How Do We Define Curriculum?Curriculum is that which is taught at school.Curriculum is a set of performance objectives.Curriculum is all the experiences learners have

under the guidance of the school. John Delnay (1959)

Curriculum is a design PLAN for learning that requires the purposeful and proactive ,organization

sequencing, and management of the interactions among the teacher, the students and the content knowledge we want students to acquire..

How Do We Define Curriculum?Caswell and Campbell viewed curriculum as “all experiences children have under the

guidance of teachers .”Smith, Stanley and Shores defined curriculum “as a sequence of potential experiences set up in the schools for

the purpose of disciplining children acting”. in group ways of thinking and

Definition of Curriculum planning Curriculum planning is simply the design by which schools fulfill their responsibilities on behalf of children and society as well .

However, plans may exist on a continuum from hastily prepared and superficially developed to carefully and thoughtfully constructed.We can have a curriculum planning according to different models of curriculum.

Definition of Curriculum planning When planning for curriculum improvement, some categories of bases should be understood, those that are institutional in nature and those that affect people directly . The institutional bases for curriculum planning include planning domains, the context or characteristics of the school situation, the impact of current trends and issues, and the use of strategic planning.(Doll ,1996)

The Bases for Curriculum PlanningHistory

Philosophy

Social forces

Psychology

Religion

Contemporary Issues

History of Curriculum Planning

History has an important message to convey about antecedents of the contemporary career and technical curriculum and provides a most meaningful perspective to the curriculum planner. Curriculum as we know it today ,has evolved over the years from a narrow set of disjointed offerings to a comprehensive array of relevant student learning experiences.

History of Curriculum PlanningHistory of Curriculum in Iran1) Before appearance of Islam - Hakhamanesh Period (550 B.C) - Sassanid Period (651 A.D)2) After appearance of Islam (459 Loonar years )3) Pahlavi period (1920 – 1983)4) Islamic Revolution (1983 until now)

Hakhamanesh PeriodTeaching to children had begun from age 7 till 15. Students were separated in groups of girls and

boys.Girls should learn some theoretical subjects,

beside tailoring, housekeeping, and arts. Horse riding and shooting are also compulsory at that time.

boys were divided into 3 groups:1.Special students2.Professional students3.Public students

Sassanid periodIn Sassanid period moral science also taught

in schools. The focus of curriculum was on math and

calculating.Corporal punishment was routine in schools.The first higher education institute was

established in Iran, named Jondi Shapoor. Very limited fields were taught in this university such as philosophy, agriculture, medicine ,math , law and astronomy science.

After appearance of IslamIn this period a new way of teaching was appear.

Lots of schools were established and they taught Koran to students next to math, science and sports. In this period of time even if parents don’t have money to send their children to school they send them to mosques to learn Koran and memorizing it.

The curriculum of this period is exactly rote learning.

Mathematic was taught for its professional users.Some practical skills come into curriculum like

farming , carpentry ,engraving…

Pahlavi periodAppearance of kindergarten and first school for

deaf people.Curriculum is changed in different school

grades. lots of textbooks was published for elementary , secondary and high school students.

Curriculum was focused on learning other languages especially English and French from elementary schools.

Many high school students were sent to Europe for higher education and then came back to teach in universities.

Islamic Revolution periodRote learning is still seen in elementary schools.The idea of learning English as second language

changes to Arabic and English, and it appears in secondary schools .

Pre-school become compulsory for children.Textbooks changes to more colorful and

pictured ones.Curriculum is based on Tyler’s model.Just in some universities and private schools we

can see student-centered approach being used.

Philosophy and CurriculumPhilosophy is central to curriculum.Studying philosophy allows us to better

understand schools and their curricula.Philosophy is the beginning point in

curriculum decision making .Philosophy reflects one’s background and

experiences.Philosophy may be defined as general theory

of education. It is a way of thinking that gives meaning to our lives.(Dewey)

Philosophy provides educators, teachers andcurriculum planners with framework for planning, implementing and evaluating curriculum in schools.

It helps in answering what school are for, what subjects are important, how students should learn and what materials and methods should be used .

Philosophy and Curriculum

Major Philosophies

- Idealism

- Realism

- Pragmatism

- Existentialism

IDEALISMThe realities of idealism are spiritual , moral or

mental and unchanging.Idealism is a philosophical approach that has as its

central tenet that ideas are the only true reality.Truth can be found through reasoning, intuition

and religious revelation.Teacher’s role is to bring latent knowledge and

ideas to consciousness.Teaching methods focus on handling ideas through

lecture, discussion, and Socratic dialogue.

IDEALISM (Cont’d)Learning is an intellectual process that

involves recalling and working with ideas.In idealism, the aim of education is to discover

and develop each individual's abilities and full moral excellence in order to better serve society.

Curriculum is knowledge based and subject based.

The most important subjects are philosophy , theology and mathematics because they cultivates abstract thinking.

REALISMIt based on natural laws , objective and

composed of matter.People can come to know the world through

their senses and their reasons.Aristotle believed that everything had a

purpose and humans’ purpose is to think.Teacher’s role is to be a moral and spiritual

leader and to be an authority.Learning is just exercising the mind, and

logical thinking are highest form.

REALISM (Cont’d)The Realist curriculum emphasizes the

subject matter of the physical world, particularly science and mathematics.

Teaching methods focus on mastery of facts and basic skills through demonstration and recitation.

Curriculum is knowledge based and subject based.

Most important subjects are humanistic and scientific subjects.

PRAGMATISM(EXPERIMENTALISM)It is based on change, process, and relativity.Learning occurs as the person engage in

problem solving.Both learner and their environment are

constantly changing.Teachers’ role is to focus on critical thinking.Teaching is more exploratory than explanatory.Curriculum was based on child’s experience and

interests and also problem-solving activities.

EXISTENTIALISMThe nature of reality for Existentialists is

subjective, and lies within the individual.Existentialism is a philosophy concerned with

finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility.

Teachers’ role is to cultivate personal choice and individual self-definition.

Teachers view the individual as an entity within a social context in which the learner must confront others' views to clarify his or her own.

EXISTENTIALISM (Cont’d)Existentialists are opposed to thinking about

students as objects to be measured, tracked, or standardized. Such educators want the educational experience to focus on creating opportunities for self-direction and self actualization. They start with the student, rather than on curriculum content.

Educational Philosophies

- Perennialism

- Essentialism

- Progressivism

- Reconstructionism

PERENNIALISMThe oldest and most conservative educational

philosophy.It is rooted in realism and relies on the past

and stresses traditional values.the aim of education is to ensure that

students acquire understandings about the great ideas of Western civilization.

The focus is to teach ideas that are everlasting, to seek enduring truths which are constant, and are not changing.

PERENNIALISM(cont’d)The demanding curriculum focuses on

attaining cultural literacy, stressing students' growth in enduring disciplines.

The perennialists curriculum is subject centered and constant.

It emphasizes the great works of literature and art, the laws or principles of science.

ESSENTIALISMTraditional and conservative philosophy

based on idealism and realism.This approach was in reaction to

progressivist approaches.Essentialists believe that there is a common

core of knowledge that needs to be transmitted to students in a systematic, disciplined way.

The core of the curriculum is essential knowledge and skills and academic rigor.

ESSENTIALISM(cont’d)Essentialists accept the idea that this core

curriculum

may change. Schooling should be practical, preparing

students to become valuable members of society. Teachers are to help students keep their non-

productive instincts in check, such as aggression

or mindlessness.Students should be taught hard work, respect

for authority, and discipline.

PROGRESSIVISMIt is developed from pragmatic philosophy.Progressivists believe that education should

focus on the whole child, rather than on the content or the teacher.

It is active, not passive. The learner is a problem solver and thinker who

makes meaning through his or her individual experience in the physical and cultural context.

Progressivism emphasized how to think, not what to think.

PROGRESSIVISM(cont’d)Curriculum content is derived from student

interests and questions. John Dewey was its foremost proponent. One of his tenets was that the school should

improve the way of life of our citizens through experiencing freedom and democracy in schools. Shared decision making, planning of teachers with students, student-selected topics are all aspects. Books are tools, rather than authority.

PROGRESSIVISM(cont’d)It is opposed to:

1.Rote learning

2.Authoritarian teaching

3.Overreliance on textbook methods

4.Intimidation or corporal punishment

RECONSTRUCTIONIVISMBased on socialistic ideas .Reconstructionist educators focus on a

curriculum that highlights social reform as the aim of education.

According to Brameld, the founder of social reconstructionism, students and teachers must improve society.

Curriculum must be transformed in keeping with a new social-economic-political education.

Society is always changing and the curriculum has to change.

RECONSTRUCTIONIVISM (cont’d)For social reconstructionists and critical

theorists, curriculum focuses on student experience and taking social action on real problems, such as violence, hunger, international terrorism, and inflation.

ConclusionCurriculum as a field of study-with its own

methods, theories, and ways of solving problems- has influenced by history and philosophy.

We believe that no single philosophy, old or new , should guide decisions about schools and curriculum.

Curriculum planners need to help improve and design school practices in harmony with history of curriculum and philosophy of the school and community.

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