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Psychological bases of curriculum

The document discusses how psychology influences curriculum development in several ways. It describes various psychological theories that provide a basis for curriculum, including behaviorism, cognitive development theories, and humanistic theories. Factors like the age, mental and physical development, interests, and needs of learners are discussed as influencing curriculum. The document also examines different learning theories and how they guide curriculum content and experiences. Overall, psychology is positioned as playing a vital role in curriculum development by providing concepts and theories that shape how learning and learners are understood.

Education◦
 Education is for the child. The child is the center of the educational process.  Through education, efforts are made for bringing desirable changes in the behavior of the learners.  Psychology as a science of behavior is linked with the process of imparting education.  It helps curriculum developers in deciding what content and learning experiences can be included in the curriculum.
 It provides bases for curriculum development in such a way that curriculum could be developed according to the children in a particular grade and their needs.  The psychology of individual differences among children influences the plan and development of the curriculum.  Basic Questions: How do people learn?; How does psychology help the curriculum? How does psychology become a basis for curriculum development?
 Does the physiological development of learner influence the curriculum? There are two areas of interest. First, there is a relationship between the physical condition of the body and learning. Second, the nervous system is involved in the physiological makeup of the body. Yet, the motor and sensory nerves are the vehicles used in regard to the psychological and physiological makeup of the learners.
 Does the age of the leaner influence the curriculum? Understandings regarding the psychological and educational competencies of the learners in particular age groups have led to structuring of the curriculum on an age grade basis.
 Does the mental development of the learner affect the curriculum? There is evidence available to indicate that the mental development of the learner occurs in what could be characterized as stages in the same sense that the physical development of the learner occurs in stage.
 Do problems of the learner influence the curriculum? The development of guidance programmes in schools in probably a result of a realization that problems of learners do influence the curriculum.
 Do the interests of the learner influence the curriculum? The findings in psychology indicate that the interests of the learners are crucial in determining the effectiveness of learning . Further, studies have shown that children are more prone to be interested in certain types of activities at certain age levels than they are at others.
 Do the needs of the learner influence the curriculum? Knowledge in the filed of psychology indicates that there are needs that all youngsters have in common, though they may not have these to the same degree.
 Should the curriculum be analyzed to determine the extent to which it provides for rewards or punishments for the learners? Generally, the learner responds better when rewards are emphasized than when punishment.
 Should there be concern for the extent to which a group of learners can learn and use symbols and concepts in developing curriculum? Attempts have been made by researchers to ascertain the age and developmental level at which a youngster can perform certain kinds of tasks or mater generalizations or concepts.
 Behaviorist or association theories  Cognitive or information processing theories.  Phenomenological or humanistic theories.
 The first theory which studied how learning occurs was named as behaviourism. Behaviorism claimed and proved that behaviour can be modified by changing the environment, In other words, a learner responds differently to different stimulus. Accordingly, it suggested to intentionally provide a stimulus to create desirable response. It says that:  Behavior is result of conditions in which learning takes place.  If proper stimuli are provided, behaviour can be moulded.  It is possible to control learning experiences to create desired learning outcomes.  It is important to reinforce positive behaviour to ensure its repetition.
 Law of Effect: The law of effect is the strengthening or weakening of a connection based on the consequences brought about the connection.  Law of Readiness: This law is indicative of the learners state of participation in the learning process. Readiness, according to Thorndike, is preparation for action. It is essential for learning. If a learner is ready to learn, he learns more quickly, effectively and with greater satisfaction than if he is not ready to learn.
 Law of Exercise: The law of exercise relates to repeating or failing to repeat a connection.  This theory advances the use of drill and repetition, and experiences are selected on the basis of their securing a satisfying reaction from the learner.
 Signal Learning  Stimulus Response learning  Motor learning  Verbal learning  Multiple discrimination  Concepts learning  Rules learning  Problem solving
 Unlike behaviorists, cognitive school claims that learning is cognitive in nature. It explains that a man goes through different style of development from birth to maturity. Piaget gave following states of cognitive development from birth to maturity:  Sensorimotor stage: 0-2 years Age, Development: The child learns sensorimotor activities. He begins to establish simple relations between objects.  Preoperational stage: 2-7 years Age, Development: Learns to take a symbolic meaning, but can consider only one dimension.
 Concrete operational stage: 7-11 years Age, Development: Learns to organize data into logical relationships and can learn concepts in problem solving situations.  Formal operational stage: 11 on-wards Age, Development: Can think about abstract ideas, formulate hypotheses and deduce possible conclusions from them. These stages follow a hierarchical order. Age limit is flexible for each stage depending on hereditary and environmental factors. Tyler, Taba and Bruner based their curriculum principles on Piaget’s theory.
 Physiological Needs: These are basic needs without which a person,can’t survive and maintain life like food, water and, oxygen etc.  Safety Needs: These are the needs which are meant to protect our-self like a house to save oneself from many problems, security etc.  Love and Belonging Needs: These are needs to have a loving and understanding relationship with people and to have a social circle.
 Esteem Need: These are needs to be identified as a respectable person.  Setf-actuaziliation Needs: These needs demand the development of best within a person.  Knowing and Understanding: These needs are for a desire to learn and know the deepest of truth.
 Maslow claimed, that these needs emerge in hierarchical order unless and until one set of needs are fulfilled, next don’t emerge. This theory has implication for teaching-learning. Maslow considered the experience of child as:  Fundamental to learning.  Emphasizing human qualities like creativity, values, love etc.,  Giving importance to the dignity and work of the individual and focus on the psychological development and human potential of the learners.
 It is expected that whatever a child learns in the school will get transferred to a child’s life and there from to the society at large. Therefore, a curriculum must be based on such syllabus or subject-matter which is most useful and desirable for the child and society and which promises maximum transfer of knowledge and matters.
 The Gestalt or field psychology is primarily concerned with the analysis of perceptual fields which are considered to the primary whole. Harold Johnson (1968) states that according to this perceives the problem as he focuses his experiential background upon the problem situation. In viewing the learning situation, the learner perceives a likely solution and tries that solution. Through such experiences the learners develop insight.
 Psychology plays a vital role in curriculum development. The psychological concepts and theories influence in the curriculum. we can conclude that curriculum development is guided by the ideas put forward by psychologists (Watson, Skinner, Pavlov’s, Piaget, Gagne’s, Bruner, etc.) from time to time. Hence curriculum development has sufficient psychological bases.
 Retrieved from https://physicscatalyst.com/graduation/bases-of- curriculum/  Retrieved from https://www.owlgen.in/discuss- about-psychological-foundations-of-curriculum- development/