CURRICULUM STUDIES IN SOCIAL STUDIES MARKING SCHEME
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST EXAMINSTION
EBS 248 Curriculum in Social studies
Marking Scheme
QUES.1
Explain 5 Advantages/Strengths of an integrated Curriculum.
Integrated Curriculum
It is one of the radical and aggressive attempts made to do away with the presentation of knowledge in bits and pieces which is a characteristic of the subject curriculum. It seeks to present knowledge and perspectives about the world as one whole by unifying, regrouping, combining and bringing together bodies of knowledge and ideas from different subject areas into a harmonious relationship and a close association with each other. This enables learners to appreciate problems in their fullness and from different perspectives. Examples of integrated subjects in Ghanaian schools are basic design and technology, RME, integrated science, social studies. However, there are different types of integration that demands special time table arrangement and structural organization. These are multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, intra disciplinary and transdisciplinary.
Strengths
■ Learners perceive knowledge as an integrated whole since a concept is explained from the stand point of varying bodies of knowledge.
■ Learners are exposed to the accumulated wisdom of the ages which helps to maintain the cultural heritage of the society.
■ Discourages memorization since understanding of concepts is reinforced by different bodies of knowledge.
* Promotes development of problem-solving skills in learners since knowledge is 'borrowed' from subject areas to solve problems.
■ It eliminates repetition of topics in different subject areas where necessary.
QUES. 2
Every curriculum has aims,goals and objectives.Examine 5 criteria for setting curriculum objectives in Social studies.
Criteria
Validity:It is important for the content selected to be valid. Technically, the word validity in this context implies a close connection between content and the goals or objectives which it is intended to serve. In this sense, content is valid if it promotes the outcome that it is intended to promote. Another aspect of validity is concerned with authenticity, the extent to which the subject matter is true. Due to social dynamism, knowledge is accumulating and changing so rapidly that learning is in danger of obsolescence. Such that what is true today might not be true tomorrow.
Significance: This relates to the importance of the materials chosen. This attempts to find questions to answers such as whether the content is logically central enough to apply to a wide range of issues and problems. The answer suggests that the fundamental understandings in a subject must be widely applicable as well as powerful in the sense that they provide for the organization of discrete facts and help to explain them, take account of interrelationships and can be used for prediction and the discovery of new knowledge.
Needs and interests of learners: The needs and interests of the learner play an importance role in the selection of content.Specifically, the needs and interests must be linked with the total development of the learner- cognitive, affective and psychomotor-if the content selected is not consistent with the three categories of educational objectives which constitute the needs of the learner in an institution the desirable change in behaviour will not occur. This is because the necessary motivation will not be there to generate the expected outcomes. Also, if the content does not suit learners, their interest will be directed towards other things and the desired change will not be realised.
Utility: This basically deals with how useful selected content is to learners. Content that is geared towards achieving lesson objectives, subject and institutional goals and ultimately the national educational aims must be selected on the basis of the extent to which it will be useful to the learners themselves and the society from which they are coming from. This is very important since learners must get back into the society to help solve problems. The content must also not enable learners solve only their current problems but future problems.
Learnability: It is important to begin by saying that learners' ability and difficulty are two sides of the same time. They differ; however, difficulty is usually expressed in statistical terms by saying an item of content is suitable for say primary six pupils, meaning that a certain proportion of the sample if tested can learn the item in a given time. From the teachers' point of view, learnability or difficulty is a different matter. It is important to take into consideration whether the content selected can be learned by the target population. The item must not be too easy or too difficult for the group. In either case motivation will be stifled. This implies that the content must commensurate with the developmental level of learners.
Feasibility: This bothers on the selection of content in the light of the resources available; personnel, materials or facilities, funds and time. In selecting content for learners consideration must be given to all these. It is important to find out about the availability of teachers with the requisite competencies to teach a particular subject before it is introduced otherwise in the short term provision must be made for that through various forms of in service training and in the long term reviews must be effected in teacher education programmes. Content should also be selected and structured in a way that it can be dealt with within the time allotted to it. Sometimes very important aspects of content are omitted because the circumstances under which they will be dealt with have not been considered.
Consistency with social realities: Subject matter should be chosen to provide the most useful orientation to the environment- social, material, economic, political-in which the learner lives hence the need for situational analysis.
QUES. 3
Discuss 5 factors that have accounted for a curriculum change in Ghana.
Change is a constant law of nature. It always brings improvement. It always occurs Continuously. Technological advancement and explosion of knowledge is the basic reason of varying style of change. Change is an ongoing, almost unconscious process that involves reworking familiar elements into new relationship. While all changes do not lead to improvement, all improvement requires change. The ability to develop, test, and implement changes is essential for any individual, group, or organization that wants to continuously improve. There are many kinds of changes that will lead to improvement, but these specific changes are developed from a limited number of change concepts. There appears to be no major difference between the concepts of change and improvement as far curriculum is concerned. Indeed, literature of curriculum studies is replete with authors who use the two terms or concepts of curriculum change and improvement interchangeably. As indicated earlier, while all changes do not lead improvement, all improvement requires change. It is therefore appropriate to attempt to indicate what can lead to curriculum change and the features of a curriculum change the factors that may call for curriculum improvement and its features. It must be added that, some of the factors that will call for curriculum change can also be found in factors that determine the development of a curriculum. The factors accounting for curriculum change include the following:
Improvement in Technology: Technology is one of the main driving forces behind curriculum change. With new and evolving technologies, curriculum in use often become obsolete as new devices can make the instructional process more meaningful. For instance, with technology a teacher can teach a very large class without having to shout at the top of his/her voice. This is made possible because of the use of audio devices, computers, projectors among others. With these technological tools at hand the old concept of large classeswill have to be rethought in developing a curriculum. Indeed, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic tutors and teachers at various levels of education are encouraged to move on to E-learning. The E-learning being encouraged now may eventually lead to a change in the curriculum to meet the demands of technology.
State of the National Economy: One of the driving forces behind a curriculum is the health of a nations economy. If there is major improvement in the economy, the curriculum may be changed to meet the new standard. This explains why very developed or industrialised economies have different types of educational systems from developing economies. Among the developing economies too, their educational infrastructure are different because of the differences in our economies. On the other hand, when there is a sharp and sustained decline in a countrys economy, the planned curriculum may be rethought. For instance, the policy of Free SHS education in Ghana may not be sustained if the COVID-19 should continue for two years.
Credibility and suitability of existing curriculum: Where there is public outcry about the credibility of the educational system or curriculum in use people will clamour for a change. This change was witnessed in the 1987 Education Reform which introduced the Junior Secondary School concept in place of the then middle schools. It was thought that the middle school curriculum was no longer relevant and therefore had lost credibility and therefore needed to be changed. The change brought in masonry, carpentry, life skills, home economics in place of History, Geography English and Math.
Competing demands of governments: There may be the need for curriculum change when there is competing demands on the government but with little resources. Areas of the various curricula in use that may be seen to be a drain on the country resources may be redesigned. When the education reform was launched in 1987, equipment for carpentry, tailoring masonry works were purchased with the aid of a world bank loan. After exhausting the loan, the government of Ghana has resorted to teaching technical skills without the needed equipment. ICT was recently introduced in the schools but no computers are supplied this has led to a decline in the interest the pupils and teachers had in ICT.
Interest groups Demands: There may also be a change in the curriculum when employers of the graduates of a particular education system are said not to be up to the task of jobs available. In Ghana, it is common to hear industry players bemoan the typeof graduates being churned out. Some industries even go to the extent of refusing certain caliber of graduates because of their perceived or nonperformance. When the cry becomes very pervasive there may be the need to change the curriculum to meet the needs of industry and the world of work at large.
Media: Closely related to the above is the role of a vibrant media. Where there is a huge cry almost on daily basis from the media about the poor quality of manpower in the country, it may lead to a change in the country. If the country has the needed resources it may be forced to carry out a massive overhaul of the entire educational system thus affecting the curriculum in use.
Examination system and Examinations bodies: Reports from Examiners and examining bodies may yet constitute a major reason that may lead to a change the curriculum. The reports from Chief Examiners of various examinations bodies also play different roles in bringing about changes in some aspects of the curriculum.
Teaching methods: Evolving new pedagogical approaches may call for changes in the curriculum to meet the demands of the new teaching methods. Over the years, new methodologies have evolved for different subject areas. This has equally called for a change in the curriculum to meet the new demands.
QUES. 4
Identify and discuss any 5 criteria used in selecting Educational Learning Experiences.
Criteria
Validity: Learning experience is considered valid if it produces the intended learning outcomes stated in the objectives. They should therefore be consistent with the stated objective such that they promote and facilitate its achievement. This suggests that direct provision must be made for specific learning outcomes by consciously selecting particular kinds of experience. For instance, if learners are to cultivate independent mindedness then opportunities must be created for learners for this in many areas of school work.
Comprehensiveness: Another aspect of relationship between objectives and experiences is scope or comprehensiveness. This suggests that all objectives which are stated should have corresponding experiences to ensure the demonstration of desired learning outcomes. This also implies that experiences should be provided to cater for all the three domains of learning-cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Wheeler argues that what is disturbing about the lack of correspondence between objectives and experiences is that, more often a full range of objectives are stated but experiences provided cater only for the development of one area, usually the cognitive domain. Even here, though objectives may refer to critical thinking or analysis, experiences may be such that it will result only in the acquisition of specific facts or isolated pieces of information. No provision is made for higher order thinking. It is clear that different types of learning outcomes require different types of experiences.
Variety: This criterion is closely related to comprehensiveness. Developmental studies have shown that children do not only need learning of different kinds but they also learn at different
rates and through different methods, they therefore perceive things differently because they have different backgrounds. This indicates the need for variety. The great variety of experiences presented provides the learner with the opportunity of exploring and perceiving a particular concept from different angles. This broadens learners' outlook and horizon. This contributes to learners' total and maximum growth.
Balance: It involves the placing of equal emphasis on all aspects or issues in the curriculum. Considering balance in the provision of learning experiences may be tackled from two angles- the needs of learners and the demands of society. If too much attention is devoted to societal needs and demands the personal development of learners may be stifled. In order words if too much emphasis is on the transmission of the cultural heritage it may rely heavily on a subject matter pattern that leaves little or no space for learners' needs and interest. The reverse is also the case. This sets up an unwarranted opposition between individuals' interests and needs and the conventional subject areas of organized knowledge. Such a situation has serious implications for the curriculum. Therefore, emphasis must be placed on both in order to create balance. There should also be equal emphasis on both core and elective subjects and all the three domains of development.
Suitability: The psychologies of learning have provided a lot of information on the growth and development of learners. Learners are unique in many ways. Though they may be of the same age and at a particular level or class, by virtue of their varying background and exposures they may demonstrate different emotional dispositions, intellectual capacities, and physical abilities which may influence their interaction with
conditions in the environment. It is therefore important that all these are considered in the provision of experiences for learners in groups and as individuals.
Relevance to life: Learning becomes more worthwhile, useful and rewarding if learners are able to apply what they have learnt outside school due to contextual similarities. Transfer is greatest when the learning situation is more like the situation in which the learning is to be used. Learning then becomes meaningful. It is therefore important that in providing learning experiences there is the need to provide those that learners are familiar and can easily identify with. This makes the experience relevant. To put it simple, it is about bringing the community into the school or classroom because no school can operate successfully if it is isolated from the socio-cultural surrounding. Therefore, learning experiences provided should be such that learners can make use of them outside and after school.
Learners' participation in planning: Cooperative planning is an essential recipe for successful learning. Studies have shown that when learners are involved in putting together what to learn their interest is excited and they become committed to what they learn. It is instructive to note that learners' make a selection from the experiences presented to them. The selection is largely influenced by whether the experiences are useful or consistent with their purpose. Whether learners engage in the experiences willingly or reluctantly, whether the experiences are retained or forgotten, whether students cannot learn or will not learn what is planned for them, the fact that they do not always learn indicates how much power they have to select or reject what they are presented. In order for learners to derive
the full benefits learning brings, it is important to include them in the planning of experiences required for a particular lesson. This can be done by asking individuals or groups of learners to present some materials needed for a particular lesson.
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