This is an Educational blog maintained by SABARISH P, (MSc Physics, MEd, NET), Assistant Professor in Physical Science Education. Contact : pklsabarish@gmail.com

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Different aspects of curriculum organization-M.Ed Notes

Different aspects of curriculum organization-M.Ed Notes
(For M.Ed Students. However B.Ed students can go through it)
Prepared by
SABARISH-P
M.Sc., M.Ed., JRF & NET
Lecturer in Physical Science, Arafa Institute for Teacher Education
Attur, Thrissur.

Different aspects of curriculum organization are
1.      Integrated approach
2.      Interdisciplinary approach
3.      Correlated approach
4.      Unified approach

Integrated curriculum

The concept of integrating curriculum is nothing new. It’s been around, in fact, since the 1800s and was advocated by such well-known educational theorists as John Dewey and Meredith Smith (Beane 2, 5). It has gained recent attention, however and more and more educators think that it is the best way to teach. It is a curriculum in which subject matter boundaries are ignored, all subjects being taught in a relation to broad areas of study and in relation to one another as mutually associated to some genuine life relation.
Curriculum integration can be described as an approach to teaching and learning that is based on both philosophy and practicality. It can generally be defined as a curriculum approach that purposefully draws together knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values from within or across subject areas to develop a more powerful understanding of key ideas. Curriculum integration occurs when components of the curriculum are connected and related in meaningful ways by both the students and teachers.
Integrated curriculum is a way to teach students that attempts to break down barriers between subjects and make learning more meaningful to students. In its simplest conception, it is about making connections. The integrated approach aspires to help pupils obtain a coherent view of science by establishing numerous links between the various branches of science. Integrated science integrates the perspectives of subdisciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space science. Through this integration, teachers expect students to understand the connections between the different subdisciplines and their relationship to the real world.
Integrated curriculum requires accessing knowledge from all of the traditional subjects without labeling them as such. In addition, integrated curriculum adds problem-solving, real-world application and social consciousness to the learning process, making it a more comprehensive way of educating and of learning.

In general, all of the definitions of integrated curriculum or interdisciplinary curriculum include (Lake, 1994):
  • a combination of subjects;
  • an emphasis on projects;
  • sources that go beyond textbooks;
  • relationships among concepts;
  • thematic units as organizing principles;
  • flexible schedules;
  • flexible student groupings
Why Integrated Curriculum is Effective
Integrated curriculum is an effective way to teach and learn because it corresponds with the way our brain works physiologically. Rather than separating knowledge into discrete partitions, the brain creates a complex web of information that recognizes patterns. Moreover, learning within a known context or experience helps the brain remember information more effectively (Caine 5). In fact, the physical structure of the brain changes as a result of experience, and it grows and develops more in an interactive environment (Caine 27-28). Integrating curriculum is a way to capitalize on these existing features of the human brain and work with, rather than counter to its natural function.

Besides being compatible with brain function, there are other reasons integrated curriculum makes sense. First, it teaches concepts that help students approach any situation or problem, rather than facts which have limited application. When you think about how knowledge has grown, but classroom time has not, you can see how this way of approaching education is more beneficial to the student in the long run. We can’t teach every fact, so it’s better to teach how to think about facts (Brandt 24).

Finally, there is no particular rationale for the way things are done currently. The current system is, in fact, somewhat counterproductive, as it does not encourage teacher-teacher communication or resource-sharing. With integrated curriculum, however, these kinds of communications are an indispensable part of the process. They ensure that information is not repeated, and that teachers help each other teacher, rather than working at odds with each other (Brandt 26). 


Benefits of Curriculum Integration

Allowing for flexibility: Through curriculum integration, teachers can plan for the development of key skills and understandings that transcend individual strands and subjects.

Building on prior knowledge and experiences: Choosing meaningful connections among subject areas helps students build on their diverse prior knowledge and experiences, supports their holistic view of the world,and ensures more meaningful learning.

Unifying the students’ learning: Curriculum integration enables students to develop a unified view of the curriculum to broaden the context of their learning beyond single subject areas.

Reflecting the real world: When curriculum is organized in a holistic way,it better reflects the real world and the way children learn at home and in the community.

Matching the way students think: Brain research supports the theory that younger students take in many things and process and organize them at one time. Teaching ideas holistically, rather than in fragmented pieces,better reflects how young students’ brains process information.

Curriculum integration enables teacher to:

• identify the connections within and among the content of subject areas
• provide a relevant context for learning, based on the needs of students
• assess students’ skills and understandings in a variety of learning contexts
• manage the content of the program of studies more easily because outcomes from different areas or key learning skills are both addressed at the same time and reinforced

• Increases student’s motivation and participation.
Interdisciplinary curriculum

An interdisciplinary curriculum combines several school subjects into one active project or is organized to cut across subject-matter lines, bringing together various aspects of the curriculum into meaningful association. It focuses on broad areas of study since that is how children encounter subjects in the real world—combined in one activity. In the interdisciplinary curriculum, the planned learning experiences not only provide the learners with a unified view of commonly held knowledge (by learning models, systems, and structures) but also motivate and develop learners’ power to perceive new relationships and thus to create new models, systems, and structures. Interdisciplinary curriculum involves using the knowledge view and curricular approach that consciously applies methodology and language from more than one discipline to examine a central theme, issue, problem, topic, or experience. In inter disciplinary science curriculum science is treated as one discipline, a combination of separate disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology.

 Unified Science curriculum

It must be emphasized that there will be various approaches to science curriculum development that are rightfully labelled unified science. Each has unique features of its own which may depart somewhat from the assertions and descriptions that follow.
A unified science approach to curriculum is based on the premise that science is a unity. It is a unity because science is more than a sum of its parts. That is, science as a natural phenomenon is more fully understood by studying the whole phoneme of science rather than by studying fragments of it as represented by the separate sciences. Science is viewed as a unity that has been fragmented only as a convenience in defining narrow fields for specialized research.
This view of science as a unity is paralleled by the view that an organism is more than the sum of its parts. The approach is holistic rather than particulate. That is, one starts with the whole of science (or the whole organism).This does not mean that the parts are of no use in seeking an understanding of the whole on the contrary the parts are very useful but they are subsidiary to the whole.
It should be noted that the view of science as a unity regards unity as the prior condition. The unified science view does not reflect a combining of entities that here to fore had been separate. In considering the question, "which came first, science or the sciences"? The unified science answer is clearly, "science." Generally unified curriculum is employed in lower classes.

Correlated Curriculum

The words correlation and interrelation mean practically the same thing. Correlation is the recognition and establishment of relationships among the various subject areas or fields. Sometimes the term correlation is used to indicate planning a proper sequence of experiences in one subject field. Correlation refers to horizontal relationships―relationships on the same grade level between two subjects, or among all the subjects. One may correlate English with Music, Mathematics, History, and other subjects. Correlation means the relationship between different subjects of the curriculum. The necessity for correlation is implied in the present arrangement of subjects. This arrangement, or any other arrangement, was brought about because of the necessity of organizing the curriculum, not because there is a natural or inevitable way to divide pupil experiences among subjects.There can be no rigid inflexible boundaries between subjects. Education will be more realistic if, in each subject, the borderlines between it and other subject are considered very flexible, so that pupils' experiences in accordance with their needs can be planned without undue attention being paid to whether or not the territory of another field has been invaded.
Correlation implies, indeed makes it essential, that teachers must work closely together to plan pupil experiences designed to achieve the major aims of education. In order to secure really effective correlation, it is necessary to provide a free period each day during which teachers may meet together to discuss the work their classes have done, to plan and prepare future project, and to plan correlation in every aspect of their teaching.

Correlation is of three kinds - Correlation within the subject,Correlation with the other subjects, and Correlation with life and environment.

Correlation of science with other subjects can be of two types-
            a. Incidental correlation
            b. Systematic correlation
a. Incidental correlation
It is the natural correlation in which the teacher coordinates a topic with allied materials from other subjects. This would mean a broad treatment of the subject that brings about points of similarities between science and other related subjects. The success of incidental correlation depends on wide knowledge and versatility of the teacher.


b. Systematic correlation
Systematic correlation with other subject is achieved by a careful organization of the curriculum in different subjects avoiding unnecessary duplication of the subject matter and at the same time developing related topics from different subjects. The syllabus in science must be so arranged with those of other subjects that when the knowledge of scientific principle is needed in understanding a topic like root pressure and osmosis. Systematic correlation will be effective only when the teachers of different subjects co-operate and co-ordinate their work. This is achieved by careful planning of the curriculum.

Correlation of science with other subjects

All the branches of science are independent upon each other and there are a number of facts and principles which are common to various subjects.as a result of this, new subjects like physics, chemistry, bio-chemistry, soil chemistry, electro chemistry, and geo-physics have been introduced.

Correlation of science with life and environment

Modern man lives in a scientific society. Many natural phenomena that we see in our daily life can be explained with the help of simple scientific principles.in every topic, there can be innumerable local examples like eco system; such correlation makes the teaching of science interesting and realistic. Science teacher should relate the class room teaching with the social and physical environments by quoting examples from the daily life of the child. He should take the students to a factory or on excursion while dealing with the topics concerning this.

Defects in the present curriculum
  • Examination oriented
  • Bookish and theoretical
  • Overcrowded or heavy syllabus
  • Encourages rote learning
  • Not life oriented
  • Not helpful to vocation
  • Does not develop the whole personality

Conclusion
Curriculum is a piece of paper till it reaches the class room. There it comes alive.it must remain under constant revision in order to adopt it to the needs of a continuously changing and constantly improving society.The major social aim of a curriculum is that the student who completes his/her school education is expected to be able to face any real life situation boldly and should be equipped to get employed at the time of completion of his course. This is the purpose of general education and not a mere internalization of academic subjects.

Reference:-
Science education: Dr. T.K. Mathew, Dr. T.M. Mollykutty
Modern Trends in Science education: T.T. Joseph
Innovative Science Teaching for Physical science Teachers: Radha Mohan
Science Education:Dr.Fazziludin, Dr.Sivarajan