TOPIC 2: INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES.

Definition of terms
Goal- general statements that define the purpose towards which educational program is directed.
-It is an observable and measurable end result having one or more objectives to be achieved.
An objective- These are more specific statements of what students will be able to do as a result
of instruction.

- An objective is also an intended change of behavior the learner is expected to portray

after undergoing instruction.

An instructional objective- describes an intended outcome.They are stated in behavioral or

performance terms that describe what the learner will be doing when demonstrating his/ her
achievement of the objective
An instructional objective must:

1. Describe what the learner will be doing when demonstrating that he/she has reached the
objective.(performance)
2. Describe the important conditions under which the learner will demonstrate his
competence(conditions)
3. Indicate how the learner will be evaluated or what constitutes acceptable performance i.e
how.

The purpose of instructional objectives.

1. Help students achieve educational goals

2. Help in planning for daily instructions
3. Provide a base for assessment of student learning
4. Provide a base for assessing effectiveness
Components of instructional objectives
An instructional objective has three components
i) Active verb- This should describe behavior that will tell that learning has
occurred. The verb should describe a measurable and observable behavior e.g.
explain, discuss, demonstrate, construct etc.
ii) Criteria of performance- This describes the level of performance expected from
students.
iii) Condition for assessment- This is the condition under which student’s
performance will be evaluated.

Verbs used to state instructional objectives.

 Define
  Explain
 State
 Mention
 List
 Choose
 Find

Role of instructional objectives in tests or testing.

1. Provide feedback on what has been achieved in the teaching learning process. Provide
feedback on the appropriateness of the curriculum which may lead to modification or
revision of the teaching method, instructional material or curriculum.
2. Help the teacher plan what to teach and how to teach and therefore forming a basis
evaluating what teaching was done and providing direction of what to teach and how to
teach.

Characteristics of instructional objectives

1. They must be specific- Communicate clearly the behavior expected of the learners.
2. They must be measurable- should be stated in terms of behavior that can be
observed.
3. They must be achievable/attainable- Should be achieved within the available time
and resources.
4. They must be realistic- should be within the mental abilities of the learners.(not too
advanced or too simple).
5. They must be time bound- Should be achievable within a certain time frame.

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.

Bloom’s taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives within education proposed in 1956

by a committee of educators chaired by Benjamin Bloom who also edited the first volume of the
standard test, taxonomy of educational objectives; the classification of educational goals 1956. It
was designed to improve communication between educators on the design of curriculum and
examinations.

Bloom’s taxonomy divides educational objectives into three domains:

(i) Cognitive- head

(ii) Affection- feeling/heart
(iii) Psychomotor – doing/hand

The goal of Bloom’s taxonomy is to motivate educators to focus on all three domains creating a
more holistic form of education. A revised version of the taxonomy was created in 2000.
 1. Cognitive domain.

Concerns learning at the intellectual level. Activities are controlled by the brain. Skills in the
cognitive domain revolve around knowledge, comprehension and critical thinking on a particular
topic. Traditional educational tends to emphasize the skills in this domain, particularly the lower
order objectives. There are six levels in the taxonomy moving through the lowest order process
to the highest. Bloom arranged these levels in a hierarchy eg.

1. Knowledge on memory level

2. Comprehension level
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

Evaluation

Synthesis

Analyze

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

1. Knowledge- according to Bloom’s theory the foundation of learning occurs at the

knowledge level. This level is concerned with accumulating facts, rules etc. this
knowledge involves simple recognition, question items – It simply requires the learner to
bring appropriate material from mind or to remember.
The action verbs at this level are:
 Define
 Name
 List
 Identify
 Recognize

When we ask questions like who, much, what, how much, - we are testing memory.
 2. Comprehension- involves understanding of what has been stored in the memory. It
involves understanding of what has been acquired as knowledge. Ability to re-order or re-
arrange something that has been stored.
Comprehension comprises three skills:
(i) Translation- ability to translate messages from one form of communication to
another e.g. from words to numbers, from numbers to graphs, from numbers to
charts etc.
(ii) Interpretation- goes beyond translation e.g. ability to identify interrelationships
between individual parts e.g. interpreting a chart or graphs.
(iii) Extrapolation- e.g. drawing implications and explain the implications of a, b, c,
d.
Action verbs used in comprehension:
 Explain
 Rephrase
 Restate
 Translate
 Convert
3. Application level.
Knowledge can be applied once it has been stored in the memory and comprehended this
is the ability to use abstractions may be in the form of general ideas, rules, procedures,
principles etc. application results in a more permanent learning. It involves using
knowledge to solve a problem or using it in a different situation. It involves
understanding a problem situation and how the knowledge possessed can be used in that
situation.
Action verbs used in testing application include:
 Calculate
 Determine
 Organize
 Explain
 Design
 Classify
 Predict
 Demonstrate
 Restructure

This is where transfer of learning occurs.

4. Analysis level.
To analyze information means to break it down into parts for better understanding. Make
inferences and final evidence to support generalizations.
 Action verbs include:
 Compare
 Categorize
 Questions using the word why
 Discriminate
 Giving evidence
5. Synthesis level.
Synthesis is the opposite of analysis. It means building up parts into a whole. It is
involved in tasks such as composing and writing poems, composing songs, writing essays
etc. It also involves divergent thinking, imaginative creative and original activities.
Synthesis is what results in knowledge discovery.
Actions verbs include:
 Write
 Illustrate
 Plan
 Develop
 Devise
 Specify
 Document
 Formulate
6. Evaluation level.
This is the highest cognitive ability. It is the ability to evaluate which qualitative in
nature. When a learner is able to organize thinking resulting in a logical and defensive
conclusion.
Action verbs include:
 Assess
 Evaluate
 Validate
 Conclude

Affective Domain

- These are also referred to as attitudes, and are mainly concerned with interest, emotions,
feelings, acceptance, and rejection.

Levels of learning within the affective domain

Receiving- This involves learners being sensitive to the existence of certain stimuli.

Responding- The student actively begins to respond to the stimuli

Valuing- involves students beginning to develop a certain attitude or value towards a stimuli.

Organization- The students begin to build a value system.

Characterization value (value complex)- Involves students organizing his values in to some kind
of an internally consistent syste.