UNDERSTANDING SUBJECT AND DISCIPLINES

2. OP FOUSIYA, ATCW.

3. Meaning
• It is an area of learning with in the school
curriculum that constitutes institutionally fined
field of knowledge and practice of teaching and
learning
• subjects are the result of institutional selection,
organization and framing content for social ,
economic, cultural, curricular and pedagogic
purposes
• School subjects contain teaching and learning
activity

4. Definitions
• A school subject constitute an organizing
frame works that gives meaning and shape to
curriculum, content and learning activities-
Karmon-2007
• Is defined as an area of knowledge that is
studied in school
Britannica encyclopedia

5. Definition
• A school subject is an area of learning within the
school curriculum that constitutes an
institutionally defined field of knowledge and
practice for teaching and leaning
Dengz – 2013
• Are human constructions in response to social
,economic, cultural, political and educational
realities and needs. They are uniquely purpose
built enterprises designed with and through
educational imaginational towards educative
needs
Dengz & Luke -2008

6. Subjects are the part into which learning can be
divided
Higher
secondary SS
Secondary SS
Primary SS

7. CONTENT OF SCHOOL SUBJECTS
SCHOOL
SUBJECTS
Humanities
Science
Social science
Natural science
Formal science
Professional and
applied sciences

8. Curricular areas (NCF)
Curricula
r areas
Language
education
Science
Mathemati
cs
Social
science
Work, art,
health,
craft and
peace

9. As far as trs are concerned specialised
understanding of content is
concerned. Trs need to understand …
Subject matter
knowledge
Content k
Pedagogic
content k
Curricular k

10. Why studying SS?
• Mastering the basic maths, history, science,
English( reading, writing and arithmetic)
• Insisting on high standard and expectations
• Ensuring discipline in the classroom
• Conveying a grasp of our moral and political
principles
• Nurturing the character of young people
• Social , cultural, political reconstruction and
transmission

11. • Provide new and important direction
• Pave way for scholarly enquiry
• Offered a range of insight into schooling
• Helps in reorganising and redirecting school
knowledge
• To broaden their perspectives
• Enhance social awareness
• Develop positive attitude and values
• Foster problem solving and critical thinking
skills

12. Academic Discipline

13. Origin
Academic –
Belonging or
relating to a place
of learning . Eg
college, university,
academy
Discipline – from
two Latin words
Disciulus-pupil
and Disciplina
–teaching

14. Meaning
• Discipline is a technical term for organization
of learning and systematic production of new
knowledge
• What one teach and researched as a part of
higher education is the discipline of that
person

15. Definition
• An academic discipline or field of study is a
branch of knowledge that is taught and
researched as a part of higher education
Wikipedia
• Academic discipline is a vast accumulation of
knowledge in a specific area

16. Classification of academic discipline-
Antony Binglan
A D
Hard/paradigmatic
Soft /pre-
paradigmatic

17. Classification of academic discipline-
Antony Bilgan
A D
Pure/primarily
theoretical
Eg- math
Applied
Eg-
engineering
Engage with
living system
Eg-biology
Engage with
non-living
system
eg-history

18. Characteristics of AD
• Disciplines have a body of accumulated specific
knowledge
• D have theories and concepts that can organize
the accumulated specific knowledge effectively
• D use specific terminologies or a specific
technical language
• D have developed specific research methods
according to their specific research requirements

19. • D must have some institutional manifestation in
the form of subjects taught at universities or
colleges, respective academic department and
professional associations connected to it
• Most AD have their root in middle to late 19th
century
• Education and psychology were added in the 20th
c
• Professional course were also added such as:
nursing, teaching, architect, hospital
management etc
• Interdisciplinary scientific fields such as bio-
chemistry, geo-physics , home science were also
added

20. Differences between School subjects and Academic
Discipline
School subjects
Taught in
school
Compulsory
Practical
oriented
Taught by
teachers
Basic form
Life
centered
Academic Discipline
In universities
Optional
Theory
oriented
Taught by
scholars, experts
etc.
Specific
Life centered as
well as
research
centered

21. Relationship b/n SS & AD
Stengel (1997)
Essentially
continuous
Basically
discontin
uous
Different
but
related

22. SS &AD are essentially continuous
• SS are derived and organised according to the
structure of AD
• The central purpose of a SS is to initiate the
young into the academic community of scholars
• A stepping stone to higher education
• The world of knowledge, the needs of the
learner and the needs and demands of the
society determines the curricular content-
TANNER AND TANNER

23. SS & AD are basically discontinuous
•Argue that SS are created to provide sts with intrinsically
rewarding experiences that contribute to the pursuit of
self actualization, personal growth and individual
freedom
•SS need to be formulated according to the need , interest,
attitude and developmental stages of sts
Humanism
•SS are constructed for the purpose of maintaining and
enhancing economic and social productivity
•Formation of SS therefore is justified with reference to
the need of occupation, profession and vocationSocial efficiency
•To provide sts with meaningful learning experiences
•Base upon the examination of social relationships, issues
etc with the intension of helping individual and othersSocial
reconstructionism

24. The 3 contemporary curricular discourses also supports discontinuity

25. SS & AD are different but related
• The third juxtaposition has three
permutations that demonstrate the
relationship between SS & AD
• Can exist in one of the three ways
1. That AD precede SS
2. That SS precede AD
3. That the relationship between the two is
dialectic

26. POSITION 1
• Holds that SS
results from
the
transformation
of an AD
POSITION 2
• SS comes first
& AD later in
one’s learning
journey from
school to
university (
Herbertian
Theory Of
Recapitulation)
POSITION 3
• Can be viewed
as a
combination of
P 1 &
P2(DEWEY’S
classic text)

27. Aims of schooling-
I - Based on different ideologies
Academic
rationalism
Humanism
Social
efficiency
Social
reconstruc
tionism

28. II - Recent discourses of
schooling
Participatory
citizenship
Globalization
Autonomous
learners

29. III – Based on curriculum making or
Concept Of Schooling
Societal curriculum/ideal/abstract curriculum
Programmatic curriculum
Classroom curriculum