Understanding Curriculum Development Approaches

The question asks about the nature of the curriculum development process when following a non-technical, non-scientific, and flexible approach. Curriculum development can be viewed from different perspectives, often broadly categorized as technical-scientific and non-technical-non-scientific.

Comparing Curriculum Development Approaches

Let's briefly look at the two main perspectives:

• Technical-Scientific Approach: This approach views curriculum development as a systematic, objective, and often linear process. It emphasizes planning based on educational objectives, content selection, organizing learning experiences, and evaluation, often following predefined steps and logical sequences. It aims for efficiency and predictability.
• Non-Technical-Non-Scientific Approach (Flexible): This approach sees curriculum development as a more dynamic, subjective, and often intuitive process. It acknowledges the complexities and uncertainties involved and emphasizes flexibility, adaptation, and continuous negotiation among stakeholders. It's less about following a rigid plan and more about responding to context and emerging needs.

Analyzing the Options

Now let's evaluate each option in the context of the non-technical, non-scientific (flexible) approach:

• highly objective: Objectivity implies being based on facts and not influenced by personal feelings or interpretations. The non-technical approach is explicitly described as "non-scientific," suggesting it moves away from strict scientific objectivity. It often involves subjective judgments, values, and stakeholder perspectives, making it less highly objective than a technical approach.
• Universal: Universal suggests applicability everywhere, without variation. A flexible, non-technical approach is highly context-dependent. What works in one setting might not work in another, and the process adapts to local needs and conditions. Therefore, it is not typically universal.
• Logical: Logical means following principles of reasoning. While the non-technical approach isn't illogical, its logic might be less formal, linear, or purely rational compared to a technical-scientific model. It might involve intuitive steps, trial-and-error, and emergent properties that don't strictly follow a predefined logical sequence.
• Heuristic: Heuristic refers to a practical, often trial-and-error approach to problem-solving or discovery. It involves learning by doing and adapting based on experience and feedback, rather than following a fixed algorithm or strict plan. A flexible, non-technical process that adapts to context and involves ongoing negotiation aligns well with a heuristic approach. It's about finding solutions that work in practice, even if the path isn't purely linear or highly predictable.

Based on the characteristics of the non-technical, non-scientific (flexible) approach, which emphasizes adaptation, responsiveness, and less rigid structure, the term "Heuristic" best describes the nature of this curriculum development process.

Thus, according to the non technical - non scientific approach (flexible), the process of curriculum development is Heuristic.

Revision Table: Key Curriculum Concepts

Additional Information: Flexible Curriculum Development

A flexible, non-technical approach to curriculum development recognizes that education happens in complex social environments. It values input from teachers, students, parents, and the community. This approach might involve:

• Starting with broad goals rather than highly specific objectives.
• Allowing for emergent topics and learning activities based on student interest or current events.
• Continuously revising and adapting the curriculum based on feedback and observations.
• Focusing on process and experience as much as, or more than, predetermined outcomes.

This contrasts with approaches that might treat curriculum like building a machine, where every part is precisely designed and fitted according to a blueprint.