UNIVERSIDAD DE DAGUPAN

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

___________________________________________________________________
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Educational Management
1st Semester, SY 2023-2024

Name: LENIE S. PAGALUNAN

Semester: First Semester 2023-2024
Professor: Dr. Zosima M. Panganiban
Course: DELM-112 - SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND PHILOSOPHICAL
ISSUES IN EDUCATION
Subject: Foundation/Bases of Curriculum

REACTION PAPER

Introduction:

The foundations or bases of curriculum refer to the core principles and ideas that
guide its development and implementation. These foundations influence the content,
structure, and overall approach to teaching and learning. Here are some of the key
foundations of curriculum:

Philosophical Foundations:

 Essentialism: Focuses on core academic subjects and essential knowledge

and skills
 Perennialism: Emphasizes universal and timeless knowledge that is relevant
across cultures and time periods.
 Progressivism: Promotes active learning, student exploration, and social
responsibility.
 Reconstructionism: Aims to prepare students to be active participants in a
democratic society and address social problems.

Psychological Foundations:

 Learner-centered: Recognizes the individual needs and learning styles of

students.
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SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
 Developmentally appropriate: Aligns curriculum with the cognitive, social, and
emotional development of students at different age levels.
 Multiple intelligences: Acknowledges the diverse ways in which students learn
and express their knowledge.

Sociological Foundations:

 Social and cultural context: Considers the social, cultural, and political realities
of the community and world.
 Equity and inclusion: Ensures that all students have access to quality
education and opportunities to succeed.
 Global citizenship: Prepares students to be informed and engaged citizens in
a globalized world.

Knowledge Foundations:

 Disciplinary knowledge: Emphasizes the core concepts and structures of

different academic disciplines
 Interdisciplinary learning: Connects knowledge across different disciplines to
create a more holistic understanding.
 21st-century skills: Focuses on skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving,
collaboration, and communication that are essential for success in the 21st
century.

These are just some of the key foundations of curriculum. The specific foundations
that are emphasized will vary depending on the educational context, the needs of the
learners, and the goals of the curriculum. It is important to consider all of these
foundations when developing curriculum to ensure that it is comprehensive,
effective, and meets the needs of all learners.

As a practical undertaking it
refers to anything which
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SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

is done by writers, teachers or

learners to provide sources of
language input, to exploit those
sources in ways which maximize
the likelihood of intake and to
stimulate purposeful output: in
other words, the supplying of
information about and/or
experience of the language in
ways
designed to promote language
learni
Body:
Foundations of curriculum are the considerations of educational programs and
policies in the light of an interdisciplinary endeavor involving philosophical,
psychological, sociological, and historical, understandings.
a.) Philosophical Bases

The educational objectives which the learners are to achieve depends on the
philosophy of education adhered to by the teachers. The learner‟s philosophy also
adds input into the curriculum. Pressures from the community also modify
philosophical thinking pertaining to teaching-learning situations. The different
schools of philosophy like idealism, realism, existentialism, experimentalism etc all
have unique objectives for learner to acquire.

To an idealist, ideas are more important than materialistic things. A good teacher can
communicate ideas effectively to pupils. Mental and intellectual development of pupil
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SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
is of utmost importance. Each pupil should have access to good education in liberal
arts and should acquire vital skills like reading, writing, listening and speaking. A
comprehensive study of history, geography, science, art, music, literature and
Mathematics must be suitably emphasized in the curriculum.

Realist believes that an individual may know reality as it truly is. One does not
merely obtain ideas pertaining to natural or social environment, but each person may
actually see, feel, taste, touch and smell that which is real. The natural or social
environment, as it exists, imprints itself upon the mind of the observer. Science and
mathematics are two vital curriculum areas for a curriculum adhering to realism as a
philosophy of education.

Experimentalists believe in experience as representing ultimate reality. One can

know that which is experienced in here and now. What is true today may not be true
tomorrow is a key generalisation emphasized by experimentalists. Since changes
exist in society, new problems arise. These problems need to be identified and
solved. The solutions are tentative and subjected to testing in actual life situations.
Problem solving objectives being highly significant the curriculum should assign such
methodologies.

Existentialists say that complete freedom needs to exist for pupils in deciding what
to learn (the objectives) and how to learn (activities and experience). Young learners
doubt, need more assistance in learning as compared to older pupils. The
existentialist teacher attempts to develop a learning environment where pupil
increasingly makes decision to determine their destinies. Each pupil as a human
beings needs to make choices. The curriculum should be child centred.

As the basic philosophy of education is that of preserving culture and civilisation, the
subjects which convey the knowledge and understanding of culture should be
included. It should create in learner/individual a sense of dignity. Thus, a
comprehensive and wholesome curriculum should have languages, social sciences,
arithmetic, biology, science, literature and subject promoting vocational efficiency.
Curriculum organised must be more functional and application oriented.
b.) Psychological Bases

Education is for the child. The child is the center of the educational process. Through
education, efforts are made for bringing desirable changes in the behavior of the
learners.
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SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Psychology as a science of behavior is linked with the process of imparting
education.

It helps curriculum developers in deciding what content and learning experiences

can be included in the curriculum.

It provides bases for curriculum development in such a way that curriculum could be
developed according to the children in a particular grade and their needs.

The psychology of individual differences among children influences the plan and
development of the curriculum. So, the curriculum should have enough variety and
elasticity to allow individual differences, needs, and interests.

So, we can conclude that curriculum development is guided by the ideas put forward
by psychologists (Piaget, Erickson, Bruner, etc.) from time to time. Hence curriculum
development has sufficient psychological bases.
Psychological foundation is based on the individual differences, every students has
its own unique personality and they have differences in nature so they can not be
treated alike in teaching-learning process. Some may be fast learner while other
slow. Therefore, the curriculum should be based on the above facts, and it should be
designed to support the capacity and potentiality of all the students.

Psychology plays a vital role in the teaching-learning process. It is the foundation for
all types of educational related programmes. The methods of teaching, the selection
of content of subjects and the methods and theories of learning, the overall
development of the students and to inculcate the norms of the society in the
students. Psychology helps in all the processes above in the development process of
curriculum.

In the past, curriculum for child development and learning was developed in
traditional ways without keeping in view the psychological implications in the
development of curriculum. Today psychology is the core and foundation elements of
all the learning processes; curriculum development, child’s mental development,
teaching methods, learning theories, administration of education system and
planning, character building of the students, attitude of students and teacher, the
society, the use of different technologies. Today, the researchers and scholars using
experimental approach to find new ways and materials from the analysis of teaching-
learning problem and formulating new ways and materials from the analysis of
teaching-learning processes. Psychology helps in all fields of education. It not just
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SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
add to knowledge, psychology is applied tin practical classroom situation as well as
in the curriculum development process by defining teaching methods.

c.) Sociological Bases

The sociological aspects of the curriculum affects the development of the curriculum
in the sense that there are certain factors which intervene in the curriculum
development process due to cultural beliefs, societal expectations, values, norms
and traditions emanating from the background of stakeholders. Society is a general
body of people, communities or nations constituting civilized mankind. Therefore,
curriculum should be designed in light of the main trends and development of the
society.
Society influences the school curriculum. Every society, community or nation has an
essential social obligation to arrange the education of children.

Sociological considerations influence curriculum development in following distinct

ways:-

 It provides a way of carrying out changes in the behavior of the students as

per the needs and demands of the society or nation.
 To make education as an instrument of social changes and progress.
 To preserve the culture and transmit it to young children.
 To prepare the learners for the future society.
 Thus sociological considerations provide necessary guidelines for developing
a useful curriculum for the betterment and the progress of society.

d.) Economic Bases

Economical Foundations

It focuses on:

• Job or market oriented curriculum

• Skill learning

The economical foundation of curriculum gives importance to the vocational aspect

of the curriculum. The economic condition of a nation or a society guide the
curriculum of the country, because the stakeholder of the education wants to employ
such a curriculum which help them to build their economy and the people have better
jobs when they finish their schooling. In this kind of situations, the curriculum
become job or market oriented. In this curriculum the curriculum developer gives
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SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
importance to skills acquisition which is the demands of the time. Undeveloped
nations try to prepare skill work force and send it to other countries for jobs

Here are some economical factor which influence the curriculum development
process

 Economic Factors
 Allocation of funds

The financial condition of a country reflects its curriculum because without proper
funding one can’t achieve the outcome of a good curriculum. It is the financial aspect
of a country which guide them to adopt which type of curriculum, for example activity
base or learner center curriculum need more money in the process of the
implementation of the curriculum then subject matter curriculum

Because activity base and learner center curriculum need more space and money
then subject matter, for that reason in Pakistan we adopted subject base curriculum
because we have shortage of schools, classrooms in schools, trained teachers. In
economical sound countries they have implemented all kind of curriculums in their
schools according to the need of the school and that society. Without proper funding
once can’t implement a good curriculum in the country and achieve the benefits of
that curriculum.

Lack of resources due to finical constrains effect the developing and planning of the
curriculum. What type of a curriculum should have to support it through proper
funding? There are different factor in curriculum development, planning and
implementation process which need financial support e.g.

Schools lack physical facilities including buildings, classrooms, furniture, Hostel, Play
grounds, mats and even very basic necessities like blackboard, chalk, and charts.

 Lack of other resources water, Fan, Electricity

 Lack of skilled manpower

The lack of skilled manpower due to financial restrains, without proper financial
support it is hard to train the people to support the teaching learning process. Only
through proper funding and the establishment of training institutions for teachers and
support staff. Teachers are the core of education system and without proper training
one can’t implement a curriculum and to support the curriculum one need to train the
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SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
entire teacher on that style of curriculum. So the skills of the teachers also guide the
direction of the curriculum, and to develop these skills in the teachers need funds.

Lack of labs due to financial problems

The lack of labs and libraries also affect the curriculum development process
because without proper computer labs in cities and villages one can’t implement
computer education curriculum all over the country. In the same way without proper
libraries in all school one can’t implement a curriculum which needs supporting or
reference books.

Also without proper health care system in the schools lot of activities can’t part of the
curriculum due to the risk factor to the health of the students and teachers.

The overburden of the population is also one of the factors that affect the financial
support of the curriculum development, lack of facilities and implementation of the
curriculum in the country.

Conclusion:
Curriculum decisions involve a wide range of considerations that anchor on several
issues in education. These issues include the purpose of learning, sources of the
subject matter, the nature of teaching/learning process, characteristics of the leaner,
among others (Ekanem, & Ekefre, 2014). These decisions are based or anchored on
certain fundamental beliefs that spring from one’s philosophy of education. This is
what made it possible for philosophy to be viewed or taken as one of the foundations
of curriculum.

In short we can say that economic play a vital role in the curriculum development
and implementation process in the country and it is the foundation of the successful
curriculum, without a good economic background a country can’t afford a curriculum
which needs huge financial support.

References

https://kaamchalao.wordpress.com/2016/11/17/philosophical-bases-of-curriculum/

https://physicscatalyst.com/graduation/bases-of-curriculum/

https://yoursmartclass.com/psychological-foundation-of-curriculum/

https://physicscatalyst.com/graduation/bases-of-curriculum/
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SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
https://research-education-edu.blogspot.com/2020/01/economical-foundations-of-
curriculum.html