The understanding
of the curriculum is:
The curriculum is
a set of plans and arrangements regarding the objectives, contents, and
learning materials as well as the ways used as guidelines for organizing
learning activities to achieve certain educational goals. [4]
A set of plans
and arrangements regarding the content and learning materials and methods used
as guidelines for organizing learning activities. [5]
The curriculum of
higher education is a set of plans and arrangements regarding the content and
material of studies and lessons as well as the methods of delivery and
assessment used as guidelines for the implementation of teaching and learning
activities in tertiary institutions. [6]
According to
Grayson, curriculum is a plan to get the output (out-comes) expected from a
learning. The plan is structured structured for a field of study, so as to
provide guidelines and instructions for developing learning strategies (the
material in the curriculum must be well organized so that the goals
(objectives) and educational objectives that have been set can be achieved. [7]
Meanwhile,
according to Harsono, the curriculum is an educational idea expressed in
practice. In Latin, curriculum means track or runway. At present the definition
of curriculum is growing, so that what is meant by the curriculum is not only
the idea of education but also includes all planned learning programs of an
educational institution. [8]
Departing from
the definition of evaluation and curriculum above, the writer draws a common
thread that the notion of curriculum evaluation is a systematic study of the
benefits, appropriateness of effectiveness and efficiency of the applied
curriculum. Or in other words, curriculum evaluation is the process of applying
scientific procedures to collect valid and reliable data to make decisions
about curricula that are currently running or that have been implemented. [9]
Evaluation of
this curriculum can include the entire curriculum or each component of the
curriculum such as the objectives, content, or learning methods contained in
the curriculum. In a simple curriculum evaluation can be equated with research
because curriculum evaluation uses systematic research, applying scientific procedures
and journal student research methods. The difference between evaluation and research lies in
its purpose. Evaluation aims to collect, analyze and present data for
decision-making materials regarding the curriculum whether to be revised or
replaced. While research has a broader purpose of evaluation, namely
collecting, analyzing and presenting data to test theories or create new
theories. [10]
The focus of
curriculum evaluation can be done on the outcomes of the curriculum (outcomes
based evaluation). But on the other hand curriculum evaluation is also directed
at a process or activity of the curriculum program itself (which is included in
the curriculum component).
Objectives of
Curriculum Evaluation
In general, the
objectives of curriculum evaluation include two things: first, evaluation is
used to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and relevance of the program.
Second, evaluation can be used as a tool in the implementation of the
curriculum (learning). As a tool, evaluation sometimes functions in an effort
to improve the program, and sometimes it also serves to determine the follow-up
to curriculum development. Of the two things above, then in essence the
evaluation of the curriculum is aimed at improving the curriculum by revealing
the successes and shortcomings of the curriculum implementation process in
achieving the objectives set.
Curriculum
evaluation is intended to examine the overall curriculum performance in terms
of various criteria. Performance indicators that are evaluated are the
effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and feasibility of the program. [11]
Comprehensively,
the objectives of this curriculum evaluation can be reviewed from three
dimensions, namely: [12]
Dimension 1,
related to the time of the evaluation. There are two levels of time in carrying
out curriculum evaluation. First, formative evaluation, which is an evaluation
carried out throughout the implementation of the curriculum. It aims to analyze
the problem as early as possible, so that improvements can be made as soon as
possible. Second, summative evaluation, this evaluation process is usually
carried out at the end of the semester, the peak of the school year or may be
carried out every five years. It functions in assessing the effectiveness of a
curriculum by analyzing all data collected during the process of implementing
the curriculum and finally implementing the curriculum.
Dimension 2, in
this dimension, there are two important components that become the emphasis of
curriculum evaluation. Both of these are process components as well as product
components. In terms of process, evaluation is directed to measure
(effectiveness, efficiency and relevance) of a method and process of curriculum
implementation. The aim is to find out the accuracy of the methods and
processes implemented in the curriculum. While in the product component,
curriculum evaluation aims to assess tangible results both from students and
teachers such as; syllabus, unit of study, and learning tools. And also
includes test results from students, as well as student work (papers, articles,
etc.).
Dimension 3,
namely the operational realm of the entire curriculum process and student
learning outcomes. In the realm of operation of the entire curriculum,
evaluation aims to assess the overall process of curriculum development (all
operations of the educational institution), including planning, design,
implementation, supervision, administration and assessment. Also judgments
related to costs, teaching staff, student admissions etc. Related to student
learning outcomes, the objective of curriculum evaluation is to evaluate
student learning outcomes that are consistent with the curriculum goals that
must be achieved. This assessment asks whether student learning outcomes are in
accordance with curriculum objectives, vision & mission of educational
institutions and the demands of parents of students and other parties.
Besides aiming as
contained in the three dimensions above, curriculum evaluation is also intended
as an accountability to several related parties such as; the government,
community, parents, education implementers, and other parties who co-sponsor
the curriculum development activities concerned. [13]
The Importance of
Curriculum Evaluation
After we review
the meaning of curriculum evaluation and its purpose, we come to a conclusion
about the importance of curriculum evaluation. This is because that; first,
curriculum evaluation can present information about the suitability,
effectiveness and efficiency of the curriculum to the objectives to be achieved
and the use of resources, which information is very useful as a material for
decision makers whether the curriculum is still running but needs to be revised
or the curriculum must be replaced with a curriculum the new one. Second,
curriculum evaluation is also important in order to adjust to the development
of science, technological progress and changing market needs. [14]
In essence,
curriculum evaluation is important in presenting information material about
areas of curriculum weakness so that improvements can be made to a better
process. It is also important to use, in assessing the goodness of the
curriculum whether the curriculum is still being implemented or not.
There are several
parties who are interested in carrying out this curriculum evaluation, namely:
the principal,
has an interest because it is related to his duties as an administrator and
supervisor at his school. He has the responsibility of organizing school
program evaluations in the context of implementing the overall school
curriculum.
field study
teacher, the evaluation carried out by the subject field teacher is important
in assessing students regarding the success or lack of success of the teaching
and learning process.
regional
education managers (district and provincial), here the evaluation conducted
aims to assess the success of curriculum implementation in the respective
regional level schools.
central level
administration, the education department as the central level administrator has
an interest in carrying out evaluations, to assess the relevance,
effectiveness, and efficiency of the general policies that they have outlined.
Curriculum
Evaluation Concepts
In understanding
the implementation of curriculum evaluation, then the author would like to
present the concept of the evaluation itself. According to Guba and Lincoln
that Evaluation is stated as a process of giving consideration to the value and
meaning of something being considered. Something that can be considered in the
form of people, objects, activities, circumstances or something certain unity.
[15] Curriculum evaluation is the process of applying scientific procedures to
determine the value or effectiveness of an activity in making decisions about
curriculum programs.
Curriculum system
evaluation is related to curriculum management which starts from the input
evaluation, process evaluation, output evaluation and outcomes evaluation
stages. [16] Furthermore, curriculum evaluation aims to measure the achievement
of objectives and identify obstacles in achieving curriculum goals, measure and
compare curriculum successes and find out their potential successes, monitor
and supervise program implementation, identify problems that arise, determine
the usefulness of the curriculum, benefits, and the possibility of further
development.
From the opinion
above, then there are two points that characterize evaluation, namely: [17]
evaluation is a
process or action. The action is carried out to give meaning or value to
something. Thus evaluation is not an outcome or product;
evaluation is
related to giving value or meaning. This means that based on the results of
evaluation considerations whether something has value or not. In other words,
evaluation can show the quality assessed.
The concepts of
values and meanings in a curriculum evaluation have different meanings. Value
considerations are considerations that exist in the curriculum itself. In the
sense of whether the program in the curriculum can be understood by the teacher
or not. While the concept of Meaning is related to the meaning of a curriculum.
For example, does the assessed curriculum provide meaning to improve students'
thinking abilities, does it change the way students learn better.
From the results
of curriculum evaluation and its relationship with the concept of values and
meaning, it can happen evaluators concluded that the curriculum being evaluated
was quite simple and understood by the teacher but did not have meaning to
improve the quality of student learning. Conversely, the curriculum being
evaluated is indeed a bit complicated to be emphasized by the teacher but has
significant value to improve the quality of learning.
According to
curriculum experts including Oliva, explaining that curriculum development is a
never-ending process, including planning, implementation and evaluation. Then
the evaluation itself is an integrated part in a curriculum development
process. The formulation of evaluation objectives was stated by Purwanto an
Atwi, namely: (1) Measuring the achievement of objectives and recognizing the
obstacles in achieving curriculum objectives, (2) Measuring and comparing
curriculum success and knowing the potential for success, (3) Monitoring and
overseeing program implementation, identifying problems that arise, (4)
Determine the usefulness of the curriculum, benefits, and the possibility of
further development, (5) Measuring the impact of the curriculum for improving
HR performance. [18]
The curriculum
can be seen from two sides, first, the curriculum as an educational program or
curriculum as a document; second, curriculum as a process or activity. In the
process of education both sides are equally important, like the two sides of
one coin. Curriculum evaluation must cover both sides, both the evaluation of
the curriculum placed as a document that is used as guidelines as well as the
curriculum as a process, namely the systematic implementation of documents.