Curriculum Compatibility and Students’ Character Building: A Case of National Curriculum of Pakistan

Abstract

Curriculum is a line of action for organizing various learning activities in educational institutes to ensure holistic development of learners. It signifies the learning outcomes, contents, teaching strategies, appropriate teaching learning resources as well as various forms of assessment in association to a particular subject. Character building of students is considerably linked with curriculum. In this milieu it is a question that whether the existing school curriculum is effective enough to promote sound character of students? This study is an attempt to analyze the compatibility of Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies curricula for grade IX-X with the intention of shaping students’ character as true practicing Muslims and useful citizens. Furthermore, it describes to what extent the mentioned curricula focus character virtues. This study employed the method of content analysis. Findings of the study revealed more attention of both the curricula towards development of civic, moral and religious virtues in learners, while less focus towards the promotion of intellectual and performance qualities of character. In terms of description of learning outcomes, teaching strategies, activities, learning resources and assessment patterns, the curriculum of Pakistan Studies was found more effective than Islamiyat. Based on the study outcomes it was recommended that content and activities of the Islamiyat curriculum may be improved to make it more effective for character building purpose.