Chapter 4: Developing the Curriculum

Curriculum Planning: The Human Dimension
Role of the Principal: Actively (leader) or passively (delegates leadership) involved in curriculum development.  Doomed without support.  Theory X and Theory Y.  Bureaucratic vs. Collegial

Role of Students:  More and more common to solicit student input regarding curriculum.  Can be direct or indirect.  Some seek advice from student leaders.  Scores on standardized tests, evaluations.  Degree and quality depend on intelligence, motivation, knowledge, maturity.

Role of the Community: Involvement has evolved.  Generally widespread, encouraged, and valued.  Direct or indirect.  Involved in curriculum development through advisory committees, resource persons, volunteer aides.  Local Businesses have entered into partnerships.  Local, state, federal initiatives.

Role of the Teachers:  Teachers carry heaviest burden regarding curriculum, participate in all stages, initiate and review proposals. Write and create curriculum materials.  Evaluate resources.  Try new ideas.  Serve on committees at all levels.

Role of the Curriculum Leader: Mostly a faculty member.  Must be a specialist in the group process.

The Change Process
4 Variables
1. Structure
2. Technology of Managing
3. People
4. Task

Interpersonal Relations

• Formal Groups
• Informal Groups
• CL must be aware of behaviors: Individuals bring won behaviors to the group.  Individual in groups may behave in ways that are different from their individual behaviors.  Groups assume a personality of its own.

Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM)

http://www.nationalacademies.org/rise/backg4a.htm

Leadership Skills: Research indicates it is impossible to ascribe a single set of traits to those in leadership roles.  Traits do not guarantee success.  Two Approaches: Bureaucratic or Collegial.

Communication Skills: Curriculum development in primarily an exercise in verbal behavior-to-some degree written but to a greater degree oral.

Common Misunderstandings

1. Skill in speaking can be mistaken for communication
2. Group interaction is sometimes taken for communication
3. Assumption that communication is understood without sufficient evidence.

Body Language & Julius Fast

Chapter 4: Curriculum Alternative Approaches, Ongoing Issues

Curriculum Theorizing Outline

Bethany Bevins

Gardner-Webb University

I.  What is Curriculum Theorizing?
   

A.  What is a Theory?

       

      1.  A coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a        

           class of phenomena.

       2.  A proposed explanation, the status of which is still conjectural.

       3.  A body of principles, theorems about a subject.

       4.  That branch of a science or an art that deals with principles and methods.

       5.  Guess or conjecture.

 

       (Marsh & Willis, 2007, p. 97)

B.  Criteria for a Good Curriculum Theory

    1.  According to Walker (2003), curriculum theory should include:

         A.  Validity, which provides meaningfulness, logical consistency, and factual

               Correctness.

         B.  Theoretical power, which contributes to basic understanding.

         C.  Serviceability, which helps resolve central curriculum problems.

         D. Morality, which clarifies underlying values.

         (Marsh & Willis, 2007, p. 98)

Chapter 3: Curriculum Alternative Approaches, Ongoing Issues

A reasonable curriculum approach should include:
An understanding of curriculum and the process of curriculum development
A value system that allows you to give a basis for your decisions
An understanding of the basic assumptions about the world, society, and morality

Tyler
4 big questions a curriculum planner must ask, and should be asked and answered in a certain order

Walker's Deliberative Approach
Studying what people actually do in development of curricula, he said that better curricula will come about when those who are planning it understand the complexity of the process.  3 basic phases: platform, deliberation, and design

Eisner's Artistic Approach
Curriculum design needed a variety of new assumptions and methods that will help elucidate the complexity of the field

Deliberative Democratic Evaluation Checklist

Principle 1: Inclusion
The evaluation study should consider the interests, values, and views of major stakeholders involved in the program or policy under review.

Principle2: Dialogue
The evaluation study should encourage extensive dialogue with stakeholder groups and sometimes dialogue among stakeholders.

Principle 3: Deliberation
The evaluation study should provide for extensive deliberation in arriving at conclusions.

Get the Checklist at http://www.wmich.edu/evalctr/archive_checklists/dd_checklist.PDF

Case Study

Concerned with descriptions exploration and understanding.

Caution regarding Generalizations

Be aware and frequently reflect on our own position and how it may bias your description/interpretation

Triangulate whenever possible: use evidence from diverse sources

Key Evaluation Model

Preliminaries
Executive Summary
Preface
Methodology

Foundations
Background and context: ID setting
Descriptions and definitions: descriptions based on client information AND develop correct and complete descriptions
Consumers: Direct and indirect inpactees
Resources: Strengths of program, what define the "possibility space"
Values:  value in evaluation, value of information derived from study

Sub-Evaluation
Process Evaluation: Assessment of merit, worth, and significance, evaluations of outputs leading to true outcomes
Outcome Evaluation: good/bad effects on program recipients
Comparative Cost Effectiveness: Time spent, monetary support
Generalizability: can it be applied to multiple areas-versatile?
Exportability
Overall Significance

Conclusions
Recommendations and Explanations
Responsibilities
Reporting and Follow-ip
Meta-Evaluation: An evaluation of the evalution

Utilization-Focused Evaluation Model

Utilization-Focused Evaluation on Prezi