Course-5 Understanding Disciplines and School Subjects pmd

Organization of Science Curriculum
The main purpose of every school is “to make the child a complete and perfect
man.” This will help the child to be able to lead his life in a better way than he is today.
Therefore, schooling is an important human activity. In formal school education curriculum
is the major means to impart knowledge and skills. The major issue in the field of education
today is organizing science curriculum in an effective manner. There are two major
approaches regarding organization of science curriculum viz. Disciplinary Approach &
Integrated Approach. These two approaches are explained below
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(a) Disciplinary Approach
This approach is also known as the subject approach or the traditional approach, as
each subject is separately taught by the teacher in the area of the particular subject in
question. For example, science was traditionally taught as a subject with different
compartments such as physics, biology, and chemistry as separate components of the science
subject. Similarly, language was taught as a separate subject from other subjects. English
was taught as being different from Hindi, Oriya, History, Geography etc. Thus, each subject
has a well-defined boundary from which there is no connection to the other. Thus, the
approach in which every subject is taught as a separate discipline is called as disciplinary
approach. This approach is based on the premise that, the subject is a store house of facts,
methods, theories, concepts & generalizations. In disciplinary approach the focus is more
on the subject & its content rather than the process. In India the disciplinary approach is
very popular in the higher secondary level. It shall be the responsibility of teacher to show
the connection between different disciplines (subjects).
Characteristics of disciplinary approach
a)
In-depth Conceptual Knowledge: Every subject has detailed and in-depth
conceptual knowledge
b)
Disciplinary based teaching: Each subject is taught as a separate discipline.
c)
Content based teaching: The teaching of disciplinary based curriculum largely
based on content.
d)
Source of knowledge/information: In disciplinary approach the teacher is the
main source of knowledge / information.
e)
Main purpose: The main purpose of disciplinary approach is to prepare specialist,
scientists etc.
f)
Mastery of the subject: The learner is expected to master the subject matter.
g)
Chalk & talk based teaching: This approach mostly leads to chalk & talk based
teaching.
h)
Text book is main authority: This approach restrains student observations, values
or conclusions different from the textbook which is the main authority in
disciplinary approach.
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