What Is Meant By Curriculum Explain Its Importance In The Teaching-Learning Process AIOU 8655
NATURE OF CURRICULUM
Curriculum plays a vital role in attaining the aims and objectives of education tend to. It reflects the curricular and co-curricular trends in our institutions i.e. the courses of study, the objectives of education, the methodology of teaching including teaching aids, and evaluation methods. Curriculum comes from the Latin root, Currere which means “to run”. Which later come to stand as the “course of Study”? Curriculum i.e. the sum total of all learning content, experience, and resources that one purposely selected, organized and implemented by the school in pursuit of his peculiar mandate as a distinct institution of learning and human development.
Important Definitions of Curriculum Compared
The term ‘Curriculum’ is defined in many ways by educators. Some use the term in very limited and specific contexts, while others attach very broad and general meanings. Some define it in descriptive terms, i.e., what curriculum is and others in prescribed terms, i.e. What curriculum ought to be., Again curriculum is defined in terms of subjects, activities and experiences.
The following are some of the important definitions of the curriculum:
- Alberty and Alberty (1959) define curriculum “as the sum total of student activities which the school sponsors for the purpose of achieving its objectives”.
- In the words of Robert Beck, and Walter Cook, “Curriculum is this sum of the educational experiences that children have in school”.
- Blond’s Encyclopedia (1969) of Education defines “Curriculum as all the experiences a pupil has under the guidance of the school”.
- Bobbit in “’The Curriculum” (1918) has observed that “Curriculum is that series of things which children and youth must do an experience by way of developing abilities to do things well that make up the affairs of adult life; and to be in all respects what adults should do”.
- Derek Rowntree in A Dictionary of Education (1981) has defined ‘curriculum in these words. “Curriculum can refer to the total structure of ideas and activities, developed, by an educational institution to meet the needs of students and to achieve desired educational aims”.
- Doll, in Curriculum Improvement: Decision Making (1982) has stated: “Curriculum embodies all the experiences which are offered to learners under the auspices or direction of the school”.
The first definition lays emphasis on the world “sponsors’ and the second definition tends to give importance to spontaneous as well as ‘sponsored’. The third definition stresses the word “guidance’ in providing experiences. The fourth, definition gives importance to ‘adult activities’. The fifth definition denotes that is something, “fixed”. The sixth definition like the fourth one highlights the significance of guidance in providing activities.
Characteristics of Curriculum
- Totality of Activities: By Curriculum, it is meant all the school activities, which are used to promote the development of the It refers to the totality of subject matter, activities and experiences, which constitute a pupil’s school life. Pragmatists have also included the entire range of learner’s activities in the curriculum because according to them the child learns by doing.
- A Means to an End: It is known that Curriculum is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. Therefore, it is created so as to achieve the aims of education. That is the reason why different educationists have suggested different kinds of curricula to conform to the aims and objectives ascribed to education. It follows that the curriculum will change with every change in the aims of education,
- Total School Environment: The total environment of the school influences Curriculum. It is made up of everything that surrounds the learner in all his working hours. It is “the environment in motion”. It refers to the total educational programme of the school (school environment) including all experiences, activities and learning, in which the learner is expected to progress and attain the goals of
- Totality of Experiences: Curriculum refers to the totality of experiences that a pupil gets in the school (i.e. the class-room, library, laboratory; workshop, play- ground and in the numerous informal contacts between the teacher and the pupils) as well as outside the school. These experiences help him in the development of personality: Curriculum includes not merely syllabus and books but all those experiences and Which get indulged in by the student both inside and outside the school. Thus, the syllabus specified by the authority should not be taken to mean curriculum.
- Mirror of Curricular and Co-curricular Trends: Curriculum forms the mirror of curricular and co-curricular trends and is able to reflect the curricular and co- curricular trends in our educational institutions i.e. the courses of study, the aims and objectives of education, the methodology of teaching including teaching aids and evaluation techniques.
- Mirror of Educational Trends: Curriculum is the mirror of educational trends. It depicts the total picture about the prevailing educational system. The objectives behind the educational system highlighted through the series of experiences, which are provided by the curriculum.
- Development of Balanced Personality: Curriculum is quite helpful in the development of balanced personality. The activities in curriculum concerning physical, intellectual, emotional, social, economic, aesthetic and cultural development play their role for developing balanced personality.
- Process of Living: Curriculum is a process of living in which interaction between the individual and his environment takes place. Curriculum is concerned both with the life of the individual and his environment.
- Dynamic: A good curriculum is dynamic. The needs and interests of the pupils go on changing with the passage of time. For varying needs different types of activities are required. This tends to necessitate some changes in the curriculum. Curriculum is never It has to be different, for different students, different classes and different schools. It has to be kept dynamic in order to keep with the needs, interests, abilities, attitudes and lives of the pupils.
- Mirror of Philosophy of Life: Curriculum is regarded as the mirror, of philosophy of life. It depicts philosophy of life. Democratic or autocratic way of life is reflected in, the curriculum. Each way of life is having different philosophy and hence different goals of education.
- Achievement of Goals: Curriculum is prepared to achieve some set goals and objectives of education, which are set by Curriculum helps in achieving the aims and objectives of education.
Need of Curriculum
The following points demonstrate the importance of curriculum:
- Achievement of Educational Aims: Curriculum helps in achieving the aims of education. Without a suitable curriculum, the aims of education cannot be achieved. In the absence of curriculum, it is not possible to do anything
- Fixing Limits: Curriculum is quite helpful in fixing limits of teaching and It helps in determining the work of the teacher as well as that of the pupil.
- Development of Democratic Values: Curriculum is helpful to the students in developing democratic values such as liberty, equality, fraternity, justice, respect for dignity of the individual and group living.
- Development of Citizenship: Development of citizenship is one of the major responsibilities of education. Suitable curriculum is helpful in. achieving this aim of education.
- Development of Character: There is no system of education, which does not aim at developing character in the youth. Character can be developed through suitable
- Satisfaction of Needs: Curriculum is able to satisfy educational, vocational and psychological needs of students. There is a great variety of interests, skills, abilities, attitudes, aptitudes, and requirements of students.
- Criteria of Suitable Teachers: The curriculum mainly shows what type of teachers is needed in the schools. We should know what type of work they are. required to do and this is to be in accordance with the requirement of the
- Selection of Suitable Methods: Curriculum makes the teacher to select suitable methods of teaching. ‘How to teach’ will be determined by what to teach i.e. the
- Acquisition of Knowledge: -Curriculum helps the student in the getting knowledge. By studying various subjects laid down in the curriculum the student gets knowledge in conformity with his abilities and level of intelligence.
- Development of Personality: Curriculum is useful in developing physical, intellectual, aesthetic, social, cultural, moral, spiritual, religious, and vocational abilities of the student. A suitable curriculum is necessary for the complete and balanced development of personality.
- Reflects Trends in Education: Curriculum is meant to achieve the end e., the changing aims of education with the changing social requirements. Hence curriculum reflects the trends in education and changes in philosophy. Modern education expects the following demands on the curriculum:
- Providing Suitable Knowledge: The curriculum should provide suitable knowledge, which will be quite helpful in the achievement of aims of
- Providing Suitable Activities and Experiences: The curriculum includes well-selected activities and experiences required for development of pupils according to social requirements.
- Providing Wholesome Influences: The curriculum should provide wholesome school programme for developing the desirable behaviour patterns in the pupils.
- Discoveries and Inventions: At the university or higher level of education the main aim of curriculum is to encourage research and inventions.
Thus, the curriculum acts as a pivot in organizing educational effort on some manageable basis and is the heart of the school.