The Nature and Purpose of Curriculum Evaluation

Posted: August 26th, 2021

The Nature and Purpose of Curriculum Evaluation

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The Nature and Purpose of Curriculum Evaluation

Part 1

            By definition, curriculum refers to the interactive system of issuing instructions and learning following specific strategies, goals, resources, and contents. According to Hunkins and Ornstein (2016), the desired outcome of any curriculum is usually the successful transfer and development of knowledge, attitudes, and skills in learners. As a field of study, the curriculum is essential in realizing the proper health of schools and society. That is, curriculum entails consideringboth the subjects that students are taught in schools and the experiences that people get while going about life in the “Universal College of Life” within the society. As such, the curriculum is a very dynamic field since it results from social activity, and it is usually designed to address both the current and the emerging necessities (Nasta, 2017). As these societal necessities alwaysemerge – for example, the present-day digitization of government services to its citizenry- so does the need to change and evaluate the curriculum for school-going children. Hence, it is crucial to thoroughly evaluate curriculum changes to ensure that the set goals are met at every step of implementation, as is explained in the subsequent parts of this paper.

            Before going deep into curriculum changes and the corresponding evaluation, it is essential to note that throughout the world, several curriculum approaches exist. Each of these approaches is usually a reflection of the perceptions, knowledge, and values of the people in that region (McCormick & James, 2018). Notably, schools have over time, showing the tendency of sticking to a particular curriculum approach, whereas specific educators adopt different approaches depending on the situation. There are both technical and nontechnical curriculum approaches (Hunkins & Ornstein, 2016). The technical approaches reflect the well-established and formal methods of schooling. They include behavioral analysis, managerial and system approaches. Nontechnical approaches, on the other hand, tend to challenge the established and formal methods of schooling. They include a postmodern approach, humanistic, and academic approach. Each of these approaches contributes significantly to the betterment of schools, society, and the productivity of the students churned out of the education system.

Part 2

            As mentioned earlier, curriculums in different parts of the world do change from time to time, depending on societal needs.Therefore, teachers need to understand the need for putting in place an apt curriculum evaluation process. Tasked with the duty of explaining that need to teachers, I will highlight for them several reasons. Firstly, evaluation is necessary for assessing how a given curriculum and instructions are addressing the educational development of students. As such, teachers should not use curriculum evaluation merely as a tool of claiming bragging rights in the world community. Secondly, evaluation enables teachers to compare the various academic programs in terms of their effectiveness. Thus, through curriculum evaluation, teachers will be able to know how their students performed academically in comparison to other students at the state, federal, or international levels.

            Thirdly, evaluation is necessary for enabling teachers to accurately determine a particular curriculum’s strengths and weaknesses before and after its implementation. Basing on the significant role that the education curriculum plays in shaping the knowledge, values, and skills of a country’s citizenry, the abolishment of a weak curriculum –upon accurate determination- will help teachers produce the best possible workforce that can in turn scale a country’s economic development to greater heights. Fourthly, curriculum evaluation is crucial in helping with the drafting of effective performance reward systems for teachers. In most parts of the world, teachers are promoted based on their performance. Therefore, with well-established reward systems in place, more teachers will be encouraged to give their best while dispensing their duties so that they can get the much-coveted promotions. To equip teachers with knowledge on the need for curriculum evaluation, I will arrange for seminars on a district by district basis where I will relay this arguably invaluable information to them.

References

Hunkins, F. P., & Ornstein, A. C. (2016). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues. Pearson Education.

McCormick, R., & James, M. (2018). Curriculum evaluation in schools. Routledge.

Nasta, T. (2017). How to design a vocational curriculum: A practical guide for schools and colleges. Routledge.