Approaches to Educational Objectives

Objectives, stated more specifically than goals, are designed to communicate to involved parties- students, teachers, laypersons- the intents of particular actions. However, diverse views exist regarding approachers to curriculum objective.

There are four Approaches to Educational Objectives:

1. Behavioral Approaches - In the last three decades of the twentieth century, much attention as given to behavioral objectives. Although such objectives were rather new to educational dialogue, the theoretical basis for them was not, it was borrowed from behaviorist learning theory in psychology and from the concept of operationalize in science(by which people operationalize or give a tangible or observable condition to a particular learning or disposition of a human being).


2. Humanistic Approaches - All educators realize that they are creating curricula for human beings. However, humanists believe that the function of the curriculum is to provide each learner with intrinsically rewarding experiences that will make for more complete living and more authentic lives.


3. Managerial and System Approaches - The managerial approach and the systems approach are closely related. Thus, they are included to the formulation of objectives. These approaches represent a way of thinking that has its roots in the early scientific movement and behavioral to educational decision making. Both school managers and systems personnel rely on organizational theory and are sensitive to the interrelatedness of the units of departments of the organizations.


4. Reconceptualism, Radicalism - According to William Pinar, reconceptualism, the movement that was in opposition to the mainstream approach to curriculum thinking and development, has become itself. Certainly, much reconceptualist thought has been woven into current curricularists' thinking, but to suggest that the other approaches, especially when thinking of creating objectives, have been replaced is to deny reality. Most curricula and objectives created for school follow the managerial and systems approaches.

Types of Educational Objectives

The difficulties of making such decisions attests to the need for teachers to be deeply engaged in determining and teaching to educational objectives. Teachers must make careful decisions about general curriculum objectives (subject or grade level), about unit objectives (classroom level), and lesson objectives (also classroom level). The intents of the curriculum at both the global and specific levels depend on the quality of education.

The three types of Education Objectives:

1. Behavioral Objectives - For an objective to be meaningful, and therefore useful in guiding educators (regardless of whether it has been achieved), it should be measurable. To the extent that educators are unable to measure achievement, the meaningfulness of the objective is diminished. Put simply, this means that a behavioral objective is a precise statement of outcomes in terms observable behavior expected of students after instruction. Such an objective responds to the following question: What behavior can the learner engage int that will confirm that he or she grasps the knowledge or possesses the skills specified in the delivery of the curriculum?" Although some readers might conclude that all worth while learning must be stated behaviorally, the authors of this text believe that there are many learnings and attitude changes that are worth while for students to attain but cannot be precisely noted behaviorally. More on this is discussed under non behavioral general objectives. Suffice it to say, one cannot list in precise behavioral terms an increase in a student's sensitivity to others that must be met in order to quality as a "good person".


2. Non behavioral General Objectives - Perhaps the greatest advantage of behavioral objectives is the clarity of communication they foster. People reading such objectives know precisely what they mean and can determine the extent to which they have been attained. But advocates of non behavioral objectives who use such words as "appreciate," "know," and "understand," contend that stating objectives too specifically restricts learning opportunistic to those situations that require measurement. Objectives that address higher-order learning (for example, analytic thinking and appreciating of literature) are likely to be eliminated because they frequently do not lend themselves measurement. Many opponents of behavioral objectives reject precise objectives as expressions of behaviorism. They insist that much learning can occur that does not result in overt, measurable pupil behavior. Learning in the affective domain is a more subtle form of learning.


3. Means and Ends - Much of the argument between behaviorists and non behaviorists revolves around the nature of language. Just how precise must the language in education objectives be? Maurits Johnson and David Pratt make an interesting and useful distinction between educational intent and the realization of the intent. They note that many educators fall prey to the belief that the objective is in reality the statement that indicated its measure of achievement. They sate that an educational objective is rally a statement of intent, an expected end product, not an actual product.

By Ornstein & Hipkins

Guidelines for Formulating Educational Objectives

Because objective indicate endpoints or expected outcomes or points that lead to other significant outcomes or points in the educational process, careful thought must be given to the creation of educational objectives. Indeed, giving careful thought to objectives increases the probability that a particular thought program will be judged successful. Educators should consider the following factors when creating objectives.

1. Matching- Objectives should relate to the goals and the aims from which they are derived. Many curriculum guides include objectives that, although perhaps having merit, are unrelated to the goals.


2. Worth- It is often debatable which educational objectives have worth and which do not. Many schools overemphasize detail. especially in the skills subjects such as reading and mathematics.


3. Wording- Objectives are only effective if the persons who are to use them as curriculum guides are able to understand from them the same intended outcomes as their writers.


4. Appropriateness- Not all objectives need to be attained by all students. Curricularists must ask, What are the needs of the students?


5. Logical Grouping- Objectives should be grouped logically so as to make sense when units of instruction and evaluation are being determined.


6. Periodic Revision- No objectives should stand for all times; objectives require periodic revision. This is necessary because students change, society changes, the realm of knowledge changes, and instructional strategies change. Educators should occasionally analyze their objectives to determine if they are still of value to the program.


7. Legality- The last factor to consider is that of the legality of the objective. Much of what the schools should teach is determined by forces external to the schools.

By Allan & Francis

Objective of Education

Within the context of educational aims and goals, it is necessary to formulate objectives that will indicate in more specific terms the outcomes of the curriculum of project being considered. Throughout much of our history, objectives have been sated vaguely; they are often confused with goals and aims.

To keep aims, goals, and objectives clearly separated,is is perhaps helpful to remind ourselves that in translating into goals and finally into objectives, we proceed from the very general, couched in a long-term framework, to the more specific, couched in a short-term time sequence. The sequence is illustrated as follows:

Philosophy - Aims - Goals - Objectives

For a particular science program or project, curriculum developers may state a goal such as "improving students' skill in information processing when dealing with science material." Under this foal, they must have a series of more specific objectives. How specific the objectives are will be determined by the philosophies and conceptions educator have regarding curriculum.