ONLINE ASSIGNMENT

BMM II TRAINING COLLEGE

KOTTARAKARA

PRINCIPLES OF

CURRICULUM ORGANISATION

IN

MATHEMATICS

Submitted to: Submitted by

Prinsamma K George Anchulekshmi A R

B.Ed Mathematics

Reg No : 18014350002

Submitted on:

01-10-2015

Index

Sl No Context Page No

1

Introduction

2 Content

3 Conclusion

4 References

INTRODUCTION

The term curriculum derived from the Latin word ‘currere’ which means a kind of

route which the learner travels. All the activities going on the school or outside school is

called curriculum. It is basic to the intellectual, moral and emotional development of the

child. Curriculum is a tool in the hands of an artist (teacher) to mould his materials

(students) according to his ideals (objectives) in his studio (school).

Process of selecting curriculum elements from the subject, current social life and

the students experience than designing the selected curriculum elements appropriately so

they can form the curriculum structure and type. Continuity, sequence and integration are

the criteria for effective curriculum organisation. After selecting the topics the curriculum

has to be organised, maintaining the mathematical sequence and continuity.

PRINCIPLES OF CURRICULUM ORGANISATION

Curriculum organisation is a scientific process. The arrangement of topics in each

class should be guided by student’s ability to grasp, assimilated, retain and apply the

mathematical concept at a particular age level. The focus should be on the amount of

information to be presented. The arrangement should be from concrete to abstract. The

following principles should be kept in mind while organising the mathematics

curriculum.

1. Principle of Correlation

While organising the content in mathematics curriculum, the principles of

correlation should be followed. The following four types of correlation should be

considered.

a. Correlation with life

Mathematics is one subject which has extensive application is our

day to day life. .

b. Correlation with other subjects

The study of mathematics is pre-requisite for the study of other

branches of knowledge.

c. Correlation between different branches of mathematics

The different branches of mathematics such as arithmetic, algebra,

geometry, trigonometry, co-ordinate geometry etc. should not be

taught in watertight compartment.

2. Principal of Logical and Psychological order

An integrated approach combining both logical and psychological order

should be followed in the organisation of the mathematics curriculum.

3. Principle of activity

Learning by doing makes learning more meaningful. The curriculum

organisation should take into consideration the type activities that could be

provided for the effective learning of the content. The activities that help in

relating abstract mathematical concept with the concrete objects will include

enthusiasm and interest among the children. These activities could include;

a. Personal and home activities

b. Vocational activities

c. Recreational activities

d. National activities

e. Community, Civic and social activities

4. Topical Approach

The content organized for a class should be based on the syllabus covered

in the lower classes and in turn, it should form the basis for the organization of the

content in the higher classes. This called the vertical correlation. The topic

arranged in any class also should follow the vertical correlation leading from

simple topics to complex ones.

5. Principle of motivation

The organization of the content should be in increasing order of

difficulty .The difficulty level of a topic is to be judged from the pupil’s

point of views based on the mental development and capabilities of the

pupil’s.

6. Adaptation of individual differences

The arrangement of the content for each class and level should later to

needs of the different categories of children. There should be topics which are

challenging for mathematically gifted students and topics suitable for average and

slow learners in mathematics. Similarly needs of students from rural and urban

areas and from different communities have to be given due weightage while

arranging the mathematical curriculum.

APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM ORGANISATION

There are different approaches to organize the mathematics curriculum. The

important among them are

1. Topical approach

2. Spiral approach

3. Logical and psychological approach

4. Concentric approach

5. Integrated approach

1. Topical approach

In topical approach a topic once presented should be completely exhausted

in the same class. This method demands that the entire topics, the portions easy as

well as difficult, should be covered in the same stage. It is not feasible to do any

topic to its entirety in any class. Instead, a topic should be graded and arranged

according to the increasing order of difficulty. Each part should be introduced at a

stage when the student has the need to learn and the student has the intellectual

development and capabilities to understand and appreciate what is presented to

him.

2. Spiral approach

Spiral approach demands the division of topic into number of smaller

independent units to be dealt with, in order of difficulty suiting the mental

capabilities of children. It is based on the principle that a topic cannot be given an

exhaustive treatment at one stage. To begin with the elementary concepts are

presented in one class, gaps are filled in the next class and more gaps a year or two

later, in accordance with the amount of knowledge which the students are capable

of assimilating. In spiral approach the entire unit is gradually an successively

introduced over the year.

3. Logical and psychological approach

In the development of a particular branch of mathematics, the

mathematician is chiefly concerned with a logical rigorous treatment of the subject

matter, where as the teacher u\is usually concerned with its psychological

organization and presentation. It is the curriculum organizer who is called upon to

integrate the two approaches. There is no reason why the organisation cannot be

both logical and psychological. The happy combination of two is very desirable

and feasible. Psychology throws light on the use of a topic for the students from

the academic as well as practical point of view. Psychology should decide what

kind of logic is appropriate for the pupils of a certain age and which type of topics

will be most suitable for the development of such logical thinking. These two view

point can make the subject matter interesting and comprehensible.

4. Concentric approach

The whole curriculum is spread over a number of years. A general

treatment of almost all the topic is attempted at the beginning in the view of the

utility values and it is developed in successive years according to the mental

development of the pupils. In the beginning of the course, all the essential aspects

are given to the pupils in a simplified way. In the next year more and more details

of its parts are added. It follows the maxims of teachings such as from whole to

part, simple to complexion, easy to difficult etc. This approach is referred to as

concentric approach.

5. Integrated approach

The main aim of education is acquisition of knowledge and the transfer of

knowledge to study other subjects and to solve successfully the problems that arise

in daily life. The study of every subject should highlight the unity of knowledge.

While teaching any subject, the teacher can cite instances and examples to show

that knowledge is a single integrated whole and the knowledge that one gain

through courses like mathematics, physical or biological sciences, social science,

languages, arts and other constitute the whole. Such an integrated approach helps

the students to get a holistic view of the entire school programme and there by the

study of each subject becomes more meaningful and significant.

CONCLUSION

The curriculum is the totality of experiences that the child gains through the multi

various activities in the school. The curriculum should be well balanced, properly graded,

fairly broad based and appropriately organised for meeting the needs of the child on the

one hand and those of the society on other. So the curriculum should be reorganised in

the light of principles mentioned above. Thus we see that while organizing curriculum for

a grade, a number of considerations are to be kept in mind. Utility should be the chief

criterion for curriculum organization of course in tune with the largest trend in subjects.

The needs of community, the needs of students and above all, the view of the teachers

should be given due importance in any programme of curriculum organization in

mathematics.

REFERENCES

1. James .A - Teaching of mathematics – New Delhi, Neelkmal Publications Pvt. Ltd

2006.

2. Dr. Soman .Km Dr. Sivarajan .K – Methodology of teaching and pedagogic

analysis – Calicut: University of Calicut,- 2009

3. National CurriculumFor Primary and Secondary Education : A Frame Work,

NCERT, New Delhi, 1985

4. Mangal S.K – Teaching of mathematics- Ludhiana – Prakash Brothers Educational

Publications

5. www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/howisthecurriculumorgani