FOUNDATIONS OF
CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT
Lesson 4:
3. Psychological Foundation of Curriculum
Psychology provides a basis to understand the teaching and learning process. It
unifies elements of the learning process.
3 Groups of Learning Theories:
1. Behaviorism or association theories
2. Cognitive- information processing theories
3. Humanistic theories
(Ornstien & Hunkins,2004)
Association and Behaviorism
(Cognitive Information Processing Theory)
• Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
• Father of the Classical Conditioning Theory the
S-R Theory
• Key to learning is early years of life is to train
what them to become.
• S-R Theory is a foundation of learning practice
called indoctrination.
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)
* Championed the Connectionism
Theory
* Proposed the three laws of learning
- Law of readiness
- Law of exercise
- Law of effect
* Specific stimulus has specific response
* Proposed the Hierarchical Learning
Theory.
Learning follows a hierarchy
* Behavior is based on prerequisite
conditions
* Introduced tasking in the formulation
of objectives.
Jean Piagets (1896-1980)
* Theories Of Jean Piagets
* Describes cognitive development in terms of
stages from birth to maturity
*Sensorimotor stage (0-2)
preoperational stage (2-7)
concrete operation stage (7-11)
and formal operations (11-onwards)
*Key to Learning
* Assimilation (incorporation of new experience)
*Accommodation (learning modification and
adaptation)
*Equilibration (balance between previous and
later learning)
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
* Theory of Lev Vygotsky
* Cultural transmission and development
* Children could, as a result of their interaction
w/ society, actually perform certain cognitive
actions prior to arriving at development stage
* Learning precedes development
* Sociocultural development theory
* Key to Learning
* Pedagogy creates learning processes that
lead to development
* Child is an active agent in his or her
educational process.
Howard Gardner
* Gardner’s multiple intelligences
* Human have several different ways of processing
information and these ways are relatively
independent of one another.
* Eight intelligences:
1. linguistic
2. logico-mathematical
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Daniel Goleman
* Emotion contains the power to affect
action.
* Emotional Quotient
Gestalt
Gestalt Theory
* Learning is explained in terms of “wholeness” of the problem.
* Human being do not respond to isolated stimuli but to an
organization or pattern if stimuli.
* Key to learning
* Learning is complex and abstract.
* Leaners analyze the problem, discriminate
between essential and nonessential data, and
perceive relationships.
* Learners will perceive something in relation to the
whole. What/how they perceive is related to their
previous experiences.
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
* Self-Actualization Theory
* Classic theory of human needs.
* A child whose basic needs are not met will not
be interested in acquiring knowledge of
the world.
* Put important in human emotions, based on
love and trust.
* Key to learning
* Produce a healthy and happy learner
who can accomplish, grow and actualize
his or her human self.
Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
*Nondirective and Therapeutic Learning
*Established counselling procedures and methods for
facilitating learning.
* Children’s perceptions, which are highly
individualistic, influence their learning and behavior in class.
*Key to learning is
* Curriculum concerned with process, not product, personal
needs, not subject matter, psychological meaning, not
cognitive scores.
* Society as a source of change
* Schools as agents of change
* Knowledge as an agent of change
Schools and Society
Considered two fundamental
elements-schools and civil society
to be major topic needing attention
and reconstruction to encourage
experimental intelligence and
plurality.
Alvin Toffler
Wrote the book Future Shock
Believed that knowledge should prepare students
for the future
Suggested that in the future, parents might have
the resources to teach prescribed curriculum from
home as a result of technology, not in spite of
it.(Home Schooling)
Foresaw schools and students worked creativity,
collaboratively and independent of their age.
