FOUNDATIONS OF

CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT
Lesson 4:
3. Psychological Foundation of Curriculum

Psychology provides a basis to understand the teaching and learning process. It

unifies elements of the learning process.
3 Groups of Learning Theories:

1. Behaviorism or association theories

2. Cognitive- information processing theories
3. Humanistic theories
(Ornstien & Hunkins,2004)
Association and Behaviorism
(Cognitive Information Processing Theory)

• Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

• Father of the Classical Conditioning Theory the
S-R Theory
• Key to learning is early years of life is to train
what them to become.
• S-R Theory is a foundation of learning practice
called indoctrination.
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)

* Championed the Connectionism

Theory

* Proposed the three laws of learning

- Law of readiness
- Law of exercise
- Law of effect

* Specific stimulus has specific response

* Proposed the Hierarchical Learning
Theory.
Learning follows a hierarchy

* Behavior is based on prerequisite

conditions

* Introduced tasking in the formulation

of objectives.
Jean Piagets (1896-1980)
* Theories Of Jean Piagets
* Describes cognitive development in terms of
stages from birth to maturity
*Sensorimotor stage (0-2)
preoperational stage (2-7)
concrete operation stage (7-11)
and formal operations (11-onwards)

*Key to Learning
* Assimilation (incorporation of new experience)
*Accommodation (learning modification and
adaptation)
*Equilibration (balance between previous and
later learning)
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
* Theory of Lev Vygotsky
* Cultural transmission and development
* Children could, as a result of their interaction
w/ society, actually perform certain cognitive
actions prior to arriving at development stage
* Learning precedes development
* Sociocultural development theory

* Key to Learning
* Pedagogy creates learning processes that
lead to development
* Child is an active agent in his or her
educational process.
Howard Gardner
* Gardner’s multiple intelligences
* Human have several different ways of processing
information and these ways are relatively
independent of one another.
* Eight intelligences:
1. linguistic
2. logico-mathematical
3.musical
4.spatial
5.bodily/kinesthetic
6.interpersonal
7.intrapersonal
8.naturalistic
Daniel Goleman

* Emotion contains the power to affect

action.
* Emotional Quotient
Gestalt
Gestalt Theory
* Learning is explained in terms of “wholeness” of the problem.
* Human being do not respond to isolated stimuli but to an
organization or pattern if stimuli.

* Key to learning
* Learning is complex and abstract.
* Leaners analyze the problem, discriminate
between essential and nonessential data, and
perceive relationships.
* Learners will perceive something in relation to the
whole. What/how they perceive is related to their
previous experiences.
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

* Self-Actualization Theory
* Classic theory of human needs.
* A child whose basic needs are not met will not
be interested in acquiring knowledge of
the world.
* Put important in human emotions, based on
love and trust.

* Key to learning
* Produce a healthy and happy learner
who can accomplish, grow and actualize
his or her human self.
Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
*Nondirective and Therapeutic Learning
*Established counselling procedures and methods for
facilitating learning.
* Children’s perceptions, which are highly
individualistic, influence their learning and behavior in class.

*Key to learning is
* Curriculum concerned with process, not product, personal
needs, not subject matter, psychological meaning, not
cognitive scores.
* Society as a source of change

* Schools as agents of change

* Knowledge as an agent of change

Schools and Society

 Considered two fundamental
elements-schools and civil society
to be major topic needing attention
and reconstruction to encourage
experimental intelligence and
plurality.
Alvin Toffler

 Wrote the book Future Shock

 Believed that knowledge should prepare students
for the future
 Suggested that in the future, parents might have
the resources to teach prescribed curriculum from
home as a result of technology, not in spite of
it.(Home Schooling)
 Foresaw schools and students worked creativity,
collaboratively and independent of their age.