Activity Curriculum

INTRODUCTION

Activity curriculum is a modern approach in curriculum development. It is a reaction against the traditional curriculum which was subject- centered or teacher dominated. Child centered education and activity movement led to the concept of activity-centered curriculum.

Child-centered education requires active involvement of the child in the educative process. Modern educationists like Rousseau, Dewey, Gandhi, and Pestalozzi realized that education which does not influence child's conduct is useless. Some such views are described as under.

Comenius View.

            "Whatever has to be learnt must be learnt by doing."

Rousseau's View:

            "Instead of making the child stick to his books I keep him busy in the workshop, where his hands will work to the profit of his head."

Pestalozzi's View:

            "Verbal system of teaching neither suits neither the faculties of the child nor the circumstances of life."

The importance of 'learning by doing' has been stressed by all other educationists and psychologists like John Dewey, Piaget, Tagore, Gandhi, and Aurobindo and so on. The importance of activity principle led to the evolution of various modern methods of teaching like Project Method, Dalton Plan, and Problem-Solving Method. Some of the views about activity curriculum are expressed as under:

According to John Dewey

            "Activity curriculum is a continuous stream of child's activities, unbroken by systematic subjects and springing from the interests and personality felt needs of the child."

According to Secondary Education Commission

            "The basis of teaching must be the organization of the subject-matter into units of projects which would create opportunities for self activity on the part of the students. These should largely replace the formal lessons which lack proper motivation and therefore, fail to arouse real interest."

DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC

Activity Curriculum

Activity curriculum is also alternately known as project or experience curriculum. The history of activity curriculum dates back from Rousseau and Platonian times to that of recent past development. It did not come into existence till 1920s though John Dewey used the expression as activity programme as early as 1897 in his laboratory school.

History behind Activity Curriculum

The first American school was established in the University of Chicago, the laboratory school in 1896, as a comparative venture by parents, teachers, and education under the guidance and direction of John and Mary Dewey.

Dewey’s Laboratory School

The curriculum of this school is designed based on four human impulses:

1.      Social impulse- child’s desire to share his/her experience with others around him/her.

2.      Constructive impulse- It is manifested first in play, in rhythmic movement, in make believes and more advanced forms in shaping of raw materials into useful objects.

3.      Impulse to investigate and experiment- to find out things as revealed in the tendency of the child to do things just to see what will happen.

4.      Expressive or artistic impulse- which means a refinement and further expression of the communicative and constructive interests.

            The core of school activity was to be found occupations, rather than what is conventionally termed in studies. The occupations included in the curriculum were cooking, sewing and carpentry. These occupations gave opportunity for shaping materials, for working with the hands; on the other hand they required planning, contriving and experimenting.

 Moreover, these occupations were the means by which the isolation of the traditional school, reserving largely from the subject curriculum, was to be overcome. Incentives to learn the fundamental processes- reading, writing and arithmetical computation- arose out of the activities involved in the occupations.

Meriam’s Laboratory School

  In 1904, J. L. Meriam began to develop a new curriculum at the University of Missouri. There were no conventional subjects in the curriculum. In the lieu of these subjects, there are four categories of activities:

1.      Observation

2.      Play

3.      Stories

4.      Handwork

The curriculum is based on five principles:

1.      The curriculum should provide for meeting the immediate needs of the pupils primary and secondary, it should provide for the preparation of pupils for later and needs.

2.      The curriculum should be expressed in term of concrete everyday activities of pupils and adults, rather than in terms of generalization found in traditional subjects.

3.      The curriculum should provide for great individual differences in order to meet varying tastes and abilities of the pupils.

4.      The curriculum should be organized in such a manner that the various topics may easily be interchanged, not only within any grade during the year, but also from grade to grade.

5.      The curriculum should provide an acquaintance with both work and leisure.

The general guidelines based on the above five principles are as follows (I-V graded activities under each area):

1.      Observation

2.      Play

3.      Stories

4.      Handwork

            Further, the activity curriculum was also carried forward by Collin’s experimental school where in he used project method suggested by Kilpatrick. Collin’s curriculum also followed the general guidelines of Meriam School.

They had play projects, excursion projects, story projects and hand projects.

Distinctive Features of Curriculum

Compared to other patterns, the following are the distinctive features:

1.      Children’s interests determine content and structure

2.      Common interests and common learning

3.      Preparation but not strict planning in advance

1.      Children’s Interests Determine Content and Structure

The interests and purposes of children determine the educational programme. What is taught, when it is taught and the order in which it is learn depend on realization of children’s purposes.

            This principle refers to the fact, interests and needs of children. Curriculum determined is primarily based on the child’s interest. In this curriculum children are actively engaged in doing something. Interests do not have to be created. Some interests are always needed to be presented. Teachers have to build or create educative activities based on their earlier activities. Activity curriculum considers interests, not the whims and fancies of the child.

In this, subject matter is useful in shaping and directing the activities in responses to impulses and purposes of the individual.

      Although activity curriculum recognizes the importance of group life and cooperative activities, there is no covering of an individual for group interests; here the teacher plays a vital role, wherein the teacher has to identify the major interests of the students and organize the activities which should lead to further interests and should be rewarding.

2.      Common Interests and Common learning

      ‘Common learning’ results from the pursuance of interests. It is the child’s interest which determines what to teach; general education or common education is possible only if children have such interests. Since the interests of children vary, the possibility of common learning programme is difficult. In order to understand the common interest and create mutual learning, teachers need to make certain standard of judgement in this group; activities and common learning will be mostly sacrificed. Finally, the common in this group; activities and common learning will be mostly sacrificed. Finally, the common learning of activity curriculum depends on mutual standards of value as well as shared interests.

3.      Preparation but Not Strict Planning in Advance

      It is not pre- planned since it is the child’s interests which make the beginning. The children from different socio-economic backgrounds will have different interests, privileges etc.

      The teacher should work with the children to understand their interests and direct them to learn through that. Also, the teacher should guide them how to assess to know that they have accomplished. For this teacher needs to play for himself as to how to plan the classroom with the possible interest of children along with the growth and development of the child, also insights into the group structure and dynamics.

The following characteristics are essential for activity curriculum but not restricted to it:

1)     Cooperative planning by students and teachers: Activities are planned cooperatively by students and teachers. In this, group teacher cooperates in planning the activities, carrying out the work and evaluating the experiences. Children take part in planning the curriculum projects; they take part not only for gaining knowledge but also in planning process. Neither of the teachers nor children plans any objectives; objectives are realized within the domain of the children’s interests.

2)     Ambiguity with respect to social direction: It may or may not have deliberate social direction and educational programme is neutral.

The first basis for selection of curriculum content is the interests of children. These interests are conditioned by the radio, television, motion pictures, cosmic books, newspapers, horror, the church, the school and countless other agencies. The contemporary society is not characterized by a single environment and conflicting values and the interests of children reflect these differences.

Curriculum would set forth a value framework for use by teachers in helping children to select worthwhile interests. They are also characterized by a consistent social orientation.

3)     Problem solving, the dominant method: In the activity curriculum, the teaching- learning process consists largely of problem solving. This is true because in the pursuit of interests and purposes various difficulties will arise and pupils and teachers will be challenged to find ways for overcoming these obstacles.

Problem solving is the heart of the teaching- learning process; it   follows that subject matter is studied as a means of solving problems and not as an end in itself. Thus, it is clear that activity does not happen without the content or subject matter. All the fields of knowledge are used in activity curriculum since children’s interests are diversified.

            As per the need, the skills are also taught to children; with the need and interest all the required skills are equipped in children.

4)     Little need for extracurricular features: As the subjects taught may not meet the interests of children, special classes and out-of-class activities become very important. But in activity curriculum, this necessity does not arise. Keeping in view the interests, strengths and weaknesses of children, suitable opportunities are created and arrangements are made to sustain their interests and learning.

5)     Special subjects for special needs: In activity curriculum, by the time the child reaches 7^th year, specialized needs of subject matter should be provided. Children suspend their time mostly in building up specialized courses or individualized areas, especially at the end of schooling, paying attention to their creative talents.

In order to make an activity curriculum effective and utilitarian, the following personnel, physical features and administrative arrangements are necessary:

1.      Training of teachers

2.      Physical features of the school

3.      Equipment and materials in the classroom

4.      Activity room

5.      Transportation facilities

6.      Planning without rigid scheduling

7.      No sequence of grades

8.      Flexibility in administrative arrangements

By keeping in view the entire above activity, curriculum can be made effective, possible and fruitful.  

In activity curriculum, certain limitations are observed:

1.      The interest categories sacrifice the subject organization of knowledge and do not replace it with any organization which may lead to huge gaps in experiences.

2.      There is a lack of continuity in the experiences provided.

3.      The interest categories may not take care for preparing to the future.

4.      There is a problem of sequence in organizing activities over grades.

5.      The basic ideas related to grade placement such as maturation, experiential background, prerequisite learning, interest, usefulness and difficulty need to be determined even in activity curriculum.

6.      Organized subject matter becomes inevitable while solving any problem. It needs to go for extensive reading of material. 

CONCLUSION

In activity curriculum, the subject-matter is presented through activities and knowledge is the result of the purposeful activities performed. Activity is the medium of imparting knowledge, teaching skills and developing attitudes.

Highlights of Activity Curriculum

1.      Activity curriculum is reaction against traditional curriculum

2.      The subject matter is presented through activities. Knowledge is the result of     purposeful activities.

3.      Continuous stream of child's activities-Dewey

Importance of Activity Curriculum

1.      Sublimation of instincts

2.      Balanced development

3.      Development of social virtues

4.      Motivation

5.      Pupils develop initiative

6.      Preparation for life Co-operation

REFERENCE

1.      Mrunalini Talla (2012); Curriculum Development, Perspectives, Principles and Issues; Dorling Kindersley Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.

2.      http://www.preservearticles.com/2012010920282/activity-centred-curriculum-is-a-modern-approach-in-curriculum-development.html