PROF ED 322 The Teacher and the School

Curriculum

Chapter 5: Curriculum Implementation

KAUTIN S. KULANO, EdD

Objectives:

1. Identify different curriculum workers;

2. Analyze different levels of curriculum implementation in the Philippine context; and
3. Discuss the factors to consider in implementing a curriculum.

Curriculum Implementation

Curriculum implementation, from the term itself, focuses on the actual

implementation of the curriculum from the national level to the local school context. It
describes the dynamic of how various curriculum workers strive to do their functions in
order to attain educational goals, program and policies set by the country, region, division,
district, and down to the local school level. Each of these levels has specific functions to do.

Ideally, the implementation of the curriculum is influenced by the educational goals

set by the government or schools. However, the process of curriculum implementation is
also guided by an educational or curriculum philosophy.

In practice, curriculum implementation is highly influenced by different curriculum

workers: people influence the process. Consequently, not all curricula are perfectly
implemented as planned. In the process of curriculum implementation, there are always
problem encountered.

CURRICULUM WORKERS

The success or failure of any curriculum depends on the people working for its
implementation. Oliva (2005) identified these people as curriculum workers. At any level
curriculum implementation, curriculum workers, through their expertise, creativity, and
dedication, make sure that the curriculum is implemented as planned.

1. Teachers- the most visible among the curriculum workers. Their roles as implementers
of the curriculum are very crucial. It is through their expertise, creativity, and
commitment that any curriculum success is attributed. Teachers develop lesson plans,
unit plans, yearly plans, and syllabi for each subject they teach. They prepare
instructional materials, select methods and strategies, and assess students’ progress.
Every day, teachers are given teaching loads to teach different subjects. Their
educational background, educational philosophy, teachingstyles, and personality affect
the implementation of the curriculum.

2. Principals- the chief academic and administrative officer of the school. They provide
curricular and instructional leadership and supervision to the teachers and other school
personnel in the local school context. It is they who lead teachers in planning different
school activities and make sure that all educational goals set by the Department of
Education are met. Principals check the lesson plans developed by each teacher,
prepare the school calendar, supervise instruction, and prepare school report.
Principals also work with parents and community leaders and win their support to any
school activities and projects.
 3. Curriculum Consultants- individuals with a rich experience on doing curriculum projects
related to curriculum planning, curriculum development, and curriculumevaluation.
4. District Supervisors- responsible for supervising the implementation of the curriculum in
the district level. They help public school principals in ensuring that the programs of the
Department of Education are implemented in their respective schools. They also
implement policies and programs of the Department of Education in private schools.
5. Education Supervisors- assigned to specific subject areas in basic education. They help the
district office of the Department of Education in supervising the implementation of
projects and programs specific for each subject areas.
6. Division Superintendents- the chief academic officer of each division. They supervise the
implementation of the DepEd curriculum, programs, and projects in the division level for
both public and private schools. Usually, each province or a cityis considered a division for
DepEd.
7. Regional Directors- manage the programs and projects of the Department of education in
the regional level.
8. Education Program Specialists- work at the national level or at the central offices of the
Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Education. They assist the two
government agencies in the development of curriculum policies that will help teachers and
other curriculum leaders in the implementation of the curriculum.
9. Technical Panels and Technical Committees- professors and individual experts from
different disciplines and fields that assist the Commission on Higher Education in
developing curriculum, formulating curricular policies, and evaluating the compliance of
higher education institutions to CHED program standards.

Activity 1: Reflect on and address the following:

1. Identify the name of the school officials in your district or division.

2. Set an interview schedule with one of these officials to know more about
thefollowing;
a. What are the priority programs and projects that DepEd implemented
in thisschool year?
b. What are the challenges, issues and problems they met in their division
ordistrict in relation to curriculum implementation?
c. What are the strategies they are implementing to address these issues,
challenges and problems?

Levels of Curriculum Implementation

To ensure the smooth implementation of the curriculum, each department of ministry of

education in any country has established a system that will take charge of the whole work of planning,
development, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum. Integrated in this system are the
curriculum workers mentioned earlier in this chapter who work different levels of the bureaucracy.
As shown in the figure, the Philippines follows centralized system of the curriculumdevelopment
and implementation that starts from the national level down to the local school level. Although the
regional, division, district, and school levels are empowered to plan, monitor, and evaluate programs,
projects, and plans, the central office of the Department of Education still does most of the policies and
curriculum development work.

National Level

Regional Level

Division Level

District Level

Local School Level

Figure 1: Levels of Curriculum Implementation

Republic Act 9155, also known as the Governance of Basic Education Act of
2001,Chapter 1, Section 7 defines the function of each level as follows:

A. National Level

Through the leadership of the Secretary of Education, the Undersecretaries,

AssistantSecretaries and different Bureau Officers are responsible for the following:

● formulating national educational policies

● formulating a basic national basic education plan

● formulating national educational standards

● monitoring and assessing national learning outcomes

● undertaking national educational research and studies

● enhancing the employment status, professional competence, welfare and working

conditions of all

personnel of the Department, and

● enhancing the total development of learners through local and national programs
and/orprojects

B. Regional Level

Consistent with the national educational policies, plans and standards, the regional office under the
Regional Director shall be responsible for the following:

● defining a regional educational policy framework which reflects the values, needs, and
expectations of the communities they serve;

● developing a regional basic education plan;

● developing regional educational standards with a view toward benchmarking for international
competitiveness;

● monitoring, evaluating, and assessing regional learning outcomes;

● undertaking research projects and developing and managing region-wide projects whichmay be
funded through official development assistance and/or other funding agencies;

●ensuring strict compliance with prescribed national criteria for the recruitment, selection, and
training of all staff in the region and divisions;

●formulating, in coordination with the regional development council, the budget to support the
regional educational plan which shall take into account the educational plans of the divisions and
districts;

●determining the organizational component of the divisions and districts and approving the
proposed staffing pattern of all employees in the divisions and districts;

●hiring, placing, and evaluating all employees in the regional office except for the position of
assistant director;

●evaluating all school division superintendents and assistant division superintendents in the region;

●planning and managing the effective and efficient use of all personnel, physical and fiscal
resources of the regional office, including the professional staff development;

●managing the database and management information system of the region; and

●approving the establishment of public and private elementary and high schools and learning
centers.

C. Division Level

A division consists of a province or a city. Consistent with the national educational policies,
plans, and standards, the division level through the leadership of the Division Superintendent shall
be responsible for the following:

● developing and implementing division education development plans;

● planning and managing the effective and efficient use of all personnel, physical, and fiscal
resources of the division, including professional staff development;

● hiring, placing, and evaluating all division supervisors and school district supervisors as well as all
employees in the division, both teaching and non-teaching personnel, includingschool heads, except
for the assistant division superintendent;
● monitoring the utilization of funds provided by the national government and the localgovernment
units to the schools and learning centers;
● ensuring compliance of quality standards for basic education programs and for this purpose
strengthening the role division supervisors as subject area specialists;

● promoting awareness of and adherence by all schools and learning centers to accreditation
standards prescribed by the Secretary of Education, and

●supervising the operations of all public and private elementary, secondary, and integrated
schools, and learning centers;

D. School District Level

A school district through the leadership of the District Supervisor is responsible for the
following:

● providing professional and instructional advice and support to the school heads and
teachers/facilitators of school and learning centers in the district or cluster thereof; and

● curricula supervision.

E. School Level

Consistent with the national educational policies, plans and standards, the school level
through the leadership of school heads is responsible for the following:

● setting the mission, vision, goals, and objectives of the school;

● creating the environment within the school that is conducive to the teaching and learning;

● implementing the school curriculum and being accountable for higher learning outcomes;

● developing the school education program and school improvement plan;

● offering educational program, projects, and services which provide equitable opportunities for
all the learners in the community;

● introducing new and innovative modes of instruction to achieve higher learning outcomes;

● administering and managing all personnel, physical, and fiscal resources of the school;

● recommending the staffing complement of the school based on its needs,

● encouraging staff development;

● establishing school and community networks and encouraging the active participation of
teachers’ organizations, non-academic personnel of public schools, and parents-teachers-
community associations; and

● accepting donations, gifts, bequest, and grants for the purpose of upgrading teachers’
learning facilitators’ competencies, improving and expanding school facilities, and providing
instructional materials and equipment.

Currently, the different offices of the Department of Education are doing their best inensuring
a smooth and efficient implementation of the K-12 Education Program of the Philippines. Under
Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, Kindergarten and Senior High
School were added to the Philippine basic education system. This ensures that our education
system for basic education is at par with the international standards and to prepare Filipino
students to meet the needs and demands of a knowledge-based society.

For Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country, the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED)was established under Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education
Act of 1994. Contrary to DepEd, the CHED has two levels: the Central Office (national level) and
the Regional Offices. The CHED Central Office on the development of policies and sets the national
direction for higher education in the country.

The CHED Office for Program Standards (OPS) is responsible for curricular matters. The CHED
issues a memorandum order (CMO) per program to serve as a guide to HEIs on the courses that
should be offered per program, admission and retention policies, administrative requirements,
faculty requirements, library and laboratory requirements, and others.
Experts in different academic fields and disciplines are invited to become members of different
Technical Panels and Technical Committees to help the Commission in the development of these
CMOs per program. All curricular changes and application for new curricular offerings from the HEIs
are reviewed and recommended for approval by the OPS to the Commission en banc.

The Regional Office of CHED is responsible for the monitoring and implementation of thepolicies
and guidelines developed by the Central Office. The monitoring work is done with the help of the
regional experts on different fields known as Regional Quality Assurance Team (RQuaT). It is their
duty to ensure that all their regions comply with CHED requirements and policies.

State colleges and universities must seek the approval of their academic councils and their
corresponding board of regents for any curriculum changes and curriculum proposals before these
curriculum proposals are sent to CHED for approval. Exempted in these process is the University of
Philippines System. The UP system does not follow the CHED prescribed curriculum. For UP, any
curriculum proposal by its university council and the UP Board of Regents.

Private HEIs may also add more subjects as institutional requirements per program based on the
mission, vision, and philosophy of the HEI concerned. For state universities and colleges, their
individual charters guide their program offerings. This process is shown in the figure below. The
Regional Offices of CHED check the compliance of these HEIs to the CMO issued by the Commission.
 Commission on Higher Education (National Level)

CHED Regional Office

Higher Education Institutions (Colleges,

Professional Institutes, Universities)

Figure 2: Levels of Curriculum Implementation at the Higher Education

Level

The academic freedom of individual HEI and faculty members also highly influences curriculum
development in higher education. Curricular revisions are presented and approved by the university
council in the case of state universities and colleges. For private HEIs, the curriculum committee and
the council of deans presided by the Vice President for Academic Affairs approve any curriculum
proposal made in any department or college. Each faculty member, whether in public or private HEI,
develops a syllabus for his or her subject guided by the faculty expertise and their academic freedom.

For vocational and technical courses, the Technical Education Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) is the government agency that prescribes the curriculum and other requirements for the
implementation of the program. Each course is implemented through modules, designed and
implemented based on specific competencies prescribed. All the specific requirements and facilities,
including the required training and certification for each faculty who will teach each course are
prescribed by TESDA.

Activity 2: Reflect on and address the following:

1. Describe the process of curriculum development practiced by your college or university.

2. Develop a flowchart describing how a curriculum proposal reaches the level of approval in your
college or university.
3. Identify the people involved and their level of involvement.
4. Discuss how your college/university addresses several issues and challenges and integrate them
in the curriculum.

Things to Consider in Implementing the Curriculum

Curriculum implementation must be systematically planned. At any level, it requires careful

consideration of several factors and variables:

1. Government Requirements- include memoranda, policies, guidelines, and requirements

from the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical
Education Skills Development Authority. The competencies required by the board exams
 are also considered.
2. School Philosophy, Vision and Mission, and Core Values- must be considered at the school
level especially when selecting the specific contents and learning experiences for all
students enrolled in each program.
3. Learning Environment- includes the various school facilities required for the
implementation of each program. These facilities include laboratories, classrooms,
libraries, sports facilities, instructional tech for each program. technologies, and other
facilities prescribed by the government for each program. In some schools, colleges or
universities, housing facilities for faculty and students are also provided.
4. Needs and Demands of the Society -are the needs and demands of the society that the
curriculum must respond to. Curriculum can address these needs and demands in the macro
level by adding subjects or contents, or in the local school level by integrating specific
competencies in the various syllabi for each course.
5. Needs of the Students- including interests, are considered when the school develops
academic policies and in the preparation of course syllabi. At the least, the school, college
or university should have an idea of the general profile of students including their needs
and interests when planning and implementing the program.
6. Faculty Expertise- the faculty is considered as the most important assets of each school,
college or university. They also play an important role in the implementation of the
curriculum.
7. The Changing Nature of Knowledge- includes the theories and research from different
areas and professional organizations in the academe that are also influential in the
implementation of the curriculum. It could result to the integration of important topics or
subjects, and additional facilities.

These factors were emphasized by different curriculum experts as influential in

planning, developing, implementing, and in evaluating a curriculum. In the context of
curriculum implementation, curriculum leaders and curriculum workers consider these factors
in making curricular and instructional decisions.

At any level of the educational bureaucracy, the process of curriculum implementation

can be attributed to how curriculum leaders and workers plan, design and develop the
implementation of the curriculum. School resources and the implementers at the school are
also contributory to the success of curriculum implementation.

Activity 3: Reflect on and address the following:

1. Collect example of syllabus in your school.

2. Examine how the syllabus considers the various factors affecting the identified curriculum
implementation.
3. Make a reflection on the implementation of the curriculum.
References

Curriculum Development, Quezon City.,Lorimar Publishing House, Inc. 2008.,

Bilbao, 2008.. P. ,Iringan, T., Javier, R., Lucido, P.,

The Teacher and the School Curriculum: A Guide to Curriculum Development

Practice, 2020. Rex Book Store. First Edition., Pawilen, GT.