Curriculum Organization

Curriculum studies concern what is taught and how it is organized — the design, content, sequencing, and theory of curricula.

Scope

It covers curriculum design and objectives, the structure of subject matter, the hidden curriculum, and curriculum theory and reform.

Sub-topics

• Courses
• Field Experience Programs
• Field Trips
• Vacation Programs
• After School Programs
• College Curriculum
• Alignment (Education)
• External Degree Programs
• Time to Degree
• Intellectual Disciplines
• Work Experience Programs
• Curriculum
• Unified Studies Curriculum
• Online Courses
• Mass Instruction
• Field Instruction
• Learning Trajectories
• Internship Programs
• Academic Support Services
• After School Education
• Continuous Progress Plan
• Extended School Day
• Supplementary Education
• Advanced Courses
• Block Scheduling
• School Schedules
• Time Blocks
• Residential Programs
• Summer Programs
• Seminars
• Career Academies
• House Plan
• Integrated Curriculum
• Job Shadowing
• First Year Seminars
• Flexible Progression
• Nongraded Instructional Grouping
• Institutes (Training Programs)
• Workshops
• Correspondence Study
• Core Curriculum
• National Curriculum
• Day Programs
• Activity Units
• Capstone Experiences
• Departments
• Open Education
• MOOCs
• Experimental Curriculum
• Telephone Instruction
• Elementary School Curriculum
• Preschool Curriculum
• STEM Education
• Weekend Programs
• Fused Curriculum
• Spiral Curriculum
• Extended School Year
• Quarter System
• Summer Schools
• Year Round Schools
• Program Length
• Study Abroad
• Secondary School Curriculum
• Home Instruction
• Teacher Workshops
• Extension Education
• Evening Programs

Core questions

• What should be taught, and why?
• How should curricula be organized and sequenced?
• How are objectives set and aligned with assessment?
• What values does the curriculum transmit?

Key concepts

• Curriculum design
• Objectives
• Scope and sequence
• Hidden curriculum
• Spiral curriculum
• Discipline structure

Key theories

Scientific curriculum-making

Bobbitt applied scientific management to curriculum design around objectives.

The Tyler rationale

Tyler framed curriculum around objectives, learning experiences, organization, and evaluation.

Structure of the disciplines

Bruner argued curricula should teach the structure of disciplines, learnable at any age in honest form.

History

Curriculum studies developed from scientific curriculum-making (Bobbitt) and the Tyler rationale to discipline-structure (Bruner) and later reconceptualist and critical curriculum theory.

Debates

Objectives-based versus emergent curriculum

Whether curricula should be planned tightly around objectives or allow emergent, learner-driven content.

Key figures

• Franklin Bobbitt
• Ralph Tyler
• Jerome Bruner

Seminal works

• bobbitt-1918
• tyler-1949
• bruner-1960

Frequently asked questions

What is the Tyler rationale?

A framework for curriculum design organized around objectives, learning experiences, organization, and evaluation.