Teacher Centered curriculum

By Dr. Sultan Muhammad Khan

Keywords; Teacher Centered curriculum, Integrated curriculum, Limitations of Teacher Centered Curriculum, Advantages of Teacher’s centered Curriculum, Components of Integrated Curriculum,  objectives of integrated curriculum

There are many types of curriculum, but here we will discuss Teacher Centered curriculum and Integrated curriculum, Types or curriculum are;   Subject curriculum, Teacher Centered curriculum, Learner centered curriculum, Activity/Experience curriculum, Integrated curriculum, Core curriculum, Board field curriculum, Hidden curriculum

Teacher-Centered Curriculum:

Teachers participate in a variety of curriculum activities at classroom level. These are the very core of their daily teaching tasks and include such activities as selection of specific content, selection of teaching approach, use of audio-visual aids and so on. In recent years teachers have become increasingly involved in a broader level of curriculum decision-making such as involvement in major curriculum projects. It mostly involves few teachers, although some teachers participate in syllabus committees.

At the school level, however, staff members are becoming more responsible for a vast array of curriculum decision.

In countries where they have adopted teacher centered curriculum the schools have considerably greater responsibility for curriculum development. In these schools teachers have become involved, willingly or unwillingly, in more school-level curriculum decision-making.

Regardless of the state in which one teaches, it has become obvious in recent years that all teachers are participating more in curriculum decision-making at the school level. The nature of this participation may be seen in the various roles that teachers adopt in the decision-making process.

It is suggested that teachers may participate in any combination of curriculum decision-making roles at the school level:

1. Implementers
2. Adapters
3. Developers
4. Researchers

Implementers.

As an ‘implementer’ or ‘receiver’, the teacher’s role is to apply the developed curriculum. In this role the teacher has a minimum of responsibility and involvement in the curriculum development phase of the curriculum process, though he has a significant role in the application phase of this process.

Adapters.

As an adapter, the role of the teacher is just the same as implementer. This is somewhat conceptual term which indicates that the teachers become ready to accept the curriculum in order to implement it.

1. As a developer, the teacher’s role is to take part in the curriculum development process. In Pakistan, some representative teachers are being invited to attend various meetings held by the higher authorities in order to make contributions in the curriculum development or curriculum evaluation process.

Researchers.

Curriculum is a dynamic process. Keeping in view this characteristic, there is a need to conduct research in order to bring about desirable changes in the curriculum. Teachers in most of the countries and also in Pakistan are taking part in various types of researches in curriculum development process. The nature of these researches is.

1. To review the curriculum.
2. To evaluate the curriculum.
3. To change the curriculum etc.

Advantages of Teacher’s centered Approach:

ü  As the curriculum is designed by the teacher, it become easy to achieve the desired goals.

ü  Subject matter become psychologically sound due to its relevance with interests, needs and level of the children.

ü  Content/Subject matter is logically arranged.

ü  Irrelevant material/Subject matter is avoided.

ü  Teachers feel comfortable and confident in the classroom activities.

ü  Democracy is encouraged.

ü  Co-operation is developed.

ü  Society/Community is also involved (directly or indirectly) in the development of curriculum.

ü  No objection is raised by the teacher in connection with the availability of sources and resources.

Limitations of Teacher Centered Curriculum

If this approach is followed in Pakistan then the following limitations may hinder the process.

ü  A change in the attitude on the part of learners, teachers and community is difficult to develop.

ü  Lack of sources and resources.

ü  Hindrance due to rigid administration, planning and management.

ü  It will become difficult to maintain a common standard in various institutions.

ü  The existing curriculum for the teaching training institutions is not suitable for the teacher centered approach.

ü  A drastic change in the examination system/evaluation will be required.

INTEGRATED CURRICULUM

Defining Integrated Curriculum

What exactly is integrated curriculum? In its simplest conception, it is about making connections. What kind of connections? Across disciplines? To real life? Are the connections skill-based or knowledge-based?

•         Correlation may be as slight as casual attention to related materials in other subject areas . . . a bit more intense when teachers plan it to make the materials of one subject interpret the problems or topics of another

• Integration: the unification of all subjects and experiences.

Arguments for supporting integrated curriculum

There are two strong arguments supporting an integrated curriculum. First, there is simply too much information to be covered in the traditional structure of a forty or fifty minute class period. Secondly, most subjects are taught to students in isolation from other related information. Advocates of an interconnected curriculum believe that individuals learn best when encountering ideas that are connected to one another. A strong belief system exists supporting that "all things are connected."

What do the critics say?

Critics of integrated curriculum have formulated several arguments against the idea;

v  First, it is sometimes appropriate for information to be taught within the content area. Some concepts run the risk of becoming confused when connected to unrelated subject matter.

v  Secondly, most teachers have always been a part of a somewhat modernist method of teaching. Therefore, implementing integrated curriculum becomes increasingly more difficult.

v  Third, critics claim that many teachers may lack knowledge and skills of the various disciplines.

v  Finally, a key criticism of integrated curriculum is assessment. Schools continue to struggle with effective methods to assess student achievement in regard to higher level thinking and deeper understanding. In order for integrated curriculum to replace traditional teaching styles, the entire structure of the school needs to be change. Frankly, this is a change that many modernist teachers are not willing to accept.

v  The integrated curriculum approach is successful in making students more aware of content area connections, challenging students, providing a learning environment, supporting academic and social needs, dissolving the boundaries among the disciplines, and fostering stronger student/teacher relationships.

Ø  Components of Integrated Curriculum

Ø  Focuses on basic skills, content and higher level thinking

Ø  Encourages lifelong learning

Ø  Structures learning around themes, big ideas and meaningful concepts

Ø  Provides connections among various curricular disciplines

Ø  Provides learners opportunities to apply skills they have learned

Ø  Encourages active participation in relevant real-life experiences

Ø  curiosity, motivates, and challenges learners

Ø  Provides a deeper understanding of content

Ø  Offers opportunities for more small

Ø  Accommodates a variety of learning styles/theories (i.e., social learning theory, cooperative learning, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy) and multiple intelligences

The organization of integrated curriculum is a post second world war occurrence. This phenomenon gain greatest support in the 1960s. Based on the essential organization of content, as in the subject design, the academic disciplines design emphasizes on the role played by those diverse entities called academic disciplines. Thus it is clearly defined in terms of knowledge, skills and values.

OBJECTIVES OF INTEGRATED CURRICULUM IN PAKISTAN

1.         The basic objective of integrated curriculum is to emphasize the learning and basic language skills for the children of class’ I to III this would increase the literacy rate of the country.

2.         Reeducation of text books to one or two only so that the Teachers may focus their attention on the improvement of language skills of the students and along with it they may be able to impart the concept of other subjects.

3.         In integrated curriculum, the mental level and interests of the children acquire the central place which is the basic condition of acquiring knowledge.

4.         Interesting textual material not only attracts the children but also provides opportunities to groom up their mental abilities. Therefore efforts have   been made to prepare the integrated curriculum with the following comprehensive general objective.

5.         The general objective of the integrated   approach is to make a clear relation between various subjects (having similar          concepts) so that the learners may apply their knowledge in real life situation.

Read more about types of different curriculum

Activity/Experience base curriculum

https://research-education-edu.blogspot.com/2020/01/activityexperience-base-curriculum.html

Learner-Centered curriculum

https://research-education-edu.blogspot.com/2020/01/learner-centered-curriculum.html

Teacher Centered curriculum

https://research-education-edu.blogspot.com/2020/01/teacher-centered-curriculum.html

TYPES OF CURRICULUM

https://research-education-edu.blogspot.com/2014/08/types-of-curriculum.html