PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 1
Curriculum Change Plan: Part 2 - Philosophies and Issues for Change
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EDUC 771, School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
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I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
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PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 2
Curriculum Change Plan: Part 2 - Philosophies and Issues for Change
Curriculum Philosophy
The curriculum change plan of integrating the Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
principles with the Amplify Texas 3-5 ELAR (English Language Arts) program is rooted in the
educational philosophies of constructivism and progressivism. This curriculum change plan aims
to identify areas of strengthening, extending, and using educational research to formulate theory
and action. The establishment of instruction and student learning encompassing methodologies
for promoting processes rather than products stems from Jean Piaget and John Dewey’s work in
developing educational philosophies (Brau, 2020.). Progressivism is defined as a student-
centered philosophy that is rooted in pragmatism with the goal of shaping students to be
contributing members of society (Perez, 2022). Piaget’s constructivist theory encourages
students to engage in project-based and problem-solving inquiry activities. Constructivists
believe accessible knowledge is retrieved through students processing schema, reflection, and
constructing new knowledge through inquiry (Saunders & Wong, 2020). Constructivism is
defined as a learning theory that stresses the importance of learners constructing their own
understanding through experiences (Mcleod, 2023).
My stance aligns with the constructivist perspective, which advocates for students to
acquire knowledge from diverse learning opportunities. Moreover, I passionately believe in the
constructivist principle that educators should take a step back from teacher-directed instruction
and instead embrace the role of a facilitator of learning. When students actively engage with
inquiry, they take ownership of their learning and can comprehend concepts more effectively
than when they passively receive information. Both Amplify and UDL have aspects of inquiry-
based learning embedded in their respective frameworks with opportunities to adapt the
PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 3
curriculum to embody collaborative efforts; however, Amplify, without modifications or
adjustments, is not designed to support all learners’ cognitive abilities, needs, or interests.
Therefore, the rationale for the proposed curriculum change plan is to enhance Amplify by
applying the propositions presented in the educational theories of progressivism and
constructivism.
Jean Piaget developed the constructivist theory in the 1920s after his predecessor, John
Dewey, applied the progressive movement principles to the field of education. In 1899, Dewey
published the famous pamphlet, The School and Society (Dewey, 1899), which shifted society’s
viewpoint of classrooms from traditional to contemporary. The pamphlet promulgated many
central components of today’s educational reforms, whereas Jean Piaget was a behavioral
psychologist who researched children’s cognitive abilities and learning stages. Dewey proposed
that the traditional model of schooling, such as students sitting at their desks in rows,
memorization, and recital, was archaic (Gibbon, 2019). Dewey laid the groundwork for
educational reform by establishing a foundation encouraging students to interact with the
environment and cultivate growth through experiences (DO, 2022). Dewey’s approach facilitated
learning that centered around the student. Student-centered learning is one of the pivotal points
of the influence of these educational philosophies because the UDL principles are a response to
making learning accessible to all learners; hence, progressive thinking would encourage
educators to identify the needs of students first and then design learning around specific student
needs (DO,2022). On the other hand, constructivism promotes presenting the curriculum through
inquiry processes; hence, there is a distinct difference between progressive student-centered and
inquiry-based constructivist theories. Progressivism is a way of thinking, and constructivism is a
PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 4
way of doing; thus, both theories have influenced mainstream classrooms and my viewpoints on
education.
Amplify supports a constructivist’s influence by providing learners with textual inquiry,
culminating-themed projects, critical thinking, and writing tasks; these facets provide students
with various avenues to think critically and compose reflections. However, Amplify needs a
framework to provide students with authentic, project-based, and inquiry-led activities.
Progressivism and constructivism promote collaborative, flexible learning environments and
activities, which if these elements amalgamated to the Amplify Texas 3-5 ELAR program would
promote higher student engagement. Vall et al. (2019) suggest that a classroom with authentic
experimentation, cooperation, and autonomy would yield higher levels of student engagement.
Amplify is a stand-alone curriculum that offers limited opportunities for cooperative or
collaborative groups, autonomy, genuine inquiry, or flexibility. Amplify has insufficient
opportunities for students to construct their own ideas and understanding, which is the pivotal
point that oscillates Amplify from incubating constructivist thinking.
UDL can enhance Amplify by integrating its student-centered learning principles with
opportunities for students to inquire, problem-solve, work cooperatively and collaboratively, and
provide students with choices that spark their interest or develop their natural abilities with
opportunities for student autonomy. UDL can enhance Amplify’s research-based curriculum by
applying the educational theories of Piaget and Dewey to today’s educational institutions. The
combined conceptual framework of progressivism, constructivism, and UDL would provide
educators with the philosophical background to cultivate a student-centered robust learning
environment that considers students’ unique needs and variances; thus, the incorporation of the
PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 5
proposed curriculum change plan is a promising proposal as it is in line with the educational
philosophies of constructivism and progressivism.
Values and Character Education
The curriculum change plan, grounded in the educational philosophies of progressivism
and constructivism, demonstrates a tenacious commitment to appreciating and responding to
diversity in students' backgrounds, cognitive processes, and abilities. The focal point of the
curriculum change plan involves assurance of measures taken to provide students with a
comprehensive educational program that considers values and character education within its
constructs. A comprehensive curriculum should include components beyond traditional academic
knowledge toward entities that cultivate positive behaviors, attitudes, and aptitudes that
contribute to personal and social development.
Character education and values in the learning process rely on beliefs and principles that
guide behavior, thought processes, cultivation of learning environments, and educational
decision-making. The values that dominate the proposed curriculum change plan are inclusivity,
equity, respect, personal responsibility, and self-awareness; hence, considering these values
foster a classroom built on mutual respect and curiosity. These values promote curiosity for
learning about one another, seeing multiple perspectives, having different metacognitive
processes, and discovery.
The call for Christian educators is to ensure that every student feels loved and accepted
with experiences of feeling a sense of belongingness in the classroom. “Accept one another,
then, just as Christ accepted you, to bring praise to God” (New International Version, 1978/2011,
Romans 15:7). Character education promotes self-aware students who become expert learners
and positively contribute to their community and society. In their 2023 study, Gauvreau et al.
PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 6
suggest that connecting during social-emotional learning (SEL) circles can boost students’
motivations for learning and increase their engagement. An effective curriculum change plan
should commence the class period with an opening SEL circle that center on creating
connections.
This strategy will assist students in establishing relationships and nurturing a constructive
classroom ambiance before embarking on the Amplify learning routines; furthermore, SEL
circles help students build relationships and foster a positive classroom environment before
beginning the Amplify learning routines. Additionally, throughout the Amplify lesson, the
teacher would facilitate learning with students by applying social skills strategies in their
interaction with one another and the curriculum. The curriculum change plan would include
cultural responsiveness through teaching open-mindedness, develop intrinsic motivation by
providing students with multiple variations to show understanding, promote meta-cognitive
regulation skills through collaboration, and foster adaptability by providing multiple means of
engagement.
The curriculum change plan should include strategies for addressing potential issues. The
first strategy is to have culturally responsive teaching methods (CRT) as the foundation for the
curriculum change plan. Educators should integrate multiple perspectives, use materials and
resources to represent multiculturism, and include various cultural references in the curriculum.
The rationale is that CRT identifies and responds to learners’ diverse backgrounds, which aligns
with the dedication to appreciate and embrace this diversity. CRT practices should incorporate
culturally relevant materials to promote community and validate students’ identities. Gentile and
Budzilowicz (2023) submit that CRT leverages the brain’s memory and informational processing
structures retrieved from oral and active cultural traditions.
PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 7
Another strategy is to create an innovative learning environment; thus, effective
pedagogy design includes adaptable learning spaces that provide students with spatial designs to
address diversity, create supportive dynamics, promote higher engagement, and inspire positive
learning behaviors (Sasson et al., 2020). UDL principles focus on constructing flexible and
inclusive learning environments that accommodate diverse learners’ needs, interests, and
preferences. The rationale is that students have access to engage with the curriculum in
customized processes to meet the individual needs of students, which in return will minimize
behavior problems and instances of disengagement. These strategies permeated with the
curriculum change plan will cultivate self-efficacy and agency in learners.
Social or Political Influences
Relevant social and political influences can significantly impact the implementation of
the curriculum change plan; thus, understanding how to navigate these considerations is vital to
its implementation. The societal response to inclusion or diversity could be perceived and
received differently due to cultural influences. Students have distinct traditions, mannerisms,
learning styles, and abilities; those considerations must be analyzed when establishing a truly
inclusive learning environment. Educators should receive training on developing cultural
competence, subscribe to educational blogs, or connect with CRT communities or groups. These
components would equip educators with understanding, skills, and knowledge, to support the
diverse learning needs of students by establishing a robust and inclusive learning environment.
The rationale behind this strategy is to equip educators with the appropriate knowledge and tools
to address multicultural issues. Educators can navigate the diverse social landscape in their
classrooms by cultivating cultural competence within themselves.
PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 8
Another relevant social and political influence is the Amplify Texas ELAR program in
itself because of its close alignment with state standards, which serves the purpose of preparing
students for the state standardized assessment. The state of Texas determines ideal performance
levels that students are required to reach, while the UDL principles prioritize individual
assessments and learning. When proposing educational reforms, there is an anticipation of
opposition from stakeholders who are reluctant to adopt change. It is crucial to actively pursue
and involve stakeholders with the creation of a supportive community for changes to occur. It is
essential to provide stakeholders with data, research, and evidence that demonstrates the positive
impact of integrating (UDL) with student learning. The proposed curriculum change plan can
enhance student learning goals and outcomes despite the potential social and political obstacles
by actively involving stakeholders and being a voice for change with the reliance on data derived
from standardized testing.
Lindsey et al. (2018) suggest that institutionalizing cultural change will shift society from
change resistors to change agents; hence, sustaining change must be nurtured by allowing change
to progress from natural to normal. The political issue surrounding this curriculum change plan is
that the Amplify Texas 3-5 ELAR program is a research-based curriculum that is viewed as a
complete, comprehensive reading program backed by the Science of Teaching Reading (SOR).
The SOR approach is revolutionizing reading instruction in Texas and nationwide. Instead of
relying on leveled and guided reading, the reading focus is now decoding complex words and
texts. Amplify is widely regarded as the go-to resource for effectively implementing this novel
approach. However, it is essential to note that while Amplify is a complete curriculum, it needs
adjustments and adaptations to be comprehensive because there is minimal evidence of CRT and
limited influence of UDL.
PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 9
There is a continued need for the development of educational theory that supports
developing culturally proficient educators to share their cultural knowledge. Also, educational
stakeholders must be responsive in re-culturing schools by transforming inclusive institutions
that consider diverse educational needs. There is a call to shift thinking from providing
accommodations for students with disabilities toward making learning accessible to all student
populations through inclusive delivery strategies and accessibility practices (Saunders & Wong,
2020). The proposed curriculum change plan of integrating the UDL principles with the Amplify
Texas 3-5 ELAR program would be an authentic and comprehensive curriculum that supports all
learners by considering a student as a person, not pushing students to an optimal reading
performance level. Amplify can effectively grow students to meet their full potential by creating
inclusive and equitable learning environments that are constructed on the foundations of the
progressive and constructivist educational theories within the framework of UDL.
PHILOSOPHIES AND ISSUES 10
References
Brau, B. (2020). Constructivism. In R. Kimmons & S. Caskurlu (Eds.), The Students' Guide to
Learning Design and Research. EdTech Books.
https://edtechbooks.org/studentguide/constructivism.
Dewey, John. (1899). The School and Society. The University of Chicago Press.
https://ia800907.us.archive.org/16/items/schoolsociety00dewerich/schoolsociety00deweri
ch.pdf.
DO, T. (2022). Progressive education: Views from John Dewey’s education philosophy.
Wisdom., 4(3), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.24234/wisdom.v4i3.907.
Gauvreau, A. N., Lohmann, M. J., & Hovey, K. A. (2023). Circle is for everyone: Using UDL to
promote inclusion during circle times. Young Exceptional Children., 26(1), 3–15.
https://doi.org/10.1177/10962506211028576.
Genile, A. & Budzilowicz, M. (2023). Empowering college students. UDL, culturally responsive
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Learning, 2022 (172), 33-42. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20524.
Mcleod, S. (2023). Constructivism learning theory and philosophy of education.
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New International Version. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published in 1978). Romans 15:7.
Perez, D. (2022). Social Foundations of K-12 Education. Pressbooks.
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