Define curriculum according to different educationists. Differentiate among curriculum, syllabus, course contents and scheme of studies?

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Curriculum Definition Collection A. Bestor (1956): The curriculum must consist essentially of disciplined study in five great areas:

1) command of mother tongue and the systematic study of grammar, literature, and writing.

2) mathematics,

3) sciences,

4) history,

5) foreign language. 

Albert Oliver (1977): curriculum is ―the educational program of the school‖ and divided into four basic elements:

1) program of studies,

2) program of experiences,

3) program of service,

4) hidden curriculum. 

B. Othanel Smith (1957): A sequence of potential experiences is set up in the school for the purpose of disciplining children and youth in group ways of thinking and acting. This set of experiences is referred to as the curriculum. Bell (1971): the offering of socially valued knowledge, skills, and attitudes made available to students through a variety of arrangements during the time they are at school, college, or university. Bobbit (1918): Curriculum is that series of things which children and youth must do and experience by way of developing abilities to do the things well that make up the affairs of adult life; and to be in all respects what adults should be. Caswell and Campbell (1935): curriculum is composed of all of the experiences children have under the guidance of the teacher.‖ Daniel Tanner and Laurel N. Tanner (1988) ―that reconstruction of knowledge and experience systematically developed under the auspices of the school (or university), to enable the learner to increase his or her control of knowledge and experience.‖

David G. Armstrong (1989): ―is a master plan for selecting content and organizing learning experiences for the purpose of changing and developing learners‘ behaviors and insights.‖ Decker Walker (1990): A curriculum consists of those matter: A. that teachers and students attend to together, B. that students, teachers, and others concerned generally recognize as important to study and learn, as indicated particularly by using them as a basis for judging the success of both school and scholar, C. the manner in which these matters are organized in relationship to one another, in relationship to the other elements in the immediate educational situation and in time and space. Differentiate among curriculum, syllabus, course contents and scheme of studies: Definition of Syllabus The syllabus is defined as the documents that consist of topics or portion covered in a particular subject. It is determined by the examination board and created by the professors. The professors are responsible for the quality of the course. It is made available to the students by the teachers, either in hard copy or electronic form to bring their attention towards the subject and take their study seriously. A syllabus is considered as a guide to the in charge as well as to the students. It helps the students to know about the subject in detail, why it is a part of their course of study, what are the expectations from students, consequences of failure, etc. It contains general rules, policies, instructions, topics covered, assignments, projects, test dates, and so on. Definition of Curriculum The curriculum is defined as the guideline of the chapters and academic content covered by an educational system while undergoing a particular course or program. In a theoretical sense, curriculum refers to what is offered by the school or college. However, practically it has a wider scope which covers the knowledge, attitude, behaviour, manner, performance and skills that are imparted or inculcated in a student. It contains the teaching methods, lessons, assignments, physical and mental exercises, activities, projects, study material, tutorials, presentations, assessments, test series, learning objectives, and so on. The curriculum is well planned, guided and designed by the government or the educational institution. It is aimed at both physical and mental development of a student. It is the overall learning experience that a student goes through during the particular course of study. Key Differences Between Syllabus and Curriculum The basic differences between syllabus and curriculum are explained in the point given below: The syllabus is described as the summary of the topics covered or units to be taught in the particular subject. Curriculum refers to the overall content, taught in an educational system or a course. Syllabus varies from teacher to teacher while the curriculum is same for all teachers. The term syllabus is a Greek origin, whereas the term curriculum is a Latin origin. The curriculum has a wider scope than the syllabus. The syllabus is provided to the students by the teachers so that they can take an interest in the subject. On the other hand, normally the curriculum is not made available to the students unless specifically asked for. Syllabus is descriptive in nature, but the curriculum is prescriptive. Syllabus is set for a particular subject. Unlike curriculum, which covers a particular course of study or a program. Syllabus is prepared by teachers. Conversely, a curriculum is decided by the government or the school or college administration. The duration of a syllabus is for a year only, but curriculum lasts till the completion of the course. Conclusion Curriculum and Syllabus are the terms of education, imparted to the students by teachers. It means the knowledge, skills or qualifications that are passed on from one generation to another. A subject syllabus is a unit of the curriculum. The two terms differ in a sense that curriculum is a combination of some factors which helps in the planning of an educational program, whereas a syllabus covers the syllabus.