Eight Concepts of Curriculum Construction Although a model for curriculum improvement may show us a process, it does not reveal the whole picture. It does not show us, for example, how we go about choosing from competing content, what we do about conflicting philosophies, how we assure articula- tion between levels, how we learn to live with change, how dependent we are upon ef- fective leadership, what incentives motivate people to try out new ideas, how to go about finding the information we need to make intelligent decisions, and how we release human and material resources to do the job. We already examined in Chapter 4 several major problems of curriculum develop- ment, including effecting change, group dynamics, interpersonal relationships, decision making, curriculum leadership, and communication skills. The eight guiding principles to be discussed are not only perennial problems for curriculum developers but, in essence, are also concepts that lead to the formulation of principles of curriculum devel- opment. The creation of a well-functioning sequence, for example, is a continuing prob- lem for the curriculum developer. At the same time, the curriculum planner must understand the concept of sequencing, which is essential to an effective curriculum. Bringing the two elements, curriculum and sequencing, together we formulate the prin- ciple: An effective curriculum is one that is properly sequenced. We will, therefore, refer to these eight guiding factors as problems, concepts, or, by inference, principles. All eight concepts are interrelated. We shall first examine four concepts closely re- lated to each other: scope, relevance, balance, and integration. The last three are dimen- sions of scope; all four relate to the choice of goals and objectives. We shall then consider three other closely interrelated concepts: sequence (or sequencing), continuity, and ar- ticulation. The last two are dimensions of sequencing. Finally, we shall look at the con- cept of transferability. Scope RE