Understanding Curriculum

McNeil (2006, pp. 89-91) noted that curriculum may be developed at four levels:

1. Societal

2. Institutional

3. Instructional

4. Personal 

The advocates of Academic Curriculum believe that every academic discipline has a particular structure and curriculum should develop in students understanding of basic principles of that structure. By adopting that structure, the students would go more deeply into the knowledge, create more ideas, and validate their ideas. The learning gained through this process would also enable the learners to make use of acquired knowledge in other contexts. 

Bruner (1960) suggests that there may be following three kinds of structures in any discipline:

Social Reconstructionists are dissatisfied with the social, political and economic order of society and take curriculum as vehicle for reconstruction of the society. They advocate a curriculum which gives vision of an ideal society and ensures “reconstruction” of present society on the basis of that vision. The Reconstructionists suggest that curriculum should confront the learners with issues which mankind face and this curriculum should develop in learners the ability of critically analysing these issues and finding out the possible solutions.

The learner as human being has prime significance for the Humanistic Curriculum which aims at development and realization of complete human personality of the student. The humanistic curriculum does not take student as subservient to society, history or philosophy but as a complete entity. The humanistic curriculum experts suggest that if education succeeds in development of needs, interests, and aptitudes of every individual, the students will willingly and intelligently cooperate with one another for common good.

Several theoretical frameworks have been proposed for designing or adapting curriculum. Curriculum experts like Eisner and Vallance (1974) and Giroux, Penna, and Pinar (1981) have critically analysed these different conceptions of curriculum. McNeil (2006) categorized different conceptions of curriculum in to following four groups:

1. Humanistic Curriculum
2. Social Reconstructionist Curriculum
3. Systemic Curriculum
4. Academic Curriculum 

The Null Curriculum is that which is not taught. Sometimes the teacher ignores some content or skill, deliberately or unknowingly. A teacher may consider some idea unimportant and ignore it. Similarly, teacher may avoid detailed description of some topic for the one or other reason, for example, evolution in Biology. Sometimes also, the learner fails to learn certain knowledge, skills or attitude for various reasons. 

Gordon (1957) was first to identify that a part of the Learned Curriculum was due to unintended results of activities or efforts of the institutions. This is called the hidden curriculum. It is unintentional because the teachers as well as other members of the educational institution convey messages that are not part of the officially approved curriculum. For example, the behaviour and attitude of the teachers may affect the students. Moreover, it may also be the unintentional consequence of some act.

The curriculum that is reflected by the assessment or evaluation of the learners is called the Assessed Curriculum. It includes both formative and summative evaluation of learners conducted by teachers, schools, or external organizations. It involves all the tests (teacher- made, district or standardized) in all formats (such as portfolio, performance, production, demonstration, etc.). The assessed curriculum is significant as it enables the stakeholders to evaluate the impact of Written and Taught curricula upon the learners. It determines the level of the Learned Curriculum.

All the changes occurred in the learners due to their school experience are called the Learned Curriculum. It is the curriculum that a learner absorbs or makes sense of as a result of interaction with the teacher, class-fellows or the institution. It includes the knowledge, attitudes and skills acquired by the student. Many educationists have defined curriculum as everything the learner experiences. This emphasizes the dominance of the learner in the curriculum and excludes all that which has no effect on the learner. Thus, only the learned curriculum becomes the curriculum.