lawton model

1. Denis Lawton Model of the Curriculum Process
The model has been developed by Denis Lawton as a reaction against what he sees as
the danger of the Behavioral Objectives Model/Taylor Model. As the name implies this model
propose a curriculum as the whole way of life of a society and the purpose of education is to
make available to the next generation what we regard as the most important aspect of culture.
Define
“Curriculum is a selection from the culture of society of aspects which are so valuable that
their survival is not left to chance, but is entrusted to teachers for expert transmission to the
young”
Components
Lawton’s Cultural Analysis Model (LCAM) constructs the curriculum as a selection from
culture. Lawton’s work concentrates on the compulsory curriculum and sub divides culture into
nine (9) Systems/Components:

2. 1. The Language System
2. The Religion System
3. The Law and Politics System
4. The Social organization System
5. The Technology System
6. The morality System
7. The Values and Attitude (belief) System
8. The Aesthetics System and
9. The Education System
Lawton’s analysis exposes the cultural features common to all societies. His view was that the
compulsory curriculum should ensure that aspects of culture are transmitted.
Lawton’s nine cultural systems do help to develop the full extent of possible curriculum space
and indicate what may be missed by over specialization

3. Purpose
1. To describe the nature of Vocational Education
2. To describe the essentials of culture for transmission by the compulsory Curriculum
CULTURE ANALYSIS MODEL
Lawton offer a five stage model for this analysis
Stage1
Cultural Invariants- this examines all the aspects that human societies have in common such as
economic and model aspects believes and other system
Stage 2
Cultural Variables –involves analyzing the difference between cultures in each of the system
Stage 3
Selection from the Culture – this stage consist of comparing the cultural analysis of the system
with the existing school curriculum
Stage 4
Psychological questions and Theories – this stage is not in direct continuity with the previous
stages, but is seen as an important consideration for any curriculum development
Stage 5
Curriculum Organizations – in this final stage the curriculum can now be planned on the basis of
the cultural analysis carried out in the previous stage, bearing in mind the important
psychological questions and theories that influence learning and instructions.
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