Curriculum Development Project: K-12 Science Pilot Curriculum

This project details the development of a pilot science curriculum for K-12 students in the United States. The assignment encompasses two main parts: a pilot curriculum design focusing on practical work with digital technology integration, and a curriculum foundation outlining core instructional goals, the systems approach to curriculum development, philosophical and psychological approaches, and the integration of cultural influences. The project also explores the application of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives to foster critical thinking skills. The curriculum aims to enhance students' practical and logical thinking abilities through hands-on experiments and technology integration, providing a framework for teachers and students to achieve transparent educational objectives and adapt to societal values.

Running head: CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Curriculum development
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Assignment 1: Pilot curriculum.......................................................................................................2
Assignment 2: Curriculum Foundation...........................................................................................3
Summary of pilot curriculum.......................................................................................................3
Core instructional goals of curriculum........................................................................................3
Rationale..................................................................................................................................4
Approach to curriculum development.........................................................................................4
Rationale..................................................................................................................................4
Philosophical approach to curriculum development....................................................................4
Rationale..................................................................................................................................4
Psychological motivational approach to curriculum development..............................................5
Rationale..................................................................................................................................5
Cultural influence on the school district......................................................................................5
Rationale..................................................................................................................................5
Recommendation to integrate the cultural influence into the planned curriculum......................5
Strategy for incorporating critical thinking into the planned curriculum using Bloom’s
Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives.............................................................................................6
Rationale..................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6

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References:......................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Education occupies one of the most significant field within the aspect of human
development. It leads to the accumulation of information by the students. Such information
allows them to undertake the process of critical thinking which, in turn, helps them to tackle the
obstacles faced in their daily lives (Leask, 2015). However, the efficiency of such education
depends upon the way the information is imparted to the students. This necessitates the
generation of a curriculum within the educational institutions (de Oliveira & Iddings, 2014). The
purpose of this assignment is to develop a pilot curriculum on science for the K 12 students
studying within the United States of America. To this extent, the core instructional goals of
curriculum, the approach to curriculum development, its philosophical approach and
psychological motivational approach have also been looked into. Furthermore, strategy for
incorporating critical thinking into the planned curriculum using Bloom’s Taxonomy of
Cognitive Objectives has also been included within the paper.
Assignment 1: Pilot curriculum
One of the main subjects taught to the students within formal educational institutions is
that of science. The science subjects allow the students to develop their critical thinking ability
and adhere to a logical thought process. However, a need was felt among a school district to
change the prevailing curriculum being taught in the schools (Roberts, 2017). The dominant
curriculum mainly focused on theory more than practical work.
The new curriculum which was designed in a pilot form, sought to ensure that more hours
were given to practical work which undertook the aid of digital technology. For instance, from
kindergarten itself, the children had to be taught about the importance of experiments and the use

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of computers. By the time they would reach class 12, they should be able to use the available
technology efficiently to conduct new credible experiments.
The purpose of developing a pilot curriculum is that it would allow the school educators
to understand the pitfalls of the system (Alsubaie, 2015). They can undertake the necessary steps
and measures to reformulate the curriculum after observing it for a period of time.
Assignment 2: Curriculum Foundation
This part of the assignment would look into the approach to curriculum development, its
philosophical and psychological approach, a recommendation to integrate the cultural influence
into the planned curriculum and a strategy for incorporating critical thinking into the planned
curriculum using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives
Summary of pilot curriculum
The pilot curriculum for the K 12 students within the United States of America is aimed
to reformulate the field of science. It seeks to bring about innovation and change by introducing
more practical work with the aid of technology. This would prove to be beneficial to the students
by developing their practical and logical thought process (Khanova et al., 2015).
Core instructional goals of curriculum
The core instructional goals of curriculum would be as follows:
 The teachers would be required to teach the theory along with practical work.
 Efficient use of technology needs to be made wherever possible
 The students should be encouraged to conduct experiments by themselves
 The teachers should try and develop the spirit of inquisitiveness among the students.

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Rationale
The rationale for undertaking such core instructional goals for curriculum development is
that they would act as guidelines for the teachers as well as the students (Hoar, 2014). The
educational institutions would be able to work in a transparent manner as per the given
objectives.
Approach to curriculum development
The systems approach to curriculum development focuses on the issue of analyzing the
materials to be taught and developing a proper method of communication which would aid in the
transmission of information to the students (Pereira & Costa, 2017). The model with be
implemented with care and also evaluated at periodical intervals for any instructional experience.
Rationale
The use of the systems approach to curriculum development would prove to be useful for
the K 12 students whose curriculum are sought to be changed for the science subjects. The
information to be imparted can be arranged in a logical flow and the evaluation of the practical
work can be done at periodical intervals (Cam, 2016).
Philosophical approach to curriculum development
The realist approach to curriculum development would enable the teachers to develop a
timeline which would aid in effective impartation of education to the children (Uljens, 2015). A
time bound and practical curriculum can be developed with the support of this philosophical
approach.

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Rationale
The use of the realist approach to curriculum development is essential for the new science
curriculum. The need for practical work can be adjusted into the school education system in
accordance with the available theoretical knowledge with the students.
Psychological motivational approach to curriculum development
The psychological motivational approach to curriculum development refers to the
emotional support which is provided to the students (Tam, 2014). This forms an important part
of the curriculum as the education which is imparted depends significantly on the comprehension
capacity of the children.
Rationale
The use of such psychological motivational approach to curriculum development is found
to be correlated with the instructional goal of the teachers should try and develop the spirit of
inquisitiveness among the students. When the children are motivated to study, they wold take an
active interest in what is being taught to them.
Cultural influence on the school district
One of the cultural influence on the school district is that of the values of the society and
the norms adhered to by the people. The use of practical work with the aid of technology would
allow the students to cultivate the values which are consistent with the changes in generation
(Martin, 2017).
Rationale
This would have a positive impact on the district as the development level of the students
is dependent to a large extent on the use of technology. Furthermore, the values of the society

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would be kept intact as the students would develop new values which would result in
continuance of the society.
Recommendation to integrate the cultural influence into the planned curriculum
In order to ensure that there is effective integration of cultural influence into the planned
curriculum, there is a need on the part of the teachers to understand the values and norms of the
society. The better understanding of such customs would allow the teachers to understand the
measures needed to effectively impart them to the students.
Strategy for incorporating critical thinking into the planned curriculum using
Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives
Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives is related to the classification of the
educational learning of the students (Armstrong, 2016). They are divided into specificity and that
of complexity. The integration of the Bloom’s taxonomy is essential for the development of
curriculum as the cognitive domain of the list has always had the primary focus of the various
traditional form of education.
Rationale
The need for Bloom’s Taxonomy enables the teachers to develop the cticial thinking
ability of the students. The teachers are able to plan the curriculum based on the educational
needs of the children, by distinguishing between the general education and that of specific
education.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be stated that a pilot curriculum is developed with the main intention
of ensuring to bring about a change in the structure of education provided to the students. The

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curriculum would be changed as and when required after careful analysis of the results that are
yielded by the present curriculum. The need to bring about a change in the way the science
subjects are taught can be felt from the introduction of technology. This needs to be effectively
integrated in the curriculum of the K 12 students.

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References:
Alsubaie, M. A. (2015). Hidden curriculum as one of current issue of curriculum. Journal of
Education and Practice, 6(33), 125-128.
Armstrong, P. (2016). Bloom’s taxonomy. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching.
Cam, P. (2016). A philosophical approach to moral education. Journal of Philosophy in
Schools, 3(1).
de Oliveira, L., & Iddings, J. (2014). Genre pedagogy across the curriculum. Sheffield, UK:
Equinox.
Hoar, R. (2014, May). Generally educated in the 21st century: The importance of computer
literacy in an undergraduate curriculum. In Proceedings of the Western Canadian
Conference on Computing Education (pp. 1-5).
Khanova, J., Roth, M. T., Rodgers, J. E., & McLaughlin, J. E. (2015). Student experiences across
multiple flipped courses in a single curriculum. Medical education, 49(10), 1038-1048.
Leask, B. (2015). Internationalizing the curriculum. Routledge.
Martin, J. R. (2017). Changing the educational landscape: Philosophy, women, and curriculum.
Routledge.
Pereira, O. P., & Costa, C. A. A. T. (2017). The importance of soft skills in the university
academic curriculum: The perceptions of the students in the new society of knowledge.
Roberts, R. (2017). Understanding evidence in scientific disciplines: identifying and mapping
‘the thinking behind the doing’and its importance in curriculum development. Practice

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and evidence of the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education., 12(2),
411-429.
Tam, M. (2014). Outcomes-based approach to quality assessment and curriculum improvement
in higher education. Quality Assurance in Education.
Uljens, M. (2015). Curriculum work as educational leadership–Paradoxes and theoretical
foundations. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 2015(1), 27010.