The Concept of Curriculum and Curriculum Development

(Curriculum and Material Development)

Juni Bayu Saputra S.Pd., M.Pd

A. The Definition of Curriculum

1. Curriculum, or course, design is largely a “how-to-do-it” activity that involves the
integration of knowledge from many of the areas in the field of Applied Linguistics,
such as language acquisition research, teaching methodology, assessment, language
description and materials production. (Macalister, 2010)
2. Curriculum is a social artefact. It is configured according to elements of a cultural
heritage that are deened worthy of transmitting or communicating to a new
generation of learners. (Hamilton, 1999)
3. Curriculum is a construct or concept, a verbalization of an extremely complex idea
or set of ideas. (Olivia, 2012)
4. Curriculum indicated a plan to educate students, which means the curriculum is a
part of the curriculum and the assessment scope contains curriculum components.
(Zais, 1993)
5. Curriculum is an essentially practical activity to improve the quality of language
teaching through the use of systematic planning, development, and review practices
in all aspects of a language program. It provides many practical problems in
language program which identifies the development and renewal by reflecting on
theories and developments of the elements, including needs analysis, planning goals
and objectives, testing, materials development, language teaching, and evaluation.
(Richards, 2001)
From those definitions above, it can be concluded that curriculum is a set of
plan of activity conducted to influence learning process as a guidance which covers
several dimensions such as learning objectives, learning materials, teaching method, and
assessment to achieve specific educational goals.
B. Language Curriculum Development

Language curriculum development is an aspect of a broader field of

educational activity known as curriculum development or curriculum studies (Richards,
2001). Curriculum development in language teaching began in the 1960s. The changes
happened in the teaching methods as a powerful one and the quest for better methods
has been a preoccupation of many teachers and applied linguists since the beginning of
the twentieth century. Many methods have come and gone in the last 100 years in
pursuit of the “best method”, as the following greatest dominance:

1. Grammar Translation Method (1800-1900)

2. Direct Method (1890-1930)
3. Structural Method (1930-1960)
4. Reading Method (1920-1950)
5. Audiolingual Method (1950-1970)
6. Communicative Approach (1970-present)
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 Curriculum development is a series of activities that contribute to the growth of
consensus among the staff, faculty, administration, and students. Curriculum activities
will provide a framework that helps teachers to accomplish whatever combination of
teaching activities is most suitable in their professional judgement for helping students
to learn as efficiently and effectively as possible (Brown, 1995). Curriculum provides a
set of components for the improvement and maintenance of an already existing
language program. It helps in developing consensus among teachers about the essential
elements of curriculum and how those components interact in particular teaching
situations.

1. Needs Analysis
It is as an identification of the language forms that the students will likely need to
use in the target language when they are required to actually understand and
produce the language.
2. Goals and Objectives
A logical outcome of determining the needs of a group of language students and
what must be accomplished in order to attain and satisfy the students’ need are the
specification of Goals, while Objectives are precise statements about what content
or skills the students must master in order to attain a particular goal.
3. Language Testing
Tests can be used to unify a curriculum and give it a sense of cohesion, purpose,
and control. It also can be used to drive a program by shaping the expectations of
the students and their teachers.
4. Materials Development
In determining the materials suitable to the students, it is relatively easy to adopt,
develop, or adapt materials for a program that is well defined in terms of needs
analyses, objectives, and tests.
5. Language Teaching
Teachers should determine what to teach and how to teach the students. They have
also been responsible for selecting or developing course tests and materials. Both
teachers and students should be aware of what the objectives for a given course are
and how the testing will be conducted. It will also influence the teaching learning
process.
6. Program Evaluation
It is the ongoing process of information gathering, analysis, and synthesis, the
entire purpose of which is to constantly improve each element of a curriculum on
the basis of what is known about all of the other elements, separately as well as
collectively.

C. Functions and Roles of Curriculum

1. The Functions of Curriculum

The main function of curriculum in educational program is as a guidance in
implementing the learning process. Connected with the students as teaching subject,
there are six functions of curriculum, namely:
a. The adaptive function, it should be able to direct students to be able to adapt to the
physical environment and social environment.

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b. Integrative Function, it should be able to produce a personal which is able to live
and integrate with the social and community.
c. Differentiation Function, it provides services to individual differences.
d. Preparatory function, it should be able to prepare students for further study.
e. Selective function, it gives an opportunity to the students to choose a program that
suits with their ability and interest.
f. Diagnostic functions, it should direct the students to understand and receive
strength (potency) and weakness in the possessed.
(Zais, 1993)

2. The Roles of Curriculum

As educational program, curriculum has been systematically planned, it
assumed a very important role for education when in the analysis of the nature of
society and culture and also schools as social institutions in carrying out its operations,
can be determined at least three important roles of curriculum. They are:
a. The role of conservative
Culture has no earlier than the birth of a certain generation and something will not
die and endless generation is concerned
b. Role of critical or evaluative
Culture is always changing and growing in line with the times that continues to
spin. Schools not only inherit the culture but also assess , select the elements of
culture that will be inherited. Related to curriculum, the development of curriculum
is also based on the changing of culture and society condition.
c. The role of creative
Curriculum conduct creative activities and constructive in the sense of creating
something new and develop according to the needs of the present and future in the
community to help each individual develop the potential of him. Curriculum creates
lessons, experiences, ways of thinking, ability and new skills, in the sense of
providing benefits to the community.
(Zais, 1993)

D. Principles Underlying the Language Curriculum

Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca entitled The Ontario Curriculum:
Language (2006), the language curriculum is based on the belief that literacy is critical
to responsible and productive citizenship, and that all students can become literate. The
curriculum is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills that they need
to achieve this goal. It aims to help students become successful language learners, who
share the following characteristics:
1. understand that language learning is a necessary, life-enhancing, reflective process
2. communicate – that is, read, listen, view, speak, write, and represent – effectively
and with confidence
3. make meaningful connections between themselves, what they encounter in texts,
and the world around them
4. think critically
5. understand that all texts advance a particular point of view that must be recognized,
questioned, assessed, and evaluated
6. appreciate the cultural impact and aesthetic power of texts
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7. use language to interact and connect with individuals and communities, for personal
growth, and for active participation as world citizens

The study of language and the acquisition of literacy skills are not restricted to
the language program, and curriculum promotes the integration of the study of language
with the study of other subjects. The language curriculum is also based on the
understanding that students learn best when they can identify themselves and their own
experience in the material they read and study at school. Students come from a wide
variety of backgrounds, each with his or her own set of perspectives, strengths, and
needs. Instructional strategies and resources that recognize and reflect the diversity in
the classroom and that suit individual strengths and needs are therefore critical to
student success.

Bibliography

Brown, James Dean. 1995. The Elements of Language Curriculum. Boston: Heinle &
Heinle Publishers.
Hamilton, David. 1999. Learning about Education: An Unfinished Curriculum.
Buckingham: Open University Press.
Nation, I.S.P., Macalister, John. 2010. Language Curriculum Design. New York: Taylor
& Francis.
Olivia, Peter F., Gordon, Willi8am. 2012. Developing the Curriculum. Pearson
Education: 2012.
Richards, Jack C. 2001. Curriculum Development in Language Teaching. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Zais, Robert. 1993. Curriculum: Principle & Foundation. New York: Thomas Y.
Crowell Co.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca. Ministry of Education. 2006. The Ontario Curriculum:
Language. ISBN 1-4249-1465-5 (PDF) © Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2006.