Overview of Curriculum Types and Definitions

Study Notes

Curriculum refers to the planned and structured learning experiences provided to students.
It encompasses subjects, learning objectives, teaching methods, and assessments.

Curriculum as a product: A tangible document outlining courses, content, and learning objectives.
Curriculum as a program of study: A sequence of courses or learning experiences designed to achieve specific educational goals.
Curriculum as intended learnings: The knowledge, skills, and attitudes that teachers aim to impart to students.
Curriculum as experiences of the learner: The actual learning experiences that students engage in, both planned and unplanned.
Hidden curriculum: Unintentional lessons or messages learned through school culture, routines, or interactions.

Advantages: Provides concrete direction for planning, development, and assessment.
Disadvantages: Can be limiting, assumes all outcomes are predictable, and may separate learning objectives from the learning process.

Advantages: Provides a structured framework for instruction, aligns with traditional education models, and facilitates management of learning.
Disadvantages: May not account for individual learning styles, focuses more on content mastery than individualized learning, and may limit student choice and personalization.

Emphasizes the activities (planned and unplanned) students engage in.
Advantages: Focuses on the student learning experience, allows for broader experiences, and promotes meaningful learning when aligned with student interests and needs.
Disadvantages: Can be abstract and complex, and may be difficult to encompass all learning experiences.

Refers to unintentional learning that occurs in school settings.
May include lessons about social behavior, power dynamics, and cultural expectations.

View curriculum as a set of subjects or subject matter designed for student learning.
Emphasize the importance of structured content, such as grammar, rhetoric, logic, mathematics, and foundational intellectual disciplines.

Emphasize the learner's experiences and the process of learning.
View curriculum as a dynamic and evolving process that caters to individual needs and interests.

John Dewey: Emphasized the importance of reflective thinking and learning from experience. Viewed curriculum as the "total learning experience" shaped by action and application.
Caswell and Campbell: Defined curriculum as "all the experiences children have under the guidance of teachers."
Marsh and Willis: View curriculum as all planned and unplanned experiences within the classroom.
Smith, Stanley, and Shores: Defined curriculum as a sequence of potential experiences aimed at disciplining students in ways of thinking and acting.
Bobbit: Saw curriculum as a series of experiences that prepare students for adulthood, focusing on practical skills.
David G. Armstrong: Defined curriculum as a master plan for selecting content and organizing learning experiences to change and develop learners' behavior and insights.