Curriculum Development Process is one of the more procedural topics within Teaching Methodology, which makes it well-suited to a structured study approach rather than open-ended reading.
Unlike more discussion-based topics like Classroom Communication, Curriculum Development Process is fundamentally about a sequence — the ordered stages through which a curriculum is designed, implemented, and evaluated. This procedural nature means it responds particularly well to building a clear mental map of the sequence first, then filling in the detail of each stage, rather than absorbing details in no particular order.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Needs assessment | Identifying gaps between current and desired learning outcomes |
| 2. Formulating objectives | Translating identified needs into clear, specific learning objectives |
| 3. Content selection | Choosing subject matter aligned with the defined objectives |
| 4. Organizing content | Sequencing selected content logically for effective teaching |
| 5. Selecting learning experiences | Choosing teaching methods and activities to help learners meet objectives |
| 6. Implementation | Putting the planned curriculum into actual classroom practice |
| 7. Evaluation | Assessing whether the curriculum achieved its intended objectives |
Beyond the general sequence, exam questions frequently reference specific named models of curriculum development. Being able to distinguish between them, not just recall that they exist, matters:
A linear, objectives-driven approach that begins with defining educational purposes and ends with evaluation — often considered the foundational model most later approaches build on or react against.
Notable for its grassroots approach, emphasizing teacher involvement from the very beginning of the development process, rather than a top-down structure where curriculum is designed centrally and handed to teachers.
A cyclical model, where evaluation feeds back into the selection of aims and objectives, rather than representing a final, one-time endpoint — reflecting curriculum development as an ongoing, iterative process rather than a linear one.
Students sometimes conflate "curriculum development process" (the general sequence of stages) with the specific named models (Tyler's, Taba's, Wheeler's) that describe particular approaches to organizing that sequence. Being clear on this distinction — general process versus specific named model — helps avoid confusion when a question asks specifically about one or the other.
Actively redrawing the sequence from memory, rather than only re-reading it, is a more effective way to solidify a procedural topic like this. Similarly, for each named model, being able to state in one sentence what makes it distinct from the others (Tyler's linear structure, Taba's grassroots emphasis, Wheeler's cyclical nature) tends to produce more exam-ready recall than reading detailed descriptions of each without actively distinguishing them from one another.
Related: Teaching Methodology: The 7 Topics · Teacher's Corner overview