In education, a curriculum or curricula is the totality of student experiences that occur in

an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of

instruction, or to a view of the student's experiences in terms of the educator's or
schools instructional goals. A curriculum may incorporate the planned interaction of
pupils with instructional content, materials, resources, and processes for evaluating the
attainment of educational objectives. Curricula are split into several categories: the
explicit, the implicit (including the hidden), the excluded, and the extracurricular. It is for
this reason why this piece of academic writing aspires to discuss the elements that
makes the curriculum.

To start with, the concept of curriculum is very broad. It consists of totality of

experiences that a pupil receives through the manifold activities that go on in the
institution, in a classroom, library, laboratory, workshop and playground and in the
numerous contacts between the teachers and the pupils. Curriculum plays an important
role in an educational system. It is somehow a blueprint which leads the teacher and the
learner to reach the desired objectives, (Bryan-Gooden 2019).

The teaching activities are planned or designed by the teacher in view of four
components- teaching learning objectives, teaching content or subject matter, teaching
methods and evaluation of learning outcomes. Curriculum depends upon level of
students, need of the society and the nation. Nature of content is therefore very
important factors. These factors are essential in identifying the objectives of teaching
learning. Several types of teaching objectives are attained by the same content. Thus, a
content has its own structure. The specific objectives are realized by organizing specific
teaching tasks and activities. Thus there are four elements of curriculum, which are
essential and interrelated to each other, (Tarone, & Yule, 1999).

Goals are overarching, broad statements that define the purpose and direction of the
curriculum. They describe the ultimate aims and aspirations of the educational
program. Long-Term Perspective: Goals typically focus on long-term outcomes and may
not be easily measurable. They provide the context for the curriculum and help answer
the question, "What do we want our students to become or achieve in the

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future?" Example: "To prepare students to be informed and responsible citizens who
can contribute to society."

Aims: More Specific: Aims are more specific than goals but still relatively broad. They
articulate the general intentions or purposes of the curriculum. Medium-Term
Perspective: Aims are somewhat more focused and practical than goals. They provide a
sense of direction for the curriculum without being overly detailed. Example: "To
develop students' critical thinking skills and their ability to communicate effectively."
Objectives: Specific and Measurable: Objectives are highly specific, concrete, and
measurable statements that outline what students should be able to do or achieve upon
completing the curriculum. Short-Term Perspective: Objectives are more immediate and
address the learning outcomes for individual units or lessons within the
curriculum. Example: "By the end of the semester, students will be able to analyze and
evaluate primary sources from historical events, (Richards, 2007).

Needs Assessment: Identify the educational needs and requirements of the target
audience (students) and the broader educational context. Define Goals: Determine the
overarching goals of the curriculum. These goals should align with the mission and
vision of the educational institution. Establish Aims: Develop more specific aims that
provide a sense of purpose and direction for the curriculum. Aims should be aligned
with the goals. Create Objectives: Break down the aims into specific, measurable, and
achievable learning objectives. Objectives should be aligned with both the goals and
aims. Alignment and Continuity: Ensure that goals, aims, and objectives are coherent
and flow logically from one level to the next. Objectives should support aims, and aims
should support goals. Assessment and Evaluation: Develop assessment methods and
tools to measure the achievement of objectives. This includes designing tests,
assignments, and other assessment strategies, (Style, 1996).

Revision and Review: Periodically review and revise goals, aims, and objectives to
ensure they remain relevant and aligned with changing educational needs and
standards. Implementation: Use the established goals, aims, and objectives to guide the
development of the curriculum materials, teaching methods, and assessment strategies.

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Monitoring and Feedback: Continuously monitor the curriculum's effectiveness and
gather feedback from instructors and students to make necessary adjustments.

Nunan, (1999), educational Standards, start by identifying the educational standards or

learning objectives that students should achieve by the end of each grade level. These
standards are typically set by educational authorities and serve as a guide for
curriculum development. Developmental Stages, consider the cognitive, emotional, and
social development stages of students at each grade level. Content should align with
their abilities and interests. For example, kindergarten curriculum will be significantly
different from high school curriculum. Content should be organized in a logical and
sequential manner. Concepts learned in one grade should build upon those from the
previous grade, creating a coherent and progressive learning path. Choose content that
is relevant to students' lives and interests. Engaging materials are more likely to
motivate students to learn and explore further. Parent and Community Involvement,
involvement of parents and the community in the curriculum development process to
create a sense of ownership and support for the educational goals.

Ultimately, the selection of content for each grade level should be a dynamic process
that evolves over time to meet the changing needs of students and society. It should
reflect the educational goals of the institution and provide a solid foundation for students
to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to succeed in life. Teaching
methods & techniques, begin by thoroughly understanding the curriculum's goals,
objectives, and content. Identify Learning Styles and Needs, consider the diverse
learning styles (Nunan, 1999).

Last but not the least, assessment/evaluation, Clear Learning Objectives: Begin by
establishing clear and measurable learning objectives for your curriculum. These
objectives should outline what students are expected to know and be able to do by the
end of the course or program. Assessments should align with these objectives.
Assessment Design: Design assessments that directly assess the content and skills
specified in the curriculum. This may involve various types of assessments, including
quizzes, exams, projects, essays, presentations, and more. Assessment Methods:
Consider using a variety of assessment methods to align with different aspects of the

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curriculum. For example, if your curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, assessments
should include questions or tasks that require students to apply critical thinking skills,
(Lynch, 1996).

In addition, assessment Timing, this align assessments with the timing of the
curriculum. Assessments should be administered at appropriate points in the curriculum
to gauge student progress and understanding. Assessment Weighting: Determine the
relative importance of each assessment within the overall course or program. Some
assessments may carry more weight than others based on the curriculum's priorities.

To sum up, the elements of a curriculum are distinct but interrelated to each other.
These four components should be always present in a curriculum. One can say that
these are essential ingredients to have an effective curriculum. For example, in a
curriculum, evaluation is important so one could assess whether the objectives and
aims have been meet or not. Curriculum experience could not be effective if the content
is not clearly defined. The aims, goals and direction serve as the anchor of the learning
journey, the content or subject matter serve as the meat of the educational journey,
curriculum experience serves as the hands-on exposure to the real spectrum of learning
and finally the curriculum evaluation serves as the Barometer as to how far had the
learners understood on the educational journey.

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 REFERENCES

Bryan-Gooden, J. (2019). Culturally responsive curriculum scorecard. New York

University.

Lynch, B. K. (1996). Language program evaluation: Theory and practice. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.

Nunan, D. (1999). The learner-centered curriculum. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

Richards, J. C. (2007). Curriculum development in language teaching. New York:

Longman

Style, E. (1996). Curriculum as window and mirror. Social Science Record. New
York Press.

Tarone, E., & Yule, G. (1999). Focus on the language learner. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.