CORE DECISIONS 2
Curriculum Model
When developing the curriculum change plan for implementing social-emotional learning
into the Utah Health Education program, the curriculum Model that fits best with change plan
efforts is the Wheeler Model. This model specifically focuses on integrating SEL into the
curriculum systematic and inclusive approach. The model is designed to provide educators with
the guidance to create learning experiences that center on social, emotional, and academic
development. This approach consists of purposeful planning and student-centered learning with
embedded opportunities for students to apply real-world situations and practice SEL skills. The
model is a cyclical model that provides ongoing assessments and reflection involving students'
progress in developing social-emotional skills and using assessments to modify and improve
curriculum. All models are similar in terms of structure and Bhutta (2019) explains that the
Tyler, Taba, and Wheeler models relate to each other by establishing a foundation for taking
decisions when it comes to the selection of curriculum content and sequencing.
The Wheeler Model of curriculum was developed by Dr. D.K Wheeler, a British educator
and researcher in the field of social-emotional learning. Dr. Wheeler analyzed the importance of
SEL in students' social, emotional, and academic well-being. Throughout her career, she
recognized a need for a framework that guides the integration of SEL into the school curriculum.
Dr. Wheeler's model constructs previous theories and practices in curriculum development and
SEL implementation. Her work has been improved by her continuous research, collaborations
with educators, and feedback from practitioners who have implemented the model in their
classrooms. Dr. Wheeler dedicated time to sharing the model with educators and stakeholders
across the country and refined the model based on experiences and changes within the
educational field.
CORE DECISIONS 3
The Wheeler Model consists of six key components the planning stage, holistic
integration, explicit instruction, embedded opportunities, differentiated support, and ongoing
assessment and reflection. The model's first component requires purposeful planning consisting
of clear goals and objectives for SEL integration that align with standards and student needs.
Educators carefully take this step to identify SEL skills within each content area and grade level
that correlate with learning goals and instruction. "Planning helps ensure that the session is
purposeful and that it engages students in a range of appropriate activities, and reflects the wider
goals of the curriculum, within the constraints of time and resources" (Atkinson, Bregazzi, 2022,
p.3). The next component of the Wheeler Model is holistic integration. SEL integration within
the model entails SEL principles, strategies, and practices embedded throughout the curriculum
versus implementing SEL principles as a separate component. This model allows educators the
ability to integrate SEL into academic subject areas, instructional methods, and classroom
procedures that create supportive social-emotional learning environments. The following
component of the model is explicit instruction, this involves teaching students specific SEL skills
through planned lessons and guided practices. Embedded opportunities are the next component
of the model. This is an important factor that allows educators to design learning activities,
projects, and assignments that provide students with 21st-century learning as they apply SEL
skills to real-world situations. "Realizing the power and promise of 21st century learning for all
students, defines 21st-century skills as ones that ask that "all students have an educational
experience preparing them to be effective lifelong learners and contributions" (Stanley, 2023,
pg.18). Differentiated support also plays an important role in the Wheeler Model as it ensures
that all students receive the modifications and support they need. This allows educators to
modify the curriculum to accommodate each learner's needs, abilities, and interests. (Kaplan,
CORE DECISIONS 4
2021). The final component of the Wheeler Model is the ongoing assessment and reflection
stage. This stage of the curriculum process involves continuously monitoring students' progress
in developing SEL skills. The reflection stage provides students with assessment material,
observations, self-assessments, and performance tasks to assess learning and provide
opportunities for timely feedback for improvement. Educators can use this component of the
model to reflect on their teaching practices and make changes as needed to improve SEL
integration.
The Wheeler Model of Curriculum Development aligns perfectly with my curriculum
change plan because of its emphasis on holistic integration, differentiated support, and clear
instruction. As a health educator, I value promoting students' social and emotional well-being.
The Wheeler Model provides a systematic framework that connects with my goals and desires as
an educator. The model will effectively integrate SEL into my curriculum change efforts and
design learning experiences that meet the diverse needs of all students as they incorporate
social-emotional learning in their academic endeavors.
Assessment
When integrating SEL with the Utah Health Secondary Education program, many forms
of assessment can be used to assess students' learning with the curriculum. I aim to align with the
Wheeler Model of curriculum development as each assessment is designed to provide a complete
understanding of students' social-emotional competencies throughout the learning process. The
purpose of diagnostic/pre-assessment is to identify students' prior knowledge, skills, strengths,
and weaknesses before moving forward with a lesson. "One of the most desired attributes of
teachers is the ability to gather and analyze assessment data to make trustworthy decisions
leading to supporting student learning" (Oo et al., 2021, para.1). Therefore, distributing surveys,
CORE DECISIONS 5
questionnaires, or self-assessments before each SEL lesson can be incorporated into the health
education curriculum. These pre-assessment methods align with the Wheeler Model's emphasis
on holistic integration and differentiated support. As the educator collects and analyzes data they
can adjust their instruction to meet the needs of the students starting point.
The Utah Secondary Health Education curriculum has a few formative and summative
assessments centered around other health topics, but very few assessments tailored to
social-emotional learning. The purpose of formative assessments is to monitor students' ongoing
progress and make instructional changes if needed the overall purpose of summative assessments
is to evaluate students' comprehension of SEL and provide a clear view of their social-emotional
development. The curriculum change plan will benefit from formative assessments that involve
student reflections and teacher-student conferences. Students will be allowed to reflect and
demonstrate what they are learning by implementing methods that monitor students' SEL
development. As students demonstrate their understanding throughout the curriculum they will
also participate in end-of-unit assessments such as projects and presentations that determine
curriculum mastery. These methods support critical thinking and problem-solving skills by
assessing students' abilities to apply their knowledge to real-world situations.
The health education curriculum has a variety of performance-based assessments that
evaluate students' ability to apply skills authentically. Some ideas for performance-based
assessments that can enhance the curriculum are role-playing scenarios and portfolio
assessments. These methods provide embedded opportunities for students to practice SEL skills
through meaningful contexts and hands-on activities.
Each assessment plan aims to monitor and evaluate students' social-emotional learning.
These assessment approaches align with the Wheeler Model emphasizing purpose planning,
CORE DECISIONS 6
holistic integration, explicit instruction, differentiated support, and ongoing assessment and
reflection. Additionally, each assessment correlates with the existentialism theoretical curriculum
approach by fostering autonomy, engagement, growth mindset, and reflection in learning. By
integrating these assessments I aim to create learning environments that promote students' social,
emotional, and academic growth for lifelong learning and success. "This is my prayer; that your
love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so you may be able to
discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ" (New International
Version, 1973/2011).
Evaluation
The evaluation approach for the proposed curriculum change plan will implement aspects
of the Wheeler Model of curriculum and the existentialism theoretical curriculum approach. The
evaluation process will include educators to analyze formative and summative assessments along
with stakeholder feedback. Firstly, formative evaluation will be performed through consistent
classroom observations and teacher reflections. This assessment will allow educators to evaluate
the curriculum in real-time and make adjustments to its effectiveness. Mustafa (2005) explains
that teacher reflection is a mental activity that happens before, during, and after instruction. The
objective of reflection is to speculate on the outcomes of a lesson and how it was perceived by
students. This approach requires ongoing assessment and reflection which resonates with the
Wheeler Model and reflects existentialism's focus on growth and adaptation. Secondly,
summative evaluation aligns with the Wheeler Model emphasizing holistic integration and
differentiation. This evaluation assesses the outcome of the curriculum based on students' overall
performance. The evaluation of the SEL curriculum will inform educators of student mastery and
CORE DECISIONS 7
insights for future curriculum planning. From the viewpoint of an existentialist, this approach
focuses on individual success, growth, and accomplishments.
The final evaluation approach will be assessed through stakeholder feedback. Feedback
will be collected through surveys, interviews, and focus groups to gather multiple perspectives
from educators, students, and parents. Through constructive feedback, educators can adjust their
curriculum that fit learner’s needs and receive insights from diverse views. This approach
connects with the Wheeler Model's emphasis on community engagement and resonates with
existentialism on valuing individual voices and experiences. The planned curriculum evaluation
process aims to provide various understandings of the curriculum's effectiveness and impact.
Each assessment tailors with the Wheeler Model's principles of purposeful planning, holistic
integration, and ongoing assessments. The overall evaluation of the curriculum focuses on
individual growth, self-awareness, engagement, and academic success.
CORE DECISIONS 8
References
Atkinson, M., & Bregazzi, R. (2022). Planning for classroom teaching. South Sudan Medical
Journal SSMJ, 15(4), 152–155. https://doi.org/10.4314/ssmj.v15i4.7
Bhuttah, T. M., Xiaoduan, C., Ullah, H., & Javed, S. (2019). Analysis of curriculum
development stages from the perspective of Tyler, Taba and Wheeler. European Journal
of Social Sciences, 58(1), 14-22.
Kaplan, S.N. (2021). Differentiated Curriculum and Instruction for Advanced and Gifted Learners (1st
ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003111443
Mustafa, G. (2005). Reflection in teaching. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf
Perspectives, 2(2), 11-20.
Oo, C., Alonzo, D., & Davison, C. (2021). Pre-service teachers' decision-making and classroom
assessment practices. Frontiers in Education, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.628100
Stanley, T. (2023). Inquiry learning in the gifted classroom : it’s a problem-based world. Routledge,
Taylor & Francis Group.
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