Syllabus and curriculum are two distinct components that are both necessary in any education program. Education is a means of transmitting and acquiring knowledge. It is the process through which society passes on its collected knowledge, values, and abilities from one generation to the next. An individual’s logic, intelligence, and judgement are all developed through this process.
Syllabus vs Curriculum
The main difference between a syllabus and a curriculum is that a syllabus is a compilation of portions of a subject’s themes, whereas a curriculum is a compendium of subjects, principles, or actions that will be addressed in a classroom context. The syllabus is a list of topics that will be studied in class. The curriculum focuses on academic material and skill development.
A syllabus is a list of topics that will be taught and a synopsis of what will be covered. It outlines and summarises what pupils should be taught. Individual teachers create syllabuses rather than curriculums. They may be tailored to match the needs of a certain class as they are made by educators.
A curriculum is a set of rules created to assist instructors in determining the content of a course. It is the curriculum that specifies the course objectives, topics, and teaching techniques to be employed. As a consequence, it clarifies why a particular subject or topic is being taught at a school or university.
Comparison Table Between Syllabus and Curriculum
| Parameters of comparisons | Syllabus | Curriculum |
| Definition | It is a standard competency that serves as a learning result indicator over a certain period. | General description of courses as well as a detailed method for teachers to follow. |
| Origin | Greek term | Latin term |
| Nature | Descriptive | Prescriptive |
| Approaching scale | Used on a smaller scale | Globally decided |
| Who prepares it | Made on the individual level, by subject teachers. | Made by government or administration of institution of college and schools. |
| Duration | For a year or less. | Till the end of the course. |
| Applied on | Students | Educators |
What is Syllabus?
In simple words, a syllabus is a document that contains information on the many subjects or portions of a subject or course that must be addressed. The board of examinations decides on this document, which is prepared by many academics.
While developing a syllabus, educators guarantee that the fundamentals of a course or programme are presented in a unique blend of theoretical and practical learning methodologies. At the beginning of each academic year, a syllabus is provided to the students and lecturers.
A syllabus is a comprehensive programme overview given in class that contains specifics such as projects, tasks, test dates, and subjects to be covered, among other things. Subject teachers decide on the quality and quantity. The syllabus serves as a guide for all students, which is why it is distributed in physical copy at the start of each session. A tangible copy of a syllabus emphasises the subject’s importance.
The syllabus tells students what they’ll study and why it is necessary. It’s also straightforward for any student to determine how much content they need to cover before their examinations. At the end of the session, the instructor can assess each student’s performance using the syllabus.
What is Curriculum?
A curriculum is simply a set of criteria for the numerous academic themes and disciplines covered in an institution or university’s specific programme. It does, however, address the mindset, manner, understanding, conduct, productivity, and the other abilities that students will gain over the course of the academic year.
In most cases, educational institutions or the government meticulously prepare and construct a curriculum. It places a strong focus on the intellectual and physical growth of pupils by prioritizing the total learning opportunity given by a course.
It focuses on the student’s whole growth. It is the breakdown of concepts into a well-planned and structured presentation format while keeping efficacy metrics in mind. Curriculum activities include all aspects of university or school life, such as student behaviour, knowledge, performance, and ability.
Teaching techniques, lessons, physical and mental health, projects, presentations, assessments, test series, learning objectives, and so on, are all included in the curriculum. It is a guided overall learning programme that a student will follow throughout the class.
For every institution, it is a one-time commitment that will be followed for years. It represents a broad philosophy of education. It is created with the general improvement and growth of average and below-average pupils in mind.
Main Difference Between Syllabus and Curriculum
- A syllabus is more descriptive and flexible and can be covered in a non-prescriptive way, whereas a curriculum is prescriptive in nature since its framework must be followed exactly.
- Curriculum is used in every school or institution to preserve student discipline, whereas a syllabus is solely used to study and improve thinking abilities.
- Each instructor is permitted to construct their own syllabus for their particular subject.The curriculum is followed by all instructors in the same way.
- A curriculum covers a broader range of topics than a syllabus. This is because a syllabus is limited to a single subject, but a curriculum serves as a basis for the whole course.
- While the syllabus is only valid for a year, the curriculum spans the whole course.
- The curriculum covers all courses and describes how they will be taught over the semester, whereas the syllabus is a more comprehensive version of each subject covered.
Conclusion
A syllabus and a curriculum are instructional documents used by teachers to interact with students. Both the curriculum and the syllabus are designed to improve the student’s knowledge and abilities. The two phrases vary in that a curriculum is a collection of variables that aid in the organisation of an educational programme, whereas a syllabus contains a fraction of a subject’s themes that should be covered.
To complete the preparation of an educational programme, however, both the curriculum and the syllabus are required. The more organised the curriculum is, the easier it becomes to cover the syllabus. The curriculum represents the quality of any higher-level certificate.
References
- https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/content/publication/9781848597914-en?crawler=true&mimetype=application/pdf#page=17
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01421590020031110