Spiral Curriculum
Overview
This document explains the meaning, definitions, principles, values, origin, and features of Spiral curriculum. This document also contains content of How to design a curriculum using Spiral approach also explaining its advantages and disadvantages. This document is very helpful for teachers in designing the curriculum based on increasing level of difficulty and concept.
Spiral Curriculum: Meaning and Definitions
Objectives
- Learner will understand the meaning of spiral curriculum.
- Learner will know about the key principles of spiral curriculum.
- Learner will be able to describe the approaches of spiral curriculum.
SPIRAL CURRICULUM
Introduction: A spiral curriculum refers to an educational method that involves revisiting and building upon previously learned topics, subjects, or themes throughout a student's academic journey. This approach, originally proposed by Jerome Bruner in 1960, goes beyond mere repetition of information. Instead, it focuses on deepening the understanding of concepts with each subsequent encounter. According to Bruner's cognitive theory, any subject can be taught to children at any stage of development in an intellectually meaningful manner.
In the spiral curriculum, the same educational topics are revisited regularly, allowing students to acquire a more profound knowledge of the subject each time. This approach offers several advantages, such as reinforcing information over time and leveraging prior knowledge to facilitate future learning.
The spiral method is commonly employed in teaching and textbooks. Initially, students grasp the fundamental facts of a subject without delving into intricate details. As learning progresses, more complex details are introduced while continually reinforcing the basics. This repetition aids in solidifying the foundational knowledge in long-term memory. This principle bears resemblance to the spiral curriculum.
Definitions
Year | Author | Definition |
1972 | Kabara | “The spiral curriculum approach is usually alien to departmental teaching. Departmental course offerings to medical students are different and less holistic. Because the student’s exposure to any discipline by a department is a one-shot affair, faculty feel justified to teach all in one dose. The method outlined above obviates this classical approach.” |
1999 | Harden and Stamper | “Spiral Curriculum involves an iterative revisiting of topics, subjects or themes throughout the course.” |
2005 | Lohani et al. | “Bruner advocates that a curriculum as it develops should revisit the basic ideas repeatedly, building upon them until the student has grasped the full formal apparatus that goes with them” |
2007 | Howard | “In the curriculum fundamental ideas, once identified, should be constantly revisited and reexamined so that understanding deepens over time” |
Principles, Values, Origin and Features of Spiral Curriculum
SPIRAL CURRICULUM
Principles
The spiral approach in education is guided by three principles, which are as follows:
Recurring Engagement: Students are encouraged to revisit the same topic multiple times throughout their academic journey.
Deepening Understanding: Each time the topic is revisited, the focus is on acquiring a more profound comprehension and exploring increased complexity.
Utilizing Prior Knowledge: Students' existing knowledge and understanding of the topic are leveraged when it is revisited, enabling them to build a strong foundation rather than starting a new.
Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 |
Characteristics of Living Things Parts and Functions of Living Things
Interaction of Living Things with the Environment. | Humans: Major Organs of The Body Care for them Diseases Animals, Plants Terrestrial Aquatic Life Cycles Interactions: Beneficial Harmful | Stages of Growth and Development Development of Secondary Sex Differences in modes of reproduction in Human, Animals, Plants. Flowering plants Non flowering Plants | Human Body System Musculoskeletal system Digestive System Circulatory System Humans, of Animals and Plants
Respiratory system Characteristics of Vertebrates and Invertebrates\ Economic Importance Caring for animals. |
Features
• Revisiting Topics: Throughout a course, students have multiple opportunities to revisit various topics, themes, or subjects. They may return to specific areas like the cardiovascular system or medical ethics, as well as generalizable skills such as communication or management. Jerome Bruner (1960) proposed the term "spiral curriculum" and suggested that such a curriculum should be organized around significant societal issues, principles, and values that demand ongoing attention from its members.
• Increasing Complexity: The topics covered in the curriculum are addressed in progressively challenging levels. Each time a topic is revisited, new objectives are introduced, providing fresh learning opportunities that contribute to the overall goals. During each visit, students can acquire new knowledge or skills related to the theme, explore advanced applications of previously covered areas, and enhance their proficiency through practical experience.
• Building on Previous Learning: New information or skills introduced in the curriculum are explicitly connected to prior learning, establishing a link between current and past phases of the spiral. Preexisting knowledge serves as a prerequisite for subsequent learning. According to Dowding (1993), this sequential approach creates connections between lessons as students progress upward in their studies. The introduction of new knowledge and skills reinforces what has already been learned and becomes intertwined with previously acquired information. By gradually introducing concepts in the initial stages, students are not overwhelmed by the subject matter.
• Increasing Competence: With each revisit, students' competence and mastery of the subject matter grow until they achieve the final overall objectives. The progressive improvement in competence can be assessed through appropriate evaluation methods.
Values of Spiral Curriculum:
The value of a spiral curriculum can be attributed to several factors:
• Reinforcement: Continuous exposure to previously learned topics or subjects helps reinforce knowledge. In traditional curricula, students often forget topics covered earlier, but in a spiral curriculum, students regularly revisit and review previously learned subjects.
• Progression from Simple to Complex: The spiral curriculum introduces topics in a controlled manner, ensuring that students are not overwhelmed and can grasp the subject matter. As they progress, students build upon their prior knowledge, deepening their understanding of the topics.
• Integration: The traditional approach of dividing the curriculum into separate courses and departments limits integration. However, a spiral curriculum breaks down these barriers and promotes integration among different subjects, fostering a holistic view of education.
• Continuity: A spiral curriculum maintains continuity and vertical integration throughout the different stages of learning. Concepts and competencies acquired in the early years serve as a foundation for later stages, highlighting the relevance of basic sciences to teachers and students.
• Logical Sequence: The scope and sequence of topics are carefully considered in a spiral curriculum. This approach brings order to the complexity of medical education by ensuring a logical progression of subjects.
• Higher-Level Objectives: A spiral curriculum encourages students to move beyond simple factual recall and apply their knowledge and skills. For example, understanding thyroid hormone synthesis in the early phases of the curriculum can be applied to later phases when studying thyroid disorders and managing patients with thyroid disease.
• Flexibility: The spiral curriculum offers flexibility, allowing students to directly transfer to the next level of a medical course if they have mastered the initial level in a science-based course. This flexibility accommodates individual learning needs and preferences.
Origins Of The Approach
The spiral curriculum teaching strategy was originally formulated by Jerome Bruner, a cognitive theorist, in 1960. Although many teachers intuitively employed this method, Bruner documented its approach and highlighted its significant value for curriculum designers and student learning. In his own words, Bruner observed:
"I noticed that successful attempts to teach well-structured bodies of knowledge, such as mathematics, physical sciences, and even history, often followed a metamorphic spiral pattern. Initially, a set of ideas or operations would be introduced in a simple and intuitive manner. Once students grasped these concepts at a basic level, they would then revisit and reconstruct them in a more formal or operational manner. This process involved making connections with other knowledge, advancing to a higher level of formality and operational rigor, and achieving a broader understanding and abstraction. Eventually, students would master the interconnectedness and structure of a vast body of knowledge..." (Bruner, 1960)
In essence, Bruner recognized the effectiveness of the spiral curriculum in facilitating the acquisition and mastery of complex knowledge by progressively building upon foundational concepts.
Principles, Values, Origin and Features of Spiral Curriculum
SPIRAL CURRICULUM
Principles
The spiral approach in education is guided by three principles, which are as follows:
Recurring Engagement: Students are encouraged to revisit the same topic multiple times throughout their academic journey.
Deepening Understanding: Each time the topic is revisited, the focus is on acquiring a more profound comprehension and exploring increased complexity.
Utilizing Prior Knowledge: Students' existing knowledge and understanding of the topic are leveraged when it is revisited, enabling them to build a strong foundation rather than starting a new.
Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 |
Characteristics of Living Things Parts and Functions of Living Things
Interaction of Living Things with the Environment. | Humans: Major Organs of The Body Care for them Diseases Animals, Plants Terrestrial Aquatic Life Cycles Interactions: Beneficial Harmful | Stages of Growth and Development Development of Secondary Sex Differences in modes of reproduction in Human, Animals, Plants. Flowering plants Non flowering Plants | Human Body System Musculoskeletal system Digestive System Circulatory System Humans, of Animals and Plants
Respiratory system Characteristics of Vertebrates and Invertebrates\ Economic Importance Caring for animals. |
Features
• Revisiting Topics: Throughout a course, students have multiple opportunities to revisit various topics, themes, or subjects. They may return to specific areas like the cardiovascular system or medical ethics, as well as generalizable skills such as communication or management. Jerome Bruner (1960) proposed the term "spiral curriculum" and suggested that such a curriculum should be organized around significant societal issues, principles, and values that demand ongoing attention from its members.
• Increasing Complexity: The topics covered in the curriculum are addressed in progressively challenging levels. Each time a topic is revisited, new objectives are introduced, providing fresh learning opportunities that contribute to the overall goals. During each visit, students can acquire new knowledge or skills related to the theme, explore advanced applications of previously covered areas, and enhance their proficiency through practical experience.
• Building on Previous Learning: New information or skills introduced in the curriculum are explicitly connected to prior learning, establishing a link between current and past phases of the spiral. Preexisting knowledge serves as a prerequisite for subsequent learning. According to Dowding (1993), this sequential approach creates connections between lessons as students progress upward in their studies. The introduction of new knowledge and skills reinforces what has already been learned and becomes intertwined with previously acquired information. By gradually introducing concepts in the initial stages, students are not overwhelmed by the subject matter.
• Increasing Competence: With each revisit, students' competence and mastery of the subject matter grow until they achieve the final overall objectives. The progressive improvement in competence can be assessed through appropriate evaluation methods.
Values of Spiral Curriculum:
The value of a spiral curriculum can be attributed to several factors:
• Reinforcement: Continuous exposure to previously learned topics or subjects helps reinforce knowledge. In traditional curricula, students often forget topics covered earlier, but in a spiral curriculum, students regularly revisit and review previously learned subjects.
• Progression from Simple to Complex: The spiral curriculum introduces topics in a controlled manner, ensuring that students are not overwhelmed and can grasp the subject matter. As they progress, students build upon their prior knowledge, deepening their understanding of the topics.
• Integration: The traditional approach of dividing the curriculum into separate courses and departments limits integration. However, a spiral curriculum breaks down these barriers and promotes integration among different subjects, fostering a holistic view of education.
• Continuity: A spiral curriculum maintains continuity and vertical integration throughout the different stages of learning. Concepts and competencies acquired in the early years serve as a foundation for later stages, highlighting the relevance of basic sciences to teachers and students.
• Logical Sequence: The scope and sequence of topics are carefully considered in a spiral curriculum. This approach brings order to the complexity of medical education by ensuring a logical progression of subjects.
• Higher-Level Objectives: A spiral curriculum encourages students to move beyond simple factual recall and apply their knowledge and skills. For example, understanding thyroid hormone synthesis in the early phases of the curriculum can be applied to later phases when studying thyroid disorders and managing patients with thyroid disease.
• Flexibility: The spiral curriculum offers flexibility, allowing students to directly transfer to the next level of a medical course if they have mastered the initial level in a science-based course. This flexibility accommodates individual learning needs and preferences.
Origins Of The Approach
The spiral curriculum teaching strategy was originally formulated by Jerome Bruner, a cognitive theorist, in 1960. Although many teachers intuitively employed this method, Bruner documented its approach and highlighted its significant value for curriculum designers and student learning. In his own words, Bruner observed:
"I noticed that successful attempts to teach well-structured bodies of knowledge, such as mathematics, physical sciences, and even history, often followed a metamorphic spiral pattern. Initially, a set of ideas or operations would be introduced in a simple and intuitive manner. Once students grasped these concepts at a basic level, they would then revisit and reconstruct them in a more formal or operational manner. This process involved making connections with other knowledge, advancing to a higher level of formality and operational rigor, and achieving a broader understanding and abstraction. Eventually, students would master the interconnectedness and structure of a vast body of knowledge..." (Bruner, 1960)
In essence, Bruner recognized the effectiveness of the spiral curriculum in facilitating the acquisition and mastery of complex knowledge by progressively building upon foundational concepts.