DEFINITION OF

CURRICULUM EVALUATION
1. ONG SUK HUI
2. MAH SHIOW YONG
3. LOH YEN YUAN

Definition of Curriculum
Evaluation
Evaluation is a disciplined inquiry
to determine the worth of things.
Evaluation is the systematic and
objective assessment of an activity,
project, programme, strategy,
policy, topic, theme, sector,
operational area or institution.

Evaluations should:
provide assessments of what
works and why, highlight intended
and unintended results, and
provide strategic lessons to guide
decision-makers and inform
stakeholders;
provide evidence-based
information that is credible,
reliable and useful, enabling the
timely incorporation of findings,
recommendations and lessons;

 feed into management and decisionmaking processes as a key

component to managing for results;
inform the planning, programming,
budgeting, implementation and
reporting cycle;
improve the institutional relevance and
the achievement of results, optimize
the use of resources, provide client
satisfaction and maximize the impact
of activities; and

 involve a rigorous, systematic and

objective process in the design,
analysis and
interpretation of information to
answer specific questions, based
on agreed criteria and benchmarks
among key partners and
stakeholders.

 Evaluation is the process of

collecting data on a programme
to determine its value or worth
with the aim of deciding whether
to adopt, reject, or revise the
programme.

Curriculum evaluation should be

concerned with assessing the value
of a program of study (all the planned
learning experiences over a multiyear
period for a given group of learners),
a field of study (all the planned
learning experiences over a multiyear
period in a given discipline or area of
study), and a course of study (all the
planned learning experiences for a
period of 1 year or less in a given
field of study).

Curriculum evaluation can be

defined as the collection and
provision of evidence, on the basis
of which decisions can be taken
about the feasibility, effectiveness
and educational value of curricula.

McNeil (1977)
curriculum evaluation is an attempt to
throw light on two questions: Do
planned
learning
opportunities,
programmes, courses and activities
as developed and organised actually
produce desired results? How can the
curriculum
offerings
best
be
improved?

Gay (1985)
the aim of curriculum evaluation is to
identify its weaknesses and
strengths as well as problems
encountered in implementation; to
improve the curriculum development
process; to determine the
effectiveness of the curriculum and
the returns on finance allocated.

Worthen and Sanders (1987)

as the formal determination of the
quality, effectiveness, or value of a
programme,
product,
project,
process, objective, or curriculum

Oliva (1988)
as the process of delineating,
obtaining, and providing useful
information for judging decision
alternatives. The primary decision
alternatives to consider based upon
the evaluation results are: to maintain
the curriculum as is; to modify the
curriculum; or to eliminate the
curriculum.

Ornstein and Hunkins (1998)

as a process or cluster of
processes that people perform in
order to gather data that will enable
them to decide whether to accept,
change, or eliminate something- the
curriculum in general or an
educational textbook in particular

Phases of Curriculum
Evaluation

THE END