This document outlines a presentation on research in curriculum design. It begins with defining key terms like research, research model, curriculum, and curriculum design. It then discusses the purpose of research in curriculum design and different research methods. The document presents a 5-step research model for curriculum design that includes gathering data, analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. It also covers the impacts of research on curriculum design and constraints that can hinder the research process.

1. Guide Bango

2. PRESANTATION OUTLINE
 Definition of terms
 Introduction
 Research in curriculum design
 Purpose of research in curriculum design
 Research model in curriculum design
 Implications of carrying out research in curriculum
design
 Constraints on research curriculum design

3. LEARNING OUTCOMES
 To define the terms research, research model
curriculum and curriculum design
 To identify the purpose of research in curriculum
design
 To interpret research methods used in curriculum
 To interpret the steps in research model curriculum
design.
 To identify the impacts of carrying out a research in
curriculum design
 To identify constraints on research curriculum design

4. DEFINATION OF TERMS
 Research can be defined as a process of systematically
collecting data about an ongoing system relative to
some objective, goal or need of that system; taking
action by altering selected variables within the system
based both on the data and hypothesis; and
evaluating the result of actions by collecting more data
(French and Bell 2001).
 Research model can be defined as a way of
schematising (arranging) a process (Crowther 2009).

5. Definition of terms cont……
 Curriculum can be defined as the subjects comprising
a course of study in school or college (Ramnarayan
2011)
 Curriculum design is a term used to describe the
purposeful, deliberate, and systematic organization of
curriculum (instructional blocks) within a class or
course (Saunders 2009).

6. INTRODUCTION
 To achieve vision 2030 of Zimbabwe being a middle income
economy , the performance of the Higher and Tertiary
Education is under the spotlight to deliver goods and
services through teaching, community service, research,
innovation and industrialization.
 To this end, the Zimbabwean government had applied a
policy to avail 1% of the Gross domestic product(GDP)
towards research and development, thus providing and
enabling environment for innovation to cause a
modernization and industrialized economy (Ministry of
Higher Education Science and Technology 2019)

7. Research in curriculum design
 Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to
increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of
humans, culture and society, and the use of this stock of
knowledge to devise new applications in designing a
curriculum .
 Research in curriculum analyze information to increase
understanding of a topic or program.
 The quality of a curriculum is based on the extent to which
it meets individual attributes ,requirements of the
national economy, needs of a society and the future
challenges and aspirations of the nation through research
and development.

8. Research in curriculum design

9. Purpose of a research in curriculum
design
 To respond to the changing needs of the society.
 To establish students learning expectations in each
curriculum areas
 To provide a process for continual improvement for the
curriculum to meet changing education demands.
 To establish consistency and progression within,
between and across education levels and subjects
 To provide for a responsible use of resources and
materials

10. Research methods
 Qualitative research
 This involves understanding human behavior and the reasons
that govern such behavior, by asking a broad question, collecting
data in the form of words, images, video etc. that is analyzed,
and searching for themes. This type of research aims to
investigate a question without attempting to quantifiably
measure variables or look to potential relationships between
variables. It is viewed as more restrictive in testing hypotheses
because it can be expensive and time-consuming and typically
limited to a single set of research subjects. Qualitative research is
often used as a method of exploratory research as a basis for later
quantitative research hypotheses. Qualitative research is linked
with the philosophical and theoretical stance of social
constructionism.

11. Research methods cont……
 Quantitative research
 This involves systematic empirical investigation of quantitative
properties and phenomena and their relationships, by asking a narrow
question and collecting numerical data to analyze it
utilizing statistical methods. The quantitative research designs are
experimental, co relational, and survey (or descriptive). Statistics
derived from quantitative research can be used to establish the
existence of associative or causal relationships between variables.
Quantitative research is linked with the philosophical and theoretical
stance of positivism.
 The quantitative data collection methods rely on random sampling and
structured data collection instruments that fit diverse experiences into
predetermined response categories. These methods produce results
that are easy to summarize, compare, and generalize.Quantitative
research is concerned with testing hypotheses derived from theory or
being able to estimate the size of a phenomenon of interest.

12. Research model in curriculum
design
 Step 1.
Data gathering (identifying and defining a
problem)
This first stage involves the identification and definition
of the problems in a curriculum .
Identify the gaps of the program me and close
What information to be sought for an in depth
understanding of the curriculum problem ?
What is the structure/nature of the underlying problem
in the curriculum?

13. Research model in curriculum
design cont……….
 Step 2 Analysis and interpretation of the
curriculum problem
 It involves making sense of the gathered data and
interpreting what it means.
 A thoughtful analysis along with accurate
interpretation of data provides incisive insights into
the actions that must be initiated to change and
improve the curriculum.
 What is the purpose of the program?
 Who are the key beneficiary of the
curriculum/program?

14. Research model in curriculum
design cont………
 What learning environment is required critically e.g. if
you want to start medicine or agricultural engineering,
do we have the facilities and resources to do so?

15. Research model in curriculum
design cont………..
 Step 3:Action Planning
 It involves describing the action plan in detail.
 What do we intend to do ?
 How do we intend to do it?
 Literature review
 Research questions
 Research methodology
 Conceptual framework e.g. do we include a set of
hypothesis

16. Research model in curriculum
design
 Step 4:Implementation
 executing the research in curriculum design
 Data collection
 Data verification
 Data analysis and interpretation
 Step 5 :Evaluation
 Assessment of the designed curriculum
 Is it a success or failure
 Communicating findings
 Recommendations

17. Impacts of carrying out research in
curriculum design
 Self-learning
 Deeper understanding of the curriculum designed.
 Important things connected to the topic of research are clearly spelled
out.
 The fallacies that exist related to the topic of researched curriculum
are brought forward .
 Curriculum research helps one find flaws in other people's research
(secondary sources) so that s/he can add to it.
 Curriculum research connect with the nature, habitat, ecosystem,
connectors of the subject.
 Curriculum research expands views about individuals related to the
subject being researched.
 Opens a gate for innovation and industrialization

18. Impacts of research in curriculum
design
 Research in curriculum design foster critical thinking
and analytical skills through hands-on learning
 Research in curriculum design defines academic,
career and personal interests
 Research in curriculum design expand knowledge and
understanding of a chosen field outside of the
classroom
 Research in curriculum design develop one-on-one
connections with distinguished faculty in fields
 Research in curriculum design build community with
peers, faculty and organizations on- and off-campus

19. Research constraints on curriculum
design
 Political motive-Most researches in Zimbabwe Higher
Education curriculum design tends to be politically
biased e.g. the introduction of Education 5.0 whilst the
government had an already an existing curriculum.
The suspension and postponement of first year
university students will also affect the curriculum
where research will now be designed on marrying
syllabuses to be accommodated across universities in
Zimbabwe (Ministry of Education Sports and Culture
2020).

20. Research constraints on curriculum
design
 Lack of funding
 Lack of resources to carry out research
 Bad governance
 Disposing unethical values when conducting research
 Lack of planning
 Lack of expertise
 Poor implementation when conducting a research in
curriculum design

21. Conclusion
 Research plays a very important role in designing a
curriculum as it brings in fresh and relevant ideas to
the programs under study. However political motives
,bad governance, lack of funding and poor ethics
always hinder research in curriculum design.

22. Activity
 Examine how research can be integrated in a
curriculum design.
 What strategies can be employed to counter
constraints in research curriculum design

23. References
 David .C, (2009),Research Methods,2nd edition
McMillan
 Mark .S, (2009),Research Methods for Business
Students,5th edition Pearson Education
 Ministry of Higher Education Science and Technology
(2019), Doctrine for Modernization and
industrialization of Zimbabwe though Education,
Science and Technology Development to achieve
vision 2030
 Ramnarayan .S, (2011), Organisational Development,
Sage Publications