reflection #8

Component 2 of the

Components of Curriculum and Curricular Approaches:

Curriculum Content or Subject Matter

“Knowledge is a model we construct to give meaning and structure to regularities in experience” –

Gerome Bruner

What could be the most and very crucial stage in developing a curriculum? It could be no other else than selecting the content of it. This significantly defines the subject matter that will be taught in the different subject areas in order to achieve the objectives. Fortunately, there are some criteria that should be used in selecting the content. But before we move on, one thing is for sure,

Let us not neglect the little things.

In selecting the subject matter content or knowledge for designing a curriculum, here are some criteria:

* Self-sufficiency – it is helping the learners to attain the utmost independency in learning yet in an inexpensive way is the most important guiding principle in selecting the content according to Scheffler. This means, more of the results and effective learning outcomes though a lesser amount of the teacher’s effort and so with the learner’s effort.

* Significance – It is significant if fundamental ideas, concepts, principles and generalization are supplied in the subject matter to achieve the overall aim of the curriculum.

* Validity – the genuineness of a content selected is by its legality. The subject matter to be selected has to be legal to avoid selecting the obsolete ones.

* Interest – the learner’s interest is a major factor in selecting the content.

* Utility - deciding on subject matter, its usefulness is considered to be essential.

* Learnability – if there is a quotation to “live within our means” then there is also the consideration of “teaching within the means of the learners.”

* Feasibility – content selection takes into thought the possibility, the practicability and the achievability of the subject matter in terms of the availability of the resources, proficiency of the teachers, and the personality of learners especially within the framework of the society and the government.

We have learned the very crucial stage in designing a curriculum, therefore, we must take into regard even if it is considered the little thing in the curriculum yet the most critical and decisive part of selecting the content or the subject matter.