Chapter 3 – Implementing the Curriculum

Module 4 The Teacher as a Curriculum Implementor and a Manager

Module Overview:

The next step after a curriculum planning and designing is implementing it.

As a teacher, this is one of the major roles that you do in the school. Many of the
curricula that you use may have been recommended and written down. Your task is to implement
such. Daily your plan should be ready for implementation. The success of learning depends on
your implementation effort.

There is a miniscule curriculum like your lesson plan, or a big one like the K to 12
curriculum. You will be both an implementor and a manager of these curricula. You will put
action to what has been planned and designed. It is you, the teacher, who will add more meaning
to the various activities in the classroom. This is what we call teaching styles. You have to make
the day of the learners interesting, engaging and unforgettable. No curriculum should stop at
planning or designing phase. It has to be implemented.

Good luck, Teachers!

Lesson 4.1 Implementing the Designed Curriculum as a Change Process

Desired Learning Outcomes

 Define curriculum implementation

 Analyze what is change process in curriculum implementation.
 Explain the process of curriculum implementation

Take Off

We teachers say: "Here goes again, another curricular change! We are already
overloaded! Why do we have to do this?”

This is a common voice that we hear from teachers and curriculum implementors. But as
we mentioned earlier, change is inevitable in curriculum development. To be relevant, we need
to change for the better and it can be obviously seen through implementation.

Content Focus
Curriculum Implementation Defined

Following the curriculum models of Tyler, Taba, Saylor and Alexander or Lewis, is the
next step to curriculum designing which is curriculum implementing. This is the phase where
teacher action takes place. It is one of the most crucial process in curriculum development
although many education planners would say: "A good plan is work half done." If this is so, then
the other half of the success of curriculum development rests in the hands of the implementor
who is the teacher.

Curriculum implementation means putting into practice the written curriculum that has
been designed in syllabi, course of study, curricular guides, and subjects. It is a process wherein
the learners acquire the planned or intended knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are aimed at
enabling the same learners to function effectively in society. (SADC MoE Africa, 2000)

Ornstein and Hunkins in (1998) defined curriculum implementation as the interaction

between the curriculum that has been written and planned and the persons (teachers) who are in
charge to deliver it. To them, curriculum implementation implies the following:

 Shift from what is current to a new or enhanced curriculum;

 Change in knowledge, actions, attitudes of the persons involved,
 Change in behavior using new strategies and resources; and
 Change which requires efforts hence goals should be achievable.

Loucks and Lieberman (1983) define curriculum implementation as the trying out of a new
practice and what it looks like when actually used in a school system. It simply means that
implementation should bring the desired change and improvement.

In the classroom context, curriculum implementation means "teaching what has been written
in the lesson plan. Implementing means using the plan as a guide to engage with the learners in
teaching-learning process with the end in view that learning has occurred and learning outcomes
have been achieved. It involves the different strategies of teaching with the support instructional
materials to go with the strategy.

In a larger scale, curriculum implementation means putting the curriculum into operation
with the different implementing agents. Curriculum implementation takes place in a class, a
school, a district, a division or the whole educational system. In higher education, curriculum
implementation happens for the course, a degree program, institution, or the whole higher
education system. It requires time, money, personal interaction, personal contacts, and support.
Curriculum Implementation as a Change Process

Kurt Lewin's Force Field Theory and Curriculum Change

Kurt Lewin (1951), the father of social psychology explains the process of change. The
model can be used to explain curriculum change and implementation.

In the education landscape, there are always two forces that oppose each other. These are
the driving force and the restraining force. When these two forces are equal, the state is
equilibrium, or balance. There will be a status quo, hence there will be no change. The situation
or condition will stay the same. However, when the driving force overpowers the restraining
force, then change will occur. If the opposite happens that is when the restraining force is
stronger than the driving force, change is prevented. This is the idea of Kurt Lewin in his Force
Field Theory.

We shall use this theory to explain curriculum change. The illustration below shows that
there are driving forces on the left and the resisting forces on the right. If you look at the
illustration there is equilibrium. If the driving force is equal to the restraining force, will change
happen? Do you think, there will be curriculum change in this situation? Why?

Driving Force E Restraining Forces

Q
Government Intervention U Fear of the Unknown
I
Society's Values L Negative Attitude to Change

Technological Changes I Tradition Values

B
Knowledge Explosion R Limited Resources
I
Administrative Support U Obsolete Equipment
M
Based on Lewin's Force Field Theory

According to Lewin, change will be better if the restraining forces shall be decreased,
rather than increasing the driving force. As a curricularist, how would you do this?

Let us look first at the different changes that occur in the curriculum. It is important to
identify these as part of our understanding of curriculum implementation.

Categories of Curriculum Change)

McNeil in 2000 categorized curriculum change as follows:

 1. Substitution. The current curriculum will be replaced or substituted by a new one.
Sometimes, we call this a complete overhaul. Example, changing an old b0ok to entirely
new one not merely a revision.
2. Alteration. In alteration, there is a minor change to the current or existing curriculum.
For example, instead of using a graphing paper for mathematics teaching, this can be
altered by using a graphing calculator.
3. Restructuring. Building a new structure would mean major change or modification in
the school system, degree program or educational system. Using an integrated curriculum
for the whole school for K to 12 requires the primary and secondary levels to work as a
team. Another example is a curriculum that will be restructured when there is a
significant involvement of parents in the child's instead of leaving everything to the
teacher. Using the “In-school Off-school" or a blended curriculum is an example of
restructuring.
4. Perturbations. These are changes that are disruptive, but teachers have to adjust to them
within a fairly short time. For example, if the principal changes the time schedule because
there is a need to catch up with the national testing time or the dean, the teacher has to
shorten schedule to accommodate unplanned extracurricular activities.
5. Value orientation. To McNeil, this is a type of curriculum change. Perhaps this
classification will respond to shift in the emphasis that the teacher provides which are not
within the mission or vision of the school or vice versa. For example, when new teachers
who are recruited in religious school give emphasis on academics and forget the
formation of values or faith, they need a curriculum value orientation. Likewise, all
teachers in the public schools, undergo teach induction program which is a special
curriculum for newly hired teachers.

Regardless of the kind of change in curriculum and implementation, the process of change
may contain three important elements. As a process, curriculum implementation should be
developmental, participatory and supportive.

It should be developmental in the sense that it should develop multiple perspectives, increase
integration and make learning autonomous, create a climate of openness and trust, and appreciate
and affirm strengths of the teacher. There should be teacher support very mechanical or
routinary. However, as the skills are honed and trying new tasks, rejection on the new
experiences and challenge.
There are simple stages in the developmental change process for teachers. First, is orientation
and preparation. The initial use is ma of the routine is established, refinement follows. This
means adjustments are made to better meet the needs of the learners and achieve the learning
outcomes. In this step, there will be continuous reflection, feedback and refinement.
 Participatory. For curriculum implementation to succeed, it should be participatory,
especially because other stakeholders like peers, school leaders, parents and curriculum
specialists are necessary. Characteristics of teacher styles, commitment, willingness to change,
skills, and readiness are critical to implementation. This should be coupled with organizational
structure, principal style, student population characteristics and other factors. Trust among key
players should also be sought as this is a positive starting point. Involvement and participation
encourage sense of ownership and accountability. Participation builds a learning community
which is very necessary in curriculum implementation.

Supportive curriculum implementation is required in the process of change. Material support

like supplies, equipment and conductive learning environment like classrooms and laboratory
should be made available. Likewise, human support is very much needed. The school leader or
head should provide full school or institutional support to the implementation of the new
curriculum. They too have to train to understand how to address curriculum change as part of
their instructional as well as management functions.

Time is an important commodity for a successful change process. Or any innovation to be

fully implemented, period of three to five years to institutionalize a curriculum is suggested.
Time is needed by teachers to plan, adapt, train or practise, provide the necessary requirements
and get support. Time is also needed to determine when implementation starts and when it will
conclude, since curriculum implementation is time bound.

Support from peers, principals, external stakeholders will add to the success of
implementation. When teachers share ideas, work together, solve problems, create new materials,
and celebrate success, more likely that curriculum implementation will be welcomed.