Needs Assessment for
Curriculum Development
Prepared by
Mohammed Alnaeem
Supervised by
Prof. Ferial Hayajneh
Outlines
• What is need assessment?
• Why conduct a need assessment ?
• What are the characteristics of need assessment?
• What are the external factors that influence the
curriculum?
•
• What are the internal factors that influence the
curriculum?
Objectives
Analyze external Frame Factors Conceptual model for
application to a needs assessment for curriculum
development and evaluation.
Consider the internal frame factors that affect a nursing
education program either to develop a new program or
revise an existing one.
Demand of elderly people for residential care: An exploratory
study
Introduction
Needs assessment
 Is a systematic process for identify gaps between what “is” and
what “needs to be”
 Needs assessment is a part of planning processes, often used for
improvement in individuals, education/training, organizations, or
communities.
Needs assessment is the starting point for curriculum
development
• when we contemplating a new education program or revising
an existing curriculum need assessment is indicated.
Purposes for conducting need assessment
Validate the currency, academic and
professional relevance, and continued
need for an existing program.
Useful for accreditation
and program review
purposes
To establish the
feasibility for a new
nursing program
Provides direction for programs,
projects, and activities
Who are involved in the need assessment?
Organizational
administrators.
Faculty
Leaders of community
organizations
Stakeholder
engagement
Common sources of data for
comprehensive needs assessment
interview
Survey
observation
Focus group
Program
evaluation
project
Strategic
planning
documents
Placing the need assessment within a framework
• Johnson (1977) presented a simple and linear conceptual model for
curriculum development similar to the nursing process.
P [planning]
I [implementation]
E [evaluation])
• Complex logical process for curriculum development and evaluation
Examining
the frame
factors
within which
the program
exists
Identifying
curriculum
content
Setting
goals
Planning
for
instruction
Structuring
the
curriculum
Evaluation
• All of these factors influence the curriculum so it is important
to recognize and analyze these factors for their impact on
the program.
They can “make or break” a program

Whether curriculum development involves a new program or
revisions of an existing curriculum, program planners and
faculty must evaluate both external and internal frame factors that
affect the curriculum.
External frame factors
• Jonson defines external frame factors as those factors that
influence curriculum development in its environment and
outside the parent institution.
• Analyzing external frame factors in light of proposed new
programs or curriculum revisions helps to:
1. Determine the type of new program needed
2. In the case of an existing program, the extent to which
changes in the curriculum are indicated
External frame factors for a needs assessment for curriculum development in nursing. Adapted from Johnson
(1977).
1. Description of the community
2.Demographics of the population
1.
2.
3.
4.
Age
Gender
Socioeconomic status
Predicted population changes including immigrant and
emigrant statistics, ethnic and cultural groups
including major languages, education levels.
EMOTIONAL
INTELIGANCE
3.Characteristics of the academic settings
• Discuss the impact of 1) Home Care / Geriatric
Program
4.Political Climate and Body Politic
CURRICULUM REVISION TO ADDRESS A CHANGING HEALTH
CARE ENVIRONMENT.
Ideological influences on curriculum development in
nurse education.
“The development of curricula in nurse education cannot
be viewed in isolation from the socio-political context
within which it exists. Changes in the
current political ideology have impacted on the social
life of individuals, and the reflection of this can be
traced in the curricula of nursing courses over time”.
Transforming education
5. The health care system and health needs of the population
Provides an overview of the health care system
within which the program is located.
It describes the health care resources that are
available or not available to the population
including the nursing school and institution’s
It points out the gaps of services in the
community.
It identifies trends in health care services and
anticipated changes for the future that can
influence curriculum development.
Make the problems and concerns of the
community matching the focus of the curriculum
7. The nursing profession
It is important to learn about the nursing profession in the
region, type of nurses available to fulfill the needs of the
community and nursing organizations that can support
both students and faculty
8. Regulations and accreditation requirements
9. Financial Support
The financial support of the nursing program may come
from sources at the national level or from donations as well
as fees, tuition, and scholarships.
Break Time
conceptual model of the internal frame factors that impact the curriculum (Johnson,
1977)
‫مجلس والية داكوتا الجنوبية هو مجلس إدارة يتحكم في ست جامعات حكومية في والية داكوتا الجنوبية األمريكية‪.‬‬
Academic organization structure in Jordan
2.Mission and purpose, philosophy, and goals
of the parent institution
 The nursing program must be congruent with those of the parent
institution.
 Together the program and the organization can prepare students
for becoming professional and responsible people of the
community
 Video
3. Internal economic situation and
influence on the curriculum
• The nursing program must have adequate resources in order to
provide quality education of tomorrow’s nurses.
• Assessment of the economic status of the parent institution and the
nursing program provides a realistic picture of the potential for
program expansion and curriculum revision.
4. Resources within the institution and nursing program
A systematic review of the factors - enablers and barriers –
affecting e-learning in health sciences education
5. Potential faculty and student characteristics
• There should be adequate numbers of faculty members
who represent diversity in backgrounds and to reach the
desired faculty to student ratio depending upon the nature
of the program.
• Diversity of racial, ethnic, and cultural characteristics are
other factors to consider and the educational program
must plan to be culturally responsive as well as preparing
professionals with cultural competence
Organizational
context
Need
assessment
Setting
objectives
Cultural
context
Natural
context
Curriculum
development or
revising
Design
educational
plan
Evaluate
outcomes
Personal
context
Implement
Teaching
strategy
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• Conducting a needs assessment is time consuming.
Debate the value of conducting the assessment by
paid consultants rather than faculty.
• What influence do you believe finances have on
developing and maintaining a curriculum?
• What is the appropriate role of community, teachers,
administrator, student and content in undergraduate
curriculum needs assessment about Online teaching?
Summary
Assessment of frame factors influence the educational program and
are equally important to the decision for changing a curriculum or
developing a new program.
 While the external frame factors examined the macro environment
surrounding the program, the internal frame factors looked at those
factors that are closer to the program and include the parent
institution as well as the nursing program itself.
Any Question ??
References
1.
2.
3.
Johnson, M. (1977). Intentionality in education. Albany, NY: Center for Curriculum
Research and Services.
Keating,S.B.(2014) Curriculum development and evaluation in nursing. 3rd edition.
New York: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.
Sorensen, J., Norredam, M., Suurmond, J., Carter-Pokras, O., Garcia-Ramirez, M.,
& Krasnik, A. (2019). Need for ensuring cultural competence in medical
programmes of European universities. BMC Medical Education, 19(1), 21
4. Regmi, K., & Jones, L. (2020). A systematic review of the factors–
enablers and barriers–affecting e-learning in health sciences
education. BMC medical education, 20, 1-18
5. Līce, A., & Sloka, B. (2019). Promoting emotional intelligence in
vocational education as a method to achieve employability of
graduates. Regional Formation and Development Studies, 29(3), 98-107
6.
Bajaj, M., & Bartlett, L. (2017). Critical transnational curriculum for immigrant and
refugee students. Curriculum Inquiry, 47(1), 25-35
7. Hamad, F., Farajat, S., & Hamarsha, A. (2018). Awareness and adoption of mobile technologies
in the delivery of services in academic libraries in Jordan. Global Knowledge, Memory and
Communication
8. Gupta, R., Singh, N., & Kumar, R. (2017). Longitudinal predictive validity of emotional
intelligence on first year medical students perceived stress. BMC medical education, 17(1), 139