Class Curriculum
University of People
EDUC 5240 - Creating Positive Classroom Environments
September 11, 2022
The first time that I encountered the term curriculum was upon completion of my
undergraduate studies at the time I had to apply for a postgraduate study. As part of my
application, I had to submit a curriculum vitae, also known as CV. At the time a curriculum
vitae was meant to be a list of accomplishments regarding my academic progress, so
curriculum, at this sense must have meant exactly that: a list of my most important
achievements that can inform a third party of who I am and what I can do.
I believe this understanding, even though seemingly unrelated, has informed my
subsequent encounter with the term as an educator. Curriculum, my understanding was, is
“a list” that highlights the most important concepts, skills and facts that a learner must
acquire in order to be considered that they have mastered a specific course or have attained
a specific certification. As such, we can claim that the curriculum of a course is the minimum
and required threshold of knowledge that justifies the certification of mastery in said
course.
For me, a science teacher in an accredited private school, teaching high school science and
IB chemistry students, this definition seems to make sense. As a subject-specialist teacher
there are issues pertaining what curriculum is that are not of the same importance as for an
elementary or middle school teacher who is responsible in broader educational terms to
their students; terms that involve more than just the mastery of content material. As a
subject specialist the “curriculum” of the course can be confined only within the strict
boundaries of the definition I gave above regarding mastery of course material. My belief in
this definition was further enforced by the external IB exams at the end of high school were
my students needed to demonstrate their mastery in the course material and achieve the
grades and the certification required for them to proceed in their academic and personal
life.
From the above it seems that the major stakeholders involved in my definition of curriculum
are first and foremost the IBO as the certifying body, which dictates the curriculum of the
courses that I teach, closely followed by the school and it’s culture that dictates the aspects
of the so-called “hidden curriculum” and the development of the students in accordance to
the school’s vision as it is communicated through the school mission statement to “inspire
students to become enthusiastic life-long learners who value integrity, cultural diversity, and
the pursuit of excellence. Using an American and international curriculum, our qualified
professionals work with the school community to prepare students to be creative, critical
thinkers, and socially responsible world citizens.” (AISC, n.d). Finally, my understanding of
curriculum and it’s pacing is pragmatically dictated by the needs of my students. As such it
can be defined as a curriculum that focuses on indented learning outcomes.
Having said that, the answer to the question “define your curriculum” is anything but
simple. There is the IB Chemistry curriculum, which is confined within the strict academic
discipline, the broader IB curriculum with the focus on inquiry based learning, the learner
profile, authentic assessments and holistic development of students, in which my individual
classroom curriculum is a part of, as well as the “hidden curriculum” dictated by school
culture and ethos. As such the best description for my classroom curriculum would be
‘eclectic’. It can be characterized by ‘progressivism’ as students choice is a cornerstone of
the IB Diploma Progrmamme, with students having the opportunity to choose the courses
they want to attend to (1 course from each of the 6 subject groups) as well as inquiry based
learning and problem solving on real-life problems. The IB programs have also been
characterized as Reconstructionist due to the focus on international mindedness and service
aspects. In addition one can say that the curriculum in my class is to be seen as an
experience, within the broader school curriculum that aims in developing the students in
accord to the school’s mission statement.
In the specific of the school I work, where the certification of the students with the IB
diploma is achieved through an external assessment dictated by the IBO, the assessments
seem to shape the curriculum, as they have to be in agreement to the IB Approaches to
teaching and Learning (IBO, 2013) , but for those who delve into the details of the ATL’s it is
evident how the philosophy of the IB curriculum has shaped the assessment requirements
which then schools implementing the program must follow.
AISC (n.d). Guiding Statements. Retrieved Sep 28, 2022 from https://www.aisc.ac.cy/aboutus/the-school/guiding-statements/
IBO ATL’s : IBO. (2013). Approaches to teaching and learning in the Diploma Programme.