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ON-LINE ASSIGNMENT

PRINCIPLES AND
APPROACHES OF
CURRICULAR
ORGANISATION


SUBMITTED TO : Smt. Geetha Teacher
SUBMITTED BY : Sethulekshmi.R
SUBMITTED ON : 26.09.2014


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Index
Sl.No Content Page
No
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8.

Introduction
ORGANISATION OF THE
CURRICULUM
NEW APPROCHES TO
CURRICULUM
ORGANISATION
Topical approach
Spiral approach
Logical approach
Unitary approach
Conclusion




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INTRODUCTION
The word curriculum is derived from the Latin
word CERRERE which means run .Thus curriculum means a course to
be run for reaching a certain goal or destination. According to
Cunningham, Curriculum is a tool in hands of an artist (teacher) to
mould his material (the pupil) in accordance with his ideals in his
studio (the school). Derek Rowntree in a dictionary of education has
defined curriculum as, Total surface ides and activities developed by
an educational institution to meet the needs of students and to achieve
educational aims. The curriculum covers not only the course of study
but also covers all the wider area of individual and group life. A good
curriculum is the sum total of good learning experiences that the pupil
have in order to achieve the goals of education which determine the
direction of these experience.

ORGANISATION OF THE CURRICULUM
(1.1) Principles of curriculum organization
The arrangement of topics in each class should be guided
by the students ability to grasp, assimilate retain and apply the
mathematical concepts of a particular age level. The focus should be on
the child and its capabilities rather than on the amount of information to
be presented. The arrangement should be concrete to abstract. The
following are the principle while organizing the mathematics
curriculum.

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(1.1.1) Principle of correlation
Organizing the content in mathematics curriculum the
principle of correlation should be followed. The following four types of
correlation should be considered:
a) Correlation with life
b) Correlation with other subject
c) Correlation between different branches of mathematics
d) Correlation between different topics in the same branch of the
mathematics
(1.1.2) Principles of logical and psychological order
An integrated approach combining both logical and
psychological order should be followed in the organization of
mathematical curriculum. The arrangement of the content should display
sequential development of topics which is most appropriate for the
student of that age level.
(1.1.3) Principle of activity
Learning by doing makes learning more meaningful. The
curriculum organization should take into consideration the type of
activities that should be provided for the effective learning of the
content. The activities that help in relating abstract mathematical
concepts with the concrete object will induce enthusiasm and interest
among children. The activities include:
a) Personal and home activities
b) Vocational activities
c) Recreational activities
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d) National activities
e) Community, civic and social activities
(1.1.4) Principle of vertical correlation
The content organized for a class should be based on the
syllabus covered in the lower classes and in turn it should from the basis
for the organization of the content in the higher classes. This is called
vertical correlation. Topics arranged in any classes also should follow
the vertical correlation leading from simple topic to complex ones.
(1.1.5) The creation of difficulty
The organization of the concept should be in the increasing
order of difficulty. The difficulty level of the topic is to be judged from
the pupils point of view based on the mental development and capability
of the pupil.
(1.1.6) Principle of motivation
The organization of the content should be enthuse children to
learn. The content presented should be challenging interesting and
exciting.
(1.1.7) Adaptation to individual difference
The arrangement of the content for each class and level
should be cater to the needs of the different categories of the children.
There should be topics which are challenging for mathematically gifted
students and topics suitable for average and slow learners in
mathematics. Similarly needs of students from rural and urban areas and
from different community have to be given due to weightage while
arranging mathematics curriculum.

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NEW APPROCHES TO CURRI CULUM ORGANI SATI ON
There are different approaches to organize the mathematics
curriculum. The important among them are:
a) Topical approach
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b) Spiral approach
c) Logical and psychological approach
d) Unitary approach
e) Concentric and spiral
(1.2.1) Topical approach
In topical approach a topic ones presented should be
completely exhausted in the same class. This method demands that the
entire topic the portions easy as well as the difficult should be covered in
the same stage. The approach has a number of drawbacks
This is not a psychological approach as the students are forced to
learn many things for which they have no immediate need and
relevance.
Some parts of the topic will be more complex and difficult for the
learner to understand at the stage.
It does not take into account the mental development of the
student.
It introduces a large amount of irrelevant matter, the use of which
cannot be appreciated by the learner at this stage,
Topics are ones completed receive no attention at later stages and
there is every likelihood of them being forgotten.
Dealing with the same topic for a lengthy period of time makes the
learning dull, disinteresting and boring.
It is not feasible to do any topic toTa its entirety in any
class. Instead a topic should be graded and arranged according to
increasing order of difficulty. Each part should be introduced at a
stage when the student has the need to learn and the student has the
intellectual development and capability to understand and appreciate
what is presented to him.
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(1.2.2) Spiral approach
Mathematics curriculum emphasized the importance of
interrelating and interweaving the different mathematical topics to be
taken up throughout school period and envisaged the progressive
broadening and deepening of the childes mathematical knowledge and
insight by what is called Spiral approach.
Spiral approach demands the division of the topic into a
number of smaller independent unit to be dealt with in order of difficulty
suiting the mental capabilities of children. It is based on the principle
that a topic cannot be given an exhaustive treatment at one stage. To
began with the elementary concept are presented in one class, gaps are
filled in the next class, and more gaps a year or too later, in accordance
with the amount of knowledge which the students are capable of
assimilating.
The spiral approach has the following advantages:
Subject matter is introduced in the increasing order of difficulty, in
accordance with the needs and capacities of the students. It helps in
better understanding of the content.
It satisfies the psychological needs of the students.
The students are able to appreciate the relevance and significance
of what they learn.
It provides sufficient motivation for the students to learn.
It provides opportunities for revision.
It provides opportunities to relate the topic with other topics, other
branches and other subjects.

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(1.2.3) Logical and Psychological Approach
In the development of a particular branch of
mathematics, the mathematician is chiefly concern with a logical
rigorous treatment of the subject matter, where as the teacher is usually
concerned with its psychological organization and presentation. It is the
curriculum organizer who is called upon to integrate the two approaches.
The combination of two- Logical and Psychological is very desirable
and feasible . Psychological education should make it logical as well.
Psychology should decide what kind of logic is
appropriate for the pupils of a certain age and which type of topic will be
most suitable for the development of such logical thinking. Logic will
help in maintaining the link and sequence of topic which are useful and
meaningful for the child. In combination these two view points can
make the subject matter interesting and comprehensive.
(1.2.4) Unitary Approach
The student learn mathematics with its different
branches and topics in water light compartments. So in the last few
decades the teachers in mathematics have searched for broad unifying
principles which could be made the core of mathematics course.
The most frequently mentioned unifying factor in arithmetic, algebra,
geometry and indeed in all mathematical subjects is the function
concept. If unifying principles are made the base of organization, the
course will be greatly improved.

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Conclusion.
Teaching learning process does not operate in vacuum.
Certain planned experiences have to be provided in school. So that the
optimum human development according to the needs of particular
country is possible. Thus the curriculum in recent years has come to
mean all the planned activities and experiences available to the students
under the direction of the school. Curriculum is dynamic and changes
according to the needs of the pupil and the society.
Reference
1.Teaching of mathematics-Dr.Anice james
2 Teaching of mathematics-S K .Mangal

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