What is curriculum? Curriculum is said to be a very ill-defined term (Huang, 1991) It may carry different meanings when used by teachers, schools and academics. What makes the matter worse is that it is used interchangeably with terms like syllabus, examination syllabus and instruction (Chang,1998). In this session, we would try to clarify what it is. Interpretations of Curriculum The amorphous nature of the word curriculum has given rise over the years to many interpretations. Depending on their philosophical beliefs, persons have conveyed these interpretations among others. Curriculum is that which is taught in school. Curriculum is a set of subjects. Curriculum is content. Curriculum is a program of studies. Curriculum is a sequence of courses.

1. BY
Widya Kurnia Arizona

2. 
 Curriculum is said to be a very ill-defined term
(Huang, 1991)
 It may carry different meanings when used by
teachers, schools and academics. What makes the
matter worse is that it is used interchangeably with
terms like syllabus, examination syllabus and
instruction (Chang,1998).
 In this session, we would try to clarify what it is.
What is curriculum?

3. 
The amorphous nature of the word curriculum has
given rise over the years to many interpretations.
Depending on their philosophical beliefs, persons have
conveyed these interpretations among others.
 Curriculum is that which is taught in school.
 Curriculum is a set of subjects.
 Curriculum is content.
 Curriculum is a program of studies.
 Curriculum is a sequence of courses.
Interpretations of
Curriculum

4. 
 Curriculum is a set of performance objectives.
 Curriculum is a course of study.
 Curriculum is everything that goes on within the school,
including extra-class activities, guidance, and interpersonal
relationships.
 Curriculum is that which is taught both inside of school and
outside of school, directed by the school.
 Curriculum is everything that is planned by school personnel.
 Curriculum is a series f experiences undergone by learners in
school.
 Curriculum is that which an individual learner experiences as a
result of schooling.

5. 
 Definition of curriculum in (1) purposes or goals of
the curriculum, (2) contexts within which the
curriculum is found, or (3) strategies used
throughout the curriculum.
 PURPOSES. The purposes of the curriculum is
transmission of the cultural heritage or The purposes
of the curriculum is the development of reflective
thinking on the part of the learner. A statement of
what the curriculum is mean to achieve does little to
help us sharpen a definition of what curriculum is.
Definition by Purposes,
Contexts and Strategies

6.  CONTEXTS. Definitions of curriculum sometimes
state the settings within which it takes shapes. When
theoretical speak of an essentialist curriculum, a
child-centered curriculum, or a reconstructionist
curriculum, they are invoking two characteristics of
the curriculum at the same time- purposes and
context.
 STRATEGIES. While purpose and context are
sometimes offered as definitions of curriculum an
additional complexity arises when the theoretician
equates curriculum with instruction strategy.

7. 
 “A syllabus is typically a list of content areas which
are to be assessed.” (Print,1993)
 “A curriculum shows by what kind of educational
activities the teacher will fulfill the requirements of
the syllabus … The curriculum is primarily
concerned with method and therefore with
education; it is made up of pedagogical directivities,
intended to provide assistances, advice, suggestions
and information to assist the teachers in carrying out
his task successfully…’(Dottrens,1962)
Syllabus and Curriculum

8. 
 “ The curriculum usually contains a statement of
aims of specific objectivities, it indicates some
selection and organization of content, it either
implies or manifest certain patterns of learning and
teaching, whether because the objectivities demand
them or because the content organization required
them. Finally it induces a program of evaluation of
the outcomes,’ (Taba,1952)

9. 
 “ Curriculum is ‘a system of planed actions for
instruction’ and instruction is the ‘system for putting
the plans into action” (MacDonald, 1965)
 “Basically the curriculum is what happens to
children in school as a result of what teachers do”
(Kansa, 1958)
Curriculum and Instruction

10. 
 “ By ‘curriculum’ we mean the planned experiences
offered to the learner under the guidance of the
school.” (Wheeler, 1967)
 “ Instruction is the delivery of information and
activities learners’ attainment of intended, specific
learning goals. In other words, instruction is the
conduct of activities that we focused on learners
learning specific things.” (Smith & Ragan, 1993, p.2)

11. 
 We may simplistically view curriculum as that which
is taught and instruction as the means used to teach
that which is taught. Even more simply, curriculum
can be conceived as the “what”, or ends, and
instruction as the “how” or means. We may think of
the curriculum as a program, a plan, content, and
learning experiences, whereas we may characterize
instruction as methods, the teaching act,
implementation, and presenatation.
Relationships Between
Curriculum and Instruction