2 Guiding Principles

Selection and Organization of Content

1) One guiding principle related to the subject matter content is to observe the following qualities in the selection and organization of content

• Validity

• Significance

• Balance

• Self sufficiency

• Interest

• Utility

• Feasibility

Validity

- teach the content that is aligned with the goals and objectives of the basic education curriculum.

Significance

- teach the content that should respond to the needs of the learners

Balance- teach the content that includes not only facts but also concepts and values.

- includes cognitive skills and affective elements.

Self Sufficiency

- fully and deeply covers the essentials to avoid the “mile-wide and inch deep”

Interest- considers the interest of the learners, their developmental stages, cultural and ethnic background

Utility

- teach the content that is used by learners

Feasibility

- teach the content that is viable and feasible.

2) At the base of the structure of cognitive subject matter content is facts. We cant do away with facts but be sure to go beyond facts by constructing an increasingly richer and more sophisticated knowledge base and by working out a process of conceptual understanding.

Providing Opportunities for Experimentation

- allow the students to experiment, and learn by their own way

Emphasizing conceptual understanding

- Integrate and correlate facts, concepts and values in a meaningful manner.