BY

Widya Kurnia Arizona

Curriculum is said to be a very ill-defined term

(Huang, 1991)

It may carry different meanings when used byteachers, schools and academics. What makes thematter worse is that it is used interchangeably withterms like syllabus, examination syllabus andinstruction (Chang,1998).

In this session, we would try to clarify what it is.

What is curriculum?

The amorphous nature of the word curriculum hasgiven rise over the years to many interpretations.Depending on their philosophical beliefs, persons haveconveyed these interpretations among others.

Curriculum is that which is taught in school.

Curriculum is a set of subjects.

Curriculum is content.

Curriculum is a program of studies.

Curriculum is a sequence of courses.

Interpretations of Curriculum

Curriculum is a set of performance objectives.

Curriculum is a course of study.

Curriculum is everything that goes on within the school,including extra-class activities, guidance, and interpersonalrelationships.

Curriculum is that which is taught both inside of school andoutside of school, directed by the school.

Curriculum is everything that is planned by school personnel.

Curriculum is a series f experiences undergone by learners inschool.

Curriculum is that which an individual learner experiences as aresult of schooling.

Definition of curriculum in (1) purposes or goals of

the curriculum, (2) contexts within which thecurriculum is found, or (3) strategies usedthroughout the curriculum.

PURPOSES. The purposes of the curriculum istransmission of the cultural heritage or The purposesof the curriculum is the development of reflectivethinking on the part of the learner. A statement ofwhat the curriculum is mean to achieve does little tohelp us sharpen a definition of what curriculum is.

Definition by Purposes, Contexts and Strategies

CONTEXTS. Definitions of curriculum sometimesstate the settings within which it takes shapes. Whentheoretical speak of an essentialist curriculum, achild-centered curriculum, or a reconstructionistcurriculum, they are invoking two characteristics ofthe curriculum at the same time- purposes andcontext.

STRATEGIES. While purpose and context aresometimes offered as definitions of curriculum anadditional complexity arises when the theoreticianequates curriculum with instruction strategy.

“A syllabus is typically a list of content areas which

are to be assessed.” (Print,1993)

“A curriculum shows by what kind of educationalactivities the teacher will fulfill the requirements ofthe syllabus … The curriculum is primarilyconcerned with method and therefore witheducation; it is made up of pedagogical directivities,intended to provide assistances, advice, suggestionsand information to assist the teachers in carrying outhis task successfully…’(Dottrens,1962)

Syllabus and Curriculum

“ The curriculum usually contains a statement of

aims of specific objectivities, it indicates someselection and organization of content, it eitherimplies or manifest certain patterns of learning andteaching, whether because the objectivities demandthem or because the content organization requiredthem. Finally it induces a program of evaluation ofthe outcomes,’ (Taba,1952)

“ Curriculum is ‘a system of planed actions for

instruction’ and instruction is the ‘system for puttingthe plans into action” (MacDonald, 1965)

“Basically the curriculum is what happens tochildren in school as a result of what teachers do”(Kansa, 1958)

Curriculum and Instruction

“ By ‘curriculum’ we mean the planned experiences

offered to the learner under the guidance of theschool.” (Wheeler, 1967)

“ Instruction is the delivery of information andactivities learners’ attainment of intended, specificlearning goals. In other words, instruction is theconduct of activities that we focused on learnerslearning specific things.” (Smith & Ragan, 1993, p.2)

We may simplistically view curriculum as that which

is taught and instruction as the means used to teachthat which is taught. Even more simply, curriculumcan be conceived as the “what”, or ends, andinstruction as the “how” or means. We may think ofthe curriculum as a program, a plan, content, andlearning experiences, whereas we may characterizeinstruction as methods, the teaching act,implementation, and presenatation.

Relationships Between Curriculum and Instruction