Modern Concept of Curriculum Design

UNIT – I

MODERN CONCEPT OH PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Introduction

            The word curriculum is derived from the Latin word “CURRERE”. The meaning for the word currere is “run” and it signifies a “ run way” or a “course which one runs to reach a goal “ or “carry out a programme”. The word run is very close with physical education. In physical education and physical education curriculum is generally identified with a course of study or subjects prescribed for a course.

Definition

            “Curriculum is the arrangement of the subject matter in a a sequence at a particular level in the field of school” – WILLGOOSE

Meaning

            Curriculum is a work schedule of any particular course, referring to the total programme in a school. It is an orderly plan and progression and a varied of experience. It is an activity where by pupils may attain the desired objects.

Need and Importance of Curriculum in Physical Education:

The teacher is required to achieve the aims of education. For that purpose he has to employ suitable instructional methods and procedures.

But this he can do only when he knows what efforts he is to make and in what order. In other words, he should know the content of curriculum which consists of subjects, activities and experiences in the properly graded form. Curriculum is in fact the 'warp and woof of the whole educational process. Its need and importance may be summed up as follows:

1. Achievement of Educational Aims: Merely defining the aims of education is futile. There should be well planned efforts to achieve the aims of education. We must think of knowledge, activities, experiences and other influences which help in the achievement of aims of education.

2. Criteria of Suitable Teachers: It is curriculum which can show what types of teachers are required in the schools. We should know what type of work they are required to do and this is according to the requirements of curriculum.

3. Selection of Suitable Methods : Curriculum enables the teacher to select suitable methods of teaching. 'How to teach' will be determined by 'what to teach'.

4. Reflects Trends in Education: Curriculum is a means to achieve the aims of education which are dynamic and go on changing with the changing social requirements. Naturally, the curriculum will reflect the trends in education. For example, modern education places following demands on the curriculum:

5. Providing Suitable Knowledge: Curriculum should include suitable knowledge which will help in the achievement of aims of education.

6.  Providing Suitable Activities and Experiences: Curriculum includes well selected activities and experiences needed for the development of pupils according to social requirements.

7. Providing Wholesome Influences: Curriculum should provide wholesome school programme to develop the desirable behaviour patterns in the pupils.

Curriculum development

Curriculum development is the process of creating planned syllabus, teaching, training, and exhibition modes. It is a term used to refer to the process of instituting and putting in place precise guidelines of instruction for the curriculum. It describes ways in which teaching and different training organizations plan and guide learning which can be in groups or as an individual.

Curriculum development is a local, regional, or state/provincial level process that student teachers often have difficulty comprehending (Hansen, Fliesser, Froelich, & McClain, 1992). In their eyes, it is something undertaken by authorities (e.g., regional advisory committee members) with years of experience in the teacher education system. The expectation of the teacher candidates, often enough, is that they will learn how to teach and thereby become effective at transmitting the knowledge, skills, and attitudes associated with a particular subject or program.

Curriculum development process

Curriculum development is dynamic process it changes according to the need of the

society and the stakeholders of the education system. The curriculum development process

includes several stages such as planning, preparing, designing, developing, implementing,

evaluating, revising, and improving.

Traditionally curriculum development has been seen as planning for a sustained process of teaching and learning in a formal institutional setting. Curriculum development is systematic and dynamic process sensitive to time and place in which preparation, development, implementation and evaluation steps are involved.

The challenges in curriculum development

There are varieties of challenges facing curriculum development, but in general they are classified into three types, global challenges (external), internal challenges of the education systems, and challenges specific to Region.

With regard to the external challenges, curriculum planners should response to eight critical processes: the process of globalization, accelerated pace of scientific and technological progress, radical transformation in the work field, increasing social inequalities, progress of democracy and human rights, multi-culturalism, the feeling of insecurity, and moral decline.

In addition, the third type of challenges may be summarized as: universal literacy,

shortage of highly skilled human resources, reconciling traditional orientation of education with the aspiration for modernity, privatization of schools, diversification of the economy, the need to invest more in educational research.

Role of teacher in curriculum development

Teachers know the needs of all stakeholders of teacher education. Teachers can understand the psychology of the learner. Teachers are aware about the teaching methods and

teaching strategies. Teachers also play the role as evaluator for the assessment of learning outcomes. So teachers must possess some qualities such as planner, designer, manager, evaluator, researcher, decision maker and administrator. Teachers play the respective role for the each step of curriculum development process.

Curriculum planning involves analysis of philosophy, social forces, needs, goals and

Objectives, treatment of knowledge, human development, learning process & instruction, and

decision.

Curriculum preparation involves systematic data, content, selection, collection,

assessment, organization.

Design factors includes school (levels, types, Structures), educational technology, systemic vocational, social reconstruction, Curriculum design, analysis of social needs, translating the needs into Course/general/learning/terminal objectives, splitting the objectives

into specific objectives, grouping the specific objectives into subjects, deriving the subjects from the above classification, specifying enabling objectives, unitizing each subject matter,

specification of required time, and syllabus formulation.

Curriculum development phases consist of Instructional development, Materials & media development, Methods of teaching & testing

Implementation of the Curriculum involves Instructional scheme of each subject to be completed in the semester, Planning the lessons as per the timetable, Using the transactional strategies, Using the appropriate media, Providing the learning resources, Promoting classroom learning experiences, Progressive testing

Curriculum evaluation involves, Intra-curricular evaluation, Teacher evaluation of students, Student evaluation of teachers, Materials evaluation, Verification of methods, Evaluation of tests and examinations, Checking the learning outcomes while on the field, Curriculum review/ improvement/ change/ modification, System revision.

After evaluating the prepared curriculum it is observed that the curriculum is not satisfactory then developer turns for revising and improving phase.

Factors affecting Curriculum

            There are numerous factors which have a direct influence upon the physical education curriculum. Some of the important factors are:

(a)   Individual factors

     It includes age, sex, need, interest, ability, knowledge, experience, financial condition, cultural beliefs, and individual principles.

(b)   School factors

     It includes type of the school environment(residential, party residential and non - residential), climate and weather conditions, availability of time, availability of time, efficiency of physical education teachers, financial condition of the institution, supervision, assistance from classroom teachers, teachers pupil ratio, availability of facilities and equipment etc…

(c)    Social factors

    It includes nature of the society, cultural background of the society, economic condition of the society, human relationship with the society etc…

National and Professional Policies

National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005)

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) is one of four National Curriculum Frameworks published in 1975, 1988, 2000 and 2005 by the National Council of Educational Research and Training NCERT in India.

The Framework provides the framework for making syllabii, textbooks and teaching practices within the school education programmes in India. The NCF 2005 document draws its policy basis from earlier government reports on education as Learning Without Burden and National Policy of Education 1986-1992 and focus group discussion. After wide ranging deliberations 21 National Focus Group Position Papers have been developed under the aegis of NCF-2005. The state of art position papers provided inputs for formulation of NCF-2005. The document and its offshoot textbooks have come under different forms of reviews in the press.

Its draft document came under the criticism from the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE). In February 2008 the director Krishna Kumar in an interview also discussed the challenges that are faced by the document. The approach and recommendations of NCF-2005 are for the entire educational system. A number of its recommendations, for example, focus on rural schools. The syllabus and textbooks based on it are being used by all the CBSE schools, but NCF-based material is also being used in many State schools.

NCF 2005 has been translated into 22 languages and has influenced the syllabii in 17 States. The NCERT gave a grant of Rs.10 lakh to each State to promote NCF in the language of the State and to compare its current syllabus with the syllabus proposed, so that a plan for future reforms could be made. Several States have taken up this challenge. This exercise is being carried out with the involvement of State Councils for Educational Research and Training [SCERT] and District Institutes of Education and Training [DIET].

Professional Policy

ß In the development of curricula departments / schools should clearly formulate their aimsas well as learning outcomes. This will facilitate the identification of specific outcomes forvarious courses and modules. Such planned outcomes need to be explicitlycommunicated to learners and should appear in the university calendar and otherrelevant documents.

ß In addition to specifying outcomes, curricula should be learner-centred and describe content, skills to be mastered and fundamental viewpoints. The nature of the learning experience including teaching methods and forms of assessment of learner attainment should be clearly stated.

ß The regular review of curricula should be standard practice in every department. Given the rapid pace of change, it is suggested that curricula should be reviewed every three years and that at six year intervals a more comprehensive overhaul be undertaken.

ß In developing and reviewing curricula wide consultation should take place with students, key players, potential employers and academics from other institutions. Interdisciplinary curriculum planning should be encouraged.

ß In planning curricula, departments should accommodate as far as possible the diverse linguistic, cultural and religious backgrounds of learners. Support and developmental programmes to facilitate access to courses by those students that need such services should be clearly outlined.

ß Heads of Departments / Course Co-ordinators will be required to report via the Teaching and Learning Committee to Senate on a regular basis in respect of their development and review of curricula.