EDU5353 Values and Curriculum

Article 1: Significant Curriculum Issue

By: Hollis I. Caswell, Dean, Teacher College, Columbia University, New York

1.      Overview of the article:

Current Factors contributing		Questions
1.The purposes of education 2. Nature of learning of learners 3. Role of school in community	Curriculum Worker	(i).How shall the Values that guide development of the curriculum be determined? (ii). How shall the curriculum be related to the problems and condition in American Life? (iii). How shall curriculum be planned? (iv). How emphasis on process resulted in too little attention to objectives? (v). How can the high level of achievement and leadership needed by a society as complex as outs be developed democratically?

This article acknowledges few issues in dire need of attention and solution in today’s school. According to Caswell, the existence of basic theories triggers the existence of curriculum issue which indicate the sharper the differences the more critical the issues become.

2.      Justification based on questions:

(i)                 How shall the Values that guide development of the curriculum be determined?

-          Extremely broad in scope but involves issues of the most critical significance.

-          Competing value systems.

-       The emphasis by some individual or group - the value that school is fostering is consistent with their beliefs.

-          Education must be concerned with values.

-         The values complication comes by hard questions. The process of change affect social values most drastically – both in interpretation and application.

-        Problems for Curriculum Worker; [1] choices on the role of school participation to determine the process of value clarification, [2] major differences in the value accepted by sub groups within the society, [3] close relationship of value and religious beliefs, and [4] degree of clarity in which values operate; complication - putting it into operation effectively a reasoned and accepted point of view concerning values. Held by individual teachers, administrator, pupil, parents and by group within the community.

-          The determination of values to guide the development of the curriculum is of major importance.

(ii)               How shall the curriculum be related to the problems and condition in American Life?

-         Education should make a direct contribution to the solution of persistent social problems. For example, unemployment, use of leisure time, conservation housing and health.

-          A considerable extent by the needs and conditions of the society that maintain the school.

-     Effort to relate curriculum to social problems and condition have taken variety of form - to organize the curriculum as to deal directly with social problems.

-    Emphasis has been given to the shortage and weak points in the social structure and processes.

-    Existence of a movement in which the direction of organizing the curriculum with directs reference to the functioning of the society.

-        Planning of scope and sequence based on areas of living, social function and social processes were designed to make the curriculum relate directly to problems and conditions of social life.

-          Present situation - the relationship of the school curriculum to the problems and conditions of the society present issues of vital significance and intensified by the numerous conflicts in our culture.

(iii)             How shall curriculum be planned?

-          Determining the part various individual shall play in planning.

-          The respective roles of the expert and the classroom teacher in curriculum planning.

-          Some responsibilities for all phases in curriculum planning on the pupil (in a given group) and teachers.

-      Give school staff major responsibility to plan the framework and teacher full authority over detailed planning.

-    Deciding how the various elements entering the curriculum; such as characteristic of the learner, subjects and social ideals, problem and condition shall operate in planning.

-          The point has usually been raised by questioning the appropriateness of subject as basis of organizing the curriculum, (1) children interest and needs, and (2) some type of social analysis such as areas of living or social functions.

-          Modification on the basis of the organization is a must in making major changes for the curriculum.

-        Understanding the nature and function of subjects, the significance of developmental facts and the relationship of social ideals, problems and condition of the educative process.

(iv)             How emphasis on process resulted in too little attention to objectives?

-         Focus on the “process” whereby the curriculum is developed.

-       Employed in curriculum programs to improve the curriculum and the way teachers works wit pupil as the curriculum emerges in the classroom.

-        Increase concern with “process” marks a desirable step forward in curriculum work.

-       Better understanding of the more fundamental aspect of this broader problem would assist the educational worker to achieve a proper emphasis in curriculum procedures on goals to be achieved.

(v)               How can the high level of achievement and leadership needed by a society as complex as outs be developed democratically?

-          Important in providing education for the large mass of children and youth.

-      Curriculum workers should face the issue of how to design a curriculum to prepare such a group and at the same time preserve democratic traditions.

Conclusion

-          Curriculum worker should expect must of the work related to the nature of learning and the role of education which has become much more operational as well as active involvement in the resolution of differences of opinion and development of practices suitable to where the difference exist.

-          The important of understanding value in the development of curriculum.

-      Curriculum worker should consider; (1) the effect of values from different stakeholder and point of view in the development of curriculum, (2) the contribution of problems and conditions, (3) determining the parts of various individual in the development of curriculum, (4) to focus more on the objectives of education and lastly (5) to develop curriculum that cater not just to the masses but as well to the gifted population.