Five (5) models of curriculum evaluation
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My learning community is the national curriculum makers
of the Indian education. I find in the 7 years that I have been exploring education
management in India, that a lot of new ideas come, make a splash and then
disappear. There are schools doing a lot of progressive work, but in pockets.
As a whole country, India has yet to come to a model that will work for
everyone. This milieu requires a model that is clear in its steps and has a
safety net for those who might stumble along.
Hence, I would select Tyler’s Objectives-Centered Model
“One of the earliest
curriculum evaluation models, which continues to influence many assessment
projects, was that proposed by Ralph Tyler (1950) in his monograph Basic Principles of Curriculum and
Instruction.” (Glatthorn,
Boschee, Whitehead, & Boschee, 2019, p.259)
This may be one of the
oldest models that exist, however I found in it a steadiness and simplicity
which may be useful for a nation of individuals and groups trying to make some
sense of education. India requires a curriculum evaluation model that is rational
and moves step by step.
“The Tyler approach
moved rationally and systematically through several related steps:” (Okyere,
n.d., p.6).
I will analyze the
current Indian curriculum based on the steps given by him.
1. Set
very clear behavioural objectives: India has a clear set of learning outcomes
for all grades, as set by the national curriculum body.
2. Create
situations for students to express themselves:
The curriculum body has also
published manuals on teaching practices to help teachers implement the learning
outcomes.
3. Construct
evaluation instruments: There are summative evaluations and exams all over
India starting grade 6. There are common national examinations at grades 10 and
12 levels.
Hence, I can say that the setting of objectives and
defining the systems I well in place. However, where India needs to sit back
and learn to do is the set of the next 3 steps by Tyler:
4. Compare
the results before and after given periods.
5. Analyse
the results to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the program.
6. Modify
the program based on the analyses.
The curriculum developed is not analysed enough by the
curriculum makers, but a new program comes out every few years! Especially when
a new government comes up after 5 years (being a democracy), it disables the
efforts of the previous government with no analyses what so over.
As we can see, Tyler’s
model is very “…rational and systematic. It also
emphasizes the importance of a continuing cycle of assessment, analysis, and
improvement.” (Okyere, n.d., p.7). Although it came under criticism for “...it seems to place undue emphasis on the pre-assessment and post-assessment,
ignoring completely the need for formative assessment”. (Okyere, n.d., p.7) However,
I believe that at the moment it is of paramount interest for Indian curriculum
bodies to analyze and assess the work done in a cyclic way, instead of bringing
out newer and newer programs.
A systematic
approach such as Tyler’s would help the very emotional temperament Indians to
focus and develop a system of “create, implement, assess and recreate”.
References:
Glatthorn, A. A.,
Boschee, F., Whitehead, B. M., & Boschee, B. F. (2019). Curriculum leadership: strategies for
development and implementation.
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
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