CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

When we are beginning to discuss about curriculum we should comprehend the term of “curriculum” itself. Everyone even the scientists in education surely have different view in giving meaning of curriculum. The most important things in discussing curriculum are the differences between old and new side of curriculum. Based on old side, curriculum is some subjects that must be passed by the learners to get certificate. According to Romine curriculum is the way how we organized courses and activities for learners either in classroom or not. The main purpose of organizing curriculum is to determine an appropriate syllabus, course, teaching methods and materials; in order that the teachers can carry out an evaluation that is based on the process of learning.

The curriculum development process should reflect needs analyses and ideologies about language, language teaching and language learning. The process of organizing curriculum is not limited by classroom activity but it can also be done in out of classroom suited by the aim what we are going to reached. Because of the large meaning of curriculum, so that every teacher is expected to more creative in creating the variation of teaching learning process. The teacher should be creative in making the enjoy learning and make the learners more active.

Our today’s discussion is specified in curriculum development in educational system in Indonesia. Based on the history of appearing our educational curriculum, it is clear that our curriculum is influenced by the system created by colonial government. Therefore it caused some differences between old curriculum and modern curriculum. Those are:

 The concept of teaching tends to the old experience got by the teacher, so that the process of teaching is same as the process of teaching that got by the teacher from their former teachers. Whereas modern curriculum is oriented to the today’s topic that is needed by the learners in the future.
 The lack of understanding of the teacher about the philosophy of education. Every teacher has different interpretation of learning. The modern curriculum tends to be more flexible that focuses on real daily activity.
 The ambiguities of the purpose of education that tend to the development in knowledge and skill but it forget the essential thing of the purpose of education that changes the performance by experience. So the development of behavior, ambition and habit are neglected. The purpose is not only to get certificate but also to explore all potentials of the learners.
 Old curriculum tends to teach the learners subject but those didn’t teach me how change their behavior by understanding the subjects and experience they get from the subject. Therefore curriculum should be organized widely in all kinds of subject.
 The old curriculum point out based on lesson book that sometimes inappropriate anymore in today’s need. So the teacher should have an evaluation all the materials in curriculum in order to be more suitable with the learners’ need that related to the problems happen around us.

Besides some differences in old and modern curriculum, it is significant to discuss also about the role of curriculum such as in conservative, evaluative and creative role of the curriculum. The curriculum besides has some roles, it also some function that become reference for the teachers to organized the curriculum. Those functions are various, one of the function is the propaedeutic function. This is purposed in order that the teachers have preparation before they are going to teach the learners.

Pamekasan, October 14, 2009
Written by,


IMAM SYAFII
NIM 180713199

Class A student of English Teaching Department of STAIN Pamekasan