What Are the Defects in the Existing Curriculum?
In a way, the culture of the classroom reflects the culture of a society and so it also reflects the problems within that society. Curriculum formulation is not a single decision but a process made up of several components e.g. philosophy, content, professional training and teacher preparation and when any one of these breaks down, the entire curriculum suffers. This article breaks down the main defects found in the existing curriculum and where they come from.
What Is a Curriculum? A Quick Definition
A curriculum is more than a list of subjects taught in a classroom, it is the entire planned structure of learning experiences designed to help a student achieve specific educational objectives. It includes the philosophy behind what is taught, the content and materials selected, the methods used to teach them and the way learning is evaluated. As Taba noted, curriculum activities only remain consistent and focused when they are anchored to clear objectives without that anchor, a curriculum has no direction to build on. Understanding this definition matters because most of the defects discussed below stem from a breakdown in one or more of these core components: philosophy, content or the people responsible for delivering them.
What Are the Main Defects of the Existing Curriculum?
1- Lack of a Clear Philosophical Foundation:
Curriculum cannot be set without philosophy. It gives us the answer of how to live a good life?
Philosophy has certain ideas that govern the entire system. If there are differences about philosophy among those working on the curriculum, the curriculum will be unsustainable. According to the spirit of philosophy, the main objective of the curriculum is to bring change in the individual. If philosophy is not taken into account, it is difficult to decide what to do in the classroom, what to emphasize, what materials to choose, and what learning experiences to observe.
Educational objectives are derived from national concepts
and ideals. If educational objectives are clearly stated it will help in
choosing concepts found in different periods.
According to Taba:
"Platforms are essential for the objectives sothat
different types of activities can be consistently focused and these are the
main activities we call curriculum.”
It is a fact that in the last fifteen years no
controversy has received as much attention in the curriculum as the value of
objectives and the manner in which objectives are defined. This is a
philosophical problem.
A:- It is essential that the objective reflects the
behavior which at last is demonstrated by the learner.
B:- The objective must specify the behavior or output
that will demonstrate whether or not the objective has been achieved.
2- Poorly Structured Content and Learning Objectives:
Objectives provide guidance in the analytical process. What is to be taught in the educational curriculum, how is it to be taught? And what are the results of the analysis? Such questions are very important. Generally the scope of the analysis is less than the scope of the objectives. The selection of materials should be a coherent relationship between educational experiences and objectives, but difficulties arise during this process. For example, checking whether content will work to achieve the objectives and will be implemented accordingly. The importance and specificity of the material in the way it is arranged, its continuity with social realities, balance, depth and scope are all matters in which difficulties arise.
Issues of content organization are also very important.
The kinds of education and the differences and misunderstandings of their
implementations can cause different problems.
Taba raised the following questions in this regard.
i - What is meant by content logic?
ii - How can logic or argument counter the fact that
psychology has a role in the educational process?
iii - How can educational materials be organized so that
different attitudes and goals can be created at the same time?
What are the
difficulties the material faces in creating quality with the right behavior
that can be cultivated?
Many other difficulties may also be faced during the
curriculum development . For example;
i - Educational opportunities are not according to the
background of the student and the quality of his mental capacity.
ii - New experiences, facts and activities are not
provided in a way that a student wants to acquire.
iii - Motivation principles such as McNail states that
choices are not made until appropriate opportunities are created such as,
needs, relation to other values and interest patterns etc. cannot be seen from
the point of view of success.
iv - The interests and abilities of the teachers are not accordance
with the standard content.
3 - Other Controversial and Unresolved Issues in Curriculum Design:
These difficulties may be related to philosophical,
sophisticated technical, political and other fields which are not taken into
consideration. Also, a major drawback in curriculum planning is the gap between
ideas about patterns of learning activities and ideas about guiding teacher
preparation. Teaching examples are generally not appropriate for specific
occasions. Similarly, teacher training programs do not train the teachers in
the manner necessary to teach the prescribed curriculum. Similarly, the
analytical field is also full of differences. Curriculum experts, teachers and
administrators often disagree on the methodology used for analysis.
4 - Inadequate Training of Curriculum Professionals and Teachers:
Curriculum development is a complex process and this process involves professionals and all other stakeholders (related individuals and institutions) found in any class or society and after consultation with various groups the objectives, selection of important parts of the curriculum, decisions are made about the selection of learning experiences and the evaluation process. These decisions are made at different levels which the different personalities perform. After the expansion of the concept of curriculum, it has become necessary that the responsibility of development of curriculum should be entrusted to the professionals i.e. expert teachers, for this it is necessary that the teachers should be clear about the curriculum theory and social changes. If a teacher does not have expertise in curriculum development, he will not be able to use the resources available in society. That is why it is important that a teacher must be provided with a proper and necessary training. So that he can gather facts and set strategies at every stage of curriculum development.
5 - Teachers Struggle to Act as Communicators, Not Just Instructors:
The teacher is involved in every step of the process of
teaching values such as selection of learning objectives and materials.
Therefore, a teacher should have enough insight to understand the complexities
of the curriculum. The real job of a teacher is not only what to do but also
how to do it. A teacher in the classroom is usually considered not only as a
teacher, but also as a communicator, a facilitator of the writing process, a
gatherer of learning materials, a team member, an experimenter, and a provider
of guidance. At the same time, the teacher has to act as a student in the
society. For this purpose he has to acquire awareness not only about social
structure but also about values, economy and attitudes. This prepares him for
formal and non-formal education. A teacher has an important role in the
interpretation process and how does he play this role? This is very important
for a curriculum designer to know it.
6 - Gaps in Teacher Training: Pre-Service, In-Service and Workshops:
Pre-Service vs In-Service Training: Which Matters More?
On job training is an important and controversial issue.
But curriculum makers cannot ignore its importance. For some, pre-employment
training is essential. According to them, a soldier without training send to
battle field can be proved dangerous. Therefore teacher training before job is
important.
While for some others consider the in- service training
more important. There is no doubt that the process of teaching and learning is
an expert process. Every human being no matter what stage they are on, learn
and teach others, but those who take up the teaching profession regularly and
have to deal with important responsibilities such as curriculum development
find the process of in-service training even more important. Of course,
teachers also learn from in-service interactions with their students and other
teachers and from the social system in which the school is located. However,
along with this, programs are also designed through which the work of teaching
is practically taken from the teachers. Usually during the teaching of
in-service teachers strategy adopted for this, can be divided into the
following parts.
7 - How Workshops Are Meant to Work:
The workshop method is widely used in teacher education. Some school systems send their teachers for training even during the service. It is a very effective method in which teachers participate in groups. During the workshops, selected teachers are given lectures by professors, researchers and experts from top universities during which new methods are discussed to make teaching methods more effective. Some large educational institutions have staff for teaching and training in-service teachers, so they do not get help from any external sources. During these workshops, teachers meet with other members of their group to discuss their ideas and concepts. Various institutes for teacher education, in which NGOs are also include now, organize these workshops regularly, which results in teacher capacity building.
8 - The Original Idea Behind Teacher Workshops:
The idea of conducting workshops came to light long ago
when Ralph Tyler and other researchers gave teachers an opportunity to meet in
a group setting to share their experiences with each other and develop a
workable plan. With the help of which more innovation can be created in the
education system and curriculum development. Curriculum experts are also
present in this group. In modern times, workshops are also organized to
organize long-term teacher training.
9-Common Criticisms of Workshops Today:
Conducting workshops is a very effective method but
nowadays it is also objected that the usefulness of workshops is very limited.
Both teachers and management do not pay attention to this. They are conducted
casually rather than seriously and the participating teachers do not work on
any major project. On the other hand, people who are often not related to the
field of education are invited to give lectures. They appear to be promoting
their business or firm during the workshops.
10-Why Teacher-to-Teacher Discussion Groups Often Fall Short:
Some educational institutions provide opportunities for
their teachers to meet with other teachers related to their subjects. And they
can discuss with each other about the problems and difficulties encountered
during teaching. As a result of this discussion, it helps to identify different
types of problems related to a subject and then to students and some workable
solutions are also brought out. This is the reason why large educational
institutions spend time on such activities. A full day or half day during a
semester is devoted to this type of meeting,
but it is also objected that what can be learned from each other during
such short meetings. Therefore, nothing is gained from such visits except
wasting time and resources.
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