The procedure of content selection
Smith, Stanley, and Shores have thoroughly examined this topic. They state that the process for choosing content is as follows:
a) Judgmental
b) Experimental
c) Analytical and
d) Consensual
Judgmental procedures
The curriculum specialist must respond to the following inquiries to select the subject matter based on judgment:
I. What social and academic goals need to be approved?
II. What is the current situation in which these goals are seen as acceptable and desirable, and that calls for their realization?
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III. Given the circumstances, what subject matter best meets these goals? To pick content with the greatest aims, this approach necessitates that the curriculum worker’s interests, knowledge, and principles transcend specific “social vision” and independence from the limiting impact of subjective thinking and personal views. The curriculum worker is not required to do original social and historical research while gathering data to aid in determining objectives or when he distributes this data to pick material using the judging approach. Scholarly works in the fields of cultural anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, history, psychology, and philosophy, among others, should provide him with the knowledge he needs.
Furthermore, the judging technique promotes lengthy group discussions and deliberations where broad viewpoints as well as individual and group perspectives are critically assessed and rebuilt to reach a consensus on societal principles and objectives. Curriculum materials that are based on justifications and biases will not meet the requirements of the judgmental process. Furthermore, the curriculum won’t be improved by the use of such material. When the social reconstruction criteria serve as the main foundation for choosing a topic matter, the judging method is most clearly displayed. According to this idea, the main criterion for choosing material is social progress.
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However, one should not believe that this is only a question of preference. Instead, the degree to which other people who share the same values, confront the same circumstances, and have the same social awareness would choose the same topic or concur with its choice serves as the standard for the judgment. Its successful implementation necessitates the use of critical, knowledgeable, and prudent curriculum formulators. When used by these individuals, it may be one of the most reliable techniques for choosing material. The curriculum worker, however, cannot ignore any of its stages without running the danger of making grave mistakes in judgment.
Experimental procedures
The experimental process of content selection looks for empirical evidence to ascertain whether or not the subject matter is attractive. Is the subject matter appropriate to be completed within guidelines and using methods that maximize the validity of the procedure? It is also possible to minimize mistakes brought on by outside factors, biases held by an individual or group, and poor judgment. The following is the format of the experimental content selection process:
I. Choosing a topic tentatively based on the inquiry.
II. Raising the possibility that the topic matter that was chosen informally satisfies the criteria’s requirements.
III. Specifying requirements for the appraisal or analysis.
IV. Analysing the data about the theory to determine whether the topic meets the need
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Although this process hasn’t been applied widely yet, its results have typically proven reliable. It is, nevertheless, susceptible to criticism that not all parameters can be controlled and that its conclusions are not reliable. The experimental techniques’ assumption of a static curriculum in all areas of the one under study is another point of criticism. If this is not the case, the experimenter has no way of knowing if the conditions of the experiment or the control contributed to his results. Nonetheless, despite all of the criticism, this process is still one of the most widely used methods for choosing the subject.
Analytical procedure
The analytical process is among the most popular techniques for choosing content. It has characteristics similar to the utility criteria. Generally speaking, it is an examination of the actions people take to learn about the topic matter of these activities.
There are three types of analytical techniques, and the following is a quick summary of each:
• Activity analysis
Finding out the typical activities of a certain national group or geographic area is the aim of this investigation. Selecting appropriate activities for the curriculum is made easier with the aid of this analysis.
• Job analysis
The application of this study is to viewpoints related to careers. For instance, an examination of their work would serve as the foundation for teacher education programmers in determining what should be taught in the “professional preparation of Teachers” course.
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• Knowledge analysis
Analyzing pertinent documentation sources from newspapers, journals, and libraries would be one step in the process if the goal is to determine which textual data pieces are often used. Studying the grammatical forms present in the correspondence of a certain group of individuals or people, in general, might help establish what should be included in a grammar lesson.
Consensual procedure
The consensual approach is a means of gathering perspectives about the curriculum’s appropriateness. The outcomes of the consensus process are stated as the proportion of individuals, or the number of individuals, within a community or group that think certain subjects need to be taught in schools. The first stage is to choose the people whose opinions need to be solicited. These individuals are typically chosen because they are:
a. Outstanding leaders from all works of life such as educators’ businessmen workers etc.
b. Experts and specialists such as physicians, engineers, teachers, and artists.
c. Representatives of the population of a community or region.
The creation of a procedure for gathering feedback is the following stage. Questionnaires are typically utilized. Interviews and conferences with small groups are used sometimes. The tabulation and analysis of the answers constitute the last phase of the consensual method. This process may be dependable if it is applied by the judging process. It is, however, also vulnerable to criticism that responses are too frequently influenced by personal interests, unconscious biases, and professional backgrounds. It is also clear that this process yields a vote tabulation rather than a consensus.
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