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The spiral approach is a technique often used in education where the initial focus of instruction is the basic facts of a subject, with further details being introduced as learning progresses. Throughout instruction, both the initial basic facts and the relationships to later details are repeatedly emphasized to help enter into long-term memory ...
It was based on the theories of Jerome Bruner, particularly his concept of the "spiral curriculum". This suggested that a concept might be taught repeatedly within a curriculum, but at a number of levels, each level being more complex than the first. The process of repetition would thus enable the child to absorb more complex ideas easily.
The MMCP uses a spiral curriculum that sequentially introduces new concepts in action-oriented cycles that are developmentally appropriate. The "spiral curriculum" concept was first proposed by Jerome Bruner in 1960, and has since been the model for many school curricula in the US. A typical MMCP sequence of events is as follows:
The curriculum includes lesson blocks on farming (age 9 or 10), animals (age 10 or 11), plants (age 11 or 12), as well as geology, human biology and astronomy (age 12 or 13). [7] At secondary school, Waldorf schools study the historical origins, cultural background, and philosophical roots and consequences of scientific discoveries.
Currently, a spiral curriculum is promoted as allowing students to revisit a subject matter's content at the different levels of development of the subject matter being studied. The constructivist approach proposes that children learn best via pro-active engagement with the educational environment, as in learning through discovery.
In accordance with this understanding of learning, Bruner proposed the spiral curriculum, a teaching approach in which each subject or skill area is revisited at intervals, at a more sophisticated level each time. First there is basic knowledge of a subject, then more sophistication is added, reinforcing principles that were first discussed.
Various approaches have been used in developing curricula. Commonly used approaches consist of analysis (i.e. need analysis, task analysis), design (i.e. objective design), selecting (i.e. choosing appropriate learning/ teaching methods and appropriate assessment methods) formation (i.e. formation of the curriculum implementation committee ...
Hallinger (2003) [3] has argued the transformational leadership approach, in which leadership is shared with school staff; this approach is said to empower staff. Transformational leadership is a good supplement to the instructional leadership approach that focuses solely on principals and top-down strategies. For this reason, Hallinger has ...