Self-Check

Identify what kind of design and approach are utilized in the following description.
Question No. 1. Only students who master the subject content can succeed.
This description shows a subject centered design. As you can see the goal in this description to be
achieved by the students is mastery of the subject. The central objective for any subject-
centered approach to curriculum is student mastery of content knowledge . The teacher
presents content and skills to students in a logical sequence. This step -by-step approach
ensures that students gain all the information and skills needed to master this content
area. There is little or no emphasis on the overlap of various s ubjects. Teachers only
present the subject matter from their individual subject and are only accountable for
student mastery of their content area.

The emphasis is place on on acquisition, memorization, and knowledge of each specific content
area. Within this curriculum structure, strong emphasis is placed on instruction, teacher-to-student
explanation, and direct strategies. Direct strategies include lectures, questions, and answers, as
well as teacher-student discussions. These curricula often encourage memorization and repetitive
practice of facts and ideas. Traditionally, students had little choice about what they studied under
these curricula. Now students are given some degree of freedom in choosing elective subjects.
They are also given more independence to choose from among key topics for personal project
work.

Curricula organized around a given subject area (for example, World War II) will look at the facts,
ideas, and skills of that subject area. Learning activities are then planned around acquisition and
memorization of these facts, ideas, and skills. Teaching methods usually include oral discussions
and explanations, lectures, and questions.

References:

https://www.theedadvocate.org/edupedia/content/what-is-subject-centered-curriculum/

https://classroom.synonym.com/subjectcentered-approach-teaching-12284455.html

Question No. 10. Lesson deals with finding solution to everyday problem.

This description is an example of problem-centered design. Problem centered design is

a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through the experience of
solving an open-ended problem found in trigger material. The problem centered approach process
does not focus on problem solving with a defined solution, but it allows for the development of
other desirable skills and attributes. This includes knowledge acquisition, enhanced group
collaboration and communication. The problem centered approach process was developed for
medical education and has since been broadened in applications for other programs of learning.
The process allows for learners to develop skills used for their future practice. It enhances critical
appraisal, literature retrieval and encourages ongoing learning within a team environment.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem-based_learning

Self-Reflect

Choose one statement and reflect on it. What do you think and feel about it?

Statement No.1- “Schools that approach the curriculum as subject-centered, make robots
out of the students.”

I agree to that statement because based on the description of subject centered approach,
students are just to follow teachers’ instructions. Most of the time teachers are the one talking the
whole period of the class. In the traditional or subject-centered curriculum, students are
discouraged from entertaining a different point of view than what textbook or teacher
presents. The subject matter has already been chosen by experts in the different subjects,
by school boards and by teachers and deemed of value fo r students to learn. The subject
matter is of critical importance, while students become little more than receptacles to
be filled, rather than thinking, rational individuals who need to be part of the learning
process. The subject-centered curriculum fosters not excitement about learning and
knowledge, but passivity.

References:

https://classroom.synonym.com/disadvantages-subjectcentered-curriculum-12000458.html

Statement No.2- “In schools where child-centeredness is the approach discipline is weak.”

I disagree with this statement it has shown that the approach was misinterpreted. I believe
that teachers make too many of the decisions about learning for students. Teachers decide what
students should learn, how they learn it, the pace at which they learn, the conditions under which
they learn and then teachers determine whether students have learned. Students aren’t in a position
to decide what content should be included in the course or which textbook is best, but when
teachers make all the decisions, the motivation to learn decreases and learners become dependent.
Learner-centered teachers search out ethically responsible ways to share power with students. They
might give students some choice about which assignments they complete. They might make
classroom policies something students can discuss. They might let students set assignment
deadlines within a given time window. They might ask students to help create assessment criteria.
References:

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/five-characteristics-of-
learner-centered-teaching/

Statement No.3 “Students are too young to solve life’s problem, why should they do problem
in school?”

It’s never too young for a child to start learning about problem solving. Your child is
already solving problems everyday as she tries to figure out how to do things by herself. Sometimes
adults don’t recognize children’s efforts in, say, trying to put on shoes by themselves, or stacking
blocks to make a tower that won’t fall down as problem solving. But these trial-and-error processes
and the persistence kids show as they try to do these kinds of things for themselves are exactly
what we want to encourage to help them develop problem-solving skills.
We all encounter problems in our lives and we need to develop a certain degree of self-
reliance in solving them. As kids learn to solve problems for themselves they gain confidence in
their own abilities and they develop the kinds of attitudes and skills that will serve them well in
school and in life – abilities like being able to think flexibly (to generate more than one possible
way of doing something which is what creativity is based on), patience, persistence, and a can-do
attitude. When kids solve problems by themselves, they take pride in their accomplishments that
deepens their sense of their own capabilities.

References:
http://aplaceofourown.org/question_detail.php?id=549
http://www.brainy-child.com/articles/teach-problem-solving-skills.shtml
 Republic of the Philippines
OCCIDENTAL MINDORO STATE COLLEGE
San Jose, Occidental Mindoro

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

2nd Semester 2018-2019
San Jose Campus

A TERM PAPER

IN

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Submitted by:
Raymond P. Medina
B.S.Ed. Uniting

Submitted to:
Dr. Maria Theresa C. Torres
Associate Professor V

Submitted on:
March 11, 2019