CURRICULUM PLANNING
What
is Curriculum?
Davidson (2005) defined curriculum as a planned school
instruction, prior to actual classroom teaching, designed for learners in the
form of educational programmes under the guidance of the teacher (implementer)
who acts as a catalyst in the reconstruction of the child’s behavior. Tanner
and Tanner (1975) in Davidson (2005) have criticized most of the definitions of
curriculum for being too broad. They gave their own definition of curriculum.
According to them, curriculum is the planned and guided learning experiences
and intended learning outcomes, formulated through the systematic
reconstruction of knowledge and experience, under the auspices of the school,
for the learners continuous and willful growth personal social competence. The
above definition of Tanner and Tanner is not comprehensive but also too long.
The first mention of the word “curriculum” in university records was in 1582,
at the University of Leiden, Holland: “having completed the curriculum of his
studies”. However, curriculum theory as a field of study is thought to have
been initiated with the publication of The Yale Report on the Defense of the
Classics in 1828, which promoted the study of a classical curriculum, including
Latin and Greek, by rote memorization.
What
is Curriculum Theory?
Curriculum theory (CT)
is an academic discipline devoted to examining and shaping educational
curricula. There are many interpretations of CT, being as narrow as the
dynamics of the learning process of one child in a classroom to the lifelong
learning path an individual takes. CT can be approached from the educational, philosophical,
psychological and sociological disciplines. James MacDonald states “one central
concern of theorists is identifying the fundamental unit of curriculum with
which to build conceptual systems. Whether this be rational decisions, action
processes, language patterns, or any other potential unit has not been agreed
upon by the theorists.” Curriculum theory is fundamentally concerned with
values, the historical analysis of curriculum, ways of viewing current
educational curriculum and policy decisions, and theorizing about the curricula
of the future. Pinar defines the contemporary field of curriculum theory as
“the effort to understand curriculum as symbolic representation”.
What
is Curriculum Planning?
According to Emeruwa
(1984) in Davidson (2005) Curriculum Planning is The process of building a
programme of learning experiences calculated to result in the attainment of set
goals for a particular people. Curriculum planning is the making of choieces of
learning experiences for a group of people which is appropriate and desirable
for them.
IMPORTANCE
OR ROLES OF CURRICULUM THEORY AND PLANNING OF EDUCATION SYSTEM IN NIGERIA
1. Curriculum theory and planning help in
uplifting and maintaining the societal
values and norms:
In planning a
curriculum for a given society, knowledge of societie’s past and present
history is very necessary. Knowledge of the past of the society’s history and
the extent education has served in it in the past will help the curriculum
planners on how to plan and organize the present education in order to meet the
society’s future expectation
2. Curriculum theory and planning helps in
the proper education of the child;
Curriculum is planned
or organized to provide for the child. The learner who is also regareded as the
child is the central conern of the curriculum planning. This implies that no
meaningful curriculum can be designed without taking the learner in inherent in
curriculum planning. The learner is part of the society and has acquired
certain expereicnes in the society, the school is only to direct, guide and
broaden the child’s learning experience.
3. Curriculum theory and planning servers as
a yard stick giving direction to teachers and other educational administrators:
This means that the
teacher works according to the prescription of the curriculum and try to make
emphasis if the need be.
4. Curriculum theory and planning servers as
an object of contract between the school, instructors and Parents:
It forms the basis for
a contract among the student, instructor, and institution, identifying the
expectations which will serve as the basis of the student’s grade and giving
the fundamental required components of the course which the student is guaranteed
to receive from the instructor and institution.
5. It is a document with defined legal
standing which is read by many more eyes than just those of the instructor and
student.
CONCLUSION
In peroration,
curriculum planning and curriculum theory is a sine-quanon in any educational settings this is because
without planning the teachers and the students will be groping blindly into the
dark future. Curriculum planning and curriculum theory assists faculty in
presenting their courses in a format which accurately reflects the quality
instruction they are providing. It states the content and level of rigor for
which students – across all sections of the course – will held accountable.
REFERENCES
Davidson (2005) The
Principles of Curriculum Development in Nigeria. Snap Press ltd.
Lawy A. (1977) Handbook
of Curriculum Evaluation UNESCO Paris. Chimex Publishers
Wheeler, A.k (1967)
Curriculum Process. London University of London Press.
Tyler, R.W (1949) Basic
Principles of curriculum and Instruction. University of Chicago Press.