Implementing and Enriching the Curriculum
- 1. Making Things Better: Implementing and Enriching the Curriculum Reporters: Marjorie V. Eisma Johna B. Adube Dores Geneta
- 2. What Is This Lesson About? Aside from being familiar with the process of curriculum development, being a curriculum leader requires you to have a hand in curriculum implementation. A well-crafted school curriculum is useless unless properly implemented. How is effective curriculum implementation guaranteed? What steps are involved? This lesson will answer these questions. At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: 1. Lead teachers in curriculum implementation 2. Discuss the importance of curriculum implementation 3. Cite two extreme views on how curriculum is implemented 4. Name some factors that affect the success of curriculum implementation 5. Discuss the tree basic domains for gauging the effectiveness of curriculum implementation 6. Describe the process of developing and evaluating an enrichment curriculum 7. Guide teachers in preparing an enrichment curriculum What Will You Learn?
- 3. Making Things Better: Implementing and Enriching the Curriculum How Should a Curriculum be Implemented? Curriculum Implementation Perspectives Approaches to Optimize Curriculum Opportunities Preliminaries to Curriculum Implementation Curriculum Implementation 01 03 04 05 02 Monitoring the Process of Curriculum Implementation Domains for Assessing Curriculum Implementation Effectiveness Concerns in Describing and Measuring Curriculum Implementation Success Factors in Promoting Successful Curriculum Implementation Factors Affecting Curriculum Implementation 06 08 09 10 07 Enrichment Triad Model Assessing the Enriched Curriculum Principles of Curriculum Enrichment Curriculum Enrichment 11 13 14 12
- 5. CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION Educational Plan (Content and Instruction) Evaluation and Revision Curriculum Implementation - may be due to a gap between what is perceived as the ideal practice and what the current curriculum offers in reference to a particular subject (Leithwood, 1981 as cited in Marsh, 1992) Curriculum Dysfunction - refers to actual use of the curriculum or syllabus or what it consists of in practice (Fullan and Pomfret, 1997, in Marsh, 1992) Implementation In a way, the teachers are asked to “test” a new curriculum in actual school setting. Teachers get a chance to provide inputs into the new curriculum at the operational tryout Curriculum Implementation is expected to occur between Component 4 and Component 5 of Kellough and Kellough’s (1996) curriculum development model. 01
- 7. PRELIMINARIES TO CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION 01 02 03 04 5&6 07 Question Question Question Question Question Question Why are we Changing to a new curriculum? Are there support materials for me to use, and are they readily available? Are we going to be trained to do this? Who can provide me with assistance if I encounter a problem? How is this different from the old one? How will I implement the new curriculum? Will I be able to use the new curriculum effectively? 02
- 8. HOW SHOULD A CURRICULUM BE IMPLEMENTED?
- 9. HOW SHOULD A CURRICULUM BE IMPLEMENTED? LAISSEZ-FAIRE APPROACH (“let alone approach”) - Teachers are directed by authority figures through a memorandum to follow a curriculum. -Teachers have no control or leeway over the subjects they are teaching. - This approach is a dictatorial way of imposing curricular implementation in the classroom. - Gives the teachers the absolute power to determine what they see best to implement in the classroom. - Allows the teachers to teach lesson they believe are appropriate for their classes. - There is no form of control or monitoring AUTHORITARIAN CONTROL 03
- 11. APPROACHES TO OPTIMIZE CURRICULUM OPPORTUNITIES Teachers diligently follow a prescribed syllabus in teaching a lesson Some topics allow or encourage teachers to be creative and unique in teaching these top ics. Teachers can implement personalized v ariations of the prescribed curriculum, but s till be guided by it. Process orientation comes a s a response to the need to a cknowledge different organiz ational contexts and varying teachers’ needs and abilities that would require on-site m odifications. A structured approach to implementation is then followed, one in which teachers are pro vided clear instructions early on. should be f amiliar with and well trained on the more im portant topic/s. They should have also devel oped the needed skills to translate the curric ulum into actual lessons inside the classroo m and beyond. ADAPTATION TOTHE CURRICULUM or PROCESS ORIENTATION FIDELITY OF USE or FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION 04 To promote fidelity of use, first you need to identify the topics or subjects that need more focus
- 13. CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION PERSPECTIVES Considers the impact of planning and availability of resources in program implementation. For example, a biology teacher wants to teach the parts of a cell b ut cannot do so effectively because her school does not have microscopes for this purpose.. Technical Perspective Considers the balance of power that determines the success of a curriculum. For example, the curriculum developed by a school head is not implemented by teachers who question the school head’s authority. Political Perspective Puts emphasis on the beliefs and ways of behaving in a society that ultimately affect what happens inside the classroom. For example, a biology teacher who wants to teach the use of a microscope also plans to have her students dissect frogs to familiarize them with a frog’s actual anatomical structure.. Cultural Perspective 05
- 15. FACTORS AFFECTING CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION (FULLAN, 1982) A B C D Characteristics of Change Characteristics at the school district level Characteristics at the school level Characteristics external to the local system 1. Need and relevance to change 2. Clarity 3. Complexity 4. Quality and practicality of the program 1. The history of innovative attempts 2. The adoption process 3. Central administrative support and involvement 4. Self-development and participation 5. Timeline and information system 6. Board and community characteristics 1. The Principal 2. Teacher-teacher relations 3. Teacher characteristics and orientations 1. Role of government 2. External assistance 06
- 16. 1. The need for time 2. A technology for change 7. A collaborative framework 8. Leadership 3. Recognition of the school culture 9. Recognition of the system-level culture 4. Incentives and rewards 5. Sharing of burden in the workplace 6. Releasing of energy innovation 10. The need of political perspective 11. The need to win allies FACTORS IN PROMOTING SUCCESSFUL CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION (PARSONS,1987) 12. Recognition of the role of individuals 07
- 18. MONITORING THE PROCESS OF CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION 1. It promotes efficiency. 2. It enhances continuous development. 3. It keeps teachers vigilant and diligent in their tasks. 4. It maintains the school head’s visibility and involvement in the curriculum. 1. Too close monitoring disrupts school activities 2. Monitoring may have adverse effects on the collegial relationship between the school head and the teachers. 3. Insisting on an authoritarian approach to curriculum implementation ignores the unique needs of teachers and students. 4. The teachers may focus on teaching to the test and lose sight of maintaining quality teaching. 5. Monitoring may be demeaning to teacher who considers herself to be a craft specialist. Monitoring is Important Because: 08 Monitoring is NOT Necessary Because:
- 19. Guidelines to Consider to Increase the Success in the Monitoring of Curriculum Implementation 1 Place emphasis on mutual accomplishment rather than on total fidelity. 2 Strive for the development of a teacher-friendly and change-simple curriculum in the beginning. 3 Promote a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement in the school. Is an approach that allows school heads to maintain the essence of the curriculum, while giving teachers certain leeway for their individual teaching styles to manifest.
- 21. CONCERNS IN DESCRIBING ANDMEASURING CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESS 09 Once a new curriculum is implemented, there is also a need to gauge its success. And even if it is already nearing institutionalization, there is still a need to monitor the actual implementation, and more importantly, the educational outcomes. As a school head, how would you know whether the curriculum had been effective or not? What tools for measuring success will you use?
- 23. DOMAINS FOR ASSESSING CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION EFFECTIVENESS Student Activities and Achievements Teacher Activities Curriculum Support Materials Could be measured through visits, observations, checklists, and interviews A study by Combleth (1990, in Marsh 2002) reveals that students may spend up to 80% of the time engaged in using and studying a particular material. The more materials are effectively used, the more well accepted the curriculum would be. Better learning opportunities provided by effective curriculum is expected to translate into measurable achievements. Assessment could be undertaken to gauge the amount of knowledge and skills acquired. 10
- 25. CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT CORE CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT ENRICHMENT CURRICULUM 11 Refers to the essential guide that teachers use to determine the subjects to be taught and how to teach these subjects Is defined by Glatthorn (1997) as the learning that goes beyond what is prescribed by the mastery curriculum It provides excitement and restores fun in the curriculum. Generally, the enrichment curriculum is given less priority than the mastery curriculum, as the former is supposed to be reserved mostly for enhancement activities. Nevertheless, the enrichment curriculum also needs to be carefully planned.
- 26. CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT 11 1. Special student knowledge, skills, and interests 2. Special teacher knowledge, skills, and interests 3. Aspects of the subject not often studied in school 4. New developments in the field 5. Special knowledge of other community members 6. Local topic aspects drawn from the mastery curriculum 7. Topics in the mastery curriculum studied in greater depth 8. Lessons, topics, and prerequisite skills and knowledge that students have not fully mastered Here are some sources of ideas for creating an enrichment curriculum:
- 27. CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT 11 1. Will the enrichment content be delivered as a part of a regular course or will it be organized as an elective course? 2. How much time should be allotted for the enrichment curriculum? 3. Who will handle or teach enrichment content besides the teachers? 4. What resources will be provided to support enrichment teaching? In planning for the enrichment curriculum, there is a need to develop school-based policies and general procedures for the enrichment component. The following questions should be considered:
- 28. CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT 11 1. Enrichment units must include curriculum enrichment strategies. 2. Enrichment units must avoid repetition of activities within subjects or grade levels. 3. Enrichment units have to be likely approved by parents and other community stakeholders. 4. Enrichment units must respond to student’s special needs. 5. Enrichment units must be sufficiently integrated into the mastery curriculum. The enrichment units are formulated considering the following concerns:
- 30. 1 Each learner is unique. 2 Learning is more effective when students enjoy what they are doing. 3 Learning is more meaningful and enjoyable when content and process are learned in the context of a real and a present problem 4 The acquisition of knowledge and skills are enhanced when students construct their own meaning through knowledge and skills application. PRINCIPLES OF CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT 12
- 32. Extends the regular curriculum by providing students a wide range of experiences and activities in order to introduce a variety of exciting areas of interest. TYPE I ENRICHMENT Covers activities designed for specific students who are interested to develop skills that are beyond what the regular curriculum and Type I enrichment curriculum could offer. It focus on thinking and feeling skills necessary to carry out investigation. TYPE II ENRICHMENT The students investigate real problems as individuals or small groups. They become producers of knowledge rather than consumers, actively formulating a problem, designing research, and presenting a product. TYPE III ENRICHMENT General Exploratory Activities Group Training Activity Individual & Small Group Investigation of Real Problems 13
- 34. 1 Have a committee review the enriched curriculum implementation. This is done to provide an opportunity for discussion and improvement 2 Obtain constructive feedback from colleagues or peers who observed the implementation of the enriched curriculum. 3 Seek student feedback occasionally to determine student perceptions on the enrichment program’s quality and effectiveness. ASSESSING THE ENRICHED CURRICULUM 14 Three ways with which you can assess the enriched curriculum: