HED4802
ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 20 JUNE 2025
, HED4802 Assignment 2 – Curriculum Theory and Design
Due: 20 June 2025
Question 1 [50 marks | ±500 words]
Paradigms and Their Influence on Curriculum Design and Implementation
Curriculum theory is underpinned by different paradigms of knowledge and learning.
Each paradigm—positivism, interpretivism, critical theory, and post-structuralism—
shapes curriculum aims, knowledge selection, teaching strategies, and assessment
approaches in unique ways.
1. Positivism
Positivism views knowledge as objective, measurable, and discoverable through
scientific methods. Within a positivist framework, curriculum aims focus on transmitting
factual knowledge and developing skills through structured learning.
Aims: To promote logical reasoning, standardised knowledge, and mastery of
content.
Knowledge Selection: Emphasis is placed on subjects like science,
mathematics, and grammar—areas seen as value-free and universally
applicable.
Teaching Strategies: Teacher-centred instruction, lectures, and demonstrations
dominate, emphasizing repetition and control.
Assessment: Standardised testing and summative assessments are preferred to
measure objective knowledge acquisition.
Example: A science curriculum focused on physics laws and biological facts, with
standardised national exams, reflects a positivist paradigm.
ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 20 JUNE 2025
, HED4802 Assignment 2 – Curriculum Theory and Design
Due: 20 June 2025
Question 1 [50 marks | ±500 words]
Paradigms and Their Influence on Curriculum Design and Implementation
Curriculum theory is underpinned by different paradigms of knowledge and learning.
Each paradigm—positivism, interpretivism, critical theory, and post-structuralism—
shapes curriculum aims, knowledge selection, teaching strategies, and assessment
approaches in unique ways.
1. Positivism
Positivism views knowledge as objective, measurable, and discoverable through
scientific methods. Within a positivist framework, curriculum aims focus on transmitting
factual knowledge and developing skills through structured learning.
Aims: To promote logical reasoning, standardised knowledge, and mastery of
content.
Knowledge Selection: Emphasis is placed on subjects like science,
mathematics, and grammar—areas seen as value-free and universally
applicable.
Teaching Strategies: Teacher-centred instruction, lectures, and demonstrations
dominate, emphasizing repetition and control.
Assessment: Standardised testing and summative assessments are preferred to
measure objective knowledge acquisition.
Example: A science curriculum focused on physics laws and biological facts, with
standardised national exams, reflects a positivist paradigm.
