MODELS FOR EFFECTING CURRICULUM CHANGE
🔰 Introduction
Curriculum change doesn't happen
overnight. It involves conscious efforts based on research, demonstration,
authority, or ground-level needs.
Change scientists have identified
several effective models that help bring about such transformation. These
models are derived from real-world practices in fields like agriculture,
medicine, business, and the military, and are suitably adapted in
education.
1. Demonstration Model (Agriculture-based
Model)
In this model, the proposed change or
innovation is demonstrated in a real field setting on a small scale.
- 🧪 The aim is to show the success of the
new method through visible, practical evidence.
- 👁️🗨️ People are more likely to accept a
change when they can see its practical advantages.
💡 Educational Illustration:
Just like demonstration plots are set up in rural villages to show
improved crop methods, in education, model schools or demonstration
classrooms are used to showcase innovative teaching methods. When teachers
observe these in their own environment (with local students and available
facilities), they’re more convinced of its feasibility. Teacher associations
and in-service programs act as suitable demonstration settings.
2. Action Research Model (Medical Model)
This is based on the approach used in clinical
trials.
- 🔍 It involves small-scale,
problem-solving research to test the effectiveness of a new approach.
- 🏫 First tried in one or two schools,
evaluated, and then extended to a larger population if results are
promising.
💡 Educational Illustration:
This approach is like trying out a new medicine on a small group before making
it widely available. In education, if a school identifies an issue (e.g., low
reading levels), a teacher conducts action research with a new method.
If it works, it can be piloted in other schools. NCERT’s CAPE program
(Comprehensive Approach to Primary Education) is an example of this model.
3. Incentive Model (Business Model)
This model operates on a reward-based
system to encourage adoption of change.
- 💰 The "carrot" approach – gives
incentives like financial support, recognition, or promotion.
- 🎓 Teachers or institutions are motivated
to implement innovation when rewarded.
💡 Educational Illustration:
For instance, when universities receive grants for implementing inclusive
education, they are more willing to take the initiative. Similarly, when
teachers are rewarded for innovative teaching practices, it fosters a
positive attitude toward change.
4. Administrative Model (Military Model)
A top-down, authoritarian approach.
- 📜 The curriculum is changed by orders
from educational authorities.
- 🧑🏫 Teachers are expected to implement the
changes as mandatory directives.
💡 Educational Illustration:
When the Directorate of Education issues a circular mandating structural
approach in teaching English, all schools follow it. Teachers might feel
they have no say, but the curriculum gets implemented uniformly. This model
uses a "stick" approach, focusing on authority rather than
voluntary participation.
5. Grassroot Model (Practitioner-based Model)
Change originates at the ground level
from the teachers or classroom practitioners.
- 🧠 The teacher identifies the problem and
either solves it or seeks expert help.
- 🔄 Once a solution is found and tested,
it's shared with others facing similar challenges.
💡 Educational Illustration:
For example, a rural science teacher, facing difficulty in explaining abstract
concepts, may develop a low-cost hands-on activity to simplify the
topic. If it proves effective, it can be shared with other schools. This bottom-up
model values the practitioner’s insight and experience and encourages collaborative
problem-solving.
🌐 Compilation of Real-Life Applications Across
Fields:
These models stem from successful
strategies in various disciplines:
- 🌾 In agriculture, demonstration
plots convinced farmers to adopt better techniques.
- 💊 In medicine, trial-and-error
methods (like in clinical trials) inspired action research.
- 💼 In business, incentives and
rewards promote acceptance of change.
- 🪖 In the military, chain-of-command
strategies influenced administrative mandates.
- 🏫 In education, each of these has
been adapted to address different needs, either through teacher
empowerment, top-down enforcement, demonstration schools, or reward-based
motivation.
📝 Conclusion
Each of these models offers a unique
pathway to bring about curriculum change. Whether the change comes from above
(administration), below (teachers), through research, incentives,
or demonstration, the key lies in selecting the right approach based on
context. For successful implementation, often a combination of these
models may be needed.
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