SOCIAL SCIENCE
CURRICULUM
I.I.WHAT IS CURRICULUM?
·
Curriculum is the crux of the whole educational
process
·
Without curriculum we cannot conceive any educational
endeavor
·
Like the constitution curriculum reflects the cultural
aspects of that country
·
The word curriculum is derived from the lain word currere
which means “to run”
·
So curriculum is a course of path on which one run to
reach a goal
·
It includes all learning experiences arranged by a the
school for a particular subject
·
Curriculum is the all learning experiences of children
have under the guidance of a teacher
·
Curriculum is an educational instrument planned and
used by the school to effect its Purposes
·
Curriculum is a group of subjects prescribed for study
in a particular course
·
It is the totality of all experiences of a student is
exposed within the boundaries of a school and outside
·
Curriculum is the means of achieving the goals of
education
·
curriculum is intimately related with all aspects of
education
·
while education is a developmental process, geared
towards a coveted goal, curriculum is the input as well as the medium that
provides goal oriented direction to that process
·
while education is the result of learning, curriculum
signifies situations and experiences of learning
·
curriculum primarily deals with why, what and what way
·
curriculum is the plan for guiding the goal – oriented
educative process
I.2.DEFINITIONS
1.
“Curriculum embodies all the
experiences which are utilized by the school to attain the aims of education” –
MUNROE
2.
“Curriculum is made up of
everything that surrounds the learner in all his working hours”- HL LASWELL
3.
“Curriculum is that which the pupil is taught.
It involves more than the act of learning and quiet study. it involves
occupations, productions, achievement, exercise and activity”- H H HORNE
4.
“Curriculum is a tool in the
hands of an artist (teacher) to mould his materials (students) according to his
ideals (objectives) in his studio(School)”- ARTHER CUNNINGHAM
I.3.COMPONENTS OF CURRICULUM
·
Content
·
Objectives
·
Activities
·
Evaluation
I.4.FUNCTIONS OF CURRICULUM
·
synthesis of the subjects of study and life
Curriculum is to
provide the educant’s those subjects of study which will enable them to bridge
the school life and life outside school
·
Acquisition and strengthening of knowledge
Curriculum
should provide the most relevant knowledge in various subjects there by the
students strengthen their cognitive structure
·
Complete development
Curriculum is
help to achieve the development of physical, mental, social, moral, religious,
qualities of the learner, thus the complete and total development is
possible.
·
Satisfaction of the democratic values
In all
democratic countries curriculum should develop the values of equality, liberty,
fraternity and other democratic values such as tolerance, respect for others,
civic sense, co operation etc
·
Realization of values
By education the
child should develop the values and internalize the crux of values thereby he
must bring a desirable change.
·
Harmony between individual and society
Success of the
democracy depends upon the quality of individuals. Society looks after the
individual while the individual has to contribute for the development of the
society. Hence the achievement of social
quality and harmony between the individual and society is the aim of education
and curriculum
·
creation of suitable environment
Curriculum
should provide a suitable environment for the above mentioned functions
I.5. FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM
Any curriculum which is constructed on the sound foundations.
Any educational system of education should be based on the philosophical,
sociological and psychological foundations. Likewise the curriculum should be
developed accordingly
·
Philosophical foundations
o
The philosophy of the society of a society that
determines the ultimate aims of education.
o
the social structure and its economic organizations
are also based on philosophical foundations
o
Philosophy considers some fundamental issues such as
man’s place in the universe, mutual dependence of man and nature, relationship
between man and society, aims of society etc.
o
The deferent philosophies such as naturalism,
idealism, pragmatism, realism etc have different views on these issues.
o
These reflected in the respective educational systems
and curriculum construction
·
Sociological Foundations
o
The sociological foundations of education demand the
needs, requirements and aspirations of the society.
o
For which an
educational system is designed
o
Also the needs of the learner have to considered
o
It not only concentrate the present needs of the
people but also their future
o
For saving this the cultural aspects of the society
also be reflected in the curriculum construction
·
Psychological Foundations
o
Psychological foundations are most important
o
The modern psychological researches and studies
resulted great impact on curriculum formation
o
This much natural because curriculum is the means to
the educant’s development and hence it
would shape the psychology of the learner
I.6.TYPES OF CURRICULUM
o
traditional or subject centered curriculum
o
activity centered curriculum
o
child centered curriculum
o
experience centered curriculum
o
un differentiated curriculum
I.7. PRINCIPLES OF CURRICULUM
o
Principle of child centeredness
o
Principle of community centeredness
o
Principle of activity centeredness’
o
Principle of integration
o
Principle of forward looking
o
Principle of conservation
o
Principle of renewal
o
Principle of creativity
o
Principle of motivation
o
Principle of maturity
o
Principle of preparation for life
o
Principle of elasticity and flexibility
o
Principle of comprehensiveness
o
Principle of balance
o
Principle of utility
I.8.APPROCHES TO CURRICULUM CONSTRUCTION
·
Concentric approach
o
J.S.Brouner is the main exponent of this approach
o
The curriculum is spared over a number of years
o
almost all topics are attempted at the beginning and
it is developed in the successive years according to the mental development of
the child
o
in the beginning of a course a general picture of each
type is given in a simplified way
o
in the next year more and more details of topics are gradually added
o
it should follows the maxims of whole to part or simple to complex easy to difficult
Spiral approach
o 'Spiral
curriculum' may be a term that you haven't heard before, but you certainly have
learned from such a curriculum in your own student life.
o
A spiral curriculum can be defined as a course of study in which
students will see the same topics throughout their school career, with each
encounter increasing in complexity and reinforcing previous learning.
o
It is a continues unbroken learning of the subject
matter through the various stages of education
o
According to this approach children in the primary
classes begin to develop simple generalizations about man from his day today
life
o
The spiral approach is a technique often used in
teaching or textbooks where first the
basic facts of a subject are learned, without worrying about details.
o
Then as learning progresses, more and
more details are introduced, while at the same time they are related to the
basics which are reemphasized many times to help enter them into long-term memory.
o
This principle is somewhat similar to
the inverted pyramid method used in
writing news stories, and the game 20 questions.
Topical approach
o
In the topical approach certain topics of the study
suitable for the age, ability and interest of children make up the whole
syllabus
o
Each topic in a way stands by itself and all the
topics are or rather could be connected together by the teacher with the help
of individual lessons called link
lessons
o
According to this approach particular topics are taken
as the central team of work in social science
o
Under a topic related material often gets properly
unified, making learning easer and syllabus lighter
o
Under topical arrangement the teacher finds it easy to
teach and convenient to organize projects and other activities by a careful
selection and detailed study of the topics, opportunities can be provided to
the students for an intensive study of a particular problem.
o
Topic gives meaning and significance to the content,
that is why some books are written according to the topical plan
o
This approach provides a solution for dealing with a
vast material in a logical and rational fashion
o
This approach provides a integrated knowledge is
imparted without overload of students
o
This approach provides learning is related with life
and environment
o
This approach can be adapted according to the age,
ability, and aptitude of the children
o
This approach provides helps the pupil to understand
the facts in their development setting
Unit approach
o
This approach is most popular in social science
o
A unit is an organization of varied activities,
experiences, and type, learning around a central problem or purpose developed
cooperatively by a group of pupils under teacher leadership, involves planning,
execution of plans and evaluation of the results.
o
According to Wesley (1937) a unit is an organized
body of information and experience designed to effect significant outcomes of
the learner.
o
Survey point out that a teaching unit in social
studies is a comprehensive instructional plan specifying what, how and when of
teaching a big idea
o
It is an offspring of the influence of gestalt field
theories in instructional design
o
This approach is based on the assumption that
effective learning takes place in an environment in which the goals are clearly
perceived and every phase of the operational procedure is viewed as a
relational part of the total learning situation.
o
According to this approach a unit has some very
definite objectives like developing an understanding, a skill or an attitude.
o
These objectives can determine the inclusion and
exclusion of the details of the particular topic.
o
All materials that do not focus in to the objectives
are irrelevant and will have no place in the unit.
o
This unit may be presented as problems or projects as
individual lessons according to the needs of the situation.
o
The unit approach is well suited for the growth and
development of the abilities and skills attendant to democratic behavior,
ideals, and process.
o
This approach should focus attention upon significant
results and thus avoids the confutation and discouragement which comes from
long attention to insignificant details.
o
It is impossible to study everything at once so unit
is logically useful division.
o
Because of its flexibility, provides facility in
adopting instruction to individual differences and top individual consideration
Types of unit approach
This approach can be divided in to two resource unit
and teaching unit
Resource unit
o
A resource unit is not planned for a specific group of
pupils in a particular school and for a definite time.
o
It is concerned with a broader field and infect it
serves as a guide for teachers working at different places
o
This unit is generally built by a group of teachers
who operate in a workshop guided by specialists and helped by extensive library
facilities
o
A recourse unit serves as a teacher’s guide to
planning his programme
o
Elements of a recourse unit is, statement
of objectives concerned with the theme, problem, the approach or initiation,
content of the subject matter, direct and related experience, organizing and
summarizing experiences, evaluating learning and a collection of instructional
recourses
o
A resource unit contains an organized collection of
teaching ideas and suggestions built around the large topic of significance
Teaching unit
o
A teaching unit is used to describe the development of
a unit of work in the class room. It also referred to as the unit of action.
o
The teaching unit focus on implementation or the
learning activities and process that take place as the unit develops.
o
In the teaching unit the areas of learning and the
sequence in which they are presented may or not be prescribed.
o
The needs, the
maternity level and the back ground experience of a particular group of
children set the boundaries of a teaching unit and determine its direction.
o
The teaching unit contains definite plan for teaching
a specific group of children under a given set of circumstances.
o
The resource unit can serve as a reserve from which
the teacher may draw ideas, suggestions and aids when he plans teaching
unit.
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