What is Curriculum in Education

A curriculum is an all-encompassing approach to education that comprises learning objectives, instructional practices, methods of evaluation, educational materials, and the overarching ideology that influences the classroom setting.
When we question "what is curriculum in education," we are delving into a complex idea that functions on multiple levels. Fundamentally, curriculum acts as a road map for educational institutions, defining not only what students should learn but also how it should be supported and assessed. It represents educational ideals, societal values, and the competencies seen to be essential for students to succeed in both their personal and professional lives.

1. Formal Curriculum

A formal curriculum is the official, documented curriculum created by authorities and professionals in education. Teachers are expected to adhere to certain subjects, content, learning objectives, and instructional strategies in the classroom. The benefit of having a written curriculum is that parents, teachers, and children have all the clarity about what to expect during the academic year. It also helps immensely in goal setting and clear planning.
This curriculum lays down what is to be taught and how it is to be taught to students, and sets a standardised value of teaching, and it also aids in preserving the standard of education existing in the country.

Key Features :

• Clarity for parents, teachers, and students on academic year expectations
• Enhanced goal-setting and planning capabilities
• Transparent roadmap for educational progress

2. Informal Curriculum

The lessons, values, and viewpoints that pupils pick up indirectly through the school environment, social interactions, and culture make up the informal curriculum. Although they are not specifically mentioned in the official written curriculum, they have a big influence on how kids behave and grow.
The hidden curriculum helps educators in imparting knowledge and skills beyond the traditional framework. Skills such as multitasking, responsibility, respectfulness, and discipline can be better imparted through the hidden curriculum. Testing and evaluation are not key to this method. Instead, this curriculum encourages participation and skill development.

Key Features :

• Imparts knowledge and skills outside official curriculum boundaries
• Focuses on real-world capabilities and social development
• Builds multitasking, responsibility, and discipline

3. Subject-Based Curriculum

The main objective of a subject-centred curriculum is to increase students' knowledge and comprehension of certain subjects. This kind of curriculum is designed to enhance students' knowledge of its topics.
A subject-based curriculum also helps educators to explore deeper concepts of any subject. It further enables the educators to lay a stronger foundation for the subjects.

Key Features :

• The emphasis is on developing knowledge and skills.
• Specific subjects require customised learning activities. This aids in their professional development and helps them become more knowledgeable.

4. Student Centred Curriculum

The needs, interests, and learning preferences of each student are the main focus of a student-centred program. It gives students greater influence over their education by emphasising active learning and student interaction.
When students are involved in the development and implementation of their curriculum, they feel empowered and are pushed to perform better. This system improves their critical thinking, fosters creativity and problem-solving skills.

Key Features :

• Gives students control over their own learning process and inspires them to take on responsibility
• Gives students the ability to work together as a team to develop their strengths and generate fresh ideas in the classroom.

5. Teacher Centred Curriculum

A teacher-centred curriculum places the teacher at the centre of the learning process, making decisions regarding how, what, and when students will learn about a particular subject. In other words, the teacher is in charge of the entire learning process. In order to help kids grow and learn more, this frequently entails giving them scheduled lessons and direct instruction throughout the academic year.

Key Features :

• The entire concept is teacher-centric, with the instructor serving as the main authority and source of knowledge in the classroom.
• Because this kind of curriculum prevents students from participating in class under the authority's control, it offers very few opportunities for students to develop abilities like problem-solving and critical thinking.

6. Activity-Based Curriculum

As the name suggests, this curriculum strives to empower students through practical methods. Schools conduct several group and individual projects and activities to ensure students learn and thrive.
It has been proven that students, particularly in their early-education stages, grasp concepts and ideas better when presented through activities. This practical teaching method makes students feel more involved and appreciated.

Key Features :

• Instead of passively listening as occurs in a traditional classroom setting, students actively participate and complete tasks that help them apply their abilities and approach to real-world problems.
• It facilitates real-world applications and makes learning easier than theoretical knowledge, enabling students to be self-reliant, curious, and critical thinkers.
• Students benefit from an activity-based curriculum that fosters collaboration and social skills.

7. Integrated Curriculum

This method of education is comprehensive, with an equal focus on all subjects. An integrated curriculum focuses on delivering holistic development to the students. An integrated curriculum also helps students see the real-life application of various subjects.
It also develops their critical thinking and multi-tasking abilities as they have to juggle between multiple specialities and subjects.

Key Features :

• An integrated curriculum makes learning more engaging and enjoyable through ideas with real-world applications.
• Students are better able to relate to and apply the knowledge when it is integrated into a single subject.
• Students benefit from an activity-based curriculum that fosters collaboration and social skills.

Difference between curriculum and syllabus

To fully grasp the scope, goals, and substance of a given course or program, educators, students, and parents must understand the difference between curriculum and syllabus. Here is a brief overview of the same.

Category	Curriculum	Syllabus
Meaning	Structured processes and a set of guidelines that define the educational process	A document containing subjects and their scope to be covered during the academic year
Administered by	Government or the school administration	Exam Board
Designed for	Entire course	Each subject in the course
Nature	Perspective	Descriptive
Setting	Cannot be adjusted easily	Can be altered as per class needs
Duration	Till course end	For the academic year

Curriculum at The Class Of One

The Class of One offers the Indian curriculum, which is based on NEP2020 and NCF 2023 guidelines (aligned with CBSE and NIOS Boards), the UK curriculum and Edu4All, which aims to provide affordable education.
To meet the academic demands of children enrolled in CBSE, NIOS, we also provide online tuition for students from Nursery to Grade 12.