Selection and Organization of

Content
 Focus Questions:
• What guiding principles must be observed in the selection and organization
of content?
• What is the structure of the subject matter that we teach?
• How can students be helped to the construction of a more enriched
knowledge-base?
• What strategies can be employed for teaching conceptual understanding.
Thinking skills in the different levels, and values?

REMEMBER : Let us teach the content:

• Is ALIGNED with the goals and objectives of the basic education curriculum.
• Responds to the NEEDS of the learner.
• Cognitive skill and affective elements.
• FULLY and DEEPLY covers the essentials to avoid the “mile-wide-and-inch-
deep” impression.
 Introduction
What Knowledge is truly essential and enduring? What is
worth teaching and learning? Our leaders in the basic
education level came up with the Philippine Elementary
Learning Competition (PELCs) in 2001. The “intended”
content of what we teach is laid down in such document. In
the K to 12 Curriculum, standards and competencies are
also spelled out. This means that we are not entirely free in
the selection of our content. They are a “given” But how
they are organized and presented in the classroom,
ultimately depends on you. Below are some principles to
guide you.
 Guiding Principles in the Selection and
Organization of Control

A.Validity – Teaching the content that we ought

to teach according to national standards explicit
in the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum; it
also means teaching the content in order to
realize the goals and objectives of the course as
laid down in the basic education curriculum.
(See figure)
B. Significance – What we teach should respond to the needs interests
of the learners, hence meaningful and significant.

Adapted from Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating

Significant Learning Experiences, Jossey-Bass.
A.Balance – Content includes not only facts but also
concepts and values. The use of the three-level
approach ensures a balance of cognitive,
psychomotor, and affective lesson content.

A balanced content is something that is not too

easy to be above average student, neither not too
difficult to turn off the average. It is something that
challenges the student. To observe the principle of
balance, no topic must be extensively discussed at
the expense of other topics.
D. Self-sufficiency – Content fully covers the
essentials. Learning content is not “mile-wide-and-
inch-deep”. The essentials sufficiently covered and
are treated in depth. This is a case of “less is more”.
E. Interest – Teacher considers interest of the
learners, their developmental stages and cultural and
ethnic background.
F.Utility – Will this content be of use to the learners?
It is not meant only to be memorized for test and
grade purposes. What is learned has a function
even after examination are over.
F. Feasibility – The content is feasible in the sense the essential
content can be covered in the amount of time available for
instruction. A guaranteed and a viable curriculum is the first in
the school-related factors that has great impact on student
achievement. (Marzano, 2003) It is observed that there is so
much content to cover within school year, so much so that
teachers tend to rush towards the end of school year, do
superficial teaching and contribute to mastery of content. This is
probably one reason why the mastered competencies in national
examinations given to the pupils and students are those
competencies which are found at the end of the Philippine
Elementary /Secondary Learning Competence (PELC/PSLC).
End
The Structure of Subject Matter Content
 Critical Thinking
It involves evaluating information __ arguments in terms of their
accuracy and worth. (Reyes 1985) It takes a variety of forms –
verbal reasoning, argument analysis, hypothesis testing and
decision making.
• Verbal reasoning – An example is evaluating the
persuasive techniques found in oral or written language.
You employ this when you evaluate the reliability and the
truth of advertisements that bombard you everyday.
• Argument analysis – You are engaged in this critical thinking process when you
discriminate between reasons that do and do not support a particulate conclusion.

Example: The ground is wet so it must have rained last night.

When you analyze the given argument and determine whether or not the reason . “it
must have rained last night” logically support or does nor logically support the
argument.
• Hypothesis testing – It is evaluating the value of data and research results in
terms of the methods used to obtain them and their potential relevance to
particular conclusions. A questions you will ask when you are engaged in
critical thinking as you are engaged in hypothesis testing is: Did I make use of
an appropriate method to measure a particular outcome.
•Decision making – We are engaged in critical thinking when
we weigh the pros and cons of each proposed alternative
approach.
 Creative Thinking

This type of thinking involves “producing something that is both original

and worthwhile. (Sternberg, 2003) It is both thinking, one type of divergent
thinking. It is the process of bringing something new into birth. It is seeing
new relationships and the use of imagination and inventiveness.
What creative thinking behaviors
should be developed?
Awareness
The ability to notice the attributes of things in the
environment so as to build a knowledge base that is the
beginning of all other forms of creative thinking.
Curiosity Replace your unknown mind with curiosity

The ability and inclination to wonder about things

and mentally explore the new, novel, unique
ideas.
Imagination
The ability to speculate about things that are
not necessarily based on reality.
Fluency

The ability to produce a large

quantity of ideas
Flexibility
The ability to look at things from several
different perspectives or view points.
Originality
The ability to produce new,
novel, unique ideas.
Elaboration
The ability to add on to an idea; to give details; build
groups of related ideas or expand on ideas.
Perseverance
The ability to keep trying to find answer;
to see a task through completion
Attitudes and Values
In the tree-level approach to teaching, values are
the apex of the triangle. It is because it is in the
teaching of facts, skills and concepts become
connected to the life of the students, thus
acquiring meaning. Without the value-level of
teaching, we contribute to the development of
persons who have big heads but tiny hearts. We
contribute to the formation of “intellectual giants”
but emotional dwarfs.
 Shall we teach
Values

Can values be taught? Many say “NO,” rather values

are caught. The author, however, would dare say
“YES!” Values are taught and caught! Due to the
belief that values cannot be taught, many teachers
relegate values in the background. Values can be
taught, because like any subject matter, they too have
a cognitive dimension, in addition to the effective and
behavioral dimension. (Aquino, 1990)
The Cognitive Dimension – When we teach value of
honesty we ask the following questions: What is meant by
honesty? Why do I have to be honest? The affective
dimension – You have to feel something towards honesty.
You have to be moved towards honesty as preferable to
dishonesty. The behavioral dimension – You lead an
honest life.
The Big Questions Is:
How Can We Teach
Values?
 By deutero-learning – Your student learns by being exposed to
the situation, by acquainting himself with a setting, by following
models, pursuing inspirations and copying behavior. YOUR
CRITICAL ROLE AS MODELS IN AND OUTSIDE THE
CLASSROOM CANNOT BE OVEREMPHASIZED.
 By positively reinforcing good behavior.
By teaching the cognitive component of values in the classroom.