Chapter 2: Developing the Curriculum

Principles of Curriculum Development

Clarification of Terms
Woolly Mammoth pg 21

Types of Curriculum Developers
Planing: curriculum developers that excel in the conceptualizing phase
Implementation: curriculum developers that excel in carrying out the curricular plan
Evaluation: curriculum developers that excel in assessing curriculum.

Sources of Curriculum Principles

• Curriculum principles are derived from many sources:
• empirical data
• experimental data
• the folklore of curriculum, composed of unsubstantiated beliefs and attitudes
• common sense

Types of Principles

• Whole Truths: are either obvious facts or concepts proved through experimentation, and they are usually accepted without challenge.
• Partial Truths: are based on limited data and can apply to some, many, or most situations, but they are not always universal.  
• Hypotheses: tentative working assumptions

Ten Axioms

1. Inevitability of Change: Change is both inevitable and necessary, for it is through change that life forms grow and develop.
2. Curriculum as a Product of its Time: A school curriculum not only reflects but also is a product of its time.
3. Concurrent Changes: Curriculum changes made at an earlier period of time can exist concurrently with newer curriculum changes at a later period of time.
4. Change in People: Curriculum change results from changes in people.
5. Cooperative Endeavor: Curriculum change is effected as a result of cooperative endeavor on the part of groups.
6. Decision-Making Process: Curriculum development is basically a decision-making process
7. Continuous Process: Curriculum development is a never-ending process
8. Comprehensive Process: Curriculum development is a comprehensive process
9. Systematic Development: Systematic curriculum development is more effective than trial and error.
10. Staring form the Existing Curriculum: The curriculum planner starts from where the curriculum is, just as the teacher starts from where the students are.