Discuss the historical foundations of curriculum.

HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM

Definition

These refer to those influences on the curriculum that are derived from developments in the past. They form the basis for decision making and systematic growth of the education system.

Relevant aspects in discerning the Historical Foundations of Curriculum
i) Early Christian Education
ii) The Renaissance
iii) The Reformation
iv) The scientific movement
v) The progressive Education Movement

i. Early Christian Education
The values of early Christian education were a blend of Greek, Roman and Hebrew ideals. The early Christian schools taught the liberal arts and also concerned themselves with inducting new believers into church membership.
The Curriculum of the early Christian schools comprised the teaching of discipline, church, doctrine
moral standards, Christian theology, science, mathematics and astronomy.

ii. The Renaissance
Following increased quest for knowledge and thirst for adventure ‘humanistic schools’ were established.
The curriculum of the ‘humanistic schools’ emphasized the study of man as a prerequisite to understanding man’s role and contribution to society.
Humanistic schools received inspiration from traditions in the Roman grammar schools.
The curriculum in ‘humanistic schools’ included good manners, morals, rhetoric composition, sports, games and dance.
Due to increased degree of enlightment during the renaissance period, there arose a need for people with certain vocational skills related to international and national trade. As a result the curriculum of the school started to have an increasing amount of vocational studies in the form of book-keeping, business arithmetic, general correspondence and the keeping of committee minutes and records.
The height of the Renaissance saw the development of the university in response to the need for a higher cadre of professional people with special faculty specializations.
H.G.Good (1960) states that the university then developed faculties to cater for:
- Studies in liberal arts
- Law studies
- Medicine
- Theology

iii. The Scientific movement
The campaigns of Martin Luther, led to the publication of biblical and other materials in the vernaculars so that every person should read for themselves and independently interpret the bible
The humanistic curriculum was enriched with the study of science, mathematics, history and gymnastics.
Ignatius of Loyola developed an expanded and advanced curriculum as a counter movement to the reformation in Jesuit schools.
The reformation contributed further to educational growth by inciting the church into greater activity in elementary, secondary and higher education (cubberley 1968)



iv. The Scientific Movement in Education
Educators and philosophers of the sixteenth century were concerned more with observation regarding the working of the universes.
This was led by Francis Bacon among others. It led to the philosophy of realism which has three district phases, with various implications of the curriculum.
These are Humanistic Realism, Social Realism and Sense Realism.

a. Humanistic Realism
Advocated student mastery of form and content of the old literature as a basis for improving the present world.
The humanistic realist curriculum drew upon classical literature to cope with the problems and needs of the 19th Century.

b. Social Realism
Social Realism aimed at meeting the purposes of the contemporary world.
It was class conscious as a result it advocated an elicit education for the aristocracy.
It emphasized private tuition in the home, using paid tutors.
It aimed at producing a polished gentleman of high society.


c. Sense Realism
It was concerned with problems of the current real world and emphasis on an instructional approach based on sense perception

v. The Progressive movement in Education
The advocates of the progressive movement were reacting against the shortcomings in the traditional school system.
The argued
i) The curriculum content of the traditional system included a great deal of meaningless and needles content.
ii) The traditional curriculum did not give utility education. It mainly emphasized academics
iii) The traditional methods of teaching introduced the child to subject matter of no practical value
iv) The traditional curriculum was rigid and did not cater for the individual needs of particular students.
The progressive education curriculum instead emphasized five approaches to the teaching/learning process.
i) Teacher- pupils planning of curricular activities
ii) Flexible curriculum and individualized instruction
iii) Non-formal curriculum activities and physical training in areas such as games and relatd hobbies.
iv) Learner centered methodology
v) Selection of study material in line with expressed interests and concerns of the learner.
All these allowed children maximum self direction and reduced teacher domination of the teaching/learning proces

---

marto answered the question on May 7, 2019 at 06:28