THE NATURE OF CURRICULUM

Chapter Overview

  • Focuses on various aspects of curriculum approaches:

    • Nature of curriculum

      • National/state curriculum

      • Institutional curriculum

      • General curriculum

    • Curriculum and the teacher

      • Teacher's curriculum/course outline

      • Enacted curriculum

      • Emergent curriculum

    • Curriculum as product and process

  • Case studies:

    • Dino Mahoney

    • Institutional curriculum for pre-service English teacher education program (Christian Rudianto)

Introduction

  • Significant changes in the nature of the world and the role of English due to globalization.

    • English as a global medium for communication, commerce, travel, media, etc.

    • Viewed as essential for progress in various sectors: education, business, trade, etc.

  • This chapter examines how the language curriculum adapts to these changes through various frameworks and teaching practices.

1.1 Internal and External Influences on Curriculum

  • Internal Influences: Innovations often arise from the language nature and second language acquisition.

    • Key principles from research (Ellis, 2011):

      • Develop formulaic expressions and rule-based competence.

      • Focus on meaning and form in instruction.

      • Emphasize implicit over explicit knowledge.

      • Learner's built-in syllabus and the importance of extensive input/output opportunities.

  • External Influences:

    • Pressure from governments, authorities, employers, and learners regarding language-teaching programs.

    • Importance of English for economic development (case studies in various countries).

    • Increasing use of English as a medium of instruction, especially at university levels.

    • Curriculum requirements include:

      • Accessibility for large groups.

      • Technology integration.

      • Skill promotion for authentic materials and problem-solving.

      • Performance-based outcomes.

1.2 The Nature of Curriculum

  • Curricula as planning and managing documents outlining educational goals. Includes:

    • Curriculum as a product developed by experts based on second language teaching research.

    • Current knowledge influences curriculum design, addressing how a language is taught and organized.

Curriculum and Syllabus

  • Distinction between curriculum (broad goals) and syllabus (specific content).

    • Curriculum development involves assessing needs, objectives, content selection, and evaluation of results.

    • Types of curricula:

      • National/state curriculum: goals of the educational system covering K-12.

      • Institutional curriculum: outlines expectations for specific groups.

      • General curriculum types developed by organizations (e.g. CEFR).

Curriculum Philosophies

  • Various philosophies shape curriculum design:

    • Academic Rationalism: Focus on subject matter and student intellect.

    • Social Reconstructionism: Schools addressing social injustices.

    • Constructivism and Progressivism: Emphasize active, learner-centered approaches.

1.3 Curriculum and the Teacher

  • Curriculum also reflects how teachers implement their plans based on beliefs and experiences

    • Teacher's curriculum/course outline aids in lesson planning with specific goals and objectives.

    • Enacted Curriculum: How teachers adapt curriculum based on student needs and teaching settings.

1.4 Curriculum as Product and Process

  • Curriculum as Product: Document framework for teaching, involving forward and backward design approaches.

    • Forward Design: Sequence of stages to develop a syllabus based on core components.

    • Backward Design: Start with desired outcomes to inform teaching activities and assessments.

  • Curriculum as Process:

    • Emergent curriculum derived from classroom experiences.

    • Emphasis on the social and interactive aspects of learning.

    • Learning viewed as a dynamic activity shaped by teaching processes and classroom interactivity.