Summary EDDHODJ Curriculum design_Reading material.

Curriculum Models used for Curriculum Design in Secondary Schools In Nigeria By Utuh, Bethel Ndu Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology. Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeri ABSTRACT This paper seeks to explore different models of curriculum used in designing curriculum in education and best model as it suits an individual curriculum planner with reasons. The term curriculum has no particular definition due to different understanding of different curriculum experts about the term, but in education specifically, curriculum can be defined as a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experiences in terms of the educator's or school's instructional goals. The major aim of curriculum design is to improve student learning although there are other goals for planning a curriculum. Designing a curriculum is usually complex and at times rigorous, but the use of a particular curriculum development model will reduce this complexity. This paper discussed the three fundamental groups of curriculum development models such as objective, process or situational and the interaction models including the popular and common improved models of their experts such as Tyler, Wheeler, Kerr, Taba, Stenhouse, and Skilback's Models amongst others. Discussed in this paper also are the pros and cons of all the models. Based on the discussions of the curriculum models featured in this paper, it was concluded with 7 reasons that the Ralph Tyler’s Objectives or Rational Planning Model is the best model of all the models for curriculum development. Reasons be that, Tyler’s model advocated a broad view of objectives but many of those that followed him supported a more narrow view. Tyler's model is always compared with other model. Many curriculum experts like Hilda Taba developed their models by improving or reviewing Tyler’s objective model and Tyler’s objective model is simple and clear. Key Words: Curriculum, Curriculum Model, Curriculum Design, Best Curriculum Design Model 1 INTRODUCTION In education, a curriculum is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experiences in terms of the educator's or schools instructional goals. Different authors and scholars in different fields such as Psychology, Philosophy, Anthropology, and History amongst others, have different views and definition of curriculum. Adams, Kathy, Adams and Dale, (2003) states that, curriculum may incorporate the planned interaction of pupils with instructional content, materials, resources, and processes for evaluating the attainment of educational objectives Kelly, (2009) defines curriculum as "All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside of school." Braslavsky,(2003) states that curriculum is an agreement among communities, educational professionals, and the State on what learners should take on during specific periods of their lives. Furthermore, the curriculum defines "why, what, when, where, how, and with whom to learn.” Smith (1996, 2000) says that, "A syllabus will not generally indicate the relative importance of its topics or the order in which they are to be studied. Where people still equate curriculum with a syllabus they are likely to limit their planning to a consideration of the content or the body of knowledge that they wish to transmit."