CUS3701
Assignment 2 2025
Guiding you towards Academic Excellence
, QUESTION 1: Curriculum approaches
Total Marks: 15
1.1 Theoretical Foundations of the Approaches
Lawrence Stenhouse’s learner centered approach is deeply rooted in progressive
educational theory. He believed that learning should be an active, investigative process
where learners explore and make meaning through experience. His approach reflects
constructivist thinking learners construct knowledge, rather than just receive it. For
Stenhouse, the curriculum shouldn’t be a fixed script but a flexible guide that evolves
through classroom interaction. Teachers play a central role as professionals who reflect,
adapt, and research their own practice. This creates a dynamic classroom where both
teacher and learner engage in the process of discovery.
John Bobbitt, on the other hand, took a more scientific and structured view of education.
Influenced by behaviorism and the principles of scientific management, Bobbitt saw the
curriculum as a tool to prepare learners for specific roles in society. Education, in his
view, was about shaping behaviors in measurable ways. Objectives were clearly
defined in advance, learning content was organized accordingly, and success was
determined by whether the intended outcomes were achieved.
So while Stenhouse encourages flexibility, critical thinking and professional autonomy,
Bobbitt priorities efficiency, predictability, and standardisation. Stenhouse’s approach
sees the curriculum as something you do, whereas Bobbitt sees it as something you
deliver. Both have value in different contexts, but in today’s diverse and ever-changing
classrooms, Stenhouse’s focus on inquiry and adaptability often feels more relevant.
1.2 The practical implications for teachers
The practical implications of Stenhouse’s learner-centered approach for teachers are
both empowering and demanding. Teachers are not just implementers of policy; they’re
expected to act as reflective practitioners and curriculum developers. In practice, this
means planning lessons that are flexible and responsive to learners’ interests,
Assignment 2 2025
Guiding you towards Academic Excellence
, QUESTION 1: Curriculum approaches
Total Marks: 15
1.1 Theoretical Foundations of the Approaches
Lawrence Stenhouse’s learner centered approach is deeply rooted in progressive
educational theory. He believed that learning should be an active, investigative process
where learners explore and make meaning through experience. His approach reflects
constructivist thinking learners construct knowledge, rather than just receive it. For
Stenhouse, the curriculum shouldn’t be a fixed script but a flexible guide that evolves
through classroom interaction. Teachers play a central role as professionals who reflect,
adapt, and research their own practice. This creates a dynamic classroom where both
teacher and learner engage in the process of discovery.
John Bobbitt, on the other hand, took a more scientific and structured view of education.
Influenced by behaviorism and the principles of scientific management, Bobbitt saw the
curriculum as a tool to prepare learners for specific roles in society. Education, in his
view, was about shaping behaviors in measurable ways. Objectives were clearly
defined in advance, learning content was organized accordingly, and success was
determined by whether the intended outcomes were achieved.
So while Stenhouse encourages flexibility, critical thinking and professional autonomy,
Bobbitt priorities efficiency, predictability, and standardisation. Stenhouse’s approach
sees the curriculum as something you do, whereas Bobbitt sees it as something you
deliver. Both have value in different contexts, but in today’s diverse and ever-changing
classrooms, Stenhouse’s focus on inquiry and adaptability often feels more relevant.
1.2 The practical implications for teachers
The practical implications of Stenhouse’s learner-centered approach for teachers are
both empowering and demanding. Teachers are not just implementers of policy; they’re
expected to act as reflective practitioners and curriculum developers. In practice, this
means planning lessons that are flexible and responsive to learners’ interests,
