Purita P. Bilbao, Ed. D.

Filomena T. Dayagbil, Ed. D.

Brenda B. Corpuz, Ph. D.
• Module 2 The Teacher as a Knower of Curriculum

 Lesson 1 The School Curriculum:

Definition, Nature and Scope
 Lesson 2 Approaches to School Curriculum
 Lesson 3 Curriculum Development:
Processes and Models
 Lesson 4 Foundations of Curriculum
Development
 Lesson 4
Foundations of
Curriculum Development
 Describe the foundations of curriculum
development
 Explain how each foundation influences the
curriculum development
• Curriculum development is anchored on a very solid
foundation.
• Although considered to be a new discipline, its
significance in the light of global developments has
now been acknowledged.
• What philosophical, historical, psychological and
sociological influences inform the current school
curriculum?
• How do these foundations reflect the development
of curriculum in our 21st century classrooms and
learning environment?
• Who are the identified curricularists with these
foundations? Let us find out!
Content Focus
Foundations of Curriculum
1. Philosophical Foundations
2. Historical Foundations
3. Psychological Foundations
4. Sociological Foundations
Philosophical Foundations
Philosophical Foundations
• Educators, teachers, educational planners and policy
makers must have a philosophy or strong belief
about education and schooling and the kind of
curriculum in the teachers’ classrooms or learning
environment.
• Philosophy of the curriculum answers questions like:
- What are schools for?
- What subjects are important?
- How should students learn?
- What methods should be used?
- What outcomes should be achieved? Why?
• The various activities in school are influenced in one
way or another by a philosophy.
• John Dewey influenced the use of “Learning by
Doing”, he is a pragmatist.
• Or to an essentialist, the focus on the fundamentals
of reading, writing and arithmetic are essential
subjects in the curriculum.
• There are many philosophies in education but we will
illustrate only those presented by Ornstein and
Hunkins in 2004.
A. Perennialism
• Aim: To educate the rational person; cultivate
intellect
• Role: Teachers assist students to think with reason
(critical thinking HOTS)
• Focus: Classical subjects, literary analysis. Curriculum
is enduring.
• Trends: Use of great books (Bible, Qur’an, Classics)
and Liberal Arts
B. Essentialism
• Aim: To promote intellectual growth of learners to
become competent
• Role: Teachers are sole authorities in the subject area
• Focus: Essential skills of the 3Rs; essential subjects
• Trends: Back to basics, excellence in education,
cultural literacy
C. Progressivism
• Aim: Promote democratic social living
• Role: Teacher leads for growth and development of
lifelong learners
• Focus: Interdisciplinary subjects, learner-centered,
outcomes-based
• Trends: Equal opportunities for all, contextualized
curriculum, humanistic education
D. Reconstructionism
• Aim: To improve and reconstruct society, education
for change
• Role: Teacher acts as agent of change and reform
• Focus: Present and future educational landscape
• Trends: School and curricular reform, global
education, collaboration and convergence, standards
and competencies
Historical Foundations
Historical Foundations
• Where is curriculum development coming from?
• Reading materials would tell us that curriculum
development started when Franklin Bobbit (1876-
1956) wrote the book “The Curriculum.”
• Let us see how each one contributed to curriculum
development during his own time.
Franklin Bobbit (1876-1956)
• He started the curriculum deve-
lopment movement.
• Curriculum prepares learners for
adult life.
• Objectives and activities should
group together when tasks are
clarified.
Werret Charters (1875-1952)
• Like Bobbit, he posited that
curriculum is science and
emphasizes students’ needs.
• Objectives and activities should
match.
• Subject matter or content
relates to objectives.
William Kilpatrick (1875-1952)
• Curricula are purposeful activities
which are child-centered.
• The purpose of the curriculum is child
development and growth.
• He introduced this project method
where teacher and student plan the
activities.
• Curriculum develops social rela-
tionships and small group instruction.
Harold Rugg (1886-1960)
• Curriculum should develop the
whole child. It is child –centered.
• With the statement of objectives
and related learning activities,
curriculum should produce out-
comes.
• Emphasized social studies and
suggested that the teacher plans
curriculum in advance.
Hollis Caswell (1901-1989)
• Curriculum is organized around social
functions of themes, organized
knowledge and learner’s interest.
• Curriculum, instruction and learning
are interrelated.
• Curriculum is a set of experiences.
Subject matter is developed around
social functions and learner’s
interests.
Ralph Tyler (1902-1994)
• Curriculum is a science and
extension of schools’ philosophy.
It is based on student’s needs and
interest.
• Curriculum is always related to
instruction. Subject-matter is
organized in terms of knowledge,
skills and values.
Hilda Taba (1902-1967)
• She contributed to the theoretical
and pedagogical foundations of
concepts development and critical
thinking in social studies
curriculum.
• She helped lay the foundation for
diverse students population.
Peter Oliva (1992-2012 (?))
• He described how curriculum
change is a cooperative endeavor.
• Teachers and curriculum specialist
constitute the professional core of
planners.
• Significant improvement is
achieved through group activity.
Psychological Foundations
Psychological Foundations
• Psychology provides a basis to understand the
teaching and learning process.
• It unifies elements of the learning process.
• Questions can be addressed are the following:
- How should curriculum be organized to enhance
learning?
- What is the optimal level of students’ participation
in learning the various contents of the curriculum?
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
• He is the father of the Classical
Conditioning Theory, the S-R
Theory
• The key to learning in early years
of life is to train them what you
them to become.
• S-R Theory is a foundation of
learning practice called
indoctrination.
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)
• He championed the
Connectionism Theory
• He proposed the three laws of
learning:
-Law of Readiness
-Law of Exercise
-Law of Effect
• Specific stimulus has specific
response.
Robert Gagne (1916-2002)
• He proposed the Hierarchical
Learning Theory.
• Learning follows a hierarchy.
• Behavior is based on prerequisite
conditions.
• He introduced tasking in the
formulation of objectives.
Jean Piaget (1869-1980)
• Cognitive development has stages from
birth to maturity: Sensorimotor stage (0-2),
Pre-operational stage (2-7), Concrete
operational stage (7-11) and Formal
operations (11-onwards)
Keys to learning
• Assimilation (incorporation of new
experience)
• Accommodation (learning modification and
adaptation)
• Equilibration (balance between previous
and later learning)
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
• Cultural transmission and
development: children could, as a
result of their interaction with society,
actually perform certain cognitive
actions prior to arriving at
developmental stage.
• Learning precedes development
• Sociocultural development theory
Howard Gardner
• Humans have several different ways of
processing information and these ways
are relatively independent of one
another.
• There are 8 intelligences: linguistic,
logical-mathematical, musical, spatial,
bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal,
intrapersonal and naturalistic.
Daniel Goleman
• Emotion contains the power to affect
action.
• He called this Emotional Quotient.
Gestalt
• Learning is explained in terms of
“wholeness” of the problem
• Human beings do not respond to
isolated stimuli but to an organized or
pattern of stimuli
• Learning is complex and abstract
• Learners analyze the problem,
discriminate between essential and
nonessential data, and perceive
relationships
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
• He advanced the Self-Actualization Theory
and classic theory of human needs.
• A child whose basic needs are not met will
not be interested in acquiring knowledge of
the world.
• He put importance to human emotions,
based on love and trust.
• Produce a healthy and happy learner who
can accomplish, grow and actualize his or
her human self.
Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
• Nondirective and Therapeutic Learning
He established counseling procedures and
methods for facilitating learning.
• Children’s perceptions which are highly
individualistic, influence their learning and
behavior in class.
• Curriculum is concerned with process not
product; personal needs, not subject
matter, psychological meaning, not
cognitive scores.
Sociological Foundations
Schools and Society
• Society as a source of change
• Schools as agents of change
• Knowledge as an agent of change
John Dewey (1859 – 1952)
• considered two fundamental
elements – schools and civil society
– to be major topics needing
attention and reconstruction to
encourage experimental intelligence
and plurality.
Alvin Toffler
• wrote the book Future Shock
• believed that knowledge should prepare
students for the future.
• suggested that in the future, parents
might have the resources to teach
prescribed curriculum from home as a
result of technology, not in spite of it
(Home Schooling)
• Foresaw schools and students worked
creatively, collaboratively and
independent of their age.
• In summary, the foundation upon which curriculum is
based are interrelated to each other.
 -End of Lesson 4-
Accomplish Module 2 – Lesson 4