Part I.

FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

A. Philosophical Foundations
1. Perennialism
a. Definition:
Perennialism aims to develop student’s intellectual and moral qualities. They emphasize that
students should not be taught information that may soon be outdated or found to be incorrect.
Classrooms are centered on teachers. It ensures that students acquire understandings about
the great ideas of western civilization.
Perennialism teaches concepts and focuses on knowledge and the meaning of knowledge. It
aimed at teaching students ways of thinking that will secure individual freedoms, human
rights, and responsibilities through the nature. It is called teacher centered because it
emphasizes the importance of transferring knowledge, information and skills from the older
generation to the younger one. The teacher is not concern at the student’s interest.
It focuses on the curriculum and nature need. The teacher set everything based on the
syllabus.
A perennialist classroom aims to be a closely organized and well-disciplined environment,
which develops in students a lifelong quest for the truth. Perennialists believe that education
should epitomize a prepared effort to make these ideas available to students and to guide
their thought processes toward the understanding and appreciation of the great works; works
of literature written by history’s finest thinkers that transcend time and never become
outdated. Perennialists are primarily concerned with the importance of mastery of the content
and development of reasoning skills. It is based on the philosophy of realism, traditional and
conservative, and follows the beliefs of Aristotle. Education should be based unchanging,
absolute, and universal truths.

b. Aim: Train the students intellect and moral development; Able to discipline themselves
& will gain the ability to develop a full “range of rational powers.”
c. Role: Teachers help students think with reason based on the Socratic methods of oral
exposition or recitation. Instill respect for authority, perseverance, duty, consideration, and
practically. Act as the director and coach of intellect respondent. Must deliver clear lectures
and on coaching in critical thinking skills.
d. Focus: Universal and unchanging truth. To teach ideas that is everlasting. To seek
enduring truths which are constant (not changing), as the natural and human worlds at their
most essential level, do not change. Focuses on attaining cultural literacy, stressing student’s
growth in enduring disciplines. They recommend that students learn from reading and
analyzing the works by history’s finest thinkers and writers. To espouse personal
development and internal transformation. To search and disseminate the subjects based on
the universal and immutable truth. Classical subjects, Literary Analysis (History, Science,
Language, Mathematics, Religion)
e. Trends: The Great Books are works considered to be classic, should be a part of
everyone’s general, liberal, and humanistic education. Use of great books (Bible, Koran,
Classics) and Liberal Arts

2. Essentialism
a. Definition:
Essentialism is very traditional and conservative, in direct opposition to progressivism but
like Perennialism, it is also a subject-centered philosophy. Essentialism is the educational
philosophy of teaching basic skills. Teach elementary children to read, write, and compute
mathematically, teach secondary students to have higher order thinking skills and resurfaced
as “back to basics.”
This philosophy advocates training the mind. Essentialist educators focus on transmitting a
series of progressively difficult topics and promotion of students to the next level. Subjects
are focused on the historical context of the material world and culture and move sequentially
to give a solid understanding of the present day. Essentialism is a common model in U.S.
public schools today. A typical day at an essentialist school might have seven periods, with
students attending a different class each period. The teachers impart knowledge mainly
through conducting lectures, during which students are expected to take notes. The students
are provided with practice worksheets or hands-on projects, followed by an assessment of the
learning material covered during this process. The students continue with the same daily
schedule for a semester or a year. When their assessments show sufficient competence, they
are promoted to the next level to learn the next level of more difficult material. William C.
Bagley was one of the most influential advocates of essentialism.
b. Aim: To promote intellectual growth of learners to become competent.
c. Role: Teachers are sole authorities in the subject area
d. Focus: Essential skills of the 3R’s; essential subjects
e. Trends: Back to basics, Excellence in Education, cultural literacy

3. Progressivism
a. Definition:
Progressivists believe that individuality, progress, and change are fundamental to one's
education. Believing that people learn best from what they consider most relevant to their
lives, progressivists center their curricula on the needs, experiences, interests, and abilities of
students. Progressivists like romantics, believe that education should focus on the whole
student, rather than on the content or the teacher. They emphasize on group activity and
group problem solving so that the students learn through cooperative learning strategies. It is
antiauthoritarian, experimental and visionary and aims to develop problem- solving ability.
This educational philosophy stresses that students should test ideas by active
experimentation. Learning is rooted in the questions of learners that arise through
experiencing the world. Progressivism was developed by John Dewey's pedagogic theory,
being based on Pragmatism. Experience represented the core concept of his philosophy.
Some American schools also follow this philosophy. Followers looked to Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, author of Emile who believed in natural education without coercion. Pestalozzi,
Rousseau’s follower, believed that education should involve the entire child—body,
emotions, and intellect. William Heard Kilpatrick—advanced cooperative learning, intrinsic
rewards, liberal classroom discipline… “project method.”
b. Aim: Promote democratic social living
c. Role: Teacher leads for growth and development of lifelong learners
d. Focus: Interdiciplinary subjects; Learner-centered. Outcomes-based
e. Trends: Equal opportunities for all; Contextualized curriculum; Humanistic Education
 4. Reconstructionism
a. Definition:
It is also known as Social Reconstructionism, this theory claims to be the true successor of
progressivism and declares that the chief purpose of education is to “reconstruct” society in
order to meet the cultural crisis brought about by social, political, and economic problems.
Social Reconstructionism is a philosophy that emphasizes the addressing of social questions
and a quest to create a better society and worldwide democracy. Reconstructionist educators
focus on a curriculum that highlights social reform as the aim of education. Culture is always
changing. Human beings are capable of re-sculpting culture so that human growth and
development are promoted. Technology advancement occurred at a rate beyond what society
and culture were prepared to adjust to and accept.
b. Aim: To improve and reconstruct society. Education for change
c. Role: Teacher acts as agent of change and reforms
d. Focus: Present and future educational landscape
e. Trends: School and curricular reform, Global education, Collaboration and
Convergence, Standards and Competencies

B. Historical Foundations

1. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Education in the Philippines has undergone several stages of development from the pre-
Spanish times to the present. In meeting the needs of the society, education serves as
focus of emphases/priorities of the leadership at certain periods/epochs in our national
struggle as a race.

As early as in pre-Magellanic times, education was informal, unstructured, and devoid of

methods. Children were provided more vocational training and less academics (3 Rs) by
their parents and in the houses of tribal tutors.

The pre-Spanish system of education underwent major changes during the Spanish
colonization. The tribal tutors were replaced by the Spanish Missionaries. Education was
religion-oriented. It was for the elite, especially in the early years of Spanish
colonization. Access to education by the Filipinos was later liberalized through the
enactment of the Educational Decree of 1863 which provided for the establishment of at
least one primary school for boys and girls in each town under the responsibility of the
municipal government; and the establishment of a normal school for male teachers under
the supervision of the Jesuits. Primary instruction was free and the teaching of Spanish
was compulsory. Education during that period was inadequate, suppressed, and
controlled.

The defeat of Spain by American forces paved the way for Aguinaldo’s Republic under a
Revolutionary Government. The schools maintained by Spain for more than three
centuries were closed for the time being but were reopened on August 29, 1898 by the
Secretary of Interior. The Burgos Institute in Malolos, the Military Academy of Malolos,
and the Literary University of the Philippines were established. A system of free and
compulsory elementary education was established by the Malolos Constitution.

An adequate secularized and free public school system during the first decade of
American rule was established upon the recommendation of the Schurman Commission.
Free primary instruction that trained the people for the duties of citizenship and avocation
was enforced by the Taft Commission per instructions of President McKinley. Chaplains
and non-commissioned officers were assigned to teach using English as the medium of
instruction.

A highly centralized public school system was installed in 1901 by the Philippine
Commission by virtue of Act No. 74. The implementation of this Act created a heavy
shortage of teachers so the Philippine Commission authorized the Secretary of Public
Instruction to bring to the Philippines 600 teachers from the U.S.A. They were the
Thomasites.
Year Official Name of Department Official Titular Head Legal Bases

1863 Superior Commission of Primary Instruction Chairman Educational Decree of 1863

1901-1916 Department of Public Instruction General Superintendent Act. No. 74 of the Philippine Commission,

Jan. 21, 1901

1916-1942 Department of Public Instruction Secretary Organic Act Law of 1916 (Jones Law)

1942-1944 Department of Education, Health and Public Welfare Commissioner Renamed by the Japanese Executive

Commission, June 11, 1942

1944 Department of Education, Health and Public Welfare Minister Renamed by Japanese Sponsored Philippine Republic

1944 Department of Public Instruction Secretary Renamed by Japanese Sponsored Philippine Republic

1945-1946 Department of Public Instruction and Information Secretary Renamed by the Commonwealth Government

1946-1947 Department of Instruction Secretary Renamed by the Commonwealth Government

1947-1975 Department of Education Secretary E.O. No. 94 October 1947 (Reorganization Act of

1947)

1975-1978 Department of Education and Culture Secretary Proc. No. 1081, September 24, 1972

1978-1984 Ministry of Education and Culture Minister P.D. No. 1397, June 2, 1978

1984-1986 Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports Minister Education Act of 1982

1987-1994 Department of Education, Culture and Sports Secretary E.O. No. 117. January 30, 1987

1994-2001 Department of Education, Culture and Sports Secretary RA 7722 and RA 7796, 1994 Trifocalization of

Education Management

2001 – present Department of Education Secretary 9155, August 2001 (Governance of Basic Education

Act)

The high school system supported by provincial governments, special educational

institutions, school of arts and trades, an agricultural school, and commerce and marine
institutes were established in 1902 by the Philippine Commission. In 1908, the Philippine
Legislature approved Act No. 1870 which created the University of the Philippines.

The Reorganization Act of 1916 provided the Filipinization of all department secretaries
except the Secretary of Public Instruction.

Japanese educational policies were embodied in Military Order No. 2 in 1942. The
Philippine Executive Commission established the Commission of Education, Health and
Public Welfare and schools were reopened in June 1942. On October 14, 1943, the
Japanese – sponsored Republic created the Ministry of Education. Under the Japanese
regime, the teaching of Tagalog, Philippine History, and Character Education was
reserved for Filipinos. Love for work and dignity of labor was emphasized. On February
27, 1945, the Department of Instruction was made part of the Department of Public
Instruction.

In 1947, by virtue of Executive Order No. 94, the Department of Instruction was changed
to Department of Education. During this period, the regulation and supervision of public
and private schools belonged to the Bureau of Public and Private Schools.

In 1972, it became the Department of Education and Culture by virtue of Proclamation

1081 and the Ministry of Education and Culture in 1978 y virtue of P.D. No. 1397.
Thirteen regional offices were created and major organizational changes were
implemented in the educational system.

The Education Act of 1982 created the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports which
later became the Department of Education, Culture and Sports in 1987 by virtue of
Executive Order No. 117. The structure of DECS as embodied in EO No. 117 has
practically remained unchanged until 1994 when the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED), and 1995 when the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) were established to supervise tertiary degree programs and non-degree
technical-vocational programs, respectively.

The Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) report provided the impetus for
Congress to pass RA 7722 and RA 7796 in 1994 creating the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA), respectively.

The trifocal education system refocused DECS’ mandate to basic education which covers
elementary, secondary and nonformal education, including culture and sports. TESDA
now administers the post-secondary, middle-level manpower training and development
while CHED is responsible for higher education.

In August 2001, Republic Act 9155, otherwise called the Governance of Basic Education
Act, was passed transforming the name of the Department of Education, Culture and
Sports (DECS) to the Department of Education (DepEd) and redefining the role of field
offices (regional offices, division offices, district offices and schools). RA 9155 provides
the overall framework for (i) school head empowerment by strengthening their leadership
roles and (ii) school-based management within the context of transparency and local
accountability. The goal of basic education is to provide the school age population and
young adults with skills, knowledge, and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive
and patriotic citizens.

DEPED MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

To carry out its mandates and objectives, the Department is organized into two major
structural components. The Central Office maintains the overall administration of basic
education at the national level. The Field Offices are responsible for the regional and
local coordination and administration of the Department’s mandate. RA 9155 provides
that the Department should have no more than four (4) Undersecretaries and four (4)
Assistant Secretaries with at least one Undersecretary and one Assistant Secretary who
are career service officers chosen among the staff of the Department.

In 2015, the Department underwent a restructuring of its office functions and staffing.
The result of which was the Rationalization Plan for the new organizational structure.
Details of the new structure are further explained in DO Series 2015 No. 52, also known
as the New Organizational Structures of the Central, Regional, and Schools Division
Offices of the Department of Education.

At present, the Department operates with four (4) Undersecretaries in the following areas:

 Curriculum and Instruction

 Finance and Administration
 Governance and Operations
 Legal and Legislative Affairs

Four (4) Assistant Secretaries are assigned in the following areas:

 Curriculum and Instruction

 Finance and Administration
 Governance and Operations
 Legal and Legislative Affairs

Supporting the Office of the Secretary (OSEC) at the Central Office are the different
strands, services, bureaus, and divisions.

There are five (5) strands under OSEC:

 Curriculum and Instruction

 Finance and Administration
 Governance and Operations
 Legal and Legislative Affairs
 Strategic Management

Five (5) attached agencies:

  Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council
 National Book Development Board (NBDB)
 National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT)
 National Museum
 Philippine High School for the Arts

Three (3) coordinating councils:

 Adopt-a-School Program (ASP) Coordinating Council

 Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC)
 Teacher Education Council (TEC)

At the sub-national level, the Field Offices consist of the following:

 Seventeen (17) Regional Offices, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim

Mindanao (ARMM*), each headed by a Regional Director (a Regional Secretary
in the case of ARMM).
 Two hundred twenty-one (221) Provincial and City Schools Divisions, each
headed by a Schools Division Superintendent. Assisting the Schools Division
Offices are 2,602 School Districts, each headed by a District Supervisor.

Under the supervision of the Schools Division Offices are 62,605 schools, broken down
as follows:

 49,209 elementary schools (38,648 public and 10,561 private)

 13,396 secondary schools (7,976 public and 5,420 private)

*ARMM is included in the budget of the Department on the following:

 Creation of teaching and non-teaching positions;

 Funding for newly-legislated high schools;
 Regular School Building Program; and
 Certain foreign-assisted and locally-funded programs and projects.

2. Persons and their great contributions to the curriculum

PERSONS CONTRIBUTIONS / THEORIES & PRINCIPLES

  He started the curriculum development movement.
 Curriculum is a science that emphasizes students’
needs.
 Curriculum prepares learners for adult life.
 Objectives and activities should group together
when task are clarified.
Franklin Bobbit (1876-1956)

 Like Bobbit, he posited that curriculum is science

and emphasizes students’ needs.

 Objectives and activities should match. Subject

matter or content relates to objectives.

Werret Charters (1875-1952)

 Curricula are purposeful activities which are child-

centered.
 The purpose of the curriculum is child development
and growth. He introduced this project method
where teacher and student plan the activities.
 Curriculum develops social relationships and small
group instruction.
William Kilpatrick (1875-1952)

 Curriculum should develop the whole child. It is

child-centered.
 With the statement of objectives and related
learning activities, curriculum should produce
outcomes.
 Emphasized social studies and suggested that the
Harold Rugg (1886-1960) teacher plans curriculum in advance.

 Curriculum is organized around social functions of

themes, organized knowledge and learner’s interest.
 Curriculum, instruction and learning are
interrelated.
 Curriculum is a set of experiences. Subject matter is
developed around social functions and learners’
Hollis Caswell (1901-1989) interest.
  Curriculum is a science and an extension of
school’s philosophy. It is based on students’ needs
and interest.
 Curriculum is always related to instruction. Subject
matter is organized in terms of knowledge, skill and
values.
 The process emphasizes problem solving.
Curriculum aims to educate generalist and not
Ralph Tyler (1902-1994) specialists.

 She contributed to the theoretical and pedagogical

foundations of concepts development and critical
thinking in social studies curriculum.
 She helped lay the foundation for diverse student
population

Hilda Taba (1902-1967)

 He described how curriculum change is a

cooperative endeavor.
 Teachers and curriculum specialist constitute the
professional core of planners.
 Significant improvement is achieved through group
activity.
Peter Olivia (1992-2012)

C. Psychological Foundations

PERSONS CONTRIBUTIONS / THEORIES & PRINCIPLES

 He is the father of the Classical Conditioning Theory,

the S-R Theory.
 The key to learning in early years of life is to train them
what you want them to become.
 S-R Theory is a foundation of learning practice called
indoctrination.

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

  He championed the Connectionism Theory
 He proposed the three laws of learning:
 Law of Readiness
 Law of exercise
 Law of effect
 Specific stimulus has specific response

Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)

 He proposed the Hierarchical Learning Theory.

Learning follows a hierarchy.
 Behavior is based on prerequisite conditions.
 He introduced tasking in the formulation of objectives.

Robert Gagne (1916-2002)

PERSONS CONTRIBUTIONS / THEORIES & PRINCIPLES

 Theories of Jean Piaget

Cognitive development has stages from birth to
maturity:
Sensorimotor stage (0-2), preoperational stage
(2-7), concrete operational stage (7-11) and
formal operational (11-onwards)

 Keys to learning
Assimilation (incorporation of new experience)
Accommodation (learning modification and
adaptation)
Equilibration (balance between previous and
later learning)
Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

 Theories of Lev Vygotsky

Cultural transmission and development:
Children could, as a result of their interaction
with society, actually perform certain cognitive
actions prior to arriving at developmental stage.
Learning precedes development.
Sociocultural development theory.

 Keys to learning
Pedagogy creates learning processes that lead to
development.
The child is an active agent in his or her
educational process.
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
  Gardner’s multiple intelligences
Humans have several different ways of
processing information and these ways are
relatively independent of one another.

There are eight intelligences: linguistic, logico-

mathematical, musical, spatial,
bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal,
and naturalistic.

Howard Gardner

 Emotion contains the power to affect action.

He called this Emotional Quotient.

Daniel Goleman

PERSONS/SYMBOLS CONTRIBUTIONS / THEORIES & PRINCIPLES

 Gestalt Theory
Learning is explained in terms of “wholeness”
of the problem.
Human beings do not respond to isolated stimuli
but to an organization or pattern of stimuli.

 Keys to learning
Learning is complex and abstract.
Learners 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.
Gestalt

He advance the Self-Actualization Theory and

classic theory of human needs.
A child whole basic needs are not met will not
be interested in acquiring knowledge of the
world.
He put importance to human emotions, based on
love and trust.

 Keys to learning
Produce a healthy and happy learner who can
accomplish, grow and actualize his or her
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) human self.
  Nondirective and Therapeutic Learning
He established counseling procedures and
methods for facilitating learning.
Children’s perceptions, which are highly
individualistic, influence their learning and
behavior in class.

 Key to learning
Curriculum is concerned with process, not
product; personal needs, not subject matter,
psychological meaning, not cognitive scores.
Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
PERSONS CONTRIBUTIONS / THEORIES & PRINCIPLES

 Considered two fundamental elements – schools and

civil society – to be major topics needing attention and
reconstruction to encourage experimental intelligence
and plurality

John Dewey (1859-1952)

 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 creatively,
collaboratively, and independent of their age.
Alvin Toffler
D. Social Foundations