An introduction to the study of Education
(EDES113)
(Curriculum)
UKZN INSPIRING
Module objectives
To introduce students to the following sub-disciplines in education studies:
Curriculum
Psychology as a lens for teaching and learning
Philosophy and Sociology of education
History : local and international
Academic literacy
UKZN INSPIRING
For discussion
What is curriculum?
It is evident from research that most teachers do not
understand the word curriculum, and this may lead to the
vulnerability of curriculum (Van den Akker* et al., 2009)
Defining Curriculum
• There is no single definition of curriculum
• The etymological definition of the word curriculum is ‘currrere’ (a Greek word ) which
implies ‘to run the course/race’ (Pinar, 1974, 1976, 1978).
• In the field of education, curriculum is taken as the running the course/race of teaching and
learning
• Curriculum is defined as what “presents teachers and learners with a plan of the ideal course
of learning” Hoadley and Jansen (2013, p. 29)
Defining Curriculum
look at the study conducted by Marsh (2009, pp. 5-8) indicates various definitions of the word
curriculum as follows:
1. “Curriculum is the permanent subjects that embody essential knowledge”;
2. “Curriculum is a planned learning for which the school is responsible”;
3.“Curriculum is the totality of learning experiences so that students can attain general skills and
knowledge at a variety of learning site”;
4. “Curriculum is what student construct from working with computer and its various networks”;
Activity
Do research to find your own definition of curriculum.
Curriculum presentation/forms
Intended curriculum
• Is the planned, formally acknowledged curriculum,
• It is all about what is documented as the syllabus, prospectus, and so on.
• Is the plan of teaching where written document contains all prescribed content or activities to be
covered at a particular time.
• It is sometimes called:
The prescribed curriculum
The official curriculum
The formal curriculum
The curriculum as blueprint
Planned curriculum /curriculum-as-planned
Intended curriculum-adv
Advantages/strength
It prescribes the content to be covered to maintain uniformity
It stipulates time frames to complete the content
It acts as a signpost to both teachers and learners
Intended curriculum-
disadv
Disadvantages/limitations
Leaves the gap between prescribed and implemented/enacted
curriculum
Teachers’ misunderstanding of intended curriculum may lead
to the wrong implementation.
It may exclude indigenous knowledge systems
It uses one size fits all approach irrespective of contextual
factors
Implemented curriculum
Is defined as what happens to the plan in the context of the school.
Is the integration, arrangement, and monitoring of content directly from the
intended/planned curriculum to learners
It is about how teachers and learners practice intended curriculum.
It is sometimes referred to as :
The enacted curriculum
The practiced curriculum
The actual curriculum
The lived curriculum
The curriculum as experienced
Implemented
curriculum-adva
Advantages/strength
It stimulates creativity, and enables self-reflection in teaching and
learning
Creates space to achieve planned curriculum goals
Seek teachers to have good strategies/methods (teacher/leaner-centred)
to cater for diversity
Seek teachers to know their role (instructor/facilitator/researcher)
Implemented
curriculum-disadv…
Disadvantages/limitations
unprepared implementation may yield to poor result
Different contextual factors (lack of resources) may hinder
implementation of the curriculum
Assessed curriculum
Is defined as ways of achieving curriculum goals (both planned and implemented curriculum).
All activities done towards providing a feedback on both planned and implemented curriculum
It is sometimes called :
Achieved curriculum
Attained curriculum
Curriculum-as-assessed.
Give examples
Assessed curriculum-
adva
Advantages/strength
It improves teaching and learning through giving feedback on the
planned/implemented content.
Promotes learning process through grading criteria.
Contribute to the successful implementation of the content
Seek teachers to use different methods of assessment
Assessed curriculum-
disadva…
Disadvantages/limitations
Can demotivate learners
May have a negative impact if not properly planned to cater
for student diversity particularly for special needs students
Standardised assessment task may disadvantaged other
learners
Intended, Enacted,
Assessed
• Understanding the intended, enacted and the assessed curriculum assist in viewing it as a cyclical process.
• Lesson plans, HOD’s supervision, selection of what to teach, and how to teach are all examples of
processes involved in the curriculum.
• Each dimension of the curriculum informs the other.
