Chapter 2: Principles of
Curriculum Development
Presented by the NRVers:
Lynn Graves,Chase Lowe,Susie Cutlip,
and Connie McGuire
CURRICULUM CHANGE
Think about curriculum changes in your
school or district:
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Which changes have been successful?
Which changes have not been successful?
Jot these thoughts down
“Curricularly” Terms:
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Curriculum Development: more
comprehensive; includes planning,
implementation, and evaluation.
Curriculum Improvement: viewed as result of
development.
Curriculum Planning: preliminary phase of
curriculum development. Workers make
decisions and take actions to establish plans.
More “Curricularly” Terms:
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Curriculum implementation: translation
of plans into action.
Curriculum evaluation: determines the
success of both the students and the
program.
Curriculum revision: the process of
making changes and improving an
existing curriculum.
Curriculum Axioms
The whole is greater than the part
10th
1st
9th
2nd
8th
3rd
7th
4th
6th
5th
Axiom 1: Inevitability of
Change
Change is both inevitable and necessary,
for it is through change that life forms
grow and develop
 human institutions
 problems encouraging change
 Public schools
Axiom 2: Product of Time
School curriculum not only reflects,but is
a product of its time
 change takes about 10 years
 curriculum responds to social forces
 societal influence on change
Forces Affecting Curriculum &
Instruction
Present
Force: Public demand for school’s
accountability
Curricular Response: Standards
Of Learning
Instructional Response:
Achievement Testing
Axiom 3: Concurrent changes
Curriculum changes made at an earlier
period of time can exist concurrently
with newer curriculum changes at a
later period of time.
 Changes coexist and overlap
 Good teachers practice this
Axiom 4: Change in People
Curriculum change results from changes
in people
 commitment from those involved
 contributions
 control
Axiom 5: Cooperative
Endeavor
Curriculum change is effected as a result
of cooperative endeavor on the part of
groups.
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Curriculum improvement
Small group cooperation
Axiom 6: Decision-Making
Process
Curriculum development is basically a decisionmaking process.
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Choices
Choices
Choices
Choices
Choices
among disciplines
among viewpoints
of emphasis
of methods of teaching
in organization of curriculum
Axiom 7: Continuous Process
Curriculum development is a neverending process.
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Perfection will never be achieved
Curriculum can always be improved
Continuous monitoring is necessary
Axiom 8: Comprehensive
Curriculum development is a
comprehensive process.
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“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”:
Curriculum developers must be able to see “beyond
the trees” and look “at the entire forest”
Planners must frequently view the macrocurriculum,
that is the whole curriculum as distinguished from the
sum of its parts.
Axiom 9: Systematic
Systematic curriculum development is
more effective than trial and error.
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Curriculum planning should be
comprehensive and follow an agreed
upon set of procedures
Axiom 10: Starts from Existing
The curriculum planner starts from where
the curriculum is, just as the teacher
starts from where the students are.
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Curriculum reorganization
Can not be achieved overnight
Wrap Up
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Think again about curriculum changes
in your school or district. Why were
some changes successful and why were
they not successful?
Which axiom was influential in it being
successful or not being successful?