This document outlines a need assessment model for curriculum development. The model involves 4 phases: 1) A macro-level, subject-free needs assessment using societal data to determine educational goals. 2) A macro-level, subject-specific assessment to develop curriculum frameworks. 3) A micro-level, state-specific assessment to modify frameworks for regional needs. 4) A micro-level, classroom-specific assessment to adapt frameworks to student needs and interests. The model is dynamic and interactive, employing both quantitative and qualitative data at different levels with an emphasis on teacher participation and reflection.

1. NEED ASSESSMENT
MODEL

2. CONTENT
 INTRODUCTION
 FIVE BASIC ASSUMPTIONS OF THE MODEL
 MAJOR CONCEPTS/FEATURES OF THE MODEL
 STEPS INVOLVED IN THE NEED ASSESSMENT MODEL
 CONCLUSION

3. INTRODUCTION:-
 A Need Assessment Model is a systematic process for determining and
addressing needs, or “gaps” between current conditions and desired
conditions or “wants”.
 The discrepancy between the current condition and wanted condition
must be measured to appropriately identify the needs .
 The need can be a desire to improve current performance or to correct a
deficiency.

4.  The assessment of needs is a critical and complex issue which
comprises of the most significant component of curriculum
development process.
 Teacher should play a pivotal role in this process if effective learning is
ever going to take place.
 These Assessment of Needs should be done with reference to 4 P’s.
Those are Problem, People, place and performance.
 “Roger Kaufman” is called as “Father of Need Assessment”.

5. FIVE BASIC ASSUMPTION OF THISMODEL:-
(1) Curriculum and Instruction (Instructional Design) are not separate or
independent academic fields functioning in isolation from one another.
Instead, they lie on one continuum and occupy different places on it.
In other words, curriculum is regarded to be a realm so inclusive
that it incorporates instruction as an integral part. So we can use the
word “curriculum discourse” instead of instruction also.

6. (2) All three “fundamental factors of education that are content,
society and student must be incorporated in a needs based curriculum
model to assure the desirability of the outcome.
In other words, the long held view of the contradictory nature of
these sources of information can be fundamentally, and not
superficially as in Tyler rationale, reconciled.
Such integration or reconciliation paves the way for distancing
the curriculum from its traditional conceptions.

7. (3) A centralized curriculum development system is considered to be
a more realistic option at least for developing countries.
The proposed model operates within the boundaries of such a
curriculum development system.

8. 4 The model, from another perspective, transforms centralized
interests of policy makers into a reasonable state by stimulating
the distribution of decision making power while keeping the
central office as a key player.
It might, therefore, alternatively be regarded as an scheme
aimed at curbing radical centralization tendencies.

9. (5) Reasonable, purposeful and localized efforts at decentralizing
the curriculum development process effectively increases the
chances for obtaining the intended consequences of the program
by capitalizing on factors proven to be involved in the
implementation process, such as the “sense of ownership”.

10. MAJOR CONCEPTS/ FEATURES OF THIS MODEL:-
(𝟏)Multiple Levels of Need Assessment –
Need assessment is done or can be undertaken at different levels
or stages, each being distinguishable by certain unique
characteristics.

11. (𝟐)Differential emphasis on information sources –
 Different levels or stages of needs assessment require emphasis to
be placed on different sources.
 “Macro Level” decision making calls for an assessment where major
attention should naturally be paid to subject matter and society as
relevant information sources for purposes of identifying “educational
needs”, while relatively less attention can be paid to students for
purposes of extracting “psychological needs”.

12.  On the contrary; “micro level” needs assessment represent an
activity which require stronger emphasis put on students as a
data source aiming at the identification of “psychological
needs”. While less strong emphasis on other two sources,
namely subject matter and society .

13. (𝟑)Dynamic and Interactive Nature –
 Needs based curriculum development is a highly dynamic
process. The levels or stages are interactive and mutually
inform and reinforce one another.
 In other words, need assessment is not done once in for all it is
rather a continuous process and curriculum deliberation should
never be considered final.

14. (𝟒)The Necessity of appeal to different types of Data –
 The proposed curriculum development model incorporates and
encourages the utilization of different types of data namely
Quantitative and Qualitative or Interpretive data.
 Each type of data is best suited to the process of acquiring needs
information or decision making at a specific level.

15. STEPSINVOLVEDIN THE NEEDASSESSMENTMODEL –
 Bases on assumptions of this model, the following conceptual
model is proposed as a multilevel approach to curriculum
development process.
 There are 4 phases in this model.
 Evaluation is not treated independently as an isolated phase in
this model rather it is considered as an encompassing element.

16.  The 4 phases of this model are –
(1) Macro level subject free needs assessment
(2) Macro level subject free needs assessment
(3) Micro level state specific needs assessment
(4) Micro level classroom specific needs assessment

17. (𝟏)Macro level subject free needs assessment –
 Decisions made at this level lead to the determination of the
educational manifesto.
 This serves as the foundation for curriculum decision making and
includes general, subject free, value choices and curriculum
ideologies.
 The data source for this level is society or culture.

18. (𝟐)Macro level subject specific needs assessment –
 Decisions made at this level lead to the determination of the
curriculum framework.
 At this level, subject specific perception of educational need is
born out.
 Decision makers are usually comprised of subject specialist,
curriculum specialist and practicing teachers.

19. (𝟑)Micro level state specific needs assessment –
 This phase of development marks the starting point of
implementation of the curriculum.
 It leads to the modification of the curriculum framework
representing the final product of the previous level.
 Modification is based on the needs of the particular region of the
nation.

20. (𝟒)Micro level classroom specific needs assessment -
 This level of curriculum development is where curriculum takes the
final shape.
 In this process, decisions are made to adapt the curriculum
framework to the needs and interests of students.
 Decisions are highly specific and are taken to align the curriculum
with knowledge, skills and possible learning difficulties of a particular
group in a particular subject area.

21. CONCLUSION :-
 The model requires participation of teachers in macro level
decision making and their reflectiveness in the teaching- learning
process.
 The model, therefore, requires attention be paid to teacher
training and in-service programs.
 Futuristic Model is an example of Needs Assessment Model.