Week 2: Curriculum Theory and Practice

September 15th, 2020

Curriculum development from a traditionalist perspective is widely used across schools in Canada and other countries….
What is curriculum? Who to teach, how to teach and why do we teach? In the field of education curriculum is “the planned programme of objectives, content, learning experiences, resources and assessment offered by a school.” (p 5 ECS) The curriculum over time has been influenced by many theorists but today I will be focusing on “the work of Ralph W. Tyler, in particular [for] has made a lasting impression on curriculum theory and practice.” (p3 Smith). His model focuses on the behaviour and content of education that looks at objectives that guide the learning experience. If delivered effectively the learning process will shape and mold the desired outcomes that were clearly stated. Ralph Tyler was considered a behavioral theorist. “His theory was based on four fundamental questions known as the:
“Tyler Rationale”

1. What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?
2. What educational experiences can be provided that will likely attain these purposes?
3. How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?
4. How can we determine whether the purposes are being attained?” (p 5 Smith)
   This model focuses on education as a product rather than a process. Used a practical and logical approach to curriculum development to deliver universal education to children. He believed to properly teach a large amount of children education needs to start with clear aims and objectives, from which content can effectively be delivered through the organization of teaching and learning but this could only be proved effective through evaluation and assessment of the retention of content. I believe education is a process the focus of Tyler’s work is on the product, did the means in which education delivered net the appropriate results?
   Although Tyler’s Rationale does focus on clear objectives which in theory involve students, educators, and relevant subjects in a linear approach for content and results. Providing a universal rationale guide to curriculum development to be distributed in schools. By applying Tyler’s theory to the development in the curriculum we can assume the children in the same demographical areas will be netting the same results of what is important knowledge to obtain.
   The downside to Tyler’s Rationale is it causes the teacher to focus on the end results, not the process of the individual’s learning style. Waiting till the end to find out if the process was effective in the retention of information. Focusing on the product of education can have negative effects on the education process for not all children are physically and emotionally capable of learning on the same level or in the same style. This method of application does not allow the student to use inquiry-based learning, and in this process, their valve in the education may go unheard. Another downfall of this method is the curriculum development is subject to what the teacher or ministry deems important even thou the subject may not be relevant to the audience.
   As I sit here and reflect on my education process, I find myself thinking of how the word exam or test can cause such anxiety in a student. How months in the classroom learning reading and applying myself only to have it come down to one final moment where apparently you picked the wrong areas to focus on for studying. In the subject of physical education, the rationale theory does not work in my opinion. I can recall loving sports and being active when I was younger but hating PE cause to me it only focused on my flaws, spotlighted in amongst my peers. How fast can you run a mile? How many laps can you do around that gym? While your peers stand there and time you and try to encourage you not to give up running. Oh, didn’t do it fast enough guess that’s going to hurt your final mark, even though you just demonstrated you are capable of running it was the exact time frame the teachers were looking for. Heaven forbid you are a student that lacks hand-eye coordination or strong physical motor skills. When it comes to mathematics to me it seems all about the product, the formulas are designed to all net the same outcome but not all children think and process the same, and I often fond myself being explained the exact same thing 3 times and still not actually understanding what I am doing. It is moments like this when education is focused on the final product and not the process in which information is retained that students become easily discouraged, withdrawing from the engagement of learning.
   Readings/viewings and works cited:
   • Curriculum Theory and Practice
   Smith – Curriculum Theory and Practice
   • Ecs210 – History of Curriculum
   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1phBQxKK-JsOiW8JI3c4zpcKNoat_yveM/view