SEHS Curriculum Development and Design 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which curriculum design model emphasizes starting with clear learning objectives before selecting content and instructional strategies?
- Activity-centered design
- Backward design (Correct answer)
- Subject-centered design
- Experience-centered design
Correct answer: Backward design
Backward design, developed by Wiggins and McTighe, begins with identifying desired outcomes before planning instruction.
Question 2: A school wants to ensure its curriculum reflects students' cultural backgrounds and lived experiences. Which approach best supports this goal?
- Core curriculum
- Culturally responsive curriculum (Correct answer)
- Spiral curriculum
- Hidden curriculum
Correct answer: Culturally responsive curriculum
Culturally responsive curriculum intentionally incorporates students' cultural references and experiences into all aspects of learning.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a scope and sequence document in curriculum planning?
- To list required textbooks for each grade
- To define what is taught and in what order across grade levels (Correct answer)
- To outline teacher evaluation criteria
- To record student assessment scores
Correct answer: To define what is taught and in what order across grade levels
A scope and sequence document maps the breadth of content covered (scope) and the order in which it is taught (sequence).
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the 'null curriculum'?
- Content that is mandated by state standards
- Topics and subjects that schools choose not to teach (Correct answer)
- The emotional lessons students learn from peers
- Assessment frameworks used to measure learning
Correct answer: Topics and subjects that schools choose not to teach
The null curriculum refers to content that schools deliberately or inadvertently exclude from formal instruction.
Question 5: A curriculum designer wants to build on students' prior knowledge while introducing increasingly complex concepts over multiple years. This reflects which principle?
- Differentiation
- Integration
- Articulation
- Continuity (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Continuity
Continuity ensures that key concepts and skills are repeatedly revisited and reinforced across grade levels.
Question 6: Which stakeholder group is typically responsible for approving official curriculum frameworks at the state level?
- Individual classroom teachers
- Parent-teacher associations
- State boards of education (Correct answer)
- University professors
Correct answer: State boards of education
State boards of education hold authority over approving curriculum frameworks and academic standards within their jurisdiction.
Question 7: In a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum, the primary vehicle for student learning is:
- Direct instruction from a textbook
- Memorization of key facts and definitions
- Investigation of complex, real-world problems (Correct answer)
- Standardized test preparation activities
Correct answer: Investigation of complex, real-world problems
PBL organizes curriculum around authentic, complex problems that students investigate to develop content knowledge and skills.
SEHS Curriculum Development and Design 2
Which curriculum design model emphasizes starting with clear learning objectives before selecting content and instructional strategies?