Approaches to curriculum planning

Abstract

This booklet describes different ways used to tackle the problem of curriculum planning. By studying these approaches teachers can get an insight into the process in their own school. First they must decide whether there should be a particular focus for curriculum planning and if so what it should be. In the light of this they can modify their school's approach. To what extent do they wish to focus on: aims and objectives (engineering approach), teaching methods (mechanics approach), content (cookbook approach), timetable (railway approach), problems (detective approach), one idea or strategy (religious approach), the regulations (bureaucratic approach), or a curriculum designed to attract sponsorship (public relations approach)? The magician approach, in which it is not clear how a curriculum is developed, is not recommended. Second, what should be the pattern of staff involvement--a representative group or committee (United Nations approach), all the teachers (people's congress approach), one individual (the dictator approach), a collaboration with students, patients and other professional colleagues (consumer approach), or a collaboration with an external consultant (consultant approach)? Whichever approach is adopted, advantages should be maximized and deficiencies minimized.