the combination of courses
offered at a school, or all the classes within a certain subject.
2. A fixed series of studies required, as in a college, for
graduation, qualification in a major field of study, etc.
3. All of the courses, collectively, offered in a school, college, etc.,
or in a particular subject.
According to BUSINESS DICTIONARY.COM that Curriculum is:
1. Combination of different training courses arranged in a
sequence.
According to VOCABULARY.COM that Curriculum is:
1. A curriculum is a set of courses designed to give expertise.
According to MACMILLAND DICTIONARY.COM that Curriculum is:
1. The subjects that students study at a particular school or
college.
According to V2 VOCABULARY BUILDING DICTIONARY that
Curriculum is:
1. The courses taught at an educational institution, or the details
taught in a particular subject.
B. The Experts Definitions
As well as internet, there are many books provide Curriculum
definition but this article only draws the definitions from some books
that are published up to 2012.
1. According to Nichols, Shidaker, Johnson, & Singer (2006) that
Curriculum is an area of education that is characterized by a lack
of agreement about its definition and nature.
2. According to Wortham (2006) that Curriculum is a planned set
of course that is presented to teachers to arrange teaching and
learning in certain level of ages.
3. According to Nation & Macalister (2010) define Curriculum as a
guidance in designing courses that consits of outer cyrcle namely
Priciples, Environment, and needs that involve practical and
theoretical considerations that will have a major effect in guiding
the actual process of course production. Inner cyrcle that consists
of goals and its center, contents and sequences, format and
presentation, and monitoring and assessment.
4. According to Cattington (2010), curriculum (or curriculum
standards) to refer to the standards, benchmarks, and outcomes
that delineate the content to be taught and learned in science
classrooms.
5. According to Slattery (2006) Curriculum should be developed
time by times to the postmodern curriculum that is radically
eclectic, determined in the context of relatedness, recursive in its
complexity, autobiographically intuitive, aesthetically
intersubjective, embodied, phenomenological, experiential,
simultaneously quantum and cosmic, hopeful in its constructive
dimension, radical in its deconstructive movement, liberating in
its poststructural intents, empowering in its spirituality, ironic in
its kaleidoscopic sensibilities, and ultimately, a hermeneutic
searchfor greater understanding that motivates and satisfies us
on the journey.
6. According to Lake and Winterbottom (2010) in Kattington
(2010), Curriculum is a set of rule that benefits students by
providing them with practice in both content and social
curriculum through the use of active learning, exploration of
interests, civic responsibility, character building, and recognizing
and helping thecommunity.
7. According to Dat (no year) in Tomlinson (2008 Ed) impled that
curriculum requires too much to be accomplished within a unit
and that their students want a moremanageable and realistic
learning goal.
RFERENCES
Bao, Dat. In Tomlinson, Brian. 2008 Ed. English Language Learning
Material A Critical Review. London: Continuum International
Publishing Group
Cattington, Limon E. 2010 (Ed). Handbook of Curriculum
Development. New York: Nova Science Publisher Inc.
Lake , Vickie E. & Winterbottom, Christian. 2010. In Kattington,
Limon E. 2010 (Ed). Handbook of Curriculum Development. New
York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Nation, I.S.P. & Macalister, J. 2010. Language Curriculum and Design.
New York: Taylor and Francis Group
Nichols, Shidaker, Johnson, & Singer. 2006. MANAGING CURRICULUM
AND ASSESSMENT A Practitioners Guide. Ohio: Linworth
Publishing, Inc.
Slattery, Patrick. 2006. Curriculum Development in the Postmodern
Era. New York: Roudledge Taylor and Francis Group
 Wortham, 2006. Early Childhood Curriculum Developmental Bases
for Learning and Teaching. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

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The Meaning and Importance of

Curriculum Development
Published on February 28, 2015
LikeThe Meaning and Importance of Curriculum Development

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Dr. Mary Alvior

FollowDr. Mary Alvior
Curriculum Developer & Lecturer in English / Education Courses

This article explains the definition of curriculum development, and

its importance in school, country, and society, in general.
Before I discuss the definition of curriculum development, let me
describe to you first the importance of curriculum. A curriculum is
considered the heart of any learning institution which means that
schools or universities cannot exist without a curriculum. With its
importance in formal education, curriculum has become a dynamic
process due to the changes that occur in our society. Therefore, in its
broadest sense, curriculum refers to the total learning experiences of
individuals not only in school, but in society as well (Bilbao et al.,
2008).
Definition of Curriculum Development
Curriculum development is defined as planned, purposeful,
progressive, and systematic process in order to create positive
improvements in the educational system. Every time there are changes
or developments happening around the world, the school curricula are
affected. There is a need to update them in order to address the societys
needs.
To illustrate this contention, lets trace back history. During the ancient
times, people taught their children knowledge and skills in order to
survive by catching fish or hunting animals for food. They had no formal
education during that time, but their children learned and acquired the
knowledge and skills for survival. So, during that time, they already had
a curriculum which other educators call as, the saber-tooth
curriculum. This type of curriculum refers to a kind of curriculum that
existed during the ancient times in which the purpose of teaching was
for survival.
However, when the effects of discoveries and inventions became
inevitable, ancient peoples way of life had changed for the better. As a
result, education became formal and curriculum development evolved as
systematic, planned, purposeful and progressive, even today.

Importance of Curriculum Development

Curriculum development has a broad scope because it is not only about
the school, the learners and the teachers. It is also about the development
of a society in general.

In todays knowledge economy, curriculum development plays a vital

role in improving the economy of a country. It also provides answers or
solutions to the worlds pressing conditions and problems, such as
environment, politics, socio-economics, and other issues on poverty,
climate change and sustainable development.
There must be a chain of developmental process to develop a society.
First, the school curriculum particularly in higher education must be
developed to preserve the countrys national identity and to ensure its
economys growth and stability. Thus, the president of a country must
have a clear vision for his people and for the country as well.

For instance, in the Philippines, if President Aquino would like the

country as the Asia-Pacifics tourism hub, then the school curriculum
must be developed along that line. Curricular programs for higher
education can be crafted in such a way that it will boost the tourism
industry and work into different models on edu-tourism, eco-tourism,
cultural tourism, medo-tourism, biz-tourism, techno-tourism, agri-
tourism, archi-tourism, among others.

If universities have curricular programs that are innovative and in

demand in the local or global markets, many students even from foreign
countries will enroll. Higher number of enrollees would mean income on
the part of the universities. As a result, if the income is big, it can be
used for teachers promotion, scholarship and remuneration. It can also
be used in funding research and development endeavors, and in putting
up school facilities, libraries, and laboratories.

I believe that the countrys economy can improve the peoples way of
life through curriculum development. And in order to develop it,
curriculum experts or specialists should work hand in hand with the
lawmakers (senators and congressmen), the local government officials,
such as governors, mayors, and others; the business communities and
industries; and stakeholders to set implementing rules and policies for
educational reforms.

For additional information on curriculum development, please

read Edecolepmentalism: a Personal Philosophy in HIgher
Education, and