It is required to submit final exam project:

The Conformity of 2013 Curriculum and Language Curriculum Development Theories,

Principles, and Processes

Every curriculum has a principle and theories which used as a benchmark in

developing the curriculum. So, the development of curriculum into syllabus should be in line
with the principle and theory. This also happened in English language curriculum. English is
used by many countries around the world and it is mainly used as foreign language learning
as well. So, the development of English in learning and teaching process should be relevant
with the theories, principle and processes of curriculum from native/expert. Therefore, this
paper aims to show and explain the conformity of language curriculum development theories,
principles, process and the curriculum of 2013 used in Indonesia.
Language curriculum development is concerned with procedure and principle for the
planning, management, assessment of learning and so on. As explained in Richard’s book the
development of curriculum closely related to the method used in learning process and it needs
many factor to create a certain curriculum included needs analysis, planning goals, objective,
evaluation and so on. In the curriculum development, there are four stages including
curriculum planning, specification ends and means, program implementation and classroom
implementation (Richards, 2001). In the process of those stages, there are many processes
that should be done including need analysis and situational analysis. However, in curriculum
2013, there is no clear explanation and information how need analysis and situational need
are conducted. Need analysis is a process of analysing and collecting information of learner
need, teaching need, teachers need and many other needs which related to the learning
process. This analysis is important since it gives information in determining about the
learning goal and objectives. Moreover, as need analysis is related to learning goals and
objectives, it used as the basis for developing material, test, teaching activity, evaluation
strategy, teaching method and so forth. Curriculum 2013 does not provide the need of student
which used to determine the planning goal and objective.
Furthermore, learning goal and objective is one of many important factors in
curriculum. Since, learning goal is used as standard ability that learners need to achieve in the
end of the program. Learning goal or aim should be general, while learning objective should
be specific. On the other hand, the formulation of learning goal and objective in curriculum
2013 is far from the process in Richard’s book. It is stated that aim generally derived from the
information of need analysis and it should explain what student need to achieve which
describe the result. However, since curriculum 2013 does not have need analysis so the aim is
already determined by the government as core competence and basic competence. This
competency needs every teacher to develop as the objective of learning. So, teacher should
determine the objective of learning in their lesson plan based on the aim. Moreover, the
objective written based on curriculum 2013 mostly does not use the verb which measureable,
observable, attainable and does not indicate the result. Many objectives written by teachers
did not reflect the result and consisted of many objectives/ ability need to cover in one lesson.
For example in basic competence English curriculum of Junior high school grade 8:
understanding the text for asking attention, checking understanding, giving compliment and
asking permission. In this basic competency there are 4 competences that student need to
achieve and teacher are expected to make objective based on this aim. Many teachers also
confused about how to make objectives, it generally found the verb understanding like
students are expected to understand about the topic. But, there is no further explanation about
understanding here, in what way, what context and how student understanding is measured.
The next curriculum development is focusing on course planning and syllabus design.
This consists of developing course rational, describing entry and exit means, choosing course
content, sequencing course content, syllabus and instructional block, and preparing the scope
and sequencing plan. In course rational, it should be covered the description of subject of the
course, the definition of the course and type of teaching and learning will take in the class. In
line with this, curriculum 2013 also writes the rationale, approach used in teaching and
learning (scientific approach) and provides syllabus for each grade. Syllabus is provided by
government and teachers need to make lesson plan based on their condition which
appropriate with the syllabus. However, course planning or lesson plan made by teachers
based on curriculum 2013 mostly complicated and hard to apply. Course planning has to be
simple and provide guidance which easy to apply. In fact, most indicators as the steps activity
to achieve the objectives did not relevant with the objective, since many of them only copy
and paste from basic competency.
Furthermore, the approach of teaching and learning should be appropriate based on
the approach which provides by expert of language learning theory. On the other hand, the
approach of curriculum 2013 uses scientific approach which adopted from science. Since, this
is English language teaching, the method and approach should be relevant with the theory of
language. Moreover, the description of entry and exit level should be clear as it is important
to determine the course content and syllabus instructional. The alignment of content course
between the book of “When English Rings the Bell” and basic competency in syllabus of
junior high school are in line. For example, basic competence 4.1 junior high school grade 7:
compile very short and simple interpersonal oral and written interaction texts that involve
actions to say hello, say goodbye, say thank you, and apologize, and respond by paying
attention to social functions, text structure, and language elements that are correct and in
context. It can be seen in the book page 2-22. It is not only focus on how the language used
but also the nature of language, the expression based on the skill like speaking and writing.
After course planning and syllabus design is ready, the next step is providing effective
teaching. This included many factors that needed to fulfil in conducting teaching and learning
process such as institutional factor, teacher factor, teaching factor and also learner factor.
Institutional factor and teaching factor are related to everything which support the learning
process included institutional curriculum, the quality of the place for teaching and learning,
the completeness of teaching resource, teaching facility, teaching tool, teaching method,
teaching strategy and many other. On the other hand, in Indonesia not all area could provide
those factors, since many schools located in rural area, suburban and so on. Some might have
complete facility like language laboratory, computer and internet access which make teachers
easy to look for the material while the other might depend on the book material only.
Moreover, teacher factor which included teacher language ability and teacher professional
development also important in creating effective teaching. A teacher of English language
should graduate from English Education Department which already learnt about education
and English in depth. However, there are teachers who teaching English are not graduated
from English department but Arabic language and Education management who only taking
English course. This is not relevant with the theory and principal of English teaching and
learning. Further, teacher also needs to develop their professional development as teacher
factor by producing journal article, making lesson plan, joining with seminar and workshop,
taking teaching training (PLPG) and so on. In fact, not all teachers are capable to do those
things and there are only few teachers who take teaching trainings.
Additionally, English curriculum development should be applied and implemented
based on theory, principle and process of the nature of teaching and learning. Teacher might
develop curriculum which appropriate with the condition and situation of the students. But,
the development itself should not be contradicted with the theory and principle of learning
English. However, the practice of curriculum 2013 seemed far from the theory, principle and
process of teaching and language of Richard’s book and Brown’s book. There are several
areas which has been fulfilled and aligned with the theory and principle, but many of them
did not reflect of its principle and process.
References:
1. Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Ernst Klett
Sprachen.
2. Indonesia. Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (2013). Bahasa Inggris, When
English Rings the Bell/Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan.- Jakarta:
Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan.
3. Indonesia. Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (2013). Rasional Kurikulum
2013. Badam Pengembangan Sumber Daya Manusia Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan dan
Penjamin Mutu Pendidikan.
4. Indonesia. Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (2013). Kurikulum2013:
Kompetensi Dasar Sekolah Menengah Pertama/ Madrasah Tsanawiyah.
5. Brown, J. D. (1995). The elements of language curriculum: A systematic approach to
program development. Heinle & Heinle Publishers, 20 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116.