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CURRICULUM CHANGE OR REVISION OR INNOVATIONS

I. INTRODUCTION

Curriculum is a runway for attaining goals of education. It is considered as a

blueprint of an educational programme. The basis for any major curriculum change
is significantly to improve the existing curriculum. The Process of Curriculum
change helps in the assessment of future needs of the existing curriculum along
with a determination of what needs to be changed and the selection of possible
.solutions to problems and the means by which the necessary changes can be
achieved.

II. MEANING

Curriculum revision means making the curriculum different in some way, to give it
a new position or direction. This often means alteration to its philosophy by way of
its aims and objectives, reviewing the content included, revising its methods and
re-thinking its evaluator procedures

III. DEFINITION

Curriculum innovation has been defined as the acceptance overtime of specific

item, ideas, and practice by individuals, groups or other adopting units, linked by
specific channels of communication to a social structure, and to a given system of
values or structure.

-Katz, Levin, Hamilton

Curriculum innovation is a deliberate, normal, specific change, which is thought to

be more efficacious in accomplishing the goals of the systems.

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 -Mathew B Moles

IV. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CHANGE IN CURRICULUM

1. General Factors

• Population growth

, Population pattern

• Move towards urbanization

, Consumption of natural resources

2. Health. Care Changes

• Increasing in Government control in health care

• Increasing need for health professional to work with other

Professionals as well as the client system

• Increasing the professionalization of health workers

• Increasing socialization of health field

, Increasing supply of the health workers perhaps resulting in more supply

• Rapid obsolescence of practice, skills and knowledge level

3. The following are the other factors affecting curriculum cna.nge

• Influential or outspoken individuals.

• Financial pressures, including resource availability

, Staff availability or workload.

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, employer or industry viewpoints.

• Current or prospective student viewpoints.

• Student abilities or limitations, or intake considerations.

, Pedagogical argument, or academic merit.

• University or Government requirement or regulation.

, Professional accreditation needs, or syllabi set by professional bodies.

• Academic “fashion”, including the desire to remain in step with other institutions.

IV. AREAS FOR CURRICULUM INNOVATION:

The areas need curricular innovation areas are as follows

� The content or the subject matter

., Teaching strategies

Language behaviour

Learning environment

Instructional materials

Time, space and personnel.

Evaluation.

VI.NEEDTOCHANGETHECURRICULUM

• To restructure the curriculum according to the needs, interests or abilities of the

learner.

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• To eliminate unnecessary units, teaching methods and contents.

, To introduce latest and update methods of teaching and content, new knowledge
and practices.

• To add or delete number of clinical hours of instruction.

To correlate between the student’s theory courses and clinical learning practices.

To select clinical learning experiences base on the objectives rather than on the
service needs of the hospital.

The students themselves receive little or no experience in assuming responsibilities

or in making choices, everything is decided for them by the teacher or the
administrator.

VII. APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM REVISION

Change of curriculum can occur in the following forms

•;• Substitution: In this change, one element replaces another previously in use.
Examples are new textbooks, new equipment or the replacement of teachers and
administrators.

Deletion: Some elements are deleted to modify the curriculum

Alteration: This involves change in existing structures rather than a complete

replacement of the whole curriculum, syllabus or course of study.

❖ Addition: This is the introduction of a new component without changing old

elements or patterns. New elements are added to the existing program without
seriously disturbing the main structure and content of the prescribed curriculum.

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These could be support inputs such as audio-visual aids, workshops and
equipment.

•;• Restructuring: This involves the rearrangement of the curriculum in order to

implement desired changes. It may also involve the sharing of resources among a
group of schools or institutions

VII. PROCESS OF CURRICULUM CHANGE

Fredgreaves described the following seven stages in revision of a nursing

curriculum.

Stage 1 :

• If a curriculum development and evaluation committee does not exist, one should
be formed.

, It should act as a coordinating group for implementing the planned curriculum

change.

Stage 2:

• Appraise the existing nursing and educational practices which are representative
of the currently operating curriculum.

• Study carefully the existing curriculum and identify its strengths and weaknesses
by considering its overall intentions and purposes, including the basic values and
beliefs which are currently part of the lnstitute’s philosophy.

• Consider the extent to which the curriculum is offering educational and training
experiences for the students.

Stage 3:

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Make a detail study of the existing curriculum content to see whether it is still
relevant and appropriate to meet a knowledge base adequate for the changing role
of the professional nurse.

Give consideration to whether the skills, attitudes and knowledge to be learned are
still worthwhile and whether the present developing conceptual frameworks of
nursing knowledge are sufficiently represented in the curriculum.
stage 4 �

• Establish criteria for decisions about what needs to go into the curriculum and
what needs to come out and how the curriculum materials and methods might be
changed.

Stage 5:

This involves the design and writing of the new curriculum changes and these may
include the revised philosophy and aims of the curriculum including the new
intensions and purposes.

It also includes the revised objectives and the reformed content along with new
teaching-learning approaches.

Some of the existing evaluation procedures would need adjustment to fall in line
with new content and methodology.

Stage 6:

In this stage, the actual implementation of changes is put into action.

It successfully involves having knowledge of the change and the securing the
participation of those people necessary to enable the implementation.

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Teachers, students and others need to be well informed with respect to the changes
that are to take place.

Stage 7:

Following implementation of new changes it is important to evaluate the effects of

those changes and it is with evaluation that this final stage is concerned.

Evaluation is directed at the identification and collection of data and its analysis, in
order for the effects of changes to be measured and appropriate decisions and
judgments made.

VIII. MANAGEMENT OF CURRICULUM CHANGE

Ewell (1997) suggests that most curriculum changes are implemented piecemeal,
and, in fact, “without a deep understanding about what collegiate learning really
means and the specific circumstances and strategies that are likely to promote it.”

Ideally, according to Lachiver & Tardif (2002), curriculum change is managed in

a logical five-step process:

• An analysis of the current offerings and context;

, The expression of key program aims in a mission statement;

• A prioritization of resources and development strategies;

, The implementation of the targeted curricula change;

• The establishment of monitoring tools and processes.

IX. GUIDELINES FOR CURRICULUM CHANGE

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The factors and the process of change have already been considered that influence
the curriculum revision, some guidelines are offered for implementing the change:

• Try to work with those supportive forces within the organization, rather than
against those who are resistance to change.

• Aim to produce a self-motivated team of workers who get motivation from within
themselves.

• Work with the ‘healthy- part of the system, i.e. those who have the motivation
and resource to be able to improve, rather than on lost.

, ensure that the people are working with for change and have the freedom and
authority to implement the proposed changes.

, Try to obtain involvement of key personnel in the change program, but make this
realistic and appropriate.

• Protect team members from undue stress and pressure.

X, THE ROLES OF STAKEHOLDERS m CURRICULUM CHANGE

Stakeholders are individuals or institutions that are interested in the school

curriculum. Their interests vary in degree and complexity. They get involved in
many ways in the change, because the curriculum affects them directly or
indirectly. These stakeholders shape the school curriculum implementation.
Learners at the Center of the cuniculurn.- The learners are the very reason a
curriculum is developed. They are the ones who are directly influenced by it.
Learners in all levels make or unmake the curriculum by their active and direct
involvement. How each individual learner contributes to the realization of a
planned curriculum would depend on the interactions and internalization of the

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different learning experiences provided. After all, in curriculum implementation,
the concluding question will always be: has the learner learned?

ROLE OF PRINCIPALS IN CURRICULUM CHANGE

The director of nurse education or principal occupies a central position with regard
to innovation. The style of decision making of the principal is also important and
four styles of decision can be identified.

1. Tell decisions: The DNE makes the decision herself either because it is so
important or so trivial.
2. Decisions: He knows that there is only one course of action so he tries to
persuade other so that it will have a chance of success.
3. • Consult decisions: He gets options from all staff concerned, but takes the
final responsibility for making the decision herself.
4. Decisions: He allows other staffs to share the decision making process and
accepts he joint decision.

Principals must keep abreast of new changes: Principals must keep abreast of new
changes and developments in education. Keeping abreast of the latest educational
trends will assist principals to manage changes in the organizations effectively.

Principals should upgrade themselves: Being effective change agents, requires that
principals be knowledgeable about different approaches to change. It is
recommended that principals upgrade their skills approach, management style,
leadership and administration, for them to be in a position to understand their roles
as leaders and be able to influence educational change in schools. Principals need
to be empowered with different skills of curriculum management. Without an in
depth knowledge of the curriculum taught in their schools, principals are not likely
to find the way to successful educational transformation in their schools.
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Principals should work in collaboration. With other stakeholders:

Since schools are open systems, they are therefore not

immune to factors affecting the communities and external environment where they
function. It is the principals· responsibility to act in collaboration with all the
stakeholders involved i.e. parents, learners, educators and the community at large.
When curriculum changes are implemented, contributions and inputs from these
stakeholders should be solicited, for they give a guideline of their expectations and
need which should be included in the school curriculum.

Opportunities for staff development should be created: In the absence of inservice

courses arranged by the Education Department, principals should take the initiative
and develop their personnel through staff development programmes. Such
programmes are also useful for motivational purposes and for acquisition of
leadership skills by the staff.

Principals should establish. Unified teams in their schools.

Team work is much more than meetings of groups. It has to involve agreed
aims, active commitment and cooperation, adopt a problem solving approach and
devote time to team building. School teams need to be nurtured and developed if
they are to be an effective vehicle for organizing work. Team work remains a vital
component of school management. Decisions made by teams with appropriate
membership and skills are more likely to result in the right decisions and should
lead to ownership by every stakeholder who has to implement them.

Committees to design training programmes should be establish.ed in schools:

Committees like Staff Development Teams (SDT) should be established in

schools. These teams assist in re-establishing the culture of teaching, learning and

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service management in school. They also enhances the effective management of
curriculum change by both management and staff development teams. Staff
development teams are likely to facilitate the Developmental Appraisal System
(DASJ in schools. Staff development teams also facilitate the co-ordination of
various curriculum activities in schools.

ROLE OF TEACHER IN CURRICULUM CHANGE

 Teachers know the needs of all stakeholders of teacher education.

 Teachers can understand the psychology of the learner.
 Teachers are aware about the teaching methods and teaching strategies.
 Teachers also play the role as evaluator for the assessment of learning
outcomes. So teachers must possess some qualities such as planner,
designer, manager, evaluator, researcher, decision maker and administrator.
Teachers play the respective role for the each step of curriculum
development process
 The faculty of the program have valuable information about the program.
For example, they know the type of students in the program and their
learning abilities.
 Faculty also know the course content and, in many cases, know the
weaknesses of the courses.
 Their input into the process of curriculum revision is very valuable, but
many of them may be resistant to change – especially when they feel “their
course” is threatened.
 Leaving faculty out of the curriculum revision process invites resistance to
the proposed changes

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  The University of South Alabama College of Nursing addressed the problem
of faculty resistance to change through the use of the Nominal Group
Technique. A faculty retreat was held, and the participants were asked to
identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current undergraduate nursing
program. This approach led to faculty involvement in the curriculum process
and enthusiasm for the resulting program.
 Individual educators must engage in self development of their subjects. It is
recommended that educators improve their own professional development
by upgrading their knowledge and skills in changing curriculum. It is also
recommended that educators concern themselves with their own
development as leaders to sustain their capacity to change education.

ROLE OF STUDENTS IN CURRICULUM CHANGE

The issue of getting students involved in curriculum planning is not new. It can
be traced far back to the idea of Kilpatrick and Rugg, child centered curricularists
who outlined the role and concepts of curriculum making that involves students in
planning themes, units, lesson plans and school projects that allowed for
considerable student input. The phrase “considerable student input,” however,
suggests some limitations of how much students can and should be involved in the
change process, but does not deny the fact that students’ voice must be heard and
affected accordingly.

McNeil (2009) supports that students’ voice has much to contribute in what is
taught and what takes place at schools. Ornstein and Hunkins further consider
students as important sources for curriculum development. They contend that
students” ... should have a voice in curriculum development.

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  Students input is important in its own right, but allowing them to participate
in curriculum development also empowers them and encourages them to
take responsibility for matters that concern them.
 (2001) for instance, indicates that students have been ignored in the change
processes in that when adults think of students, they regard them as mere
potential beneficiaries of the changes rather than participants in the process
of change and organizational life.
 Then says that unless students have some meaningful role in curriculum
change enterprise, plans will fail because disengaged students lack a
meaningful personal connection with teachers and consequently they lack
the motivational capacity to become engaged in learning.
 Glatthorn etal (2009) argue that adoptive and instructional practices demand
students’ involvement in developing their own curriculum.
 Further maintain that involving students in cuniculum development
encourages them to explore the topics they study deeply and allows them a
voice of their own as well as opportunities to share their learning with
community, and makes them refreshed and revitalized as they experience the
benefits of their own initiatives.
 Failure to engage students in curriculum change process has some
detrimental effects in teaching-learning transaction.

ROLE OF PARENTS IN CURRICULUM CHANGE

Parents as supporters to the curriculum “my child and mi money go to this

school”. Reads a car sticker. What is the implication of this statement to the school
curriculum? It simply means that the parents are the best supporters of the school,
especially because they are the ones paying for the child’s education. Parent’s
voices are very loud and clear.
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 In our country, it is a general fact that even in college the parents are responsible
for their child’s education. The power of parent’s to influence curricula to include
instructional materials and school activities is great, such that success of curricula
would somehow depend on their support.

How do parents shape the curriculum and why are they considered as
stakeholders? Here are some observations: i. Effective parental involvement in
school affairs may be linked to parent educational programs which is central to
high quality educational experiences of the children. Ii. The parent’s involvement
extends from the confine of the school to the homes. Iii.In most schools the Parents
Association is organized

ROLE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN CURRICULUM CHANGE

 The success in the implementation of the curriculum requires resources.

However, most often teachers complain that resources are very scarce. There
are no books, materials nor facilities available. These are usual complaints of
teachers. The community members and materials in the existing local
community can very well substitute for what are needed to implement the
curriculum.
 Respected community members may be included in school boards as in
some schools. Other stakeholders in curriculum. Implementation There are
other important stakeholders in curriculum implementation.
 Professional organizations have shown great influence in school curriculum.
They are being asked by cuniculum specialists to contribute in curriculum
review because thei have a voice m licensure examinations, curriculum
enhancement and many more. Often, professional organizations are those of

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 each profession, like teachers’ organization, lawyers’ organizations, medical
doctors’ association, engineers’ organizations and many others.
 On the other hand, since all schools in the country, are under the regulation
of the national government as provided for in the Phil. Constitution, then the
government has a great stake in curriculum implementation. The
government 1s represented by the Dept of Education for basic education ·
curricula and the CHED for the tertiary and graduate education curricula.
These two government agencies have mandatory and regulatory powers over
the implementation of any curricula. The third government agency that has
high stake in the schools’ curricula is the professional regulation
commission (PRC)

ROLE OF OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN CURRICULUM CHANGE

Stakeholders are an important source of information about the needs of a

program.

 Students, alumni, faculty, and employers should be allowed to provide their

insights into the needs of the program. When university was considering a
revision of a program, surveys were conducted soliciting information from
students, alumni, faculty, the Board of Advisors, and employers.
 The data from the survey indicated changes needed to be made in the length
of the program, the availability of concentrations, and the content of the
program. For example, the survey results of the alumni and faculty of
university indicated the Research Methods and Statistics course contained
too much material on research methods and not enough material on
statistics. The result of this weakness was the modification of the course;
however, the entire curriculum did not need to be revised.

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  Other stakeholders also need to be considered, such as Schools, colleges &
Department of Education in India, as well as parents communities must
engage themselves in professional development and capacity building of
every individual responsible for education. The fast pace of change in the
country and the complexity of such change, warrant continuous learning by
all. Principals play a pivotal role of facilitating such changes. The School
Governing Bodies must also take the lead and initiative in facilitating
changes in schools. They must attend empowerment programmes where they
can be trained on issues of managing curriculum change.

XI. LIMITATIONS OF CURRICULUM CHANGE

There are many constraints on revision of the nursing curriculum. Some of these
are:

, Limitations of resources such as time, finance and energy.

Nurse teachers have overstretched work and other commitments for creative
curriculum planning.

Lack of motivate to change the curriculum.

The health of the organization to use medical metaphor and this reflects very much
the style of the head of the nursing institute.

XII. CONCLUSION

Changes in the nursing educational curriculum will provide a new position or

direction to our profession in the modern world. It is unlikely that the rate of
change will ever slow down to give the stable periods that were common in the

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past, so the implication is that we have got to get used to living with rapid change
and adjust accordingly.

CURRICULUM APPROACHES

Curriculum practitioners and implementers may use one or more approaches m

planning, implementing and evaluating the curriculum. Even textbook writers or
instructional material producers have different curricular approaches.

The following are the four curriculum approaches:

1. Behavioural Approach: This is based on a blueprint, where goals and

objectives are specified, contents and activities are also arranged to match
with the learning objectives. The learning outcomes are evaluated in terms
of goals and objectives set at the beginning. This approach started with the
idea or Frederick Taylor which is aimed to achieve efficiency. In education.
Behavioural approach begins with educational plans that start with the
setting of goals or objectives. These are the important ingredients m
curriculum implementation as evaluating the learning outcomes as a change
of behaviour. The change of behaviour indicates the measure of the
accomplishment.

2. Managerial Approach: In this approach, the principal is the curriculum

leader and at the same time instructional leader who 1s supposed to be the
general manager. The general manager sets the policies and priorities.
Establishes the direction of change and innovation, and planning and
organizing curriculum and instruction. School administrators are less
concerned about the content than about organization and implementation.

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 They are less concerned about subject matter, methods and materials than
improving the curriculum. Curriculum managers look at curriculum changes
and motivations as they administer the resources and restructure the schools.

Some of the roles of the Curnculum Supervisors are the fol lowing:

 Help develop the school’s education goals

 Plan curriculum with students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders
 Design programs of study by grade levels
 Plan or schedule classes or school calendar
 Prepare cumculum guides or teacher guides by grade level Or subject area
 Help in the evaluation and selection of textbooks
 Observe teachers assist teachers in the implementation of the curnculum
 Encourage curriculum mnovation and change develop standards for
curriculum and instructional evaluation
3. Systems Approach: This was influenced by systems theory; Where the parts
of the total school district or school are examined in terms of how they relate
to each other. The organizational chart of the school represents a systems
approach. It shows the line-staff relationships of personnel and how
decisions are made. The following are of equal importance: a) administration
b) counselling c) curriculum d) instruction e) evaluation.
4. Humanistic Approach: This approach is rooted in the progressive philosophy
and child-cantered movement. 1t considers the formal or planned curriculum
and the informal or hidden curriculum. It considers the whole child and
believes that in curriculum the total development of the individual is the
prune consideration. The learners at the centre of the curriculum.

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Curriculum Change / Innovation

Change is constant and an ongoing phenomenon in all spheres of life. Innovation is

the bringing in of something new. Innovation has been defined as “acceptance over
time of some specific item, ideas or practice by individuals, groups or other
adopting units, linked by specific channels of communication to a social structure,
and to a given system of values or structure” (Katz and Hamilton).

People usually resist any form of change. Some adopt easily to the change and
others adopt slowly. Therefore people have to be prepared for adopting tlle change.
Change is inevitable in all sphers of life. There is great demand for change in
education, change in political ideologies, in governments, and change in values of
society. Social, cultural and democratic secularism and religious influences are the
various factors affecting education and curriculum. With the plueralistics society, it
is difficult know what is to be the aims and purposes of education.

Most innovations are modification of existing ideas and adoption of other people’s
ideas. Any change, cultural , educational or social is adopted slowly and with some
amount of resistance. A very detail report of a study on curriculum change is given
in part two of this book.

Phases of Curriculum Change

Change in curriculum involves three phases namely, the planning, implememation

and evaluation. Any innovation in curriculum, need planning and a conscious
effort to implement the change and evaluation to know how effective was the
change, the problems involved in change and how to continue or stop the change
prcces

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Innovation can be introduced in any component of curriculum since a total change
in curriculum is not often necessary. It may be only a change in concept
organization of component adding new content or deleting certain aspects, adding
new courses according to the social needs, technological advancementor change
due to change in student characteristics and needs.

1. The Planning Phase

There is need for a curriculum committee to study, report and make plans for the
change in curriculum. There should be involvement of administration, faculty and
students in the curriculum. Change. Reviewing of the cur. Riculum is the first
phase of the cwriculum change. During the first phase the curriculum should be
reviewed by a committee to identify areas that need to be changed. The objectives,
learning experiences provided, teaehing and learning activities need to be studied.
It is also neces.wy to get the views of studenm and expeI1s in the field Objectives
have to be reviewed and changed as necessary.

The planning phase, during which the report of the review committee is studied.
When planning the change, it is necessary to decide, how extensive the change
should be, where should the change be; throughout the curriculum or only in
selected areas and how should the change be introduced. The data collected during
the first phase would help to make these decisions. The change take place at
various levels. The objectives and philosophy should be examined keeping in mind
the required change. The change, next will be at the course level and in the broader
departmental level. The teachers have to study the course content and methods of
teaching and the learning experience provided. – It may be necessary to arrange for
orientation programmes for the staff to prepare them for change and to overcome
resistance to change ....

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 2. Implementation phase

This is the second phase in curriculum change. Once the curriculum plan has been
finalized, the course modification steps have to be taken. The change plan will be
implemented by formulating objectives, course conteni learning methods, teaching
approaches and evaluation procedures. The bebaviour changes expected in the
students, with the implementation of the change have to be clearly stated.
Appropriate learning experiences have to be provided to the students. New
teaching methods also may have to be accepted according to change.

3. Evaluation Phase

Evaluation methods and procedures are made at the planning phase. Evaluation
must be used to monitor the progress of the students learning to determine the
extent to which the objectives have been achieved and to find ways of improving
teaching learning methods. This will give feed back to the planners and should be
used to further improvement of curriculum.

Implementing the plan of change in curriculum requires a systematic

development of the content learning experiences and evaluation. There are certain
principles to be made use of when changing a curriculum. Change occurs within
the imtitutionand in the participants of change. Most of the changes in eduction, in
India, comes as a result of National or state governments recommendations or
directions from university or Boards of Education.

Guidelines for Changing Cuniculum:

I . When a change occurs, there are forces which support and those oppose the
change. Try to work with those supportive forces especially in the initial phase of
change.

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Try to produce a self motivated team of workers who get power from within
theJmelves.

• Ensure that the people who are working for the change have freedom and
authority to implement the proposed change.

• Get the key personnel in the institution and get them involved in the change.

Protect the team members from undue stress and strain. Support and encourage
them in their work.

The person or group working on change should maintain good interpersonal

relationship and skills to manage the staff.

Figure 12 shows strategy for a curriculum change using the systems approach.
Various constraints for the change are to be identified such as physical, financial,
timing, policy and selection. Selection and acceptance of the change is made
depending on cost effectiveness, time available, policy and performance of staff.
The input for the system are the need for change and goals set which are clearly
stated. Alternatives are planned and tested. Selection criteria are used for suitable
approach to change and implementation of change. Experimental pilot study is
done selecting only a part of the system. Necessary resources must be provided to
implement the change. The output, the effectiveness of the new curriculum in
achieving the desired goals must be evaluated and feed back given for further
change or improvement. The system has to achieve the goals as planned and
maintain equilibrium.

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Factors Influencing Change Innovations

Are many factors which influence curriculum change. Some are supporting forces
and others are opposing forces. The external forces which strongly influence
change are recommendations and directions from validating bodies such as
university and examination boards. The constraining influences learners, politics,
policy, financial and material limitations, staffing, time and physical environment
The principal/dean of the college bas an important role to play in planning and
implementing the change. Her/his style of leadership or decision-making may
affect the change negatively or positively. The climate of the school, the
enthusiasm creativity and ideas of staff will influence change. The staff who are
lazy and not interested in making any change in the routine activity of teaching and
learning will not be of help in experimenting with a change.

If new curricu1a are to be implemented, those members within the school who
wish to introduce the change will need to negotiate with colleagues and other
interested parties to get the change accepted. The leaders will have to approach the
members highlighting and empha.ming the advantages to be gained by the
proposed change and possibly backing this up with supporting evidences from
research and literature. C’nange canalw be approached through �ucative from
research and literature. Change can also be approached through �cative strategies.
Staff education programmes need to be arranged to introduce the change to the
staff. In order for the change to be implemented and new curricula to be developed,
there frrst needs to be the adoption of a new idea, by keY people, the innovators,
staff involved, outside agencies which are relevant and students to promote
acceptance. Innovation will have greater acceptability if it stems from within the
organisation. This process of adoption is illustrated in figure 13 which indicates,
not only the insiders and the outsiders be required to change their perspective, but

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also the innovator may be required to modify her original ideas in order to gain
their acceptance and adoption in practice.

APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM PLANNING

Would seem from the foregoing discussion on curriculum change that the
successful innovator of change and innovation requires a combination of personal
qualities and expertise. She needs to have good interpersonal skills in order to
manage the staff and minimize anxiety. So far we have discussed the concept of
curriculum change and innovations from a number of perspectives.

TRENDS IN NURSING EDUCATION IN INDIA

It is a little more than a century since organized nursing and nursing education first
started in India The training of nurses began in Government Hospital, Madras, in
1871.1 At first the training involved brief periods of two to six months of practical
experience, then called “sick nursing”. There were no fixed standards of age,
education, and length of training required for nurses.

This kind of training prevailed throughout most of India until approximately the
tum of the century. At that time the requirement was six years of schooling before
entering a two-year course of education for nursing. The present basic program for
nursing edu�tion throughout India includes three years of schooling before
entering a two-year course of education for musing. The present basic program for
nursing education throughout India includes three years of training followed by six
to nine months of special training in midwifery. The requirement for admission
into the basic diploma program is completion of high school; the cannote should
also be at least seventeen years old at the time of admission.

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Year 194 7 is a kind of landmark in nursing education as well as in India political
history. Since that year of independence, the quality of nursing education has
progressed steadily. Even casual examination of changing emphases shows a series
of developments far beyond the initial “sick nursing”. A major concern now is for
prevention of illness as well as for therapy.

This has called for the addition of physical and biological sciences to the basic
curriculum. Beginning in 1960, courses in public health and mental hygiene were
added to the training program. The publication of the “CurricuIum Guide for
Nursing and Midwifery Training” in ‘965 by the Indian Nursing Council, assisted
by the World Health Organization, greatly influenced the integration of the concept
of public health into the nursing curriculum,

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