Curriculum:WhichApproach?

RudolfoBarcenaRulloda

January5,2010

 Curriculum:WhichApproach?

Thetechnicalandscientificapproach(Ornstein&Hunkins,2009,pp.212213)parallels

thebiologicalprinciplethatemphasizesstructuredeterminesfunction.Thecurriculum

developerprioritizeswhatthestudentswillbelearningfromaspecificsubjectmatterand

theexplicitgoalsandobjectivesthestudentsmustachieve.Inaddition,thecurriculum

developerwouldplanforthestructuringofthelearningenvironmentthatwouldbeconducive

forstudentlearning.Also,theplanincorporatesstaffparticipationandrequiresappropriate

suppliesandmaterials.Thestudentslearningexperiencescreatethevariousformsof

strategiesforprocessingknowledge.Thecurriculumdeveloperdesignedthisapproachbyusing

thescientificmodelwhichrequiresobservingandmonitoringofcomponents.These

componentsaresubjectmatter,objectives,learningexperiences,andevaluation.The

componentsareorganizedtopromotetheacquisitionofknowledge.Theprocessofteaching

thesubjectmatter,suchasreading/languagearts,mathematics,andscienceonadailyand

weeklyschedule,wouldhelpthestudentsachievetheirgoalsandobjectives.Thecurriculumis

designedwithatimeframewhenthesegoalsandobjectivesaretobeachieved.When

implementingthecurriculum,variousstrategieswouldbeusedinteachingthesubjectmatter.

Thefunctionistheorderandsequenceastowhenandwhattextbooks,workbooks,recording

tapes,videos,supplies,andmaterialsareintroducedtothestudents.Eventually,the

curriculumcouldbeevaluatedandasonstudentsknowledge.

Ontheotherhand,thenontechnicalnonscientificapproach(Ornstein&Hunkins,2009,

pp.220221)resemblesthearchitecturalprinciplethatindicatesformfollowsfunction.The

curriculumdevelopertakesintoconsiderationthetypesofstudentsthatwouldgreatlybenefit

thelearningprocess.Thecurriculumistransposedtothestudentbutstillretainthebasic

components.Thecomponentsaresubjectmatter,objectives,learningexperiences,and

evaluation.Thecurriculumdeveloperswouldaddressanddesignthefunctionasstatedgoals

andobjectives.Inthisapproachthecurriculumdeveloperusesthestudentsuniquenessasthe

formofthecurriculumratherthanusingsubjectmatter.Theuseofactivitiesbecomesthe

learningexperiencesforthestudents.Unliketheotherapproach,wherethereisatimeframe

forthesubjectmatter,thisapproachhasnoparticulartimeframebecausethecurriculumis

alwaysevolving.Theimportantconceptisthatthestudentsareactuallycreatingand

participatingintheirownlearningprocess.Indevelopingthecurriculum,considerationmust

includethattheobjectiveshavenoendresultssincemanystudentswouldlikelyventureonto

anotherinterestwithoutcompletingthelastobjective.Duetothenatureofthestudents

uniqueness,itwouldbeimpossibletomeasuretheirgoalsandobjectives.

Thesetwomajorapproachesaredifferentanddistinct.Boththetechnicalandscientific

approachandthenontechnicalnonscientificapproachareusedinoureducationalsystem.

Theformeriscommonlyusedinourschools.Ontheotherhand,thenontechnicalnonscientific

approachwouldbeanoptionfortheschoolstoselectfortheirstudents.

References

Ornstein,A.C.,&Hunkins,F.P.(2009).Curriculum:Foundations,Principles,andIssues(5th

ed.).SanFrancisco:PearsonEducation,Inc.