LET Secondary Curriculum Development — Foundations, Types and Elements of CurriculumSummary

Curriculum is defined in three major ways: (1) Traditional (subject-matter) view—a body of subjects or course of study to be completed, rooted in the Latin currere meaning "to run" or "a runway" to a goal; (2) Progressive (experience) view—the total planned and guided learning experiences of the individual, whether inside or outside the classroom, promoted by John Dewey, Caswell, and Campbell; (3) Modern view—a planned and guided set of learning experiences designed to achieve specific educational outcomes, formally delivered by the school. The modern definition encompasses the intentional nature and measurable outcomes that the LET emphasizes. For classroom practice, think of curriculum as the deliberate plan you create to help your Grade 2 learners achieve the intended learning outcomes (ILOs) in the DepEd curriculum guides.

Every curriculum decision rests on four interconnected foundations: (1) Philosophical Foundation—answers 'what should be taught and why' by defining the aims, values, and purposes of education. Major philosophies include perennialism (enduring truths and classics), essentialism (essential basic skills and core disciplines), progressivism (learner needs, problem-solving, learning by doing), and reconstructionism (education as reform to address social justice); (2) Historical Foundation—traces how curriculum thought evolved from Bobbitt and Charters in the early 1900s through Tyler, Taba, and contemporary theorists, showing how curriculum reflects the concerns of its era; (3) Psychological Foundation—answers 'how learners learn and develop,' drawing on three families of learning theory: behaviorism (learning as conditioning), cognitivism (learning as mental processing), and humanism (learning as personal growth); (4) Sociological Foundation—answers 'what society needs and values,' including culture, social change, national goals, globalization, and community needs. In the Philippine context, the sociological foundation explains the inclusion of values education, Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE), and contextualization in the K to 12 program.

Allan Glatthorn identified seven types of curriculum that simultaneously operate in any school. This is the most heavily tested topic in the chapter. (1) Recommended Curriculum—proposed by scholars, professional bodies, and agencies as what ought to be taught (e.g., DepEd or a professional organization prescribing standards); (2) Written Curriculum—the official documented curriculum (K to 12 curriculum guides, syllabi, lesson plans, textbooks as planned); (3) Taught Curriculum—what the teacher actually implements and delivers in the classroom, including real-time adjustments; (4) Supported Curriculum—the resources and materials that enable delivery (textbooks, modules, ICT, laboratory equipment, the library); (5) Assessed Curriculum—the tested and evaluated curriculum (quizzes, unit tests, performance tasks); (6) Learned Curriculum—what learners actually learn and retain (the knowledge, skills, and values they can demonstrate afterward); (7) Hidden Curriculum—the unintended, unplanned curriculum transmitted through school culture, peer influence, and teacher behavior (values like punctuality, gender attitudes, respect for authority). The hidden curriculum is never written down but often more powerful than the formal curriculum because it shapes attitudes and values throughout a learner's school life. Note: Some references add the null curriculum (content deliberately not taught) and concomitant curriculum (home-supported values), but Glatthorn's seven are the LET core.

Every curriculum, regardless of design, contains four essential elements that align with Tyler's four fundamental questions (covered in Chapter 2): (1) Aims, Goals, and Objectives—answers 'What is to be done? What should learners achieve?' These are also called intended learning outcomes. Within this element, three levels exist: Aims are broad, general statements of purpose for the whole educational system or level (e.g., 'to develop morally upright citizens'); Goals are more specific, set for a subject or grade level (e.g., 'to develop reading comprehension in Grade 3'); Objectives are the most specific and measurable, written for a single lesson and address cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains (e.g., 'By the end of the lesson, Grade 3 learners will identify the main idea of a short story with 80% accuracy'). (2) Content/Subject Matter—answers 'What subject matter is to be included?' This is the 'what' of teaching (the topics, concepts, facts, skills, and values to be taught). (3) Learning Experiences/Methods—answers 'What instructional strategies, resources, and activities will be used?' This is the 'how' of teaching (lessons, discussions, cooperative learning, role-plays, field trips). (4) Evaluation/Assessment—answers 'How will we determine whether the outcomes were achieved?' This includes formative (ongoing) and summative (end-of-unit) measures. A well-designed curriculum shows alignment: all four elements point toward the same outcomes. Misalignment—for example, teaching for understanding but testing only recall—is a common weakness the LET frames in situational items.

Beyond the four foundations, several determinants shape what actually gets built into a curriculum. Understanding these helps you see how real-world factors pressure curriculum design. The determinants are: (1) The Learner—developmental stage, needs, interests, prior knowledge, readiness, cultural background, and socioeconomic context. In the Philippines, learners in remote or low-resource areas have different learning needs than those in urban schools, influencing how DepEd designs implementation guidelines; (2) Society and Culture—national goals, social issues, community values, workplace demands, and globalization. The K to 12 curriculum's inclusion of 21st-century skills (critical thinking, collaboration, communication) reflects societal demand for globally competitive workers; (3) Knowledge and the Disciplines—the structure, scope, and advances of the subject fields themselves. As science evolves, the curriculum must reflect new understandings; (4) Philosophy and Psychology—beliefs about education's aims and how learning happens. A school that values constructivism will design learning experiences differently than one rooted in behaviorism; (5) Political, Economic, and Legal Factors—government policy, funding, and laws such as RA 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013), which mandated the current K to 12 curriculum. Budget constraints also determine whether a school can support a science laboratory; (6) Technology—the tools and media available for teaching and learning. The rise of digital literacy has prompted inclusion of ICT competencies in the curriculum.

The philosophical foundation of curriculum connects directly to four major educational philosophies, each implying a different curriculum emphasis. (1) Perennialism (Robert Hutchins, Mortimer Adler)—emphasizes enduring truths, the classics, and Great Books; treats the teacher as an authority who guides learners toward intellectual virtue; curriculum is fixed and focused on the disciplines; examples include heavy emphasis on classic literature and classical subjects. This is a teacher-centered, subject-centered approach. (2) Essentialism (William Bagley)—focuses on essential basic skills and core academic disciplines; advocates 'back-to-basics' and mastery of the '3 Rs' (reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic); curriculum is structured around essential competencies. This is also teacher-centered and emphasizes traditional academic subjects. (3) Progressivism (John Dewey)—centers on learner needs, interests, and experiences; promotes problem-solving and learning by doing (experiential learning); curriculum is flexible, integrated, and organized around real-world problems. This is learner-centered and emphasizes active engagement. (4) Reconstructionism (Theodore Brameld, George Counts)—views education as a tool to reform and improve society; addresses social justice, equity, and societal problems; curriculum is organized around contemporary social issues and aims to develop critical consciousness. This is learner and society-centered. In the Philippines, the K to 12 curriculum reflects a blend of progressivism (learner-centered, competency-based), reconstructionism (social awareness, values education), and essentialism (core academic standards).

The teacher is not a passive delivery agent. Teachers are active curricularists who know, write, plan, initiate, innovate, implement, and evaluate the curriculum. Every day, a teacher converts the written curriculum (the plan in DepEd guides) into the taught curriculum (the lesson as enacted), selects supported materials (resources that enable delivery), builds the assessed curriculum (the tests and tasks used), and shapes the hidden curriculum (through modeling and classroom culture). This daily transformation from documents to learning outcomes is both a responsibility and a professional right. Under RA 7836, the Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers, teachers are expected to "promote the ideals of nationalism and a just and humane society." Teachers do this by making curriculum decisions that are culturally relevant, inclusive, and responsive to their specific learners. A Grade 2 teacher in a fishing community, for example, might contextualize mathematics lessons using fishing scenarios, or a teacher in a rice-farming area might embed science concepts in agricultural practices. This is professional judgment in action.

The LET frequently tests your ability to distinguish curriculum from related but distinct concepts. (1) Curriculum vs. Syllabus—The syllabus is a part of the curriculum, not the whole. A syllabus is the outline of topics, lessons, and assessment for a specific subject or course; it is narrower in scope. Curriculum is the broader planned set of experiences, including goals, methods, resources, and values. If curriculum is the blueprint for the entire house, the syllabus is the blueprint for one room. (2) Curriculum vs. Instruction—Curriculum is the plan (the 'what' and 'why'); instruction is the delivery (the 'how,' in real time). Curriculum is static and can be written; instruction is dynamic and happens in the moment. A teacher uses the curriculum guide to inform instruction, but instruction also includes in-the-moment adjustments based on learner response. (3) Formal vs. Non-formal vs. Informal—Formal curriculum is the structured, school-based program leading to certification (e.g., Grades 1–6 in a public school); non-formal is organized learning outside the formal system with goals but not leading to school certification (e.g., community skills training, livelihood programs); informal is unstructured learning from daily life and environment (e.g., a child learning cooking from a parent, or learning to fish from community elders). All three contribute to a learner's total development, but the school is responsible for the formal curriculum.

Alignment is a critical concept tested frequently on the LET. Curriculum alignment means that the intended learning outcomes (aims, goals, objectives), the content to be taught, the learning experiences provided, and the assessment methods all work together to achieve the same ends. In a well-aligned curriculum: (1) Objectives clearly specify what learners should know and be able to do; (2) Content is selected and sequenced to address those objectives; (3) Learning experiences (activities, strategies, resources) are designed to help learners master the content and achieve the objectives; (4) Assessment methods directly measure whether learners have achieved the objectives. When curriculum is misaligned, learners are confused, instruction is inefficient, and assessment does not fairly measure learning. Common misalignments include: teaching for understanding but assessing only recall; using traditional lecture methods when the objective is to develop collaborative skills; assessing listening comprehension through a written test that requires reading skills the learner has not yet mastered. In Philippine schools, achieving alignment is often challenged by mixed-ability classrooms, insufficient resources, and time constraints, making it all the more important that teachers understand and actively work toward alignment.

The hidden curriculum is one of the most powerful yet invisible components of schooling. It refers to the unintended, unplanned learning that occurs through the school environment, social interactions, teacher behavior, and institutional norms. Examples include: a learner learning punctuality by observing a teacher who always arrives on time and praises punctual arrival; a learner absorbing gender stereotypes if the teacher always calls on boys for math and girls for reading; a learner internalizing respect for diversity if the classroom celebrates multiple languages and cultures; a learner developing anxiety about mathematics if the teacher frequently expresses discomfort with math or shame when learners make mistakes. The hidden curriculum is never written in a curriculum guide, but research shows it often has a stronger influence on learner attitudes, values, and identity than the formal curriculum. Under RA 7836 and RA 7610 (the Anti-Child Abuse Law), teachers have an ethical duty to be aware of their hidden curriculum and ensure it is protective, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate. This means being conscious of the messages you send through your choice of examples, your praise and feedback, your classroom management practices, and your own modeling of respect and integrity.

RA 10533, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, is the legal foundation for the current Philippine K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum. This law mandates that basic education in the Philippines consists of 12 years: 6 years of elementary (Grades 1–6), 4 years of junior high school (Grades 7–10), and 2 years of senior high school (Grades 11–12). The K to 12 curriculum is outcomes-based, competency-driven, and designed to produce globally competitive learners. Key features include: learning areas organized around core competencies (e.g., Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, Health, and Values Education in elementary); Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) in the early grades, transitioning to Filipino and English; contextualization to local and national issues; integration of 21st-century skills (collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, communication); and emphasis on inclusive, learner-centered pedagogy. The curriculum guides published by DepEd operationalize this law and translate it into the written curriculum that schools implement. As an elementary teacher, you must understand that RA 10533 is the policy framework giving your curriculum legal authority and defining the competencies your Grade 1–6 learners are expected to achieve.

The four foundations (philosophical, historical, psychological, sociological) provide the theoretical rationale for every curriculum design decision. For example, a school grounded in a progressivist philosophy and humanistic psychology will design a learner-centered curriculum emphasizing problem-solving and self-actualization. Understanding the foundations helps you justify 'why' a curriculum is structured the way it is.

Educational philosophies directly influence the types of learning experiences offered. A perennialist school emphasizes reading classic texts and teacher-led discussions; a progressivist school emphasizes projects, discovery, and real-world problems. Recognizing this relationship helps you see how philosophy becomes practice.

The gap between the recommended and written curriculum shows how closely the school follows expert guidance; the gap between the taught and learned curriculum reveals how effectively teaching translates to student mastery. Analyzing these gaps helps you identify where to improve. If learners are not learning (learned ≠ taught), you might need different instructional strategies, more practice, or targeted intervention.

The four elements work together: clear objectives guide content selection, content informs learning experiences, and assessment measures whether objectives were met. Misalignment among these four elements reduces learning effectiveness. A well-aligned curriculum is a prerequisite for student success.

Curriculum determinants (learner, society, discipline, psychology, policy, technology) justify contextualization—adapting the curriculum to local needs and resources. A Grade 4 teacher in a rural community might use farming examples in mathematics, while an urban teacher uses market trading. Both are responding to learner and societal determinants.

The teacher's awareness of the hidden curriculum is central to professional ethics. Under RA 7836, teachers must be conscious of the values and attitudes they model and the messages their classroom practices send. Recognizing that you shape the hidden curriculum is the first step toward deliberate, ethical teaching.

Assessment is valid when it directly measures the intended learning outcomes. If objectives target application and analysis but the test measures only recall, the assessment is not valid. Alignment between objectives and assessment ensures that what you measure is what you intended to teach.

The formal curriculum (written, taught, assessed) and the hidden curriculum (unplanned but pervasive) together shape the school culture and learner experience. A school that teaches inclusivity in the formal curriculum but allows bullying in the hidden curriculum sends contradictory messages. Coherence between formal and hidden curriculum strengthens school culture.