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Foundations of Curriculum Development

The document discusses the foundations of curriculum, including philosophical, psychological, historical, sociological, and legal foundations. It explains how each foundation shapes curriculum development. Specifically, it outlines how philosophical foundations influence defining a school's purpose and identifying essential subjects. Psychological foundations provide information on teaching and learning processes. Historical foundations show how curriculum adapts over time. Sociological foundations emphasize society's influence on education. Legal foundations require curriculum to address students' diversity and global issues while reflecting a country's culture. The intended learning outcomes are for pre-service teachers to understand how foundations shape curriculum conceptions and how schools develop curriculum.

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293 views2 pages

Foundations of Curriculum Development

The document discusses the foundations of curriculum, including philosophical, psychological, historical, sociological, and legal foundations. It explains how each foundation shapes curriculum development. Specifically, it outlines how philosophical foundations influence defining a school's purpose and identifying essential subjects. Psychological foundations provide information on teaching and learning processes. Historical foundations show how curriculum adapts over time. Sociological foundations emphasize society's influence on education. Legal foundations require curriculum to address students' diversity and global issues while reflecting a country's culture. The intended learning outcomes are for pre-service teachers to understand how foundations shape curriculum conceptions and how schools develop curriculum.

Uploaded by

aldwinabron
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

CONTENT: Unit II.

FOUNDATIONS of CURRICULUM
TIME ALLOTMENT: Week 3-6
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of unit II, pre-service teachers should be able to:
a. discuss how the different foundations of the curriculum have shaped the current
conceptions in curriculum, and;
b. gather information on how a school develops its curriculum to enrich teaching practice.

Foundations are the forces that influence the minds of curriculum developers, which affect
the content and structure of the curriculum. These forces are beliefs and orientations as well as
conceptions of learning and the needs of society. Foundation of curriculum is rooted with the
foundation of education.

A. Philosophical Foundation
Educators, curriculum makers, and teachers must have espoused a philosophy or
philosophies deemed necessary for planning, implementing, and evaluating a school
curriculum. The philosophy they have embraced will help them achieve the following:
1. define the school’s purpose
2. identify the essential subjects to be taught,
3. design the kind of learning students must have,
4. develop approaches or methodologies on how students can acquire the necessary
knowledge, skills and attitude,
5. produce the instructional materials,
6. identify the methods and strategies to be used, and
7. determine how teachers will evaluate students.

Likewise, philosophy offers solutions to problems by helping the administrators,


curriculum planners and teachers make sound decisions. A person’s philosophy
reflects his/her life experiences, social and economic background, shared beliefs,
and education.
B. Psychological Foundations
The curriculum is influenced by psychology. Psychology provides information about
the teaching and learning process. It also seeks answers as to how a curriculum will be
organized to achieve students’ learning at the optimum level and what amount of
information they can absorb in learning the various contents of the curriculum.
The following are some psychological theories in learning that served as major
foundations of curriculum development.
a. Behaviorism
Education in the 20th century was dominated by behaviorism. The mastery of the
subject matter is given more emphasis. So, learning is organized in a step-by-step
process. The use of drills and repetition is common. For this reason, many
educational psychologists viewed it as mechanical and routine. Though many are
skeptical about this theory, we can’t deny the influences it had on our educational
system.
b. Cognitivism
Cognitive theorists focus on how individuals process information; monitor and
manage their thinking. The basic questions that cognitive psychologists zero in on
are:
 How do learners process and store information?
 How do they retrieve data and generate conclusions?
 How much information can they absorb?
With their beliefs, they promote the development of problem-solving and
thinking skills and popularize reflective thinking, creative thinking, intuitive
thinking, discovery learning, and others.
c. Humanism
This is taken from Gestalt’ theory, Abraham Maslow’s theory, and Carl Roger’s
theory. This group of psychologist is concerned with the development of human
potential.
In this theory, the curriculum is after the process, not the product; focuses on
personal needs, not on the subject matter; and clarifying psychological meanings
and environmental situations. In short, curriculum views founded on humanism, that
learners are human beings who are affected by their biology, culture and
environment. They are neither machines nor animals.
Along this line, curriculum developers must craft a more advanced, more
comprehensive curriculum that promotes human potential. Teachers don’t only
educate the minds, but the hearts as well.
C. Historical Foundations
The history of one’s country can affect its educational system and the kind of the
curriculum. Moreover, history also shows how curriculum adapts to the time when it is
implemented: how its purpose, principles, and content change overtime. The learners
don’t adjust; it’s the curricula because of the needs of the learners.
By analyzing past periods of curriculum, it is possible to view and review the needed
curriculum in terms of current and future educational needs.
D. Sociological Foundations
Among the major foundations of curriculum development, the sociological theory
emphasizes the influence of society to education. It is founded on the belief that there is
a mutual and encompassing relationship between society and curriculum because it
exists within the social context. Though schools are formal institutions that educate the
people, other units of the society educate or influence the way people think, such as
families and friends, and communities.
Since society is dynamic, many developments are difficult to cope with and adjust.
But the schools are made to address and understand the changes not only in one’s
country but in the world as well.
E. Legal Foundations
A knowledge of the legal system provides the foundation from which one can begin
to understand and apply the principles of constitutional, administrative and judicial law
to school settings. The courts have played an important role in the development of the
educational system.
Therefore, schools must be relevant by making their curriculum more innovative and
interdisciplinary, a curriculum that can address global learners’ diversities, the explosion
of knowledge through the internet, and the educational reforms and policies
recommended by the United Nations.
However, it is also imperative that a country must have maintained a curriculum that
reflects its culture and aspirations for national unity. No matter how far people go, it is
the country’s responsibility to ensure that the school serves the purpose of educating
the citizenry.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENTS:
1. Based on the different foundations of the curriculum, why do you think the Department
of Education and Culture implement the K to 12 and the mother tongue-based
curriculum?
2. Give your comment/s on “Teachers don’t only educate the minds, but the hearts as
well.”
3. How can schools make its curriculum relevant to the changing time?

Common questions

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Curriculum developers' personal philosophies influence curriculum by shaping its focus on specific learning outcomes. Their educational beliefs determine the intended purpose of education, prioritized subjects, and how learning is structured and evaluated. Developers' philosophies govern the pedagogical approaches and methods chosen, aligning the curriculum with their educational values and the philosophical objectives they hold .

Legal foundations guide curriculum development by providing a framework to incorporate educational reforms and policies that address global learners’ diversities and the explosion of knowledge. They ensure curricula reflect national culture and aspirations for unity, while adapting to international benchmarks and recommendations from organizations like the United Nations. This legal grounding maintains curriculum relevance and compliance with evolving educational directives .

Humanism influences curriculum design by prioritizing personal needs over subject matter and fostering human potential development. It emphasizes learners’ holistic development, considering their biological, cultural, and environmental contexts. This approach enables curricula to address psychological and environmental factors, creating learning environments that enhance personal growth and cater to the individual's full potential .

Cognitive psychology contributes to curriculum development by focusing on information processing, memory, and reasoning skills. It informs curriculum planners on how students process, store, and retrieve information, promoting problem-solving and reflective thinking. This foundation helps in creating curricula that enhance cognitive skills, support discovery learning, and foster intuitive thinking .

Historical foundations affect the evolution of educational curricula by reflecting how the curricula adapt to societal changes, needs, and historical contexts. They demonstrate how educational purposes, principles, and content evolve to meet current and future educational demands. Historical analysis of curricula allows for reflection on past changes and informs contemporary curriculum innovation and adaptation .

Behaviorism impacts curriculum organization and learning processes by highlighting the mastery of the subject matter, emphasizing a step-by-step learning approach, and employing drills and repetition. While criticized for being mechanical, it has significantly influenced educational systems by structuring curricula to focus on observable behaviors and measurable outcomes .

Philosophical foundations inform the methodologies and strategies in educational curricula by defining educational goals and the nature of knowledge and learning. They dictate the kind of learning experiences deemed necessary, influence the selection of teaching methods, and guide the creation of instructional materials. Philosophical beliefs of educators directly impact how these strategies are devised, ensuring they align with broader philosophical objectives .

Sociological foundations shape educational curricula by emphasizing the reciprocal influence between society and education, embedding curricula within the societal context. Schools, as formal institutions, respond to dynamic societal changes, addressing local and global developments and societal influences from families, communities, and other societal units. This adaptability ensures curricula remain relevant amid changing societal needs and global trends .

Philosophical foundations influence curriculum development by guiding educators, curriculum planners, and teachers in defining the school's purpose, identifying essential subjects, designing learning experiences, developing methodologies, producing instructional materials, and determining evaluation methods. The embraced philosophy helps make sound decisions addressing educational problems and reflects aspects of life experiences, social and economic background, shared beliefs, and education .

Schools ensure their curricula remain relevant by analyzing historical changes, adapting to sociocultural dynamics, integrating legal requirements, and considering philosophical and psychological insights. They revise curricula to respond to contemporary demands, promote diversity and inclusivity, and align educational content with both national identity and global standards. This ongoing adaptation accommodates shifts in societal needs and technological advancements .

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