Approaches to

Curriculum
Designing
Types of Curriculum Design
Models

Subject-Centered
Design

Learner-Centered
Design

Problem-Centered
Design
 Subject-Centered
Design

Henry has some

Morrison and variations
William Harris which are
focused on
focuses on the individual
the content of subject,
the specific
curriculum discipline and
a combination
corresponds of subjects or
mostly to disciplines
textbooks which are
broad field or
1.
oldest and the most
1
S familiar design for
teachers, parents and
U
other laymen
B
easy to
J
deliver
E
C learning is
T compartmentalize

forgets students’ natural

D tendencies, interests
E and experiences
S
I traditional approach to
G teaching and learning
N
1.
2
D
I
S focuses on academic
C discipline
I
P
L often use in college, but
I not in elementary or
N secondary level
E

D from a subject centered

E curriculum, curriculum
S moves higher to a
I discipline
G
N
1.
3
C
O
R links separate subject
R designs in order to
E reduce fragmentation
L
A
T subjects are related to
I one another and still
O maintain their identity
N

D teachers should come

E together and plan their
S lesson cooperatively
I
G
N
1. variation of the subject-
4I centered design
N
T was made to cure the
E compartmentalization of the separate
R subjects and integrate the contents
D that are related to one another
I
S sometimes called holistic
curriculum
C
I broad fields draw around
P themes and integration
L
I similar to thematic
N design, where a specific
A theme is identified and
R all other subject areas
Y resolve around the
 Learner-Centered
Design
the learner is however,
the center of more concern
the educative has been
process placed on the
secondary
and even in
emphasis is tertiary levels
very strong in
elementary
2. CHILD-CENTERED
1 DESIGN
often attributed to the
influence of John Dewey,
Rouseau, Pestallozi and
Froebel
anchored on the needs and
interests of the child

learner is not considered a

passive individual

learners interact with the

teachers and the
environment
learning is a product of the
child’s interaction with the
environment
2. EXPERIENCE-CENTERED
2 DESIGN

similar to the child-centered

design
the focus remains to be the
child
believes that the interests
and needs of the learners
cannot be pre-planned

experiences become the

starting point of the
curriculum, thus the school
environment is left open and
free
learners are made to choose
from various activities that
the teacher provide

the emergence of multiple

intelligence theory blends
well with experience-
centered design curriculum
2. HUMANISTIC
3 DESIGN
Abraham Maslow and Carl
Rogers are the key influence
of this curriculum
the development of self is the
ultimate objective of learning
stresses the whole person
and the integration of
thinking, feeling and doing
considers the cognitive,
affective and psychomotor
domains to be interconnected
stresses the development of
positive self-concept and
interpersonal skills
 Problem-Centered
Design
draws on content cut
social across
problems, subject
needs, boundaries
interests and and must be
abilities of based on the
the learners
emphasis on needs,
life concerns and
situations, abilities of
contemporary the students
life problems,
areas of living
and many
others
 3. LIFE-SITUATIONS
1 DESIGN
as a starting
uses the past point, the
contents are and present pressing
organized in experiences of immediate
ways that the learners as problems of the
allows students a means to society and the
to clearly view analyze the students’
problem areas basic areas of existing
living concerns are
utilized
 3. CORE PROBLEM
2 DESIGN
the central
centers on
focus of the
general
core design
education and
includes
the problems
common
are based on
needs,
the common
problems, and
human
concerns of
activities
the learners
Step 1. Make group consensus on important
problems.

Step 2. Develop criteria for selection of

important problem.

Step 3. State and define the

problem.
Step 4. Decide on areas of study, including
class grouping.

Step 5. List the needed information for

resources.
Step 6. Obtain and organize
information.
Step 7. Analyze and interpret the
information.

Step 8. State the tentative

conclusions.

Step 9. Present a report to the class individually

or by group.

Step 10. Evaluate the

conclusions.

Step 11. Explore other avenues for further

problem solving.
Approaches to Curriculum
Design
CHILD OR LEARNER-CENTERED
APPROACH

curriculum is
based on the curriculum is
also built
underlying constructed
upon the
philosophy based on the
learners’
that the child needs,
knowledge,
or learner is interests and
skills,
the center of purposes and
previous
the learning abilities of
learnings and
process the learners
potentials
Principles of Child-Centered Curriculum
Approach
1. Acknowledge and respect the
fundamental rights of the child.

2. Make
Makeall
allactivities
activitiesrevolve around
revolve the the
around overall
development of the learner.
overall development of the learner.

3. Consider
Considerthetheuniqueness
uniquenessof every learner
of every in
learner
multicultural classroom.
in multicultural classroom.

4. Consider
Considerusing
usingdifferentiated instruction
differentiated or
instruction
teaching.
or teaching.

5. Provide a motivating supportive learning

environment for all the learner.
SUBJECT-CENTERED
APPROACH
prescribes
separate distinct
subjects for
every
educational level
: basic
education,
higher education
or vocational-
technical
education
Principles of Subject-Centered Curriculum
Approach
1. The primary focus is the subject
matter.
2. The emphasis is on bits and pieces of
information which may be detached from
life.
3. The subject matter serves as a means of
identifying problems of living.

4. Learning means accumulation of content,

or knowledge.

5. Teacher’s role is to dispense the

content.
 PROBLEM-CENTERED
APPROACH

problem solving enables the

assumes that in the process learners to become
of living, children increasingly able to achieve
experiences problems complete or total
development as individual
Views and Beliefs of Problem-Centered
Approach

1. The learners are capable of directing and

guiding themselves in resolving problems,
thus developing every learner to be
independent.
2. The learners are prepared to assume their
civic responsibilities through direct
participation in different activities.

3. The curriculum leads the learners in the

recognition of concerns and problems in
seeking solutions. Learners are problem
solvers themselves.