HPGD1103

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
TUTORIAL 4
Social and Historical Foundations of Curriculum

DR.KALIDASS MACHAPPAN
Curriculum is the design of education. Society
indicates: The kind of knowledge, skills and
competence that children in the society will need in
order to be useful in that society. The problems
prevalent in society for which education should
provide an answer.
 INTRODUCTION:
SOCIETY AND CURRICULUM

 Two factors that influence a curriculum, namely, society and history.

 Schools, through their teaching of the curriculum, can shape and mould society and
society in turn can impact the curriculum.

 Understand the relationship between education and other institutions in society.

 When designing curriculum, the following questions must be addressed:

- To what extent should curriculum consider the world outside of school?

- How do changes in society affect curriculum?

 SOCIETY AND CURRICULUM
 Schools exist within the context of society and influence culture which in turn shapes
curriculum.

 A curriculum should be able to prepare students for the present and the future.

 A curriculum should address the wants and needs of learners by responding to social conditions
locally, nationally and globally (McNeil, 1995).

 According to Burks (1998) content is useful:

- if it relates to the general body of knowledge needed by average human beings for
conducting daily life (e.g. reading, writing)

- when it is related to the specific present or future situation of the student (eg. to be a journalist
one needs good language skills)

- if it develops thinking skills that probably increases the student's success in other subject areas
or in general life-decisions

- if it fulfils unavoidable requirements imposed by society as entry qualifications to certain

vocational and professional programmes
 CHANGING ECONOMY AND CURRICULUM

 The nature of schooling tends to reflect the nature of the society in

which it is found. For example, in the latter part of the 19th century,
life in the United States was farm based and schools mirrored that
lifestyle.

 Beginning of the 20th century, the industrial revolution brought about

drastic changes in the economy of many countries.

 As a consequence new skills were needed in an industrial society.

 The curriculum was compartmentalised and taught in separated bits

and pieces – similar to the way that work is completed on an assembly
line.
An agrarian society, or agricultural society, is any
community whose economy is based on producing
and maintaining crops and farmland. Another way
to define an agrarian society is by seeing how much
of a nation's total production is in agriculture.
Industrial society is a society driven by the use of
technology and machinery to enable mass production,
supporting a large population with a high capacity for
division of labour.
An information society is a society where the usage, creation
, distribution, manipulation and integration of information is a
significant activity. Its main drivers are
information and communication technologies, which have
resulted in rapid growth of a variety of forms of information.
CHANGING ECONOMY AND CURRICULUM
 THE CHANGING FAMILY INSTITUTION AND CURRICULUM

 An agrarian or pre-industrial society, gender determined the role of individuals. Men

worked at their various crafts or the farm .

 Men moved from working in farms and cottage industries to work in offices or
factories owned by corporations.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND CURRICULUM

 Societies are becoming more multicultural, multiethnic and multi-religious and it is important
that curriculum understands and reflect these changes.

 In the 60s and 70s the melting pot approach was adopted in some countries (most notable is the
United States) in an attempt to assimilate people of different cultural, ethnic and religious
backgrounds.

 Metaphor for the way in which diverse societies develop, in which the ingredients in the pot
(people of different cultures, languages and religions) are combined so as to lose their distinct
identities resulting in a final product that is quite different from the original inputs.
 SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS AND CURRICULUM

 Curriculum decision making is political.

 The topics range form substance abuse to the rights and responsibilities of citizens:
- Environmental groups insist that students should be taught about conservation and preservation and the
inculcation of values to love the environment.

- Substance abuse includes drugs (such as heroin, marijuana, ecstasy pills, etc), alcohol, cigarettes, glue
sniffing and so forth.

- Consumer advocates are keen to see that students are taught about their rights and responsibilities as
consumers.

- Health groups have also suggested that schools introduce programmes about HIV Aids awareness,
nutritional information, and other health related issues.

- Sex education has been a topic that has been proposed.

- Crime prevention by educating the community on crime prevention techniques and by getting citizens
involved in crime prevention activity.

- Governments are also determined to ensure that students are taught about their rights and responsibilities
as citizens.
 KNOWLEDGE THAT IS MOST WORTH

 As society changes so does knowledge.

 Increase in knowledge, especially in science and technology

Ornstein and Hunkins (1998, p.153) :

 Knowledge should comprise basic tools
 Knowledge should facilitate learning how to learn
 Knowledge should be applicable to the real world
 Knowledge should improve learners' self esteem and personal integrity
 Knowledge should consist of many forms and methods
 Knowledge should prepare the individual for the world of technology
 Knowledge should prepare individuals for the world of bureaucracy
 Knowledge should permit the individual to retrieve old information
 Knowledge acquisition should a lifelong process
 Knowledge should be taught in context with values
 EVOLUTION OF CURRICULUM

Curriculum is created by people based on the

circumstances and beliefs during that period of
time.

The curriculum is reflective of the political

ideologies, economic systems, religious
convictions and conceptions of knowledge at a
particular point in time.
 Case Study 1: History of the American School
Curriculum

School Curriculum in Colonial America (Before 1776)

 At the primary level, the main purpose of schooling was to teach children to read, write and
spell for purpose of reading the Bible, government notices and common law.

 There were two main types of schools, the town school and private schools.

 The town school was a locally controlled primary school.

 Often it was a crude, one-room structure attended by both boys and girls of the community.
School Curriculum in Colonial America (Before 1776)

 Students sat on benches and studied their assignments until called on by the teacher to recite .

 Attendance was not always regular depending on weather conditions and farming cycle.

 These primary schools also focused on reading and writing and religious education and were
attended by upper-class children.

 At the secondary level there were two types of schools; Latin grammar schools and the
Academy.

 The curriculum consisted of studying Latin, Greek, arithmetic, classical literature, ancient
history and religious education.

 These schools followed closely the model of European schools and their role was to support
the religious and social institutions of that era (Morrison, 1990).
School Curriculum in Colonial America (Before 1776)

 Its curriculum consisted of English grammar, classics, composition,

rhetoric and public speaking.

 With regards to university education, most students from Latin

grammar schools went to Harvard or Yale.

 The education system described above was to a large extent confined to the New
England States.
 School Curriculum After Independence: (1776 -1900)

 The American Revolution of 1776 had ended British rule in the colonies.

 The new government set a new mission for education.

 Emphasis was on Alife, liberty and equality' as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence
and the Bill of Rights which formed the constitution of the United States of America.

 Emphasis on democracy, the development of a strong federal government, the idea of religious
freedom and the new discoveries in natural science.
 Decline of religious influence over primary and secondary schools (Ornstein & Hunkins,
1998).

 Benjamin Rush and Thomas Jefferson asserted that American schools should be reformed to
focus on subjects such as science, reading, writing, geography and higher mathematics.

 The monitorial system taken from Europe was introduced in American schools by Joseph
Lancaster (1778-1838)
 The system enabled a small number of adult masters to educate large numbers of students at
low costs in basic and often advanced skills.

 Instruction was highly structured and based on rote learning and drilling of reading, writing
and arithmetic.

 Instruction was highly structured and based on rote learning and drilling of reading, writing
and arithmetic.

 The aim of the common school was to develop basic literacy skills of students that could be
used in everyday life as well as learn skills and attitudes that made one into a competent
shopkeeper, merchant, artisan and worker.

 Schools were financed by the state and the local community who governed them.
Rote learning is the process of memorizing
specific new items as they are encountered. The
basic idea is simple and easy to realize within a
computer program: Each time a new and useful
piece of information is encountered, it is stored
away for future use.
 1800 1825 1850 1875 1900

Reading Reading

Declamation Declamation Literature Literature

Spelling Spelling Spelling Spelling Spelling

Writing Writing Writing Penmanship Writing

Religion Good behaviour Conduct Conduct Conduct

Arithmetic Arithmetic Mental arithmetic Arithmetic Primary/Advance Arithmetic

- Manners and morals Manners - -

- Bookkeeping Bookkeeping - -

- Grammar Grammar Grammar Grammar

- Geography Geography Home geography Text geography Geography Text geography

- - US History US History History studies

- - Object lessons Object lessons Nature study

- - - Science Science

- - - Drawing Drawing

- - - Physical exercises Physical training

- - - - Music Play Sewing Cooking

 Case Study 2: History of Japan's School Curriculum

School Curriculum: Tokugawa Era (1603-1867)

 A significant date in Japanese history is the ending of wars between different

warlords in 1603 and the founding of the Tokugawa Regime by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

 The Tokugawa family took over control of the country and ruled as Shogun or
"generalissimo", in the name of the Emperor.

 The Tokugawa shoguns established a high bureaucratic government, giving great

control over Japanese society from its system of education to its business practices
and religious institutions.

 During the Tokugawa period, there were five types of schools, namely; shogunal
schools, daimyo schools, shijuku, terakoya and gogaku.
 The Shogunal schools were for the children age 8 to 15 years from the samurai or warrior
class.

 Emphasis was on the teaching of Confucianism (it was forbidden to teach other doctrines),
gunnery, technology and cartography.

 The Daimyo schools were set up in all the feudal domains of Japan and provided education for
the samurai but later extended to commoners.

 The curriculum was based on Confucian ideas but included history of Japan and China,
calligraphy, composition and etiquette.

 Some of the domain schools also taught Chinese and Western medicine, Dutch studies, military
science, geography and astronomy.

 There were nearly 300 domain schools and about half opened their doors to commoners.

 Many of the schools emphasised different curriculum for the different ranks of the samurai.

 The aim was to prepare them to take over the governing class and to be future leaders.
The Shijuku (private academies) were private schools which provided education for the samurai
class from primary until higher education.

o These schools offered a curriculum consisting of medicine, Dutch studies, Western subjects,
military subjects and navigation.

o Since they were private schools, they were freer than other schools to teach doctrines and
subjects that were forbidden (Passin, 1982).

o They produced leaders who helped spread Western ideas and knowledge.

o The idea of merit was being practiced in these schools as opposed to the class students
originated from.

o An individualÊs performance and examination grades were emphasised rather than his social
class.
The Terakoya (children of the temple) was the most important and widespread school for commoners.

 These schools were originally run by Buddhist temples but later became secular for the common people.

 The majority of terakoya schools were concentrated in the towns and cities, some were established in the rural
areas to improve the literacy levels of farmers and artisans.

 the majority of terakoya schools were concentrated in the towns and cities, some were established in the rural
areas to improve the literacy levels of farmers and artisans.

 Also taught vocational subjects, etiquette, morals and accounting while others taught geography, history,
science, military arts and even English.
 Students were not divided into grades.

 Students were not divided into grades.

 Teachers were not trained or licensed. Most were volunteers consisting of retired officials, public-spirited
samurai and educated commoners.

 Schools were maintained by donations.

 Teachers were highly respected and had great authority.

 School Curriculum: Meiji Era (1867 - 1900)
• When the Tokugawa period began, few common people in Japan could read or write.
• Tokugawa education left a valuable legacy: an increasingly literate populace, an ideology
based on meritocracy (even though it practiced feudalism) and an emphasis on discipline and
competent performance.
• To better prepare themselves for modernisation, a national education system was introduced o
help Japan catch up with the West.
• The education system would not only raise the level of common education, but would also
work toward instilling a sense of national pride.
• Initially the Japanese hurriedly translated western text books and used them in their
classrooms.
• The education system was used to establish a strong sense of Japanese patriotism.
• The education system was developed in a manner that would prepare the youth for more
technical positions all the while creating a strong sense of nationalism and love for the
Emperor.
• Japanese not only sent thousands of students abroad to study at foreign universities, they also
hand selected individuals who would visit other countries and study specific niches of culture,
industry, or military.
 The emperor when visiting a local school, found out that some
Japanese students speaking in English were unable to translate back
into Japanese the English that they spoke.

 He issued the Great Principles of Education and argued that the

decline of Japanese culture was due to Western education.
 SUMMARY
Curriculum is a reflection of societal values and beliefs.

 The changing economy determines the characteristics of the curriculum.

 Curriculum will have to address changes in the family institution.

 Curriculum has to consider ethnic and cultural diversity of the population.

 Special interest groups play an important role in influence curriculum.

 It is a challenge for curriculum developers in deciding on knowledge that is most worth.

 Curriculum is related closely to the ideological beliefs of a nation at a particular point in time.
THANK YOU