Curriculum Design, Development and Models: Planning for Student Learning
Dasha Bunks
Liberty University
Psy. 775
Dr. Winn
June 10, 2022
Introduction
Curriculum design refers to the structure or organization of the curriculum, and curriculum
development includes the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes of the
curriculum. Curriculum models guide these processes.
Essential Questions
What is curriculum design?
What questions did Tyler pose for guiding the curriculum design process?
What are the major curriculum design models?
What unique element did Goodlad add to his model?
In addition to the needs of the learner, what did Hilda Taba add to her model?
Meaning of Curriculum Design
From Curriculum Studies, pp. 65-68
Curriculum design is largely concerned with issues such as what to include in the curriculum and
how to present it in such a way that the curriculum can be implemented with understanding
and success (Barlow et al., 1984). Therefore, curriculum design refers to how the components
of the curriculum have been arranged in order to facilitate learning (Shiundu & Omulando,
1992).
Curriculum design is concerned with issues of choosing what the organizational basis or
structural framework of the curriculum is. The choice of a design often implies a value position.
As with other curriculum-related concepts, curriculum design has a variety of definitions,
depending on the scholars involved. For example, Doll (1992) says that curriculum design is a
way of organizing that permits curriculum ideas to function. She also adds that curriculum
design refers to the structure or pattern of the organization of the curriculum.
The curriculum design process results in a curriculum document that contains the following:
a statement of purpose(s),
an instructional guide that displays behavioral objectives and content organization in
harmony with school organization,
a set of guidelines (or rules) governing the use of the curriculum, and
an evaluation plan.
Thus, curriculum is designed to fit the organizational pattern of the school/institution for which
it is intended.
How a curriculum is conceptualized, organized, developed, and implemented depends on a
particular state’s or district’s educational objectives. Whatever design is adopted depends also
on the philosophy of education.
There are several ways of designing school curriculum. These include subject-centered, learner-
centered, integrated, or broad fields (which combines two or more related subjects into one
field of study; e.g., language arts combine the separate but related subjects of reading, writing,
speaking, listening, comprehension, and spelling into a core curriculum).
Subject-Centered Curriculum Design
This curriculum design refers to the organization of curriculum in terms of separate subjects,
e.g. geography, math, and history, etc. This has been the oldest school curriculum design and
the most common in the world. It was even practiced by the ancient Greek educators. The
subject-centered design was adapted by many European and African countries as well as states
and districts in the United States. An examination of the subject-centered curriculum design
shows that it is used mainly in the upper elementary and secondary schools and colleges.
Frequently, laypeople, educators, and other professionals who support this design received
their schooling or professional training in this type of system. Teachers, for instance, are trained
and specialized to teach one or two subjects at the secondary and sometimes the elementary
school levels.
There are advantages and disadvantages of this approach to curriculum organization. There are
reasons why some educators advocate for it while others criticize this approach.
Advantages of Subject-Centered Curriculum Design
It is possible and desirable to determine in advance what all children will learn in various
subjects and grade levels. For instance, curricula for schools in centralized systems of education
are generally developed and approved centrally by a governing body in the education body for
a given district or state. In the U.S., the state government often oversees this process which is
guided by standards.
It is usually required to set minimum standards of performance and achievement for the
knowledge specified in the subject area.
Almost all textbooks and support materials on the educational market are organized by
subject, although the alignment of the text contents and the standards are often open
for debate.
Tradition seems to give this design greater support. People have become familiar and
more comfortable with the subject-centered curriculum and view it as part of the
system of the school and education as a whole.
The subject-centered curriculum is better understood by teachers because their training
was based on this method, i.e. specialization.
Advocates of the subject-centered design have argued that the intellectual powers of
individual learners can develop through this approach.
Curriculum planning is easier and simpler in the subject-centered curriculum design.
Disadvantages of Subject-Centered Curriculum Design
Critics of subject-centered curriculum design have strongly advocated a shift from it. These
criticisms are based on the following arguments:
Subject-centered curriculum tends to bring about a high degree of fragmentation of
knowledge.
Subject-centered curriculum lacks integration of content. Learning in most cases tends
to be compartmentalized. Subjects or knowledge are broken down into smaller
seemingly unrelated bits of information to be learned.
This design stresses content and tends to neglect the needs, interests, and experiences
of the students.
There has always been an assumption that information learned through the subject-
matter curriculum will be transferred for use in everyday life situations. This claim has
been questioned by many scholars who argue that the automatic transfer of the
information already learned does not always occur.
Given the arguments for and against subject-centered curriculum design, let us consider the
learner-centered or personalized curriculum design.
Learner-Centered/Personalized Curriculum Design
Learner-centered curriculum design may take various forms such as individualized or
personalized learning. In this design, the curriculum is organized around the needs, interests,
abilities, and aspirations of students.
Advocates of the design emphasize that attention is paid to what is known about human
growth, development, and learning. Planning this type of curriculum is done along with the
students after identifying their varied concerns, interests, and priorities and then developing
appropriate topics as per the issues raised.
This type of design requires a lot of resources and manpower to meet a variety of needs.
Hence, the design is more commonly used in the U.S. and other western countries, while in the
developing world the use is more limited.
To support this approach, Hilda Taba (1962) stated, “Children like best those things that are
attached to solving actual problems that help them in meeting real needs or that connect with
some active interest. Learning in its true sense is an active transaction.”
Advantages of the Learner-Centered Curriculum Design
The needs and interests of students are considered in the selection and organization of
content.
Because the needs and interests of students are considered in the planning of students’
work, the resulting curriculum is relevant to the student’s world.
The design allows students to be active and acquire skills and procedures that apply to
the outside world.
Disadvantages of the Learner-Centered Curriculum Design
The needs and interests of students may not be valid or long lasting. They are often
short-lived.
The interests and needs of students may not reflect specific areas of knowledge that
could be essential for successful functioning in society. Quite often, the needs and
interests of students have been emphasized and not those that are important for
society in general.
The nature of the education systems and society in many countries may not permit
learner-centered curriculum design to be implemented effectively.
As pointed out earlier, the design is expensive in regard to resources, both human and
fiscal, that are needed to satisfy the needs and interests of individual students.
This design is sometimes accused of shallowness. It is argued that critical analysis and in-
depth coverage of subject content is inhibited by the fact that students’ needs and
interests guide the planning process.
Broad Fields/Integrated Curriculum
From Curriculum Studies, pp. 69-80
In the broad fields/integrated curriculum design, two, three, or more subjects are unified into
one broad course of study. This organization is a system of combining and regrouping subjects
that are related to the curriculum.
This approach attempts to develop some kind of synthesis or unity for the entire branch or
more branches of knowledge into new fields.
Examples of Broad Fields
Language Arts: Incorporates reading, writing, grammar, literature, speech, drama, and
international languages.
General Science: Includes natural and physical sciences, physics, chemistry, geology,
astronomy, physical geography, zoology, botany, biology, and physiology
Other: Include environmental education and family-life education
Advocates of the broad fields/integrated designs believe that the approach brings about
unification and integration of knowledge. However, looking at the trend of events in curriculum
practice in many states and countries, this may not have materialized effectively. The main
reason is that teachers are usually trained in two subjects at the university level, thus making it
difficult for them to integrate more areas than that. For instance, general science might require
physics, chemistry, biology, and geology, but science teachers may have only studied two of
these areas in depth.
Advantages of Broad Field/Integrated Curriculum Design
It is based on separate subjects, so it provides for an orderly and systematic exposure to
the cultural heritage.
It integrates separate subjects into a single course; this enables learners to see the
relationships among various elements in the curriculum.
It saves time in the school schedule.
Disadvantages of Broad Field/Integrated Curriculum Design
It lacks depth and cultivates shallowness.
It provides only bits and pieces of information from a variety of subjects.
It does not account for the psychological organization by which learning takes place.
