A personal working experience of individuals can be a useful source of curriculum content. An experienced teacher in a particular field would understand better from success or failures from the past and this experience can be brought to bear upon current content selection. For example, a teacher of Social Studies, who is very active in his subject organisation, is likely to be able to know what to select as curriculum content for a particular class than a beginning teacher in the same field.
Self Assessment Exercise
List some subject Associations you know and explain how they can be possible good sources of curriculum content in schools.
3.3 Criteria for Selecting Appropriate Curriculum Content
Selecting curriculum content is an important exercise. It cannot be done haphazardly. There are many topics/areas to choose from. Not all available content can be selected because there will never be time enough to teach everything nor is it even wise, and cost-effective to doso. However, the important point to note is that the curriculum objectives determine the basic criteria for selection. Other things that must be taken into consideration is the abilities of the prospective learners, the availability of appropriate learning facilities and the competence of the curriculum implementers. However, in addition to the basic criteria already enumerated, selection of appropriate learning content is dependent upon the following established principles.
3.3.1 The Principle of Validity
Findings from the field of psychology have shown that unless a significant change in behaviour of a learner takes place as a result of exposure to some learning experiences, learning can not be said to have occurred. Thus, the principle of validity may be explained as the ability of a learning experience to bring about the desired change in the learner.
For example, if a learning outcome desired is for music students to learn how to play the piano and other musical instruments, but have no actual piano to use in training, such a learning experience cannot be said to be valid. That is, it cannot bring about the desired change in behaviour which the acquisition of the skill of playing the piano. So, there must be a corresponding relationship between the learning experiences provided and the learning objectives stated.
3.3.2 The Principle of Comprehensiveness
A curriculum is designed to provide opportunities for learners to acquire different skills in all the three domains of education objectives. If only cognitive skills or intellectual skills or mental abilities are emphasized in a learning experience provided by a school for her learners, such a curriculum is narrow; and it is not regarded as a balanced curriculum.
Learning must take place in all three areas. Every topic taught, must be taught with a plan that includes the achievement of the three domains of education objectives.
3.3.3 The Principle of Variety
Variety, they say, is the spice of life. Findings from developmental psychology have shown that before desired changes can take place in a learner, he must be exposed to a variety of learning experiences and methods. Thus, curriculum implementers, i.e. teachers, should learn to diversify their methods and also present learners with a variety of learning activities on the same topic in order to facilitate the achievements of the stated objectives. The greater the variety, the more the learner will find satisfying activities which will speed up his progress towards the learning outcome.
3.3.4 The Principle of Suitability
The learning experiences provided must be suitable for the age and present level of experience of the learners. That is to say that the teacher should begin at the point where the learner is at the moment. Interest in new learning is stimulated first from what is known and is carried onto the new learning. The known therefore serves as a bridge for crossing to the unknown. If a learning experience is not linked with what the pupils currently knows, such may not be regarded as suitable for the particular group of students.
3.3.5 The Principle of Cumulative Tendency
Learning experiences provided must lead to a cumulative experience for the learner. In other words, the learning experiences must be progressively arranged to create a movement from one level of difficult to a higher level; from simple to more complex ideas; from a more limited use of ideas to a greater breadth etc. In other words, whatever is learnt at one point is used to build up on to a higher level; a simple skill is used as a foundation for learning more complex skills. Since the acquisition of skill is cumulative, the learning of a skill in one are helps the learner to move on to other areas. Thus, conscious attempts must be made by the curriculum implementer to ensure that learning experiences selected are cumulative.
3.3.6 The Principle of Multiple Learning
A learner is a complete organism. Many learning does occur simultaneously when a certain learning experience is presented, and such learning outcomes may not even be intended. Thus, in planning experience the teacher must be conscious of the fact that other learning outcomes may occur, and so must be prepared for this as he selects learning experiences.
Another major reason why the teacher must take cognizance of multiple learning outcomes when selecting experiences is that some learning outcomes may tend to produce negative outcome in the learner that is not intended by the teacher. For example, in teaching some aspects of reproductive health, a student may develop such interest and a learning outcome such that he/she makes up his/her mind to become a medical doctor or a nurse. This is a positive learning outcome. But negative learning outcomes which may occur include having a wrong desire to try out several experiences that may be inimical to his/her health and the health of others. Therefore, in planning learning experiences to include in a class, the teacher must first assess the likely effects of each possible learning experience upon a wide range of objectives. Secondly, he
needs to eliminate all learning experiences, which though may lead to the attainment of the desired objectives, but may result in negative consequences. Finally, the teacher should choose from among the remaining objectives those which are likely to bring about the attainment of more objectives without including negative side effects.
3.3.7 The Principle of Relevance
Learning experiences that have relevance to day-to-day activities are more likely to be found very meaningful by learners. The major objective learning is related to application of what is learnt in real life situations. Therefore, learning experiences selected must have direct relevance to everyday living in the life of learners.
3.4 Other Important Criteria for Selecting Subject Matter
As you have seen in subsection 3:0 of this unit, most of what is taught in Nigerian secondary schools are prescribed by examination bodies such as WAEC/NECO/JAMB. However, the selection of content or subject matter to be taught by these bodies could not have been done anyhow.Some important criteria guided the selection. These criteria will be examined briefly in this segment.
3.4.1 Validity
Again validity comes as the most important criterion for selecting subject matter here. For example, why would a school teach history or why do WAEC stipulate the content of what is to be taught in English Language? Of course the answer is not far-fetched. Any content or subject matter must be chosen because it relates to the achievement of educational goals specified by the society. History of Nigeria for example, is chosen because Educational Planners believed that we need to know how our society comes to be and the forces that have kept us together as a nation. Studying British History may not be a valid subject matter in this case because it cannot directly inform us of our own existence as a nation. Similarly, the specific outline in the subject, in this case History, must equally be those that relate with an educational objective already specified. Another aspect of validity is authenticity of the subject matter. This is an age of explosion of knowledge. Subject matter content needs to be reviewed and updated from time to time in line with new knowledge or else the content could no longer be valid.
3.4.2 Utility
The question that makes this criterion clear is “Is the content useful”
Will it serve any useful purpose in any areas of living? Some of the areas of human activity which content must serve is:
(a) Language activities such as social, interpersonal communication;
(b) Health activities;
(c) Citizenship activities, etc.
So, one may ask “What purpose will teaching “English Language” in schools serve? Of course, it will serve the purpose of social interpersonal and other levels of communication because it is the official language of Nigeria.
3.4.3 Interest
The criterion of interest is equally important. If the learner feels that the content will genuinely solve his problems or help to fulfill his plan, he would certainly be interested in the subject. A student who wants to become a medical doctor would naturally want to study Human Biology among others. The criterion of interest, sometimes, may be transitory in nature, as students’ interest sometimes changes. That is why this criterion needs to go along with some others. However, it is still an important criterion to take into consideration in content selection.
3.4.4 Learnability
This criterion stresses the inherent characteristic of the subject matter to be learnable. That is to say, will the students be able to learn this content? Another way of putting it is to say whether the subject matter content has a level of difficulty which would facilitate learning by the students themselves. If any concept or idea must be learnt by students, it must be brought down to their own level of understanding. For example, complicated mathematical topics such as differentiation from first principles cannot be learnt (or easily learnt) by JSS1 secondary school students. This criterion, therefore, is equally crucial and important.