GOVERNOR MARIANO E.
VILLAFUERTE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE LIBMANAN CAMPUS
Potot, Libmanan, Camarines Sur
APPROACHES TO
CURRICULUM
DESIGNING
Identify some familiar curriculum designs and approaches to
the design
Analyze the approaches in the light of how these are applied in
the school setting
EDGARDO L. DELFIN, MAED, LPT
College Instructor
TYPES OF CURRICULUM DESIGN
MODELS
1. The Subject-Centered Approach (Discipline-
Based Curriculum)
FOCUS: This approach emphasizes content or
subject matter as the central focus of the
curriculum. It organizes the curriculum around
the discipline or subject areas such as
mathematics,
STRUCTURE: The history or science.
curriculum is divided into
distinct subject areas, each with its own set of
content to be taught in a logical sequence.
GOAL: To ensure that students acquire a deep
understanding of the knowledge and concepts
specific to each subject.
Subject Design
Subject design curriculum is the oldest and so
far the most familiar design for teachers,
parents and other laymen.
According to the advocates, subject design has
an advantages because it is easy to deliver.
Textbooks are written and support
instructional materials are commercially
available.
Teachers are familiar with the format.
The number of subjects in elementary
education is fewer than secondary level.
In college subjects also differs according to the
Discipline Design
This curriculum design model is related to the
subject design.
Discipline design focuses on academic
disciplines.
Discipline refers to specific knowledge learned
through a method which the scholars use to
study a specific content of their fields.
Students in history should learn the subject
matter like historian, students in biology
should learn how the biologists learn and so
with the students in mathematics.
Correlation Design
Correlated curriculum design links separate
subject designs in order to reduce
fragmentation.
Subject are related to one another and still
maintain their identity.
For example, English literature and social
studies correlate well in the elementary level.
In the two subjects, while history is being
studied, different literature pieces during the
historical period are also being studied.
Broad Field
Design/Interdisciplinary
Is a variation of the subject-centered design.
This design was made to cure the
compartmentalization of the separate subjects
and integrate the contents that are related to
one another.
Thus, subjects such as geography, economics,
political science, anthropology, sociology and
history are fused into one subject called social
studies.
Language arts will include grammar, literature,
linguistics, spelling and composition.
2. Learner-Centered Design
FOCUS: This approach prioritize the needs,
interests and learning styles of the students. The
curriculum is designed around the student’s
experience, backgrounds and active
STRUCTURE:
[Link] curriculum is flexible and often
includes activities that encourage critical
thinking, problem-solving and collaboration.
GOAL: To engage students in the learning process
and foster a deeper understanding based on
their individual needs.
Child-centered Design
This design is often attributed to the influence
of John Dewe, Rouseau, Pestallozi and Floebel.
This curriculum design is anchored on the
needs and interests of the child.
The learner is not considered a passive
individual but one who engages with his/her
environment.
Learners actively create, construct meanings
and understanding as viewed by the
constructivists.
Learners interact with the teachers and the
environment, there is a collaborative effort on
Experience-centered Design
Believes that the interests and needs of
learners cannot be pre-planned.
Experiences of the learners become the
starting point of the curriculum.
The school environment is left open and free.
Learners are made to choose from various
activities that the teacher provides.
The learners are empowered to shape their
own learning from the different opportunities
given by the teacher.
The emergence of multiple intelligence theory
blends well with experience-centered design
Humanistic Design
The key influence in this curriculum design is
Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.
Maslow’s theory of self-actualization explains
that a person who achieves this level is
accepting of self, others and nature, is simple,
spontaneous and natural, is open to different
experiences, possesses empathy and sympathy
towards the less fortunate among the many
others.
Carl Rogers believed that a person can
enhance self-directed learning by improving
self-understanding, the basic attitude to guide
3. Problem-Centered Design
FOCUS: This approach revolves around real-world
problems and issues. The curriculum is designed
to help students acquire the skills and knowledge
necessary to solve specific problems.
STRUCTURE: Learning is organized around
thematic units or real-world challenges that
students work to solve.
GOAL: To develop problem-solving skills, critical
thinking and the ability to apply knowledge in
practical situations.
Life-situation Design
Content are organized in ways that allows
students to clearly view problem areas.
It uses the past and the present experiences of
learners as a means to analyze the basic areas
of living.
The pressing immediate problems of the
society and the students existing concerns are
utilized.
Based on Herbert Spencer, emphasizes were
activities that sustain life, enhance life, aid in
rearing children, maintain the individual’s
social and political relations and enhance
Core-problem Design
It centers on general education and the
problems are based on the common human
activities.
The central focus of the core designs includes
common needs, problems, and concerns of the
learners.
According to Faunce and Bossing (1959), it
presented ways on how to proceed using core
design of a curriculum.
These are the steps
1. Make group consensus on important problems
2. Develop criteria for selection of important
problems
3. State and define problem
4. Decide on areas of study, including class
groupings
5. List the needed information for resources
6. Obtain and organize information
7. Analyze and interpret the information
8. State the tentative conclusions
9. Present a report to the class individually or by
group
[Link] the conclusions
APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM
DESIGN
Child or Learner-Centered Approach
This approach to curriculum design is based on
the underlying philosophy that the child or the
learner is the center of the educational process.
It means that the curriculum is constructed
based on the needs, interest, purposes and
abilities of the learners.
The curriculum is also built upon the learners
knowledge, skills, previous learnings and
potentials.
Principles of Child or Learner-Centered
Curriculum Approach
1. Acknowledge and respect the fundamental
rights of the child
2. Make all activities resolve around the overall
development of the learner
3. Consider the uniqueness of every learner in a
multicultural classroom
4. Consider using differentiated instruction or
teaching
5. Provide a motivating supportive learning
environment for all the learner.
Subject-Centered Approach
This is anchored on a curriculum design which
prescribes separate distinct subjects for every
educational design which prescribes separate
distinct subjects for every educational level.
• Basic education
• Higher education or vocational-technical
This approach considers the following principles:
education
1. The primary focus is the subject matter
2. The emphasis is on bits and pieces of information
which may detached from life
3. The subject matter serves as a means of identifying
problems of living
4. Learning means accumulation of content or
Thank you!
