What Is Curriculum Theory

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SUBMITTED TO:

DR. BIBIANA C. ESPINA


Professor

Submitted by:
COMPILATION
MA. JONALYN O. GEGATO
OF OUTPUTS PhD in Education Student
CDV 601: Curriculum Theory and Practice
Curriculum Development
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction

Output No. 1
Personal Definition of Curriculum

Output No. 4
Written Discussion of Curriculum in the Context of Different Curriculum
Traditions

Output No. 7A
Matrix of the Psychological Foundations of Curriculum: Theories and
Theorist with Parameters

Output No. 7B
Written Report of the Interview and Conclusions

Output No. 8
An Analysis of a Curriculum Based on the following:
(scope, sequence, continuity, integration, balance and articulation)

Output No. 8
Reaction Paper Saber Tooth Curriculum

Output No. 9
Copy of the Oral Presentation on Assigned Topic
Research Study Theoretical Framework

Output No. 11
Solutions, Implications, and Conclusions: On a Chosen Curricular
Problem Presented by Null

Output No. 14
Revised Curriculum Based on Critique Done
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Introduction

The first semester of this school year 2018-


2019 in my course PhD in Education would never be a lot
of fun, worthy and meaningful without taking the class
CDV 601 Curriculum Theory and Practice under our
professor Dr. Bibiana C. Espina.
What did I learn?
In this class, I get to learn the essentials of being in
the major/specialization: Curriculum Development. I
gained an understanding of what really a curriculum is based on the various
definitions provided by different authors. Moreover, I learned the theories
underlying various curriculum approaches and designs that are practiced from
the past up to the present. I had also known how challenging and
overwhelming the role of a curriculum worker is and the factors that could
greatly affect the success or failure of any curriculum implementation as
presented in the various curriculum issues.
How did I learn?
Collaboration is indeed a 21st century essential because most of the
things we learned from class were a product of it. We discussed certain topics
and provided our own ideas to enlighten heavy ones. With our professor who
was always ready to augment every information gap that came across the
journey of our subject discovery, I am certain, we were in placed and had
taken the meat of the subject matter.
What will I do with what I had learned?
Practice. Every learning should be put into an application through
sharing and inspiring others to better education. Because indeed, as a teacher,
we are the most important part of any beautifully crafted and well-planned
curriculum.
______________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

OUTPUT No. 1
Curriculum Definition: My Personal Perspective

What really is curriculum? As


I browse the net and the pages of
the curriculum related books and
references, I am drowned with the
various definition of the word
curriculum. It encompasses specific and at times covers wide range of
meaning.
For instance, curriculum can be first defined as a plan for achieving goals
as popularized by Tyler and Taba as it involves a sequence of steps. Saylor,
Alexander and Lewis defined curriculum as “a plan for providing sets of learning
opportunities for persons to be educated.
Second, curriculum can be defined broadly as dealing with the learner’s
experiences which means that almost anything planned in or outside of school
is part of the curriculum as rooted in Dewey’s definition of experience and
education and in Caswell and Campbell’s view that curriculum is all the
experiences children have under the guidance of teachers.
Elliot Eisner describes the curriculum as a “program” that a school
“offers to its students,” a “preplanned series of educational hurdles and an
entire range of experiences a child has within the school.
Third, curriculum can be defined as a field of study with its own
foundations, knowledge domains, research, theory, principles, and specialists.
Finally, curriculum can be defined in terms of subject matter (math,
science, English, history, and so on) or content (the way we organize and
assimilate information). We can also talk about subject matter or content in
terms of grade levels.
With all these definitions which for me are all true and correct, I have
come into my own definition that curriculum is the backbone of any educational
institution. It is what makes any school running. It is the core and very reason
for the existence of the students, teachers and school administration.
Therefore, curriculum for me is a map, a compass or a guide that leads the
school into the right path of providing its people the kind of service and
education they best deserve.
As a summary, my personal perspective of what a curriculum is nears
that definition given by Tyler, Taba and Dewey. Because I believe that a
successful and well-organized curriculum gives the best teaching and learning
experience to teachers and learners and a deserving educational system as a
whole.
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

OUTPUT No. 4
Written Discussion of Curriculum in the Context of Different
Curriculum Traditions

Liberal Education/ Liberal Curriculum

Liberal Education refers to an interdisciplinary approach to curriculum and


teaching that pursues the goal of liberating minds so that they can become more fully
human, make rational judgements, and provide civic leadership.

The idea of liberal curriculum stretches across generational and geographical


boundaries. It has its roots reach back at least to the ancient Greek philosophies of
Plato and Aristotle.
Plato and Aristotle both recognized that true education – meaning an education
fit for human beings – must strengthen human nature and cultivate leaders who shape
communities toward happiness and harmony. Liberally educated citizens have learned
to base their judgements on reason and thereby avoid surrendering to their passions,
following the dictates of others, or merely pursuing material wealth.
Any curriculum for liberal education must focus on strengthening rational
thought, as well as other human faculties like speech, persuasion, and discipline.
Its Origin starter with Plato made reason the most powerful force in his well-known
work, THE REPUBLIC.
A liberal curriculum to Plato is one that teaches young people to control
emotion and appetite – the lesser aspects of human nature – by strengthening reason
and self-discipline.
A well- ordered soul, to Plato, is one that keeps reason and emotion in their
proper relationship by using logic to direct thoughts, actions, and decisions.
Aristotle similarly identified reason as the unique human ability that separates good
citizens from bad, leaders from followers, and liberated citizens from servants.

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

He introduces students to subjects, conversations, and experiences that


strengthen virtues like courage, friendliness, and practical wisdom – all of which are
rooted in reason, including the proper relationship between reason and emotion
remains the foundation for a liberating curriculum. To him, a curriculum that ignores
the subjects and practices that facilitate reason will never lead to liberation, nor will it
make students sufficiently human.
The views of Plato and Aristotle are rooted in a particular view of human
nature. Its clearest description can be found in the REPUBLIC, where Plato divides
citizens into three “soul types”: gold, silver, and bronze.
Universal education is not the goal. The goal is to provide each student with what he
or she needs to serve the end of the state.
A truly liberating curriculum in a Christian sense requires that students embrace
the faith that Christ presented. Christian thinkers sought to balance reason with faith,
while at the same time extending the Christian tradition. A truly liberated person from
a Christian perspective is one who is wise, but wise for the right reasons: to serve
God, love our fellow man, and pattern ourselves after the life of Christ.
The goal of teaching all members of the community to deliberate is especially
elevated in the work of John Amos Comenius, a seventeenth-century educational
philosopher and curriculist. Known as the father of universal education, Comenius had
the ability to engage in philosophical dialogue with the leading thinkers of his time
while at the same time communicating with everyday citizens about how and what to
teach their children.
The goal of deliberation during the Middle Ages was to extend the Christian
tradition by introducing each successive generation to the story of redemption.
Democratic education defined as equal educational opportunity for all – became the
new end toward which modern societies began to move. Public education systems also
began to dominate the content of curriculum
Universal education became a goal to be attained through state-funded
institutions.
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

The creation of common schools (later referred to as public schools) and


normal schools (later referred to as teachers’ colleges) were institutions created to
expand educational opportunity to populations that had not had access to education
before.
What tied the efforts of curriculists together as they faced them was the desire to
expand equal educational opportunity to all.
Curriculum theorist and political philosophers have only in the last fifty years
begun to emphasize deliberation and its connection to moral education. Curriculum is
something that we seek to enact through decision making, not just something we want
to understand. No citizen is fully engaged in the life of her nation unless she is
recognized as a deliberative participant. All citizens in a democracy, should encounter
a curriculum that prepares them for their lives as civic participants.
Before the rise of democracy as an ideal, the idea of educating all citizens for
deliberative activity was hampered by the assumption that not all people have the
capacity to deliberate.

Systematic Curriculum
No Child Left Behind (NCLB), signed into law by President George W. Bush in
January 2002 is one best example of a curriculum that has a systematic tradition. The
law’s dominant goal is to prepare students to compete economically in the global
marketplace.
Another is the introduction of SBR “scientifically based research” which is
believed that randomized, control-group studies provide the only route to creating the
kind of public school system they desire. They define “scientifically based research”
(SBR) as “research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic and objective
procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and
programs.
The key to helping all children learn is to help teachers in each and every classroom
benefit from the relevant research. That can be accomplished by providing professional
development for teachers on the use of scientifically based reading

______________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

programs; using instructional materials and programs that are also based on sound
scientific research; and by ensuring accountability through ongoing assessments.
Systematic thinkers seek to uncover a hidden piece of information—some
would say a panacea—that will unlock the gate to a world of improved schools.
The main idea behind the creation of curriculum standards, whether state or
national, is to establish what students “should know and be able to do” (a common
phrase) within the various subject-matter fields
As Ravitch makes the point, “Whether standards are state or national, teachers
should adapt and modify them to fit their own pedagogical skills as well as to take
advantage of current events and student interests.
Systematic approach puts emphasis on measurement, efficiency, and
universality. Without a reasonable amount of attention to system, any curriculum loses
its coherence.
The systematic tradition also makes a powerful point when it insists that
curriculists look to local communities for subject matter. Bobbitt made this point
originally in The Curriculum. When accepted in moderation, it makes good sense. Any
school’s curriculum must answer to a public constituency. The starting point for good
politics is human nature, argue these ancient Greeks, so it is only reasonable to start
with human nature when making curriculum. Contemporary teachers and curriculum
makers may not agree with Bobbitt’s view of human nature, but his point that human
nature is foundational to curriculum making is nonetheless insightful.
However, at the same time, too much system can lead to an unnecessary
amount of abstraction. It can result in theoretic visions for what curriculum can or
should do without sufficient attention to what may be accomplished within specific
schools and school districts. Systematic thinking about the curriculum has a valuable
role to play, but when taken too far, it forgets the human dimension of curriculum.
Another objection that can be raised is that the business leaders who take on
the challenge of educational reform know little, if anything, about curriculum, yet they
claim to be experts in education. They make a sharp distinction between “education”
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

and “curriculum” and then declare that their knowledge has to do with
improving the process of “education” but not the content of curriculum. Curriculum
and education, however, are impossible to separate. Education without attention to
curriculum is like discussing politics without addressing human nature.
Existentialist Curriculum

Existentialist curriculum has clear advantages. It reminds us of the who in the


curriculum-making process. The point that learners remember lessons best when they
choose what it is they want to study is a significant contribution this tradition makes to
curriculum. Without active choice on the part of students, no lesson can be successful.
It reminds us that the purpose of schooling is much broader than test scores or
the accumulation of subject matter. To existentialists, the end of education is personal
growth, sometimes referred to as self-actualization. This is the kind of goal that can be
pursued for a lifetime, one that will never be captured with a paper and pencil test.
The primary weakness of existentialism is its neglect of the subject matter
commonplace. Its extreme emphasis on the individual needs of learners leaves little
room for organized bodies of knowledge to be taught in a coherent way. This rejection
of subject matter leads to a curriculum that disconnects learners from their cultural
heritage.
Radical Curriculum

Radical Curriculum is a big contrast to systematic and existential curriculists, radicals


view their work as inherently political. Systematic curriculists present a view of
curriculum— and curriculum making—that they believe is neutral, objective, and
apolitical. Radical curriculists, on the other hand, embrace the political nature of
curriculum work. They see politics and curriculum as inseparable. In the words of one
radical reformer, “Neutrality with respect to the great issues that agitate society, while
perhaps theoretically possible, is practically tantamount to giving support to the forces
of conservatism.”1 This rejection of neutrality and the acceptance of political advocacy
lead radical curriculists to take positions that differ markedly from the other traditions.

________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

In a systematic curriculum, efficiency is empasized and existentialists


emphasize personal freedom, radicals concentrate on resistance, revolution, and strict
adherence to a political vision. Radicals promote service to the common good, whereas
existentialists stress individuality and personal freedom.
Radicals contend that changes in curriculum must keep the goal of equality in mind at
all times, even if achieving this goal means sweeping change or revolutionary action.
To these thinkers, almost every school’s curriculum is a source of cultural oppression,
one that serves to keep minority students in positions of inferiority while at the same
time providing a pathway for privileged students to gain a leg up in society.
Importantly, Successes to which a radical vision of curriculum have contributed
include school desegregation, equal rights for women, and the increased visibility of
minority groups in subjects like history and literature. Many of the advances that have
been made toward greater equality could not have been achieved without the
perspective brought by the radical tradition.

Pragmatic Curriculum
Pragmatic curriculum is perhaps the most difficult to capture because it defies
straightforward categorization. The whole purpose of the pragmatic perspective is to
avoid definite answers, allowing solutions to remain workable regardless of how
circumstances change. Pragmatists create a curriculum that emphasizes a variety of
subjects, is based on a wide range of assumptions, and is used for a host of different
ends. The workability of an idea matters more than consistency. A pragmatic curricular
philosophy is held together by a commitment to achieving goals such as effecting
change, making a difference in students’ lives, producing empirical results, or, as
James puts it, “working” to perform its function.
The tradition’s greatest strength is its adaptability. At their best, pragmatists
reject dogmatism and any form of ideology, so they are often successful at working
with diverse groups of people. It reminds us that curriculum making is not only an
idealistic activity but also an action-oriented task that must and should result in
changes to the way students think and behave. Another strength is that this tradition
can be beneficial
_______________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

to teachers at the beginning of their careers. The first few years of teaching are
difficult for most teachers, making a pragmatic approach not only desirable but often
necessary.
Pragmatic curriculum, however, also has weaknesses that must be taken into
account such as overemphasis on its strengths, curriculum assumes content, which is
why the public accepts the view that curriculum is the plan (or system) that describes
what will be taught, abandons subject matter altogether and pragmatists are willing to
compromise principles, ideals, or pieces of subject matter in their effort to adapt,
evolve, and produce what works.

Deliberative Curriculum

A deliberative view of curriculum see many parallels between the legal conception of
deliberation and what good curriculum makers do each day. Curriculum cannot be
avoided. Every year, teachers teach a curriculum. The issue is not whether a
curriculum will be taught. The issue is what will be included (or perhaps more
importantly what will be excluded) in a curriculum for any given year.

Several strengths of the deliberative tradition have become apparent throughout this
chapter. Deliberative curriculum opens up new avenues of knowledge without
dismissing empiricism and system. It builds upon the reality that curriculum is a value-
laden subject, offering a more holistic perspective than the other traditions.
Deliberative curriculum also is driven by an ideal that can serve as a source of unity,
inspiration, and vision for those who make curriculum. Since it builds upon a liberal
arts ideal, this tradition also has extraordinarily deep roots. It has the potential to
serve the curriculum field for many years beyond the modern period that is now
fading.
There are also disadvantages in a liberal curriculum. To name, deliberators use
methods and pursue ends that remain vague no matter how much they are discussed.
Another potential shortcoming is found in the discontinuity between how most
members of the general public view curriculum and the views offered by deliberators.
The humanistic tradition that serves as the foundation for deliberative curriculum has
been
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

marginalized to such an extent that even beginning a conversation with the language
of deliberation can be difficult. Moreover, the current obsession with testing and
measurement at all levels of schooling hinders the extent to which deliberators can
make an impact.
Each curriculum tradition is very significant and made a great impact to the
educational system especially here in the Philippines from the past up to the present.
For me there is no superior curriculum tradition in such a way that each has its own
unique and valuable impact despite their given drawbacks. The influential people who
had contributed so much to the progress, easy understanding and wide spread
adaptation of the said curriculum traditions are indeed worthy of recognition.
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

OUTPUT No. 7A
Matrix of Psychological Foundations of Curriculum
Theories, Theorists and Parameters
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Psychological
Foundations of
Definition/Parameters Theorists
Curriculum
Theories
 Behaviorism, also known as
Behavioral Psychology, is a
theory of learning based on the
idea that all behaviors are
acquired through
conditioning. Conditioning occurs
through interaction with the
John B.
environment. Behaviorists
Watson
believe that our responses to
environmental stimuli shape our
actions.
 According to this school of
thought, behavior can be studied
in a systematic and observable
manner regardless of internal
mental states.

Law of Learning
 Law of Effect- emotional
Behaviorism reaction of the learner;
responses accompanied
Edward
by satisfaction strengthen
Thorndike- one
the connection;
of the first
responses accompanied
Americans to
by discomfort weaken
test the
the conn
learning
 Law of Exercise-
process
encourage
experimentally,
repetition/drills to acquire
is considered
skills
the founder of
 Law of Readiness-
behavioral
assessing child’s
psychology
readiness to learn
considering his
emotional, physical and
mental state
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Classical Conditioning- is a
technique frequently used in
behavioral training in which a neutral Ivan Pavlov
stimulus is paired with a naturally
occurring stimulus.

Operant Conditioning- referred to


as instrumental conditioning) is a
method of learning that occurs
through reinforcements  B.F. Skinner (1904-
and punishments. Used to modify 1990)
behavior through positive and
negative reinforcements.

Social Learning Theory-


emphasized the value of learning new
Albert Bandura
behavior or information through
observation
Behaviorism
Hierarchical Learning- eight
behaviors or categories are based on
Robert Mills Gagne
pre-requisite conditions and
cumulative stages of learning

Bruner, Tyler and Taba maintained


that learning had application and
thus could be transferred to other
situations. This meant that rote
learning and memorization were
unnecessary. The student could
Tyler, Taba and
organize and classify information into
Bruner
existing mental schemata or patterns
and use it in different situations.
It is a true discipline contains
structure, which provides the basis
for the specific transfer of learning.
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Structured Play- instructional


emphasis of visual and auditory
activities; children learn at different Montessori
rates.

Cognitive stages of development:


assimilation, accommodation, and
equilibration- four cognitive stages
form a sequence of progressive
mental operations; the stages are Jean Piaget
hierarchical and increasingly more
complex.

Theory of Language and cultural


transmission-
Learning involves human
Vygotsy
development (and potential) as well
Cognitive as cultural development

Structure of a Subject- the


knowledge, concepts, and principles
of a subject; learning how things
are related is learning the structure Bruner, Phenix
of a subject; inquiry-discovery
methods of learning are essential.

Nine multiple intelligences-


intelligences
is a cross-cultural, expanded
concept of what is intelligence—
such areas as linguistics, music, Howard Gardner
logical-mathematical, spatial, body-
kinesthetic, and personal.
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

120 potential cognitive


processes-
involves a three-dimensional Guilford
model (6, 5, 4) of intelligence
called the structure of intellect.
Critical Thinking -involves
teaching students how to think,
including forming concepts,
generalizations, cause-effect Ennis, Lipman and
relationships, inferences, Sternberg
consistencies and contradictions,
Cognitive assumptions, analogies, and the
like.
Malleability of intelligence, theory
of structural cognitive
modifiability, and mediated
learning experience- intelligence
can be modified and improved Feuerstein
through mediated learning
experiences to systematically
develop students’ cognitive and
meta cognitive function.
Human needs- there are six
human needs that are related to
survival and psychological well-
being. These needs are
hierarchical and serve to direct
behavior.
Robert Maslow
One’s well-being relates to his or
Humanistic her ability to cultivate talent,
build lasting relationships, feel
pleasure, and contribute
meaningfully.
Freedom to Learn-becoming a full
person requires freedom to learn
Rogers
and be open, self- trusting and
self-accepting
West Visayas State University
College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

OUTPUT No. 7B
Written Report on the Interview
to a Curriculum Specialist

INTERVIEWEE PROFILE:

Name: Dr. Sandra T. Examen


Designation: University
Administrator and Head of

Curriculum and Instruction


School Affiliation: Isat-U, Miag-ao,
Campus, Iloilo
Date of Interview: October 19, 2018

Question No. 1

What are the scopes of the tasks or responsibilities of a curriculum


specialist/head of curriculum and instruction in this university?

Answers:

The following are the scopes of the tasks or responsibilities of the head
of curriculum and instruction of this university:

a. Spearheads in the designing of the proposed curricular program


offering/s
b. Facilitates the conduct of curriculum review of existing curricular
programs as well as of the proposed curricular offerings
c. Supervises the preparation of faculty load and class programs
d. Prepares schedule of midterm and final examinations
e. Conducts meetings with program coordinators and division chairs
regarding academic concerns/matters
f. Monitors the implementation of faculty loading and class programs
g. Monitors attendance of faculty in their respective classes
h. Observes classes
i. Attends to the varied concerns of faculty and students

________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

j. Accommodates complaints of students about their teachers


k. Addresses conflict between teachers
l. Prepares required reports such as normative financing, etc.
m. Conducts seminar-workshops
n. Prepares documents needed for the accreditation of curricular
programs by AACCUP
Question No. 2

What is the most rewarding and the most challenging part of being a
curriculum specialist or the head of curriculum and instruction?

Answers:

Most Rewarding Tasks

a. When the program under survey by AACCUP passed the


accreditation
b. When the proposed curricular program/s to be offered were
approved by the Board of Regents and passed the CHED Regional
Quality Assessment
c. When grave complaints by a student against a teacher is successfully
resolved
Most Challenging Task

a. Resolving grave complaints of students against her/his teacher

Question No. 3

Would you please share something about a successful teacher training


program or conference which you planned and/or conducted that is valuable to
a certain curriculum implementation?

Answers:
We conducted a curriculum review for the proposed Master of Education
program. We invited school heads, alumni, specialists to review the design and
________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

to attune it with the needs of the basic education sector. The activity was
successfully conducted and we were able to refine the curriculum ready for the
University Curriculum Review, presentation to the Academic Council and BOR
approval.

Question No. 4

Can you give examples on how to effectively handle a difficult person or


subordinate and what were the results based on your experiences?

Answers:

Ways to effectively handle a difficult person with results

a. Setting a dialogue
Result

 Concerns of the person was addressed and an agreement was


established

b. Issuing office memorandum


Result

 The teacher complied to what was required of him


 Punctuality in the submission of reports was practiced
 Assigned tasks were carried out successfully

Question No. 5

Could you provide some suggestions on how to organize, plan and


prioritize your work in order to be productive and to achieve targets?

Answers:
Prepare an action/tactical plan for the academic year and carry out the
plan as scheduled.

________________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Question No. 6

What are the factors that contribute to the success of a curriculum


implementation? How about its failure?

Answers:

 Successful implementation of the curriculum is due to:


a. A carefully and meticulously designed curriculum
b. Involvement of stakeholders in the review of the proposed curricular
program
c. Support and cooperation of persons involved in the designing of the
curriculum and stakeholders

 Failure in the implementation of the curriculum is due to:

a. Poorly designed curriculum


b. Stakeholders are not involved, thus the needs of the industry is not
aligned with the curricular offerings
c. Lack of support from stakeholders

Question No. 7

What advice would you give to the new and young teacher as well as to
those who are planning to be a curriculum specialist or head of curriculum and
instruction?

Answers:

a. Know the task well


b. Put your heart into it/Love your work
c. Attend seminars and trainings related to the work
d. Embrace whatever challenges that will come along- experience is the
best teacher
#End

____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Interviewer’s Reflection

Dr. Sandra Examen is one of the most humble and approachable campus
administrators I have ever met. I have known her personally and is at ease at
interviewing her because she is one of our wedding principal sponsors and is
closed to my husband as an ISAT-U alumna.
Well, as I review her answers to my questions relevant to one of her
major tasks for many years: Head of Curriculum and Instruction, I realized the
job was not easy. It really takes a lot of dedication and commitment to
accomplish every big tasks that is given and expected to be done at the
required schedule.
Moreover, it made me think that one should really be an expert to the
how’s and why’s of the specific institution in order not to put at risk the quality
of education that each student deserves. These skills are also necessary in
order not to create confusion and chaos within the implementation of
curriculum projects, activities and programs.
Human relation especially to colleagues should be strengthened. You can
have a soft heart to everyone and tough when there is a need. Why? It is
because, this kind of job- a curriculum maker/planner is a kind of job that
demands one to work with others. No matter how beautiful the curriculum
policy or program, if the people around you do not have the burning passion
and the will to perform because they could not connect with you, their
performance to successfully and correctly implement the curriculum will be
affected.
Lastly, to be a curricularists/ curriculum specialist is very challenging.
One can’t handle this task if he/she does not have as what Dr. Examen has
mentioned the heart or the love for the work. There may be a lot of problems
that may happen related to performing the task but if one has the passion
toward it, he/she would find a way and a perfect solution. Giving up and
ignoring the problem would never be a resort. Kudos to all curriculum
specialists/ curricularists!
 ____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Output No. 8
Reaction Paper on Saber Tooth Curriculum

The perfect timing and the way New Fist was


able to think and build a curriculum that focuses on
the teaching of the three subjects: fish-grabbing,
horse-clubbing and tiger-scaring was very purposive. It
is a kind of educational goal that would provide for the
entire tribes’ physiological needs. He was also able to
make his own children learn these skills through
experience supporting John Dewey’s theory of “Learning by Doing”, far better, thank
making them just play and not contributing to making them prepare for a better
future. Through observation of others that New Fist’s children had an advantage in a
good and safe living over those who had never been educated systematically, the
teaching and learning of the three subjects became more acceptable and was made a
heart of real education in that community. However, no matter how good your
intentions are, there would still be others whose opinions and principles deviate yours
and would question the integrity and worthiness of your action, just like the
conservative members of the tribe: The Great Mystery believers, theologically minded
and human nature cannot be changed believers who opposed on what New Fist was
doing to educate the children. Nevertheless, at present these kinds of people can be
likened to the members of our community who are pessimistic, are afraid to take risk
and embraced change. They would rather resort into clamors and what if’s but have
not tried the innovation yet to see its positive impact.
Good thing that New Fist’s was smart enough to fight for his principle and to
make those oppositions believe in him. Thus, the teachings and skills training of the
three subjects caused the entire tribe to have a better and bountiful life for so many
years even many more years after New Fist death. This only means that the drive of
making the people of the community learn should be heightened to overpower those

____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

who resist change by making them know, understand and believe for the better
outcomes.
As the years go by, those we learned from the past become obsolete in the
present, far even more, becomes useless when uncontrolled situation/circumstances
occur just like what happened in the Saber-Tooth Curriculum when the new ice age
came that made the teaching and learning of the three subjects: fish-grabbing, horse-
clubbing and tiger-scaring useless as there were no more fish to catch with bare hands
as they now hide in the muddy waters, no more horses to club as they have all gone
East and were replaced by antelopes where the clubbing skills won’t work and no more
tigers to scare as most have died due to saber-tooth tigers pneumonia. These
situations had made the paleolithic life and education disrupted and useless, thus
putting the community in a difficult situation.
This part of the article made me realized that indeed time comes when the
thing you know from the past are no longer applicable in the present. And what is left
is a choice for you to think of other ways of dealing with the present pressing issues in
order to survive and go with the current flow. For instance, others may take pride in
the commendable skill of typing using a typewriter to create reports and memos,
however, in the advent and invention of computers and the phasing out of typewriters
one should learn how to use computers to do the office tasks as efficient as others
including the use of internet to send online required reports when hard copies of
reports are no longer accepted.
And so I admire the three brilliant members of the old New-Fist breed or tribe
who had become doers and thinkers just like New Fist in the beginning of the article
that they were able to find new means of effectively catching the fish using an
improvised fish net, of the way to catch the antelope and of the best way to trap the
ferocious bears. The spread of this new innovations and the enthusiasm of all to learn
and try these new ways had greatly helped the entire community survive the challenge
of the time when they thought it was already hopeless.

____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

On the other hand, in the duration of the


practice and studying of the new skills, its integration
to the old curriculum was disagreed and opposed by
many despite the persistence of the thoughtful men
and the radicals to make these innovations be taught
in school. Only to find out that the teaching of the
three subjects: fish-grabbing, horse-clubbing and
tiger-scaring is not only confined for that purpose
but far more beyond and this is the teaching to
develop agility, strength and noble courage that a
person could carry over into all the affairs of his life.
The line that had struck me the most in the entire
article was: “The essence of true education is timelessness.” True. No matter how old
the curriculum we had before and no matter how many changes especially the DepEd
Curriculum has undergone from the past up to the very recent K to 12 program, more
and possible changes should be expected. Why? Because change is something we
cannot do away as it is necessary for us to go with the demands of the changing time
and varied situation.
The events mentioned in the saber-tooth curriculum is much more like the
initial reaction of the teachers, students, parents and the people of the community
when the K to 12 was launched. Resistance! For example, the teaching of the mother
tongue in grade one, the making of the kindergarten a prerequisite to enter grade one
and the 2-year senior high school were criticized much by those who have not
understood the benefits and real essence of having such curriculum change. But as
years go by and the K to 12’s better impact was recognized, those who opposed have
started to embrace its beauty and K to 12 has gained their support.
As an end, I would like to take note that any curriculum is helpful and
necessary only if it is well-crafted, planned and implemented. Besides, it serves as a
plan to better the educational system of our beloved Philippines and Filipino youth.
____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Output No. 11
Solutions, Implications, and Conclusions: On a Chosen
Curricular Problem Presented by Null

The curricular problem that I would choose and would like to work on as it had
caught my attention was the case of Kathy Waterman: Social Studies Chair.
Let me first briefly reiterate the problem situation: From one school in the
urban area she moved to Ashton High where teaching and learning experience was
different from her former school. Students in her new school, many of them were
under performing, and dropout had been a problem. Education was not so important
as perceived by many students in Ashton High. Less than 50 percent could graduate
and after finishing high school, less than 20 percent of the students pursued higher
education while the rest of the students remained in their locality to start working in
farms. To encourage students to stay in school, the Ashton High had attractive sports
programs and other extracurricular activities that each student could take part.

Waterman’s journey in Ashton High became more challenging when she was
designated as chairperson of Social Studies Department. She had to face problems on
school supplies and on the department’s teaching force. The absence of necessary
materials and the quality of teaching that her teachers deliver were the major
challenges she had to solve. She discovered when she was preparing for her new
position that the only social studies books that the school had were almost ten years
ago. The second problem that Kathy Waterman encountered was having a less
efficient and effective teacher. One of her teachers, Coach Wilson paid no attention
whatsoever to the Indiana social studies standards. Every day, he simply has students
read from their old textbooks and answer questions from the back of each chapter.
The Coach did not give Kathy the chance to engage in a discussion to address the
existing problems. Another teacher, Ms. Fitzgerald, pays little attention to state
standards. Her main focus has always been mathematics. She only accepted to teach
social studies because a teacher assigned refused to teach it.
____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

The case of Kathy mirrors the reality on the ground. We share similar struggles
in education. The lack of resources and teachers who lack commitment and motivation
are problems, which seem universal. The former poses a great challenge to senior high
school educators in the Philippines especially in public schools. Many teachers are
given teaching loads without being provided with enough reference. They rely on old
books in library, online sources which are unverified, and some borrow from their
friends who are teaching in private schools. In the lower levels, books are usually
available to the higher sections while students in the lower sections have to share a
book with their friends or seatmates. Moreover, other teachers would be teaching
subjects that they have no training or any foundation at all for there were no other
available teachers to do such.

But often, students have no reference books except the teachers who
monopolize the discussion. On the other hand, there are teachers in school whose only
concern is to receive salary every 15 th and 30th of the month without looking into the
quality of their service. They have been in their comfort zone for a long time and they
resist changes or innovations. This is very true to many of the teachers who has been
in the institution for a long time who refuse to learn new techniques and ideas, and
they usually pass the ball to the new ones. There are also teachers who were asked to
handle subjects, which are not their specialization due to the lack of teachers. In some
cases, teachers are employed in schools due to political accommodation; they were
favored because they know someone from the government despite their
incompetence.
How are we going to address these challenges that hinder the growth of our
education system, which affect the children, the future of this country? This requires
collective effort. The government, the school administrators and teachers should work
together. The government should allocate bigger budget for education to respond to
the needs of teachers and students. The school administrators, the in-charge of
schools should do their duty religiously. They have to make sure that the schools have
the necessary resources, and assigned teachers based on their specialization. They
should
____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

also keep track of the lessons and see to it that the prescribe curriculum are properly
implemented. Lastly, teachers should not only be confined within the four walls of the
classroom. They should be updated with the latest trends in education and be open-
minded to changes and innovations. They are also encouraged to enroll in graduate
school programs. Because above all other innovations and technology integration,
teachers are still the best visual aids and source of knowledge.
____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Output No. 14
Revised Curriculum Based on Critics Done

In my case, I worked on the standard curriculum guide


in the subject oral communication for the Senior High School
since the contents are so generic.
The revisions that I did were to contextualize the
lessons and competencies based on the national competency
in order to suit the schema and level of intelligence of our
grade 11 learners.
Then to align the assessments, I together with other
English teachers in our department created a standardized
test which is Division wide that would suit the revised
curriculum guide.

I also participated together with my classmates in the


revision of the subject Facilitating Learning Centered Teaching
as part of our internship course with Dr. Espina. There we
were able to come up with a revised syllabus integrating
tuning and the new GE courses requirements which are for
final review and assessment of Dr. Dequila’s team.
It was glorifying tasks to be a part in this endeavor of
making a curriculum relevant and meaningful to the students
without sacrificing the trends and demands of the 21 st century
teaching and learning process.

____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Background and Theoretical Framework of my


Research Study
____________________________________________________________

West Visayas State University


College of Education
Graduate School
La Paz, Iloilo City

Output No. 9

Compilation of Oral Report Topics

UNIT V. Curriculum Development

Topics A-E

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