Curriculum designs can be broadly classified into several models. One of the most traditional approaches is the Subject-Centered Curriculum, which places emphasis on subject matter and content. Let us explore its main variations:
Subject-Centered Curriculum
This type of curriculum gives priority to the subject matter that is taught in schools. Instruction is usually based on textbooks prepared for each subject, and school time is divided into areas such as language, literature, mathematics, science, history, and geography. Educational thinkers like Henry Morrison and William Harris strongly advocated this design.
(a) Subject Design
Focus: Concentrates on “what subjects are being taught or learned.”
Features: Considered the oldest and most familiar model for teachers, parents, and the community. It is easy to implement since textbooks, supplementary materials, and teaching aids are widely available.
Strength: Simple, well-structured, and teachers are already accustomed to it as they were trained in the same system.
Limitation: Learning often becomes fragmented and disconnected from students’ real-life experiences. Overemphasis on content turns students into passive receivers of information rather than active participants.
(b) Discipline Design
Focus: Extends beyond subject clusters to academic disciplines—fields of knowledge organized and studied using distinct methods.
Example: History learners study using historical methods, while science learners adopt the investigative approach of scientists.
Usage: More common in colleges and universities where learners are mature and career-focused, leading to degree programs in areas like science, mathematics, psychology, humanities, and history.
(c) Correlation Design
Focus: Establishes connections between different subjects to minimize isolation and fragmentation.
Example: Literature linked with history (studying literary works of the same historical period), or science linked with mathematics in physics and chemistry.
Implementation: Requires collaboration among teachers to plan and coordinate lessons. While each subject retains its identity, learning becomes more integrated and meaningful.
(d) Broad Field / Interdisciplinary Design
Focus: Combines related subjects into larger fields of study to promote integration and reduce compartmentalization.
Example: Social studies merges history, geography, economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology into a single subject. Similarly, language studies may integrate grammar, literature, composition, spelling, and linguistics.
Advantage: Provides a more holistic understanding by showing the interconnections among various disciplines.
