1. Curriculum Development
Model
by Robinson 1985
Collected by:
Asmaa m. Abdelrahman

2. Robinson model
Is related to the inquiry and
problem-solving model . Robinson
has focused on curriculum design
in order to ensure that his inquiry
programs can be more easily
integrated into the schools’
existing curricula .

3. The Robinson approach is to
start with specific tasks that
teachers and curriculum
workers usually address when
they are designing or
revamping curricula . These
tasks which Robinson calls
surface tasks are:

4. 1.Developing goal statements.
2.Developing defensible sets of
objectives.
3.Developing descriptions of growth.
4.Develoing instructional objectives.
5.Sequencing objectives.
6.Devising growth schemes related to
instruction and assessment methods.
7.Developing written curriculum
materials.

5. Robinson found out that most
curriculum teams need
assistance in clarifying the
procedures associated with these
tasks e . g the teacher might
generate a list of goals by simply
writing down possible goals as
they come to mind(e.g.
brainstorming) or by recalling
goals statements employed in the

6. Robinson argues that
without more-detailed
procedures for curriculum
design , this type of
activity will not have
much of an impact on
student growth.

7. There are three
key assumptions
in the
Robinson model

8. A. Curriculum guidelines do not provide the
teacher with much assistance in actually
instructing students about complex
intellectual tasks.
B . The task of curriculum design involves
matters of choice , such as the selection of
objectives and intended learning outcomes .
C. The goal of curriculum developer is to
make defensible choice that can be
supported with reference to specific criteria.

9. The uniqueness of the
Robinson model is its
explication of detailed
procedures for each of the
surface tasks. These
procedures are elaborated into
two stages:

10. 1. In the first step , each task
is approached as a problem to
be solved , so that the
curriculum worker must
identify the framework for each
problem . This framework then
will be used to clarify further
procedures.

11. 2. In the second step, an image of what is an
educated person is used to develop the
content of the matrix . Robinson calls the
second step a recovery task . In this task , the
dominant qualities of an educated person (e .
g the ability to solve problems) are listed
across the top of the matrix and the dominant
contexts in which these qualities are found
are listed from top to bottom in the matrix. To
develop the goals for a course, these
dominant qualities and contexts are adapted
to specific courses .

12. In the Robinson model , each
surface task generates one or
more analytic tasks and one or
more recovery tasks. For the
curriculum designer to go from
major goal statements to
specific instructional course
objectives , he/she must do
the following :

13. 1. Develop an objectives-
classification scheme.
2.Develop(organizing sets) for
each relevant category in this
scheme.
3.Adapt the material in the
organizing sets to fit the
particular curriculum space.

14. The organizing sets allow the teacher
to identify the knowledge and skills
that are most important and can thus
act as organizers for other concepts
and skills in the curriculum ,
organizing sets can be developed for
knowledge , skills , and beliefs
.Robinson acknowledges that this
process is arduous , but he claims
that it is necessary if objectives are
to move beyond low-level cognitive
skill level

15. A key feature of Robinson
system is that it offers field-
developed procedures for
describing growth toward the
attainment of educational
objectives.
There are four basic steps in
developing a growth scheme for
any objective:

16. 1.Identify a task that calls for a behavior
designated by the objective.
2.Adminster the task to groups of
increasingly greater maturity in respect to
this behavior.
3. By comparing performances of groups of
different maturity. Identify major differences
and articulate them as dimensions of
growth.
4.Identify describable levels within each
dimension.

17. A summary of Robinson model
A . It has developed instructional procedures
for moving students through the stages of
growth scheme.
B . The most effective procedure involves a
highly interactive process in which students
articulate and gradually incorporate rules for
operating at the higher levels of the particular
growth scheme.

18. C . written curriculum materials, developed
by Robinson are related to this instructional
process .Robinson has studied how these
written materials can be related to teacher
behavior and teacher growth.
D. Robinson model includes one of the most
sophisticated curriculum system that we
know of. The uniqueness of this model is the
powerful procedures it contains for
developing and analyzing curriculum.

19. E. These procedures are rooted in a clear
conception of inquiry and problem-solving ,
because of its clear theoretical base ,this
model should be very appealing to curriculum
workers who are concerned with teaching
higher level cognitive skills.
F. the concern about this model is that it is
not easily accessible . some tasks are
complex , the text will help making this model
more accessible.