Quick answer
Curriculum development is the planned process of deciding what students should learn, how it will be taught, and how learning will be assessed. Its main steps are needs assessment, setting aims and objectives, selecting and organising content, designing learning experiences, implementing, and evaluating. Models such as Tyler and Taba guide the process, and frameworks such as NCF set direction.
- Start from aims and learning outcomes, not textbooks.
- Organise content for continuity and progression.
- Plan assessment together with content.
- Evaluate and revise regularly.
What are the steps of curriculum development?
- Needs assessment. Study learners, society, subject knowledge, and national or board requirements.
- Aims and objectives. Define broad aims and specific learning outcomes for each stage.
- Content selection. Choose knowledge, skills, and values that serve the outcomes.
- Content organisation. Sequence content for progression from simple to complex.
- Learning experiences. Plan methods and activities that help students reach the outcomes.
- Assessment design. Decide how each outcome will be assessed.
- Implementation. Train teachers, prepare materials, and roll out.
- Evaluation and revision. Collect evidence and improve the curriculum.
What are the principles of curriculum development?
- Child-centred: suited to the age, needs, and interests of learners.
- Activity-based: learning by doing and experience.
- Flexibility: room to adapt to local context and individual needs.
- Integration: links across subjects and with life.
- Continuity and progression across grades.
- Community orientation: connected to the society students live in.
- Balance between knowledge, skills, and values.
- Inclusiveness for learners of all backgrounds and abilities.
What are the main models of curriculum development?
| Model | Key idea |
|---|---|
| Tyler model | Four questions: purposes, learning experiences, organisation, and evaluation |
| Taba model | Grassroots: teachers develop units from diagnosis of needs upward |
| Wheeler model | Cyclical: evaluation feeds back into aims |
| Backward design | Start from desired results, then evidence, then learning plans |
What are the types of curriculum design?
- Subject-centred
- Organised around subjects and disciplines; the most common in schools.
- Learner-centred
- Built around student interests and needs.
- Problem-centred
- Organised around real problems and themes, often interdisciplinary.
- Competency-based
- Organised around competencies students must demonstrate. See competency-based education.
How is curriculum developed in India?
At national level, NCERT develops National Curriculum Frameworks, such as the NCF for School Education 2023 following NEP 2020, and model syllabi and textbooks. Boards such as CBSE publish curricula for their schools, and states develop state curricula through their SCERTs. Schools then plan their own schemes of work within these. See national curriculum framework.
How can a school review its curriculum?
- Map current coverage. What is taught in each grade, and where are gaps or repetitions?
- Check against outcomes. Compare with board or national outcomes.
- Gather evidence. Assessment results, teacher and student feedback.
- Revise. Update units, sequence, and assessments.
- Support teachers. Training and shared resources for changes.
In Hudace SchoolOS, subjects per class, syllabus, learning outcomes, and pacing guides in Student Information make curriculum maps visible across the school.
Frequently asked questions
What is curriculum development?
The process of deciding what students learn, how it is taught, and how learning is assessed, then implementing and improving it.
What are the four questions of the Tyler model?
What purposes should the school seek, what experiences will attain them, how should they be organised, and how will we know they are attained.
What is the difference between curriculum and syllabus?
A curriculum is the whole plan of learning, including aims, methods, and assessment. A syllabus lists the content of a subject.
Who develops the curriculum in India?
NCERT develops national frameworks, boards such as CBSE publish curricula, and states develop their own through SCERTs.
What is backward design?
Planning from the desired results first, then deciding evidence of learning, then planning lessons.
How often should a curriculum be reviewed?
Schools often review units yearly and the overall curriculum every few years or after framework changes.
What is a hidden curriculum?
Values and behaviours students learn from school culture and routines, not from formal lessons.