Curriculum Design Theory

Curriculum Design Theory

Israel Lopez Grand Canyon University EDU-522 - Curriculum Design Theories Diann Richardson October 11, 2023

Curriculum Design Process

Curriculum elements include:

• objectives
• contents
• experiences
• evaluation

Presenter's Note: Discuss flow chart

Summary of Curriculum Design Theory

• Curriculum theory is an integrated collection of sets of analyses, interpretations, and understandings of curricular phenomena (McCutcheon, G, 1982)

• Curriculum theory is to describe the process, predict the outcomes, explain the reasons, and guide the process of curriculum design.

McCutcheon, G. (1982). What in the world Is curriculum theory? theory into practice, 21(1), 18–22.

Curriculum Design Models

• The objective in curriculum development is to enhance and promote student learning.

• In order to reach this objective, it's important to have a comprehensive understanding of all the design models.

Presenter Notes: Curriculum Design has 3 subcategories: Learner-center, Problem-centered, Subject-centered

Subject-Centered Design Model

• Oldest and best-known design model.

• Focuses on the subject and material.

• Has five smaller designs:
• Subject design: stresses content and neglects students’ needs, interests, and experiences.
• Discipline design: In this design students experience the disciplines to comprehend and conceptualize.
• Broad fields design: give students a sweeping understanding of all content areas and attempted to integrate content that fit together logically
• Correlation design: Teachers of the various content areas to be correlated could then work together and have students work on assignments drawing from the correlated content areas. Subjects can be combined in innovative ways.
• Process design: emphasize those procedures that enable students to analyze reality and create frameworks by which to arrange derived knowledge (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2016).

Presenter's Note: Discuss the five smaller designs and how I use them in my own classroom

Learner-Centered Design Model

• These designs appear more frequently at the elementary and preschool levels than at the secondary school level

• Teachers create opportunities for children to develop personal interests

• Play is an important vehicle of learning.

• At the secondary level, the emphasis is more on subject matter designs, largely because of the influence of textbooks and the colleges and universities

• Has 4 smaller designs:
• Child-centered design: This design is based on students’ lives, needs, and interests and given the opportunity to explore, firsthand, physical, social, emotional and logical knowledge.

• Experienced-centered design:Experience-centered curriculum designs closely resemble child-centered designs in that children’s concerns are the basis for organizing children’s school world. However, they differ from child-centered designs in that children’s needs and interests cannot be anticipated; therefore, a curriculum framework cannot be planned for all children

• Romantic (Radical) design: believes that individuals must learn to critique knowledge.

• Humanistic design: There is a relationship between learning and feeling and educators must allow students to feel, value, and grow (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2016).

Presenter’s Notes: The second design is the learner-centered design. There are four designs within this design model. As a special education teacher, I think this design is best for my classroom.

Problem-Centered Design Model

• Focuses on real-life problems of individuals and society.
• Problem-centered curriculum designs are intended to reinforce cultural traditions and address unmet needs of the community and society (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2016).

• Has two smaller designs:
• Life-Situation Designs: Content is organized in ways that allows students to view problem areas clearly and learners use past and present experiences to help them analyze the basic aspects of living.

• Reconstructionist Design: believe that the curriculum should foster social action aimed at reconstructing society; it should promote society’s social, political, and economic development. These educators want curricula to advance social justice.

Curriculum Design Approaches

There are six curriculum approaches

1. Behavioral Approach
2. Managerial Approach
3. Systems Approach
4. Academic Approach
5. Humanistic Approach
6. Postmodern Approach

Managerial Approach

Behavioral Approach

• Educators plan the curriculum in terms of programs, schedules, space, resources and equipment, and personnel.
• Rooted in the organizational and administrative school models of the early 1900s
• Superintendents and associate superintendents were involved in curriculum leadership, often developing a plan in one school district and also implementing it in another.

• This curriculum approach, which has been applied to all subjects since the early 1920s.
• The behavioral approach was influenced by business and industry.
• Outcome based education.
• Standards-based education.
• Teaching and learning with measurable activities and outcomes.

Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2016). Curriculum (7th ed.). Pearson Education.

Presenter’s notes: Behavioral approach is focused by content, while the managerial approach focuses on the scheduling, resources and space.

Academic Approach

Systems Approach

• Academics cover numerous foundational topics, usually historical, philosophical, social, and political.
• They consider areas of study not usually included in curriculum such as religion, psychotherapy, literary criticism, and linguistics.

• Uses organizational diagrams, flow charts, and committee structures.
• Represents a paradigm shift emphasizing students, data collection and analysis, self-monitoring, collaboration, and communication.

Presenter’s notes: Systems and Academic approach use the subject centered design model.

Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2016). Curriculum (7th ed.). Pearson Education.

Postmodern Approach

Humanistic Approach

• Mainly at the elementary school level, curriculum activities include lessons based on life experiences, group games, group projects, artistic endeavors, dramatizations, field trips.
• Considers the whole child, not only the cognitive dimension.
• The arts, the humanities, and health education are just as important as science and math.
• Demands for educational excellence and academic productivity have resulted in an emphasis on cognition, not humanism, and on subjects such as science and math.

• Rooted in philosophy and social activism.
• Interested in curricula’s interactions with political, economic, social, and moral issues.
• Brings diversity to curriculum.

Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2016). Curriculum (7th ed.). Pearson Education.

Presenter’s notes: Both are learner centered and not content driven.

References

McCutcheon, G. (1982). What in the world Is curriculum theory? theory into practice, 21(1), 18–22. Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2016). Curriculum (7th ed.). Pearson Education. Smith, A. (2023). A comprehensive guide to curriculum development process. a comprehensive guide to curriculum development process. https://www.acadecraft.com/blog/overview-of-the-curriculum-development-process/