Curriculum Development and Implementation

Running Head: CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONS 1

CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONS 8

Curriculum Foundations

Strayer University

Sabrina Marion

EDU 555 Curriculum Design and Development

May 17th, 2021

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Introduction:

The current movement in science curriculum reforms needs a new approach, an approach that will tend in focusing away from science as a knowledge to be acquired to the one that facilitates a scientific perspective as well as embracing the society and culture of scientists via involving in the language, tools and ways of science practice in the field pilot curriculum (Nelson & Kosslyn, 2017). The main of this study is to develop a pilot science curriculum that captures all the three domains of scientific work and practice including conceptual, social, and epistemic in which science practice is described as a disciplinary, and goal-oriented that involves the ways of knowing and doing that scientists use in studying the natural world including aviation. This curriculum development is for the grade 3 students to help them understand biological evolution; unity and diversity.

The four core instructional goals for this grade 3 science curriculum include students will evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in the environmental conditions may result in the extinction of other species, secondly, students will be able to demonstrate and create a simulation to a test solution to combat adverse effects on human activity, besides, students will be able to construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of population and lastly, students will communicate information regarding common ancestry as well as biological evolution.

Approach to Curriculum Development

Curriculum development is a gradual process used in improving the courses offered in education. It is a dynamic and interactive process where any changes made in one step correspondently affect another step. Therefore, the developers have to be mindful of learners' needs in each step of development and put-up educational strategies in reaching students with different learning techniques. In developing the pilot curriculum for science, educators can employ different approaches such as Behavioral approach which is logically prescript in the observation and measurement of human behaviors. It is composed of standards, complete and restrained strategies for preparing a curriculum (Nelson & Kosslyn, 2017). This approach is used to enhance the understanding of biological evolution through using pieces of evidence such as DNA, evaluating ecosystems, and using evidenced data in understanding different weather conditions and seasonal temperature.

Another approach is the Systems approach is mostly grounded on the generalization that things are dependent and interrelate to each other. This philosophical way of thinking helps in understanding complex situations. This approach is segregated into various components including performing assessment requirements, understanding the objectives and the goals of learning, resources identification, and developing strategies of education and implementing curriculum, assessing and modifying the curriculum (Garcia & Lewis, 2014). This curriculum approach not only involves learners and educators but also involves the whole school, families, caregivers, and community as a whole directly or indirectly dependent on the school quality. This approach is used in grade three science curriculum, earth’s system, and earth and humanity to enhance their understanding by learning correlations between them. 

The humanistic approach is based on the argument that education is not only good for the well-being of a particular individual but also the nation as a whole. It focuses on the interactions between learners and educates that are majorly inquiries and problem-solving. Science itself is a continuous process of discoveries. Hence, this approach creates more room for learning and Student-teacher interaction that positively and educationally empowers the student if correctly employed.

Philosophical Approach

Philosophical approaches have impacted education, and notably the field of curriculum development over a long period. The philosophy of a school and its officials has a direct influence on the goals, content, and organization of the school curriculum. Also, philosophy has affected society and society by determining educational and curriculum decisions.

Idealism is a philosophical approach with the assumption that concepts are the only true reality that is worth knowing. Therefore, in the search of truth, and justice that is everlasting and enduring, the main focus should be on conscious reasoning in the mind. Besides, in idealism, the objective of education is to develop each student’s abilities and moral excellence to serve society better (Brent, 2016). Therefore, this curricular emphasis subject is the subject matter of mind and biological evolution using teaching strategies focusing on handling ideas through discussion and lecture to help students understand the biological evolution and organism diversity. Moreover, intuition, insight, and whole-part logic are also used to bring to consciousness or concepts which are useful to the student's mind.

In realism, the main objective is to emphasize the subject matter of the physical world, especially on science. Here, we will organize and present the evolution concepts systematically as well demonstrating the use of criteria in decision making. The teaching strategies will focus on mastery of concepts and basic skills via demonstration recitation. Students will be able to demonstrate and create a simulation to a test solution to combat adverse effects on human activity, besides, students will be able to construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of population using observation and experimentation (Brent, 2016). This curriculum is also standardized, scientifically approached, and discipline-based since it is established through training in the rules of conduct

Psychological approach

In good teaching, the curriculum is worth it when students can gain long-term knowledge thus both teaching and learning are vital processes to curricularists. To the two processes, the curriculum needs to be organized based on a psychological theory of learning. These include behaviorist theories which deal with different aspects of stimulus-response and reinforces, including conditioning, modifying, or shaping behavior through reinforcement and rewards, secondly, cognitive theories which account for the significant role of the environment and the way the learner applies information hence essential for the learner's creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving during the evaluation of biological evolution (Garcia & Lewis, 2014). Thirdly, the humanistic theories tend to consider the whole child as a social, cognitive, and psychological being thus change the needs, feelings, and attitudes of the students towards understanding biological evolution concepts. Therefore, will be able to demonstrate and create a simulation to a test solution to combat adverse effects on human activity as well as constructing an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection results in adaptation of population using observation and experimentation.

Cultural Influence on the School District

Achievements have been one of the cultures of the school. In which the is known and identified for therefore this drives teachers, educators, and different stakeholders to input the best in achieving and maintaining their culture. Apart from the fame that the school gets from the public, the community has also gained fame and other supports which motivates the community as a whole.

Integrating Cultural Influence into the Curriculum

One way in which cultural influence can be integrated into the curriculum is by expressing the ethnic backgrounds of the students. Teachers and students should embrace and be free to express and learn the diversity in culture. This fosters good relations among them which in return leads to quality learning. Considering science and its broad involvement of humans, it will be easy know to understand certain aspects and concepts through embracing diversity.

Incorporating Critical Thinking Using Blooms Taxonomy cognitive objective

Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy was developed by Benjamin Bloom during the 1950s. To help in categorizing the levels of reasoning skills needed in the classroom. It is comprised of six levels needing teachers to assist in moving students up the taxonomy as they progress in their knowledge (Adesoji, 2018). Nevertheless, to have critical thinkers rather than a student who simply recall information, we should incorporate into curriculum developments and tests.

Knowledge: Here the Bloom's Taxonomy, questions are asked to test whether a student has gained specific information from the lesson. For instance, have they memorized the creation of a simulation to test a solution to combat adverse impacts on human diversity? Words like tell, list, label, and name are used.

Comprehension: In the comprehension level of Bloom's, taxonomy students should be able to interpret the facts rather than naming changes in the environmental conditions that result in species extinctions. Words like to describe, contrast, discuss, predicts are used.

Application: Here students have to apply what they have learned in solving the application questions. For example, students may be asked to solve a biological question in the natural selection process. In writing application questions, we use words like solve, illustrate among others (Adesoji, 2018).

Analysis: Here students are needed to go past knowledge application but to see patterns for analyzing a problem, for example, asking them the motives behind the creation of simulation in preventing adverse effects on human activity on diversity. Words used include explain and investigate among others.

Synthesis: Here students are needed to use facts in creating new theories and make predictions, for instance, asking them to synthesis biological evolution and diversity. Words like invent, imagine and create are used.

Evaluation: Here students are required to assess information and come to a conclusion and evaluate the bias behind it. For instance, completing a document-based question, words used include, debate, judge, recommend.

The performance capability of a student partially lies in how best the teacher uses Bloom’s Taxonomy of cognitive objectives. The strategy laid above is effective for the grade three science curriculum as it assists in the understanding of science in the context of earth, biological evolution, matter, and so on. This strategy is also perfect considering their age, and other social factors.

In conclusion, developing an effective curriculum requires one or related personnel to critically observe and put into consideration the approaches to employ and the learner's needs

References

Adesoji, F. A. (2018). Bloom taxonomy of educational objectives and the modification of cognitive levels. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 5(5). https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.55.4233

Brent, A. (2016). Philosophical foundations for the curriculum. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315532295

Chair and Professor Georgia State University Atlanta Georgia Jacalyn Lund, Lund, J., & Tannehill, D. (2014). Standards-based physical education curriculum development. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Garcia, J. A., & Lewis, T. E. (2014). Getting a grip on the classroom: From psychological to phenomenological curriculum development in teacher education programs. Curriculum Inquiry, 44(2), 141-168. https://doi.org/10.1111/curi.12042

Multicultural education: History, development, goals, and approaches. (2015). Cultural Diversity and Education, 66-92. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315622255-13

Nelson, B., & Kosslyn, S. M. (2017). Foundations of the curriculum. Building the Intentional University. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262037150.003.0003