Oluoch's Model of Curriculum Development.

OLUOCH'S MODEL OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT.

Learning is planned and guided therefore curriculum developers have to advance what would be
sought to be achieved and how it is to be achieved. The process of decision making and updating
the curriculum will be supported by a platform of shared values, images and beliefs that will be
crucial in the organization process of the intended and planned learning.
Each expressed, implied and emergent dimensions of curriculum need to work together in order
to provide the curriculum specialists with the unstated and unplanned activities, unintended
learning occurred in class, learner’s perceptions of certain conditions, positive and negative
effects on the learners, gaps between learners, uniqueness of individual learners and many other
clues in order to incorporate changes in the curriculum that will reduce failures.
Curriculum therefore is a body of knowledge, content and subjects. In the sense that education is
the process by which these: content and knowledge, are transmitted to the learners in the most
effective methods that can be derived.
Education is most often seen as a technical exercise. Objectives are set, a plan is drawn up then
applied and the products are measured through evaluation. Key competencies to be developed
among students are mostly identified through learning domains or the dimensions of school
curriculum.
Oluoch’s model of curriculum development goes a long toward trying to solve the fundamental
problem; that much of what is taught in not learned and much of what is presented and tested is
not assimilated. Oluoch explains curriculum as all that is planned to enable the learner to acquire
and develop desired knowledge, skills, values and attitude.

OLUOCH’S MODEL OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT.
The School Curriculum.
The definition of curriculum is based on the aspect of educations definition. Education is a
progressive change in a learner’s thoughts, attitudes, emotions and actions in a positively desired
direction. Education relevantly doesn’t only lead to the grasp of knowledge, but importantly
should lead to ones change in behavior.
As mentioned, education is progressive and therefore, this change of behavior therefore
relatively can take time before its fruits are seen. Education can be generally grouped into two
that is: i. School education and ii. Out of school education. School education involves both
primary, preschool up to tertiary level. Out of school education refers to the type of school that
takes place out of the actual school context.
From the definition of education aspect therefore, curriculum can be defined as the means which
the school enables learners to change or modify their behavior. In a similar sense that it would be
related as a vehicle through which the behaviors of the learner are modified.


Dimensions of a school curriculum.
Dimensions refer to the actual school curricula, and there are four dimensions of school
curriculum which are; i. Non-formal, ii. Informal, iii. Formal, and iv. Emerging dimensions.
The dimensions and the elements of the school curriculum are represented as:

GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES

EVALUATION.

i. FORMAL DIMENSION.

ii. NON-FORMAL DIMENSION.

iii. INFORMAL DIMENSION

iv. EMERGING DIMENSION.

LEARNING
OPPORTUNITIES.
And this process is cyclic and progressive and therefore the evaluations process should happen at the every stage of each dimension.

The non-formal dimension bases itself on the organized out of class activities in which the
learners participate in school. These activities include dances, scouting, games and clubs and
societies activities. Non formal dimension in other words is also called extra-curricular activities.
The formal dimension on the other hand is the syllabus of study followed in the school.
The informal dimension of the school curriculum are the components that make up the setting
through which learners learn unconsciously in a school. These components can be physical or
non-physical.
The emerging dimension of the school curriculum are the unplanned learning opportunities
which come up during the learning process. The emerging dimension naturally cannot be
planned but rather emerge at any time of the other three dimensions.

Elements of a School Curriculum.
In the diagram shown it is forth put that there are three basic elements of a school curriculum.
All these elements are appropriate to all dimensions of the school curriculum.

The elements are; - i. Goals and objectives of the curriculum, ii. Learning opportunities through
which the goals and the objectives of the curriculum should be achieved and iii. The evaluation
process, to find out if the goals and objectives previously set have been achieved and if they
have, to what degree.
1. Goals and Objectives for School Curriculum.
Goals and objectives are statements or intents to be accomplished, they are elements of purpose
with some outcomes in mind. They supply out the changes that are desired out of the learner.
These goals and objectives on level basis can be in; - national or societal level, school level and
teacher level. All these goals on aspect are prone to changing from time to time depending on
various factors.
All the school objectives concretely regardless of the level and types of schools they are applied,
would be complementary and together they would aim at fulfilling the national or societal goals
for school education.
All the objectives stated at all levels would be stated in such a way to give a definite direction for
educational action for a school.

2. Learning opportunities.
This are the opportunities in which the students are expected to change and develop their
behaviors into the desired and the expected ones. In the context that learning change of behavior
occurs through the exchange of the student and the teacher; involving various activities in a
suitable environment of a school, the learner doesn’t necessarily have to interact with everyone
in the process.
The learning opportunities in this nature therefore is made up of many aspects including the
teachers, learning materials and activities in a suitable environment.
The following factors should be considered in deciding on the composition of the learning
opportunities;
 The nature of the learner.
 The nature of the desired behavior.
 The nature of the learning materials (the makeup of their content)
 Nature of learning activities (level of difficulty)
 Nature of the context required.
 The nature of the teacher.
 The opportunities intended to be provided.
 Important practical conditions to be faced.
Any of these factors could be used as the main basis for arranging the learning opportunities
relying on the situation under consideration.


3. Evaluation.
After the goals have been states and all the effective learning opportunities have been
implemented, it calls for the third element which is evaluation.
This is the collection of analysis and interpretation of information about the aspect of school
curriculum as part of judging its effectiveness, its efficiency and what other outcomes it may
have.
Evaluation answers the question; have the goals and objectives been achieved and to what level
has it been achieved.
Evaluation should not only be for selecting learning for next level education but more of finding
out what degree the goals and objectives have been accomplished and what exact advancement is
need if the goals and objectives have been achieved at a low degree.

Components of Curriculum Development.
Seven major components of for curriculum development can be identified. These are;
1. Needs assessment.
2. Formulation of a curriculum development project.
3. Curriculum designing.
4. Personnel training.
5. Development of curriculum materials and equipment.
6. Implementation.
7. Project evaluation.

1. Needs assessment.
This is a method or technique for identifying educational objectives that most need to be
accomplished in a given instructional situation. It is an essential component of curriculum
development in the determination as precise as possible as of what is that needs improving. The
needs to be assessed may include the societal and national needs of education. The component
establishes the base of curriculum development.

2. Formulation of curriculum development project.
This component involves statement of goals and objectives of the curriculum development
project, approximating the time it would take before completion and how many individuals are
required and also the financial amount required. In this way all the necessary resources will be
committed for the entire duration of the project.

3. Curriculum designing.
After extraction of information and identification of the learner, designing the curriculum begins.
Before designing the content, there is need to be clear objectives. Stating the specific learning
outcomes expected that would be in need for figuring out these learning outcomes.
Curriculum designing involves deciding what part in the effort to realize intended learning
outcomes. Therefore, is important that detailed curriculum designs be prepared and reviewed
from time to time as project proceeds.

4. Personnel training.
For the success of curriculum development procedure, teachers have to be included and they
should understand and accept the ideas contained in the curriculum being proposed or
implemented. All the categories of personnel should be trained to understand and accept the
ideas of the materials forming part of the new curriculum.

5. Development of the curricular materials and equipment.
These materials are designed to help the teacher grasp the knowledge and to implement the ideas
contained in the new curriculum.
These materials include the syllabuses, books and mass media programs for school teachers and
students.
Similarity in preparation of these materials should be of importance for the development of
relevant curriculum materials.

6. Implementation.
This is the interaction of the learners with the teachers, ideas, materials and equipment with a
view to achieving the goals of the new curriculum. Organization of familiarization programs for
educators, parents and other members of the society should be important. The implementation
component happens after all the above components have been put in place.
7 Project evaluation.
After the new curriculum has been implemented, it should be analyzed if its headed towards the
stated goals and objectives and to make appropriate adjustments if otherwise.

Curriculum Development Procedure.
Based on the underlying principles a ten step procedure for curriculum development is proposed.
The steps and the procedure is as follows; -


Step 1. Continuous study of the society.

Step 2. Formulation of a curriculum development project.

Step 3. Designing the curriculum and preparing the curriculum plan.

Step 4. developing trial teaching, learning and evaluation materials using experimental schools.

Step 5. implementation of the new curriculum in pilot schools and colleges.

Step 6. Revision of the trial teachings, learning and evaluation materials.

Step 7. Implementation of the new curriculum in a larger number of schools.

Step 8. implementation of the new curriculum in all schools and colleges.

Step 9. Organizing general seminars for education not involved in the development of the new curriculum.

Step 10. Organizing familiarization meetings for parents and other interested members of the general public.


SHORTCOMINGS OF OLUOCH’S MODEL OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT.
Despite the major positivism towards the success of Oluoch’s model of curriculum development,
it still faces a number of shortcomings; -
It is bulky and contains a lot of processes. The model involves a lot of steps and actions that have
to be and undertaken which may be bulky and tiring. This may bring monotony and confusion
during the development and implementation of the curriculum.
Some of the procedures and guidelines that are suggested in the model are technical and complex
and not every teacher can perform.
There is a strong tendency in the literature about behavioral objectives in curriculum design to
make the assumption that the objectives that can be defined behaviorally, the objectives cannot
be easily assessed, and these objectives do not form the important objectives for a school
curriculum. The corollary also seems to be accepted. If it seems impossible to detect and asses a
specific learning outcome, it probably isn’t important.
If identification of all worthwhile outcomes in behavioral terms comes to be commonly accepted
and expected, then it is inevitable that over time curriculum will tend to emphasize those
elements which have been identified. Important outcomes which are detected only with great
difficulty and which are translated only rarely into behavioral terms tend to atrophy. They
disappear from curriculum because much time is spent on the allotted teaching explicitly for the
more readily specifiable learning to which have been directed.
The model carries a lot of processes and guidelines through certain people. This processes of
research, collection, analysis and implementations which need a lot of financing. Project people,
and researchers have to be paid and curriculum implemented.
Research, collection of data, analysis, implementation is time consuming and therefore it might
take a long time before a curriculum is completely developed. The more the time is taken, the
more is the need for more money to finance it.

RELEVANCE TO CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA.
The model provides guidelines for the contemporary development and improve of the curriculum
in Kenya today. The setting up of an organization for curriculum development in Kenya is based
on the guidelines provided by the model which have entirely helped for the development of a
competent and all round curriculum.
The model has recommended that a procedure to be followed in developing a school curriculum
in Kenya which should be based on the principles; -
 Curriculum development should be based on the outcomes.
 Should concern itself with all curriculum dimensions and elements.
 Be a team effort.

: all these principles through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development have been
implemented and has largely help in the development of the major curriculums and
organized the basis of well formulated projects making the development simpler and
procedural.
The model has made possible reorganization of the formerly Kenya Institute of Education to
currently Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development which is the organization in the country
with the responsibility of curriculum development in school education. This changes are in the
aspect of functions, the control, the panels and the structure of the staff of the institute. This has
made the Kenya institute of curriculum development to be more effective in coming up with the
competent and reliable curriculums.
Each subject area or curriculum area has subject pane and each of them with a related teacher for
educational research and evaluation matters in that subject. These panels interact as much as
possible to bring about coordination in education in the country. The panel’s main work is to
coordinate the content and its relevance in the subject area.
The concept of personnel training before the implementation of a curriculum in the model is
relevantly visible in the new curriculum. Through seminars and conferences, teachers have been
made to understand the changes and ideas in the new curriculum about to be implemented. Each
category of teachers has been trained about the content and the teaching and learning activities
they are to use for the accomplishment and the success of the new 2.6.3.3 curriculum in Kenya.

CONCLUSION.
In conclusion improvement of curriculum should involve all the dimensions and elements of
curriculum and more importantly improving all the three plannable dimensions, which are,
formal, non-formal and informal dimensions. Curriculum development might also might involve
updating all the three elements of school curriculum.
When a curriculum model has been developed, it is essential that the people who will be affected
by it whichever way or have some stake in it or informed so as to understand its relative merit
ones the previous one. This is to ensure their support for the new curriculum and contributions
are enlisted. These people include the teachers and the educational officers from the ministry of
education headquarters to field officers, parents, religious leaders, politicians, professional
bodies and the general public. This enhance the success of the entire process and forestall any
resistance and sabotage indifference in it.
Curricular changes and models are meant to develop a set of key competencies as defined in
curriculum objectives and standards. The pillars of components and elements of learning are
much relevant to curriculum development as they embody a set of new key competencies to
inculcate among all the learners in the emerging knowledge based society.
Each development of a school curriculum model seeks to achieve two broad aims; - one to
provide equal opportunities for all learners to learn and to achieve for the best possible progress
and at the highest attainment and the other is to promote learners’ spiritual, moral, social and
cultural development and prepare all learners for the world of professionalism and societal
responsibility.
Oluoch’s model of curriculum development broadly covers all aspects of curriculum
development through its elements and processes and therefore provides a large relevance for
contemporary curriculum development.

REFFERENCES.
Oluoch, P.G. (2006). Essentials of Curriculum Development. Nairobi: Longhorn Publishers.
Rao, V. (2016). Curriculum Development. New Delhi: Lotus Publishers.