Definition of curriculum

The difference between planned,

enacted and hidden curriculum

The difference between

curriculum, syllabus, course and
programme

HUMAMAGESWAR MOORTHY
KASTURI RAJAGOPAL
NANTHINI SUBRAMANIAM
DEFINITIONS OF CURRICULUM
Curriculum is defined as the experiences
that someone ought to have in order to
become the kind of adult they ought to
become.

Tanner (1980) defined curriculum as the

planned and guided learning experiences
and intended outcomes, formulated
through the systematic reconstruction of
knowledge and experiences under the
auspices of the school, for the learners
continuous and wilful growth in personal
Schubert (1987) defines
curriculum as the contents of a
subject, concepts and tasks to be
acquired, planned activities, the
desired learning outcomes and
experiences, product of culture
and an agenda to reform society.

Pratt (1980) defines curriculum

as a written document that
systematically describes goals
planned, objectives, content,
learning activities, evaluation
Goodlad and Su (1992) define
curriculum as a plan that
consists of learning
opportunities for a specific
timeframe and place, a tool that
aims to bring about behavioural
changes in students as a result
of planned activities and
includes all learning experiences.
Ralph Tyler (1949) Basic Principles
of Curriculum and Instruction,
stressed four basic questions for
teachers to use when developing
curriculum that are still appropriate
today:

What shall we teach?

How shall we teach it?
How can we organize it?
How can we evaluate it?
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CURRICULUM
AND SYLLABUS
Basic for Curriculum Syllabus
comparison
Meaning Curriculum is the Syllabus is the
overall content, taught document that contains
in an educational all the portion of the
system or a course concepts covered in a
subject.

Set for A course A subject

Nature
Prescriptive Descriptive
Scope
Wide Narrow
Set out by Government or the
administration of Exam board
school, college or
institute.
Term Till the course lasts. For a fixed term,
normally a year.
Uniformity Same for all teachers. Varies from teacher to
teacher.
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COURSE AND
PROGRAMME

Course Programme

Definition A series of lectures or Includes a series of

classes taken to fulfil lectures or courses to
requirements of a complete a programme
subject. or to attain a degree
Term Short term, one Long term, multiple
semester semester around 3-4
years
Number of professors or Usually one or two More than one or two,
lecturers depending on the
numbers of classes
taken
Completion Get a grade Get a degree or
certificate
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLANNED,
ENACTED AND HIDDEN CURRICULUM

Type of curriculum Description

It is written as part of formal

instruction of schooling experiences.
Planned Refer to a curriculum document, texts,
curriculum films, and supportive teaching materials
that are overtly chosen to support
the intentional instructional
agenda of a school.

It is confined to those written

understandings and directions formally
designated and reviewed by
administrators, curriculum directors and
teachers, often collectively
Type of curriculum Description

massive, ongoing, informal

curriculum of family, peer groups,
neighbourhoods, churches,
organizations, occupations, mass
media, and other socializing forces
Enacted that educate all of us throughout
our lives.
Curriculum
It can be expanded to include the
powerful effects of social media and
ow it actively helps create new
perspectives, and can help shape
both individual and public opinion.
 Type of curriculum Description

It is implied by the very structure

and nature of schools, much of what
revolves around daily or established
routines.
Hidden Refers to the kinds of learning
curriculum children derive from the very nature
and organizational design of the
public school, as well as from the
behaviours and attitudes of teachers
and administrators.

Include both positive or negative

messages, depending on the models
provided and the perspectives of the
learner or the observer.