SUBJECT BASED CURRICULUM

Keywords; curriculum,  old concept, modern concept, main features of subject based curriculum, requirements for subject based curriculum, advantages of subject based curriculum, the subject based curriculum has the following disadvantages

SUBJECT BASED CURRICULUM

CURRICULUM:

Encarta Dictionary defines “Curriculum” as:

“The subjects taught at an educational institution or the elements

  Taught in a particular subject”.

The Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary defines the word “Curriculum” as:

“The Subjects included in a course of study or taught at a particular

  School or college”.

Chamber’s Twentieth Century Dictionary defines the word “Curriculum” as:

“A course, specially the course of study at a University”

These are very narrow definitions, because it uses the word “Curriculum” for only a certain number of subjects.

A close look at just these definitions will reveal that the focus of our study of the curriculum would be different in each case.  Basically, the curriculum is what happens to learner in institution as a result of what teachers do.  It includes all the experiences which the institution accepts to provide to learner.  According to this view, a curriculum is the program used by the institution as a means of accomplishing its purposes.

CONCEPT OF CURRICULUM:

The concept of “curriculum” will be understood clearly after describing its

-         Old concept

-         Modern concept

OLD CONCEPT:

“Curriculum” is that knowledge which a pupil learns from his/her teacher through memorization, recitation and drill”.

According to old concept of curriculum, in the past the teacher used to impact some factual knowledge to his pupils and the pupil had to memorize it and produce it on the demand of the teacher.

In short, we can say that, in the old concept, was nothing but a second name of text book. This was a static view of curriculum because it emphasized only the text book knowledge or factual information.

MODERN CONCEPT:

“Curriculum” is a series of all those learning opportunities which are planned and carried out by a teacher and pupil’s working together.

The modern concept of curriculum was developed with the beginning of Twentieth Century.  This concept of curriculum is different from the old one.  According to the modern concept, “curriculum” is not the name of text book knowledge of factual information.  It is not a static-view but a dynamic one.

Now-a-days, “Curriculum is used for the whole environment in which a child is given education.  It is a series of all those activities which a school performs to organize students for physical, social, moral and spiritual development.  These activities are necessary for the development of the balance personality of the child.

TYPES OF CURRICULUM:

There are several types of curriculum. Some important patterns are:

1.     Teacher Centered Curriculum

2.     Learner Centered Curriculum

3.     Activity Based Curriculum

4.     Subject based Curriculum

5.     Hidden Curriculum

6.     Integrated Curriculum

MAIN FEATURES OF SUBJECT BASED CURRICULUM:

This is the oldest and traditional type of curriculum design.  In this type, the curriculum is organized in term of subjects.  A large number of schools follow this pattern.  The curriculum includes different branches of knowledge, known as subjects like history, language, mathematics, etc.

Subjects are included in accordance with the level of various stages. For instance, psychology is introduced at the secondary and senior secondary stages of schooling, not in junior section of schooling.

Contents of the subjects are included in accordance with the level of understanding at various stages.  For instance, we taught law of gravitation in the senior section of the school not in class-II of junior section, because Law of Gravitation is not with the level of understanding of class II.  Same as rhyme are taught in Nursery or Prep class, not is secondary level because rhyme is not with the level of secondary classes.

Listening to lectures, studying the text books and studying for examination are all practices that show the influence of the subject centered approach.  The subject teacher considers it of great importance to cover the prescribed text book.  Since a specific amount of subject is to be learnt in a set time. If subject matter has been learnt, he teacher and student feel satisfaction.

As the subject matter is an important thing to be learnt, learning is measured by how well the subject matter has been mastered.  Frequent tests are given to check the extent of achievement by the students.

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBJECT BASED CURRICULUM:

There are some important requirements for the optimum operation of subject based curriculum.  These are as:

·        Trained and specialized teachers with mastery in different subject with commands on methods of teaching are required to teach different subject.

·        A separate class-room for each level and section is required.

·        A fixed time table is needed for different subjects according to their weightage in curriculum.

·        Special arrangements are needed for guidance, physical education, tours, and in-door and out-door activities and examinations, etc.

·        Text books and guide books are needed for subject curriculum.

ADVANTAGES OF SUBJECT BASED CURRICULUM:

The subject based curriculum has the following advantages:

·        It provides a thorough and detailed view of the subject, in which students can be guided from beginning to end in due time.

·        Students will learn the fundamentals of challenges in the particular subject and improve and increase knowledge in this way.

·        It helps all the students learn more by demanding higher student proficiency and providing effective methods to help students achieve high standards/grades.

·        It is beneficial to students because it is intentionally and intensively focused areas.

·        It reinforces the best teaching and educational practices already found in classrooms and make them the norms.

·        Teachers can create their own materials using a traditionalist approach; they can also draw upon commercially or locally developed materials and methods.

·        Its evaluation is very easy.  Achievement based testing is the only type of evaluation needed for the mastery of the subject matter.

·        It provides maximum security for both the teacher and the student, the teacher knows that, what is expected of him to teach.  The students also know what is expected of them i.e., how much they have to cover.  This provides them with a constant source of security.

DISADVANTAGES OF SUBJECT BASED CURRICULUM:

The subject based curriculum has the following disadvantages:

·        It fails to develop habits of effective thinking.  This curriculum places emphasis on mastery of conclusions of thought rather than upon the mastery of the processes on which the conclusions were derived. Therefore, some critics claim that subject curriculum is largely responsible for uncritical tendencies.  The usual assumption is that anyone who has mastered the facts can think effectively, but the evidence of investigation has rejected this assumption.

·        It ignores the interest and activities of the learner.  There is an inefficient arrangement of content for learning and use.  The subjects are logically organized.

·        In order to pass a test students simply memorize what they need to know instead of actually learning it.

·        Students are not taught to use different aspects of their knowledge in an integrated manner.

·        Students are discouraged from entertaining a different point of view than what text book or teacher presents.

·        It prevents students from understanding the wider context of what they are learning.  Mostly students do not know what they are learning, why they are learning, what are the uses of this learning, what are the purposes of learning.  They just learn something to become learner.

·        In many schools the careless implementation of standards/grades and assessment may have negative consequences for students.  It may decrease the morality and development of the students.

·        Material must be taught and students are expected to absorb the material in time allotted, either they can understand it or not. Same as with the teachers they are expected to complete the material in time allotted whether it difficult or not.

·        Teacher exercises control over pupil experiences, activities and conduct.  The teacher follows the decision of others with regard to the participation in planning and evaluation.  The teacher makes rules for the class rooms.  Here stern discipline by the teacher which demand a quite class room atmosphere in the best situation or learning.

C O N C L U S I O N:

            In this type of design the subject becomes the primary method of organizing learning experiences.  Different branches of education are taught as separate subjects.  Mastery of the subject matter becomes the basis through which the educational objectives of a school are to be attained.  In this type of curriculum design, education is not considered as a unit but a collection of different subjects.  The student is expected to complete the prescribed program of the subjects in ten or eleven years.  There is the principle of gradation (i.e., from simple to difficult, etc.,) in each subject.  Teacher is given most importance in this design.