APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM DESIGN

Types of Curriculum Design Models

There are many ways of looking at curriculum and designing one For our own purposes,
let us focus on the most widely used examples,

1. Subject Centered. Design

This is a curriculum design that focuses on the content of the curriculum. The subject. centered
design corresponds mostly to the textbook because textbooks are usually written based on the
specific subject or course. Henry Morrison and William Harris are the few curricularists who
firmly believed in this design. As practised, school hours are allocated to different school
subjects such as Science, Mathematics, Language, Social Studies, Physical Education, and
others. This is also practised in the Philippines, because a school day is divided into class
period, a school year into quarters or semester. Most of the schools using this kind of structure
and curriculum design aim for excellence in the specific subject discipline content.

Subject-centered curriculum design has also some variations which are focused on the
individual subject, specifle discipline and a combination of subjects or disciplines which are a
broad field of interdisciplinary.

1.1. Subject design. What subject are you teaching? What subject are you taking? These are
two simple questions that the teacher and the learner can easily answer. It is because they are
familiar with the subject design curriculum.

Subject design curriculum is the oldest and so far the most familiar design for teachers, parents
and other laitinen. According to the advocates, subject design has an advantage because it is
easy to deliver. Textbooks are written and support instructional materials are commercially
available. Teachers are familiar with the format, because they were educated using also the
design. In the Philippine educational system, the number of subjects in the elementary
education is fewer than in the secondary level. In college, the number of subjects also differs
according to the degree programs being pursued. For each subject, a curriculum is being
designed.

However, the drawback of this design is that sometimes, learning is so compartmentalized. It

stresses so much the content and forgets about students' natural tendencies, interests and
experiences. The teacher becomes the dispenser of knowledge and the learners are the simply
the empty vessel to receive the information or content from the teacher. This is a tmditional
approach to teaching and learning.

1.2 Discipline design. This curriculum design model is related to the subject design. However,
while subject design centers only on the cluster of content, discipline design focuses on
academic disciplines. Discipline refers to specific knowledge learned through a method which
the scholars use to study content of their fields. Students in history should learn the subject
matter like historians, students in biology should learn how the biologists learn, and so with
students in mathematics, who should learn how mathematicians learn. In the same specific
manner, teachers should teach how the scholars in the discipline will convey the particular
knowledge. Discipline design model of curriculum is often used in college, but not in the
elementary or secondary levels. So from the subject-centered curriculum, curriculum moves
higher to a discipline when the students are more mature and are already moving towards their
career path or disciplines such as science, mathematics, psychology, humanities, history and
others.

1.3 Correlation designs Coming from a core, correlated curriculum design links separate
subject designs in order to reduce fragmentation. Subjects are related to one another and still
maintain their identity. For example, English literature and social studies correlate well in the
elementary level. In the two subjects, while history is being studied, different literary pieces
during the historical period are also being studied. The same is true when science becomes the
core. mathematics is related to it, as they are taken in chemistry, physics, and biology. Another
example is literature. the core with art, music, history, geography related to it. To use correlated
design, teachers should come together and plan their lessons cooperatively.

1.4 Broad field design/Interdisciplinary. Broad field design or interdisciplinary is a variation or

the subject-centered design. This design was made to cure the compartmentalization of the
separate subjects and integrate the contents that are related to one another. Thus subjects such
as geography, economics, political science, anthropology, sociology and history are fused into
one subject called social studies. Language arts will include grammar, literature, linguistics,
spelling, and composition

Sometimes called holistic curriculum, broad fields draw around themes and integration.
Intendusepimary design is similar to thematic design, where a specific theme is identified, and
all other subject areas revolve around the theme.

2. Learner-Centered Design

Among progressive educational psychologists, the learner is the center of the educational
process. This emphasis is very strong in the elementary level, however, more concern has been
placed on the secondary and even the tertiary levels. Although in high school, the subject or
content has become the focus and in the college level, the discipline is the center, both levels
still recognize the importance of the learner in the curriculum.

Here are some examples of curriculum designs which are learner-centered

2.1 Child-centered design. This design is often attributed to the influence of John Dewey,
Rousseau, Pestalozzi and Froebel. This curriculum design is anchored on the needs and
interests of the child. The lemur is not considered a passive individual but one who engages
with his/her environment. One learns by doing. Learners actively create, construct meanings
and understanding as viewed by the constructivists. In the child-centered design, learners
interact with the teachers and the environment, thus there is a collaborative effort on both sides
to plan. lessons, select content and do activities together. Learning is a product of the child's
interaction with the environment..

2.2 Experience-centered design. This design is similar to the child-centered design. Although
the focus remains to be the child, experience-centered design believes that the interests and
needs of learners cannot be pre-planned. Instead, experiences of the learners become the
starting point of the curriculum, thus the school environment is left open and free. Learners are
made to choose from various activities that the teacher provides. The learners are empowered
to shape their own learning from the different opportunities given by the teacher. In a school
where experience-centered curriculum is provided, different learning centers are found, time is
flexible and children are free to make options. Activities revolve around different emphasis such
as touching, feeling, Imagining, Constructing, relating and others.

The emergence of multiple intelligence theory blends well with experience-centered design
curriculum.

2.3 Humanistic design. The key influence in this curriculum design is Abraham Maslow and
Carl Rogers, Matov's explains that a person who achieves this level is accepting of self, others
and nature; is simple, spontaneous and natural; is open to different experiences, possesses,
empathy and sympathy towards the less fortunate among the many others. The person can
achieve this state of self-actualization later in life but has to start the process while still in school.
Carl Rogers, on the other hand, believed that a person can enhance self-directed learning by
improving self-understanding, the basic attitude to guide behavior.

In a humanistic curriculum design, the development of self is the ultimate objective of learning. It
stresses the whole person and the integration of thinking, feeling and doing. It considers the
cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains to be interconnected and must be addressed in
the curriculum. It stresses the development of positive self-concept and interpersonal skills,

3. Problem-Centered Design

Generally, problem-centered design draws on social problems, needs, interest and abilines of
the learners. Various problems are given emphasis. There are those that center on life
situations, contemporary life problems, areas of living and many others. In this curriculum,
content cuts. across subject boundaries and must be based on the needs, concerns and
abilities of the students. Two examples are given for the problem-centered design curriculum.

3.1 Life-situations design, What makes the design unique is that the contents are organized in
ways that allow students to clearly view problem areas. It uses the past and the present
experiences of learners as a means to analyze the basic areas of living. As a starting point, the
pressing immediate problems of the society and the students existing concerns are utilized.
Based on Herben S writing, his emphases were activities that sustain life, enhance life, and in
rearing children, maintain the individual's social and political relations and enhance leisure,
tasks and feelings. The connection of Subject matter to real situations increases the relevance
of the curriculum.

3.2 Core problem design. Another example of problem-centered design is core design.

It centers on general education and the problems are based on common human activities. The
central focus of the core design includes common needs, problems, and concerns of the
learners. Popularized by aureu design of a curriculum. These are the steps. 1939, it presented
ways on how to proceed using core

Step 1. Make group consensus on important problems.

Step 2. Develop criteria for selection of important problem.

Step 3. State and define the problem

Step 4. Decide on areas of study, including class grouping

Step 5. List the needed information for resources.

Step 6. Obtain and organize information.

Step 7. Analyze and interpret the information

Step 8. State the tentative conclusions.

Step 9. Present a report to the class individually or by group

Step 10. Evaluate the conclusions.

Step 11. Explore other avenues for further problem solving.

These are some examples of curriculum designs. There are many more which are emerging
and those that have evolved in the past. The example given may be limited, however, for our
purposes, they can very well represent curriculum designs.

CONCLUSION
Each model prioritizes different elements: content mastery in subject-centered designs,
individual student needs in learner-centered designs, and real-world problem-solving in
problem-centered designs. Understanding these diverse approaches is crucial for educators as
they strive to create effective and engaging learning environments. The choice of curriculum
design should align with the educational goals, the specific needs of the learners, and the
broader societal context. Whether focusing on rigorous subject matter, fostering individual
growth, or addressing pressing social issues, each design offers valuable frameworks for
structuring the learning process. Ultimately, a thoughtful and informed selection of curriculum
design allows educators to optimize learning outcomes and empower students to become
knowledgeable, well-rounded, and engaged members of society.