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Curriculum
Curriculum came from the Latin word "Currere" which means race course/ to run/
run way,
Curriculum refers to as the formal and informal content and process by which
learners gain knowledge and understanding, develop skills, and alter attitudes,
appreciations, and values under the supervision of an academic institution.
Curriculum Development
Curriculum development is defined is the process of selecting, organizing,
executing and evaluating learning experience on the basis of the needs, abilities, and
interest of the learners and the nature of the society or community.
Several factors affect all curriculum development in meeting the needs of 21st
century learners in both organized academic settings and corporation learning centers. A
good curriculum development requires selecting learning goals, designing knowledge
delivery models while creating assessment methods for individual and group progress.
Factors affecting curriculum development include two types of factor that have
great influence and impact on the development of curriculum which are following
1. Internal factors
2. External factors
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Factors And Forces Influencing Curriculum Development
1- Internal Factors:
Internal factors that have strong impact and great influence on curriculum
development are so many some of them important are following
1. The Teacher
2. Pupil
3. School Environment
4. Philosophy
5. Life Activities
The Teacher
This factor explores teachers' individual characteristics such as their academic
backgrounds and experience in teaching, knowledge about the teaching topics, teaching
methods used, attitude towards curriculum development, collaboration with colleagues,
teaching preparation practices, major form of student work, and assessment methods.
The teacher's role in the curriculum development process is critical because she is
responsible for implementing the curriculum in the classroom. Most of the academic
institution revise and update their curriculum every few years. Teachers often are invested
in the writing and revision of the curriculum, performing the majority of the work.
The Student
Educational bodies are classified into different bandings (the policy of dividing
student into groups of same level of ability) according to the overall academic standard of
the students.
Curriculum development prepares the student to lead a balanced life in the future
by fulfilling roles of a professional person. Such as a family member, a responsible citizen,
curriculum has to prepare the student as a good human being who possesses the qualities
of a good person. Thus curriculum aims the total development of students.
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Factors And Forces Influencing Curriculum Development
School Environment
Good or bad, academic’s social environment has broad influence on curriculum
development and students’ learning and growth, including major aspects of their social,
emotional, and ethical development. The social environment is shaped by many factors:
But perhaps most important in determining the academic environment toward curriculum
development is the quality of students’ relationships with other students and with the
academic’s staff.
Philosophy:
It is the vital factor in curriculum development it forms the basis for the final
selection of the aims and objectives of the curriculum.
The major purpose of education is to bring out change in behavior of the student.
The type of change brought about is influenced by philosophy of education
Life Activities:
The term life activities include the personal activities in which the students will
engage as a person of society. These are categorized as professional, family, civic or
community, leisure, spiritual. The effective preparation of life activities involves the growth
of the student’s individual capacities and in social participation
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Factors And Forces Influencing Curriculum Development
2-External forces:
External factors that have strong influence on curriculum development are several some of
them important are following
1. Technological
2. Knowledge
3. Ideology
4. Political
5. Learning Theories
6. Environment
Technological
Knowledge
Descriptive knowledge consists of statement about things that can be perceived directly
or in principles. It include facts, laws rules theories principles etc. and states that things are
this way or that they act in this way.
Normative knowledge consist of rules, the norms, the standards and the like of which
individual make moral or aesthetic choices.
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Factors And Forces Influencing Curriculum Development
The utilization of knowledge from other discipline and synthesizing the knowledge
into a body of knowledge to solve particular problems has long been done in professional
fields.
It has been suggested that knowledge and ways of acquiring it in the curriculum be
selected in relation to two roles – the onlooker role and participant role.
Onlooker would be the person who needs sufficient back ground knowledge to
understand the principles from a particular field of enquiry.
Participant would be the scholar in the individual discipline who needs much more
mastery in the field in question and of its modes of inquiry so that he could carry on study
in the field.
Ideology
Social Ideology including religion, culture and social groupings affects curriculum
development because these characteristics influence the types of topics and methods for
teaching information. Developing relevant curriculum takes into account society's
expectations, accommodating group traditions and promoting equality.
Political
Politics influences curriculum design and development starts with funding. Both
private and public educational institutions rely on funding for hiring personnel, building
and maintaining facilities and equipment. All aspects of curriculum depend on local, state
and national political standards. From defining goals, interpreting curricular materials to
approving examination systems, politics affects curriculum development.
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Factors And Forces Influencing Curriculum Development
Learning Theories
Both child and adult learning theories within the psychology field influence
interactive activities and experiences initiated at the most opportune teaching moment.
Environment
World awareness and action toward reversing and ending pollution continues
focused degrees.
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