Curriculum

Taba in Curzon (2004, p185) Armitage, et al (1999) looks at exploring the curriculum and asks why our courses look the way they look, how they may have developed and how we can understand our courses better in order to help improve the quality of our student’s learning. It also covers definitions of ‘curriculum’ “The curriculum is a formal course of study as at a college, university or training provider” This is a definition with which I agree, or it is “… he public form of attempting to put an educational idea into practice” which shows just a few diverse set of definitions. The definitions range from showing and making an impact to the teacher and training planning and also with the planning across my college. Key issues in defining ‘curriculum’ include statements of what is to be learned, pointers as to the outcomes of this learning and explanations about the vision behind the curriculum. It has begun to expose and consider our own ideas about curriculum.
Goodson (1994, quoted in Armitage, et al 1999) makes the interesting point that, while curriculum development and implementation have been written about by so many people, the more fundamental issues of curriculum definition, who constructs it, why and for who have been more neglected. This is something which I have often questioned myself. Wilson (2009) discusses the context of ‘Widening Participation’ within the curriculum and how in this design of curriculum the requirements of groups are and was then considered.
In some cases Education may need to be taken into other settings and contexts such as prisons or detention centres, the curriculum would then need to be adapted to suit this particular group of learners. The curriculum of delivering say mechanicals such as curriculum that they offer within other colleges that I am now aware of, would need to be adapted in prison to take consideration and understanding of the tools and equipment such as sharp pillar’s that may be involved.

The work of Wilson (2009) emphasises the curriculum choices in the FE (Further Education) sector are now principally influenced by funding and that funding is now a strong need into how curriculum is given. The funding bodies’ research that sociality requires employment and social need. Coffined (2008, p44) suggests that “not everything demanded can be afforded “and argues the question “who is making the demand”.