Synopses & Reviews
In 1949, a small book had a big impact on education. In just over one hundred pages, Ralph W. Tyler presented the concept that curriculum should be dynamic, a program under constant evaluation and revision. Curriculum had always been thought of as a static, set program, and in an era preoccupied with student testing, he offered the innovative idea that teachers and administrators should spend as much time evaluating their plans as they do assessing their students.
Since then, Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction has been a standard reference for anyone working with curriculum development. Although not a strict how-to guide, the book shows how educators can critically approach curriculum planning, studying progress and retooling when needed. Its four sections focus on setting objectives, selecting learning experiences, organizing instruction, and evaluating progress. Readers will come away with a firm understanding of how to formulate educational objectives and how to analyze and adjust their plans so that students meet the objectives. Tyler also explains that curriculum planning is a continuous, cyclical process, an instrument of education that needs to be fine-tuned.
This emphasis on thoughtful evaluation has kept Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction a relevant, trusted companion for over sixty years. And with school districts across the nation working feverishly to align their curriculum with Common Core standards, Tyler's straightforward recommendations are sound and effective tools for educators working to create a curriculum that integrates national objectives with their students' needs.
Review
"Tyler addresses the essential purposes of teaching in a way that still has relevance for contemporary students of education, and communicates to them how important and timeless the quality of the pupil-teacher interaction actually is."
About the Author
Ralph W. Tyler (1902andndash;94) was an American educator who worked in the field of assessment and evaluation. He served on or advised a number of bodies that set guidelines for the expenditure ofand#160;federaland#160;funds and influenced the underlying policy ofand#160;the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.and#160;Tyler chaired the committee that eventually developed the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). He was professor of education and dean of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of Chicago.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Peter S. Hlebowitshand#160;Introductionand#160;1. What Educational Purposes Should the School Seek to Attain?and#160;Studies of the Learners Themselves as a Source of Educational ObjectivesStudies of Contemporary Life Outside the SchoolSuggestions About Objectives from Subject SpecialistsThe Use of Philosophy in Selecting ObjectivesThe Use of a Psychology of Learning in Selecting ObjectivesStating Objectives in a Form to be Helpful in Selecting Learning Experiences and in Guiding Teachingand#160;2. How Can Learning Experiences Be Selected Which Are Likely to Be Useful in Attaining These Objectives?and#160;Meaning of the Term andldquo;Learning Experienceandrdquo;General Principles in Selecting Learning ExperiencesIllustrations of the Characteristics of Learning Experiences Useful in Attaining Various Types of Objectivesand#160;3. How Can Learning Experiences Be Organized for Effective Instruction?and#160;What is Meant by andldquo;Organizationandrdquo;Criteria for Effective OrganizationElements to be OrganizedOrganizing PrinciplesThe Organizing StructureThe Process of Planning a Unit of Organizationand#160;4. How Can the Effectiveness of Learning Experiences Be Evaluated?and#160;The Need for EvaluationBasic Notions Regarding EvaluationEvaluation ProceduresUsing the Results of EvaluationOther Values and Uses of Evaluation Proceduresand#160;5. How a School or College Staff May Work on Curriculum Building