RudolfoBarcenaRulloda
January5,2010
Curriculum:WhichApproach?
Thetechnicalandscientificapproach(Ornstein&Hunkins,2009,pp.212213)parallels
thebiologicalprinciplethatemphasizesstructuredeterminesfunction.Thecurriculum
developerprioritizeswhatthestudentswillbelearningfromaspecificsubjectmatterand
theexplicitgoalsandobjectivesthestudentsmustachieve.Inaddition,thecurriculum
developerwouldplanforthestructuringofthelearningenvironmentthatwouldbeconducive
forstudentlearning.Also,theplanincorporatesstaffparticipationandrequiresappropriate
suppliesandmaterials.Thestudentslearningexperiencescreatethevariousformsof
strategiesforprocessingknowledge.Thecurriculumdeveloperdesignedthisapproachbyusing
thescientificmodelwhichrequiresobservingandmonitoringofcomponents.These
componentsaresubjectmatter,objectives,learningexperiences,andevaluation.The
componentsareorganizedtopromotetheacquisitionofknowledge.Theprocessofteaching
thesubjectmatter,suchasreading/languagearts,mathematics,andscienceonadailyand
weeklyschedule,wouldhelpthestudentsachievetheirgoalsandobjectives.Thecurriculumis
designedwithatimeframewhenthesegoalsandobjectivesaretobeachieved.When
implementingthecurriculum,variousstrategieswouldbeusedinteachingthesubjectmatter.
Thefunctionistheorderandsequenceastowhenandwhattextbooks,workbooks,recording
tapes,videos,supplies,andmaterialsareintroducedtothestudents.Eventually,the
curriculumcouldbeevaluatedandasonstudentsknowledge.
Ontheotherhand,thenontechnicalnonscientificapproach(Ornstein&Hunkins,2009,
pp.220221)resemblesthearchitecturalprinciplethatindicatesformfollowsfunction.The
curriculumdevelopertakesintoconsiderationthetypesofstudentsthatwouldgreatlybenefit
thelearningprocess.Thecurriculumistransposedtothestudentbutstillretainthebasic
components.Thecomponentsaresubjectmatter,objectives,learningexperiences,and
evaluation.Thecurriculumdeveloperswouldaddressanddesignthefunctionasstatedgoals
andobjectives.Inthisapproachthecurriculumdeveloperusesthestudentsuniquenessasthe
formofthecurriculumratherthanusingsubjectmatter.Theuseofactivitiesbecomesthe
learningexperiencesforthestudents.Unliketheotherapproach,wherethereisatimeframe
forthesubjectmatter,thisapproachhasnoparticulartimeframebecausethecurriculumis
alwaysevolving.Theimportantconceptisthatthestudentsareactuallycreatingand
participatingintheirownlearningprocess.Indevelopingthecurriculum,considerationmust
includethattheobjectiveshavenoendresultssincemanystudentswouldlikelyventureonto
anotherinterestwithoutcompletingthelastobjective.Duetothenatureofthestudents
uniqueness,itwouldbeimpossibletomeasuretheirgoalsandobjectives.
Thesetwomajorapproachesaredifferentanddistinct.Boththetechnicalandscientific
approachandthenontechnicalnonscientificapproachareusedinoureducationalsystem.
Theformeriscommonlyusedinourschools.Ontheotherhand,thenontechnicalnonscientific
approachwouldbeanoptionfortheschoolstoselectfortheirstudents.
References
Ornstein,A.C.,&Hunkins,F.P.(2009).Curriculum:Foundations,Principles,andIssues(5th
ed.).SanFrancisco:PearsonEducation,Inc.