FED Curriculum Theory and Development 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which curriculum theory argues that school knowledge is a social construction that reflects the interests of those in power?
- Technical-scientific curriculum theory
- Reconceptualist curriculum theory (Correct answer)
- Perennialist curriculum theory
- Behavioral objectives theory
Correct answer: Reconceptualist curriculum theory
Reconceptualist curriculum theorists like William Pinar argue that curriculum must be understood as a political, social, and cultural text reflecting power relations rather than neutral content.
Question 2: The 'spiral curriculum,' developed by Jerome Bruner, proposes that:
- All subjects should be taught simultaneously each year
- Complex ideas should be introduced early and revisited with increasing depth and sophistication across grades (Correct answer)
- Curriculum should spiral outward from local to global topics
- Students should repeat the same content until mastery is achieved
Correct answer: Complex ideas should be introduced early and revisited with increasing depth and sophistication across grades
Bruner's spiral curriculum revisits fundamental concepts repeatedly across grade levels, each time with greater complexity and abstraction appropriate to the student's cognitive development.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes an 'outcome-based' curriculum?
- A curriculum organized by chronological content units
- A curriculum where instruction is organized around clearly defined student performance outcomes (Correct answer)
- A curriculum that prioritizes teacher lecture over student activity
- A curriculum derived from professional practitioner surveys
Correct answer: A curriculum where instruction is organized around clearly defined student performance outcomes
Outcome-based education (OBE) organizes all curriculum, instruction, and assessment around explicit statements of what students will be able to do upon completion.
Question 4: In curriculum theory, 'curriculum alignment' refers to:
- Ensuring all teachers in a school use the same textbook
- The coherence among written curriculum, taught curriculum, and tested curriculum (Correct answer)
- Matching curriculum to students' cultural backgrounds
- Aligning school schedules with state testing calendars
Correct answer: The coherence among written curriculum, taught curriculum, and tested curriculum
Curriculum alignment ensures that what is planned (written), what is actually taught (enacted), and what is assessed (tested) are consistent and mutually reinforcing.
Question 5: The 'enacted curriculum' refers to:
- Curriculum legislation passed by state legislatures
- The curriculum as it is actually delivered by teachers in classrooms (Correct answer)
- The official written standards published by the state
- Curriculum used in after-school programs
Correct answer: The curriculum as it is actually delivered by teachers in classrooms
The enacted (or 'lived' or 'operational') curriculum is what teachers actually teach day-to-day, which may differ significantly from the official written curriculum.
Question 6: Which curriculum design approach organizes content around the needs, interests, and experiences of learners rather than academic disciplines?
- Subject-centered design
- Learner-centered design (Correct answer)
- Broad-fields design
- Activity analysis design
Correct answer: Learner-centered design
Learner-centered curriculum design, influenced by Dewey and progressivism, builds content around student interests, developmental needs, and real-life experiences.
FED Curriculum Theory and Development 2
Which curriculum theory argues that school knowledge is a social construction that reflects the interests of those in power?