Questions and answers of Curriculum theory and Development

Curriculum Exam

This is an exam which will help students to prepare and succeed their exams about curriculum theory and development. You are advised to read them for preparation only! Good Luck!!

1. Mention the core elements of curriculum.

Answer: Intent (aims, goals, and objectives), content (subject matter), learning experiences (instructional strategies and activities), and evaluation (assessment and measurement)

2. Read the following scenarios, and for each of them identify the type of curriculum that best describes it.

a) A social studies curriculum does not include climate change and sustainable development — topics that deeply affect communities’ future well-being Null curriculum

b) A curriculum emphasizes gender responsive pedagogy, but teachers consistently call on boys more often than girls in math class. Over time, students internalize that boys are better at math than girls Hidden curriculum

c) A school’s debate club trains students to research issues, construct logical arguments, and improve communication skills. Members often debate topics related to their social studies lessons, like democracy, freedom, or human rights Co-curriculum

d) Students are taught about economics and budgeting in theory, but when given a project to create a personal budget, many struggle to apply the concepts Learned or taught curriculum

e) Students voluntarily join the theater club, rehearsing plays after class hours. Their performances improve their confidence, creativity, and communication — though drama is not part of their official social studies curriculum Extra curriculum

3. The table below comprises two columns. Column A presents scenarios that describe how different educational philosophies influence curriculum decisions. Column B presents different educational philosophies. Match each of the scenarios with the corresponding educational philosophy.

Column A: Scenarios	Column B: Educational philosophy
1. A team reviews a curriculum and finds that most reading materials and examples feature male figures. The majority of members propose revising the curriculum to include women’s contributions in science, politics, and history, and to discuss gender stereotypes openly in class.	A. Progressivism
2. Students in an economics class are given standardized tests to evaluate their understanding of key economic principles, and the teacher emphasizes discipline, hard work, and mastery of the subject matter.	B. Essentialism
3. A high school introduces tablets and online tools to help students create interactive presentations, digital stories, and simulations. The goal is to equip students with generic competencies including collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving.	C. Humanism
4. In a philosophy class, students read excerpts from Plato’s “The Republic.” The teacher leads a Socratic dialogue, asking probing questions to help students uncover the meaning of justice and truth. The focus is on reasoning and timeless ideas, not personal opinion.	D. Perennialism
5. A history teacher asks students to reflect on how historical events affected people’s lives rather than only memorizing dates and facts.	E. Reconstructionism

Answers:

1.--------> E

2.-------> B

3.-------> A

4.-------> D

5.-------> C

4. Using the Rwanda’s Competence-Based Curriculum as a reference, explain how psychological factors influence curriculum development.

Answer:

The answer should contain the elements related to learning theories.

Provide learner-centred, active and participative learning experiences
The curriculum must address learners’ individual needs, interests, abilities and backgrounds, creating an environment where learning activities are organized in a way that encourages learners to construct knowledge either individually or in groups in an active way.
Ensure inclusiveness so that every individual is valued and there are high expectations of every learner: Learning must be organised so that all learners thrive, including girls, learners with disabilities, learners with special educational needs and regardless of their background.

Effectively address issues of relevance, scope, sequencing, overlaps, overloads and repetitions;
Teaching and learning is based on discrete skills rather than dwelling on only knowledge or the cognitive domain of learning.
Flexible: The curriculum ensures the provision of a holistic education that includes knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. The curriculum should facilitate horizontal and vertical mobility within and across different education systems.

5. Explain why the intended curriculum may differ from the implemented curriculum.

Answer:

The intended curriculum may differ from the implemented curriculum due to factors:

Teacher-related factors: Teachers’ insufficient teaching skills; Teacher’s inability to translate curriculum intentions into reality; Teacher’s lack of content knowledge; Differences between teachers’ beliefs and underlying ideology of proposed curriculum; Teachers beliefs and attitudes.
Student-related factors: Students’ diverse characteristics,; Students’ different prior knowledge; Insufficient students motivation.
Curriculum related factors: Time restrictions (Insufficient time for the implementation specified in the curriculum); Difficulties of curriculum content (length, demarcation, not being clear, technical jargon etc.); Nature of official curriculum documents.
School related factors: Schools’ lack of resources; Schools’ lack of materials; Classroom environment (physical); Schools’ lack of facilities; Inadequate financial support; Crowded classrooms; Lack of instructional supervision of administrators; Schools’ not being able to provide parent involvement.