BRUNERS

SPIRAL
APPROACH IN
THE
REFORMATION
OF THE
PHILIPPINE
EDUCATIONAL
SUBMITTED BY ;
MARK JANREE VALENCIA
JEWEL GRACE MANGLA-LAN
KATRINA COPIAS
KRSYATL MAE ANCHETA

JEROME BRUNERS SPIRAL APPROACH

Learning should not only take us somewhere; it should allow
us later to go further more easily.
(Bruner, The Process of Education, 1977, p. 17)
As reflected in his book The Process of Education first
published in 1960, Jerome Bruner subscribes to the theory of
constructivism. Constructivism is the theory that learners
construct their own knowledge based on the things they
currently know and have known in the past.

 He argues that the curriculum should revisit basic ideas

and repeatedly build upon these ideas until the learner
understands fully. He suggests that the early teaching
of a subject should put emphasis on grasping the basic
ideas intuitively. He advises that the curriculum should
revisit these principal ideas repeatedly, building
cumulatively upon them, gradually making connections
between fundamental ideas and new ones until the
students understand them fully. Bruner recommends
that the curriculum be built upon the natural thinking
processes of the learner. He argues that the child
should be presented with ideas that are not too distant
from his or her natural way of thinking.

THE SPIRAL APPROACH AND THE K TO 12

CURRICULUM
In the K to 12 Education Program, the spiral progression approach by
John Bruner will be used in teaching Science, Mathematics, Araling
Panlipunan (Social Studies), MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education,
and Health) and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (Values Education).

Mathematics
In the old curriculum, learners were taught Science and Mathematics
using the discipline-based approach. In the K to 6 Mathematics
curriculum, the subject had to be learned comprehensively and with
much depth. On the other hand, in the new Mathematics curriculum,
there is a continuity of learning from K to Grade 10 (p. 37). On top of
this, the spiral approach is followed, in lieu of the discipline-based
approach utilized in the old curriculum.

Science
The new Science curriculum strongly links science
and technology, including indigenous technologies
to preserve the countrys distinct culture (p.39). In
the old curriculum, Science was taught using the
discipline-based approach in the most part of high
school (Biology in 2nd Year, Chemistry in 3rd Year,
Physics in 4th Year). In the new curriculum, spiral
approach will be applied in teaching science
concepts and applications in all subjects. SEAMO
INNOTECHs K-to-12 kit states further that concepts
and skills in Life Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, and

CONCLUSION
The aim of this reform is to decongest and
enhance the curriculum so as to facilitate the
mastery of basic competencies. This paper
concludes that the spiral approach by John
Bruner can contribute to the achievement of
this aim. Integrated and seamless learning, as
one of the salient features of the K to 12
Education Program, is indeed not impossible
because the new curricula of the subjects