The Teacher and The School Curriculum
Lesson 11: Curriculum Mapping and Quality Audit
Curriculum Mapping
- It is a model for designing, refining, upgrading, and reviewing the curriculum resulting in a framework that provides form, focus, and function.
- Addresses the gaps or repetitions in the curriculum.
- Connects all initiatives from instruction, pedagogies, assessment, and professional development.
Curriculum mapping is like creating a complete roadmap for what and how students learn throughout a course or program. It helps teachers see if there are any important topics missing or repeated too much, making the learning experience smoother and more balanced. Plus, it connects everything, from the lessons and teaching methods to assessments and professional teacher training ensuring all parts work well together to help students succeed. In short, it’s a way to organize and improve the curriculum so everyone knows what’s happening, when it happens, and why it matters, making education clearer and more effective for both teachers and students.
Curriculum Quality Audit (CQA)
- A form of curriculum mapping
- It is a process of mapping the curricular program or syllabus against established standards
- It requires a written curriculum and the tested curriculum linked to both the taught and the written curricula
- Identifies gaps, under and overrepresentation of the curriculum based on the standards.
- Ensures alignment of learning outcomes, activities, and assessment to the standards
- Achieves an internationally comparable curriculum as standards become the basis of the curriculum analysis
Curriculum Quality Audit (CQA) is basically a detailed check-up of your curriculum where you compare what you plan to teach against well-established standards. It's a type of curriculum mapping that looks closely at the written curriculum, what’s actually taught, and the assessments to make sure everything lines up perfectly. The audit helps spot any gaps or areas where some topics might be over or underrepresented, ensuring that learning goals, activities, and tests all fit with the required standards. Therefore, this process helps schools create a curriculum that’s not only balanced and aligned internally but also meets international benchmarks, making sure students get a quality education that prepares them well wherever they go.
Standards Used in CQA
- Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) – Department of Education Order no. 42, s. 2017
- CMO 74, s. 2017 (Bachelor of Elementary Education)
- CMO 75, s. 2017 (Bachelor of Secondary Education with majors in English, Mathematics, Science, Filipino, Social Studies, Values Education)
- CMO 76, s. 2017 – BECEd – Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
- CMO 77, s. 2017 – BSNEd – Bachelor of Special Needs Education
- CMO 79, s. 2017 – BTVTEd – Bachelor of Technical-Vocational Teacher Education
- CMO 80, s. 2017 – BPED – Bachelor of Physical Education
- CMO 81, s. 2017 – BSESS – Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Sciences* (not for teaching degree)
- CMO 82, s. 2017 – BCAED – Bachelor of Culture and Arts Education
- CMO 83, s. 2017 – Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Alternative Learning System
CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION AS A CHANGE PROCESS
Kurt Lewin
- The father of social psychology
- His model “Force Field Theory” explains this change process
|
Driving
Force |
Restraining Force |
|
Government
Intervention |
Fear of the Unknown |
|
Society’s
Value |
Negative
Attitude to Change |
|
Technological
Changes |
Tradition
Values |
|
Knowledge
Explosion |
Limited
Resources |
|
Administrative
Support |
Obsolete
Equipment |
Kurt Lewin, known as the father of social psychology, developed the Force Field Theory to explain how change happens, especially in processes like curriculum implementation. His idea is that there are always forces pushing for change, called driving forces, things like government intervention, societal values, new technologies, knowledge growth, and administrative support. At the same time, there are restraining forces holding back change, such as fear of the unknown, resistance to change, traditional values, limited resources, and outdated equipment. When these forces balance out, nothing changes, but if the driving forces are stronger, change moves forward. Understanding these forces helps schools manage the change process more effectively when they implement new curricula. This theory helps explain why change can be hard but also how it can be achieved by strengthening the positive forces and reducing the negatives.
Categories of Curriculum Change
Substitution
- Replace the present with a new one (complete overhaul)
Alteration
- Introduce minor changes or modification on the current one
Restructuring
- Introduce major modification of the current curriculum
Perturbation
- Changes happen within a fairly short time
Value orientation
- Respond to shift in emphasis within the vision/mission of the school
Stakeholders
Teachers
- They are the curricularists who plan, design, teach, implement, and evaluate the curriculum.
Learners
- They are the CORE of the curriculum.
School Leaders/Administrators
- They are the curriculum managers.
Parents
- They are the significant school partners.
Community
- It serves as curriculum resource and learning environment.
Other stakeholders
- These are government agencies (LGUs, DepEd, TESDA, CHED, PRC, CSC) and non-government agencies.
CURRICULUM EVALUATION
Two Ways of Looking at Curriculum Evaluation
1. Curriculum Program Evaluation
- It focuses on the overall aspect of the curriculum. It refers to big curriculum programs.
2. Curriculum Program Component Evaluation
- It includes separate evaluation of: (a) achieved learning outcomes, (b) curriculum process, (c) instructional materials.
Process of Evaluation
|
Process |
Reasons for Curriculum Evaluation |
|
Needs assessment |
It identifies the strengths and
weaknesses of an existing curriculum. |
|
Monitoring |
It will tell if the designed or
implemented curriculum can produce or is producing the desired results. |
|
Terminal assessment |
It guides whether the results have
equaled or exceeded the standards. |
|
Decision making |
It provides information necessary for
teachers, school managers, and curriculum specialists for policy
recommendations. |
Curriculum Mapping and Quality Audit Quiz: click here
“If you truly understand, comment your reflection in at least 3-5 sentences or more about this lesson.”