Understanding Curriculum

Written Curriculum (also known as Enacted curriculum or Curriculum)

The Written Curriculum is the curriculum that is sanctioned and approved for classroom delivery. It represents society’s needs and interests. It translates the broad goals of the “Recommended Curriculum” into specific learning outcomes. Glatthron, Boschee, and Whitehead (2006, p. 9) note that the “Written Curriculum” is specific as well as comprehensive and it indicates:

• Rationale of curriculum
• General goals to be realized
• Specific objectives to be achieved
• The sequence of objectives
• Kinds of learning activities

The Written Curriculum is authentic where it is product of visionary educators and where it has deep and life-lasting effect on the learners (Wolk, 2010). The Written Curriculum can be (a) generic or (b) specific to region. The generic “Recommended Curriculum” is usually developed at national level and is used at variety of educational settings. On the other hand, region specific curriculaare developed for a particular site usually district. 

The Written Curriculum is a practicable plan as it is result of compromise between the ideals recommended by the experts and the real situations suggested by the teachers, pupils and parents. Therefore, it is essential that teachers must have a clear understanding of the Written Curriculum to interpret the demands of curriculum as enacted in government documents. Moreover, the professional development of teachers must be aligned with the Written Curriculum.