Spiral curriculum: what is it and how is it used in education?

What is the spiral curriculum? Let's see what this way of organizing education consists of.

When the teachers of an educational center try to plan what is going to be studied during the course, it is usual to talk about aspects such as the objectives to be achieved, the content to be taught, the teaching method...

However, it is common to leave aside or ignore how to organize the knowledge to be presented during the year, limiting oneself to teach it one after the other and with the sole intention of expecting the students to memorize it and demonstrate it in an exam.

In recent years, there has been an attempt to change this way of teaching, trying to promote meaningful learning, making sure that not only what is taught in class is memorized, but that it is understood and related to other knowledge. It is in this context that the concept of the spiral curriculum, a way of organizing the knowledge of the academic year, takes on special importance. the concept of spiral curriculum, a way of organizing the knowledge of the academic course, which we will see in more detail in this article. that we are going to see in more detail in the present article.

What is a spiral curriculum?

The spiral curriculum is an educational program in which a review is made of the knowledge already acquired in the academic course. a revision of the knowledge already explained previously during the course is made.. This review is done in an iterative way, that is to say, in class the notions and topics previously seen are approached repeatedly.

One should not make the mistake of thinking that this type of curriculum implies the mere repetition of the knowledge given over and over again in a superficial way, expecting students to memorize point by point and comma by comma what has been explained to them. In the spiral curriculum the aim is to to consolidate knowledge by deepening it, inviting reflection and research.inviting reflection and research.

The first person to describe this idea was Jerome Bruner in 1960. This New York psychologist observed that teachers who taught mathematics, history and science and successfully transmitted their knowledge shared, to a greater or lesser extent, the following teaching methodology.

First, they presented a series of basic ideas or operations intuitively. After these basic notions were mastered, they were gradually reformulated with greater complexity and connected to other previously acquired knowledge. As a result of this process, the aforementioned subjects were satisfactorily learned, no matter how much content they had and how difficult they might seem.

With this method of organizing knowledge, Bruner defended the idea that courses should be fostered around the learning of socially valued issues, principles and values. The aim of this was to to enable students to learn useful knowledge, which they could apply in their daily lives and make it easier for them to cope with the world around them. and to enable them to function as socially-adapted adults.

Fundamental characteristics

The main characteristics of this type of educational curriculum are described below.

Content review

Throughout the course, students see the same theme or idea on several occasions.

Throughout the entire course, the student Throughout the course, students see the same theme or idea on several occasions..

Thus, by repeating the explanations of the knowledge, it is possible to see to what extent the students have learned it and to detect any possible doubts they may have.

2. Progressive difficulty

At the beginning, the subject matter is introduced in a simple and basic way, with the intention that students get a general idea of the given notion.In the beginning, the topic is introduced in a simple and basic way, with the intention that the students get a general idea about the given notion.

Subsequently, when the topic is revisited, it will be treated in a more complex way, introducing more details and increasing the difficulty.

Thus, by increasing the complexity of the subject matter progressively, learning occurs in a more fluid way, without the risk of the student burning out by not understanding the new things explained in class.

3. The new is related to the old

New information and skills are introduced, which are related to the knowledge given in previous phases of the spiral.

What was learned at the beginning of the course, i.e., in the first loops of the spiral, is directly linked to what is to be learned in the second loop, is directly linked to what will be learned later..

If the first knowledge is properly introduced, the learner will not feel oversaturated when it is explained again in a more complex way in the future.

4. Increases student competencies

Each time the knowledge is revisited, the learner's competence increases.The student's competence is increased every time the knowledge is reviewed, until reaching the objective agreed upon in the curriculum.

Benefits of spiral curricula

As we have seen, the design of spiral curricula involves a series of very different characteristics compared to how teaching has been approached from the traditional perspective and its linear way of organizing knowledge. These differences of the spiral method offer, in turn, benefits, which are:

1. Reinforcement of what has been learned

Many teachers often complain that, even though they are teaching a topic that is supposed to have been seen before in other courses, students often say something like 'I know I gave it but I don't remember what it was about'.

In the spiral curriculum, as we have already mentioned, there is a controlled repetition of the knowledge given in the spiral curriculum..

Although the strategy is not to repeat ad nauseam what has been given in class, it is true that the more repetition, the less likely it is that the content will be forgotten.

2. From simple to complex

The topics that will be covered during the rest of the course are introduced in a simple enough way to prevent students from becoming oversaturated or burned out as soon as they start.

One of the factors that influences school failure is the feeling that what is taught in class is out of the student's reach.The student feels a combination of negative emotions such as anxiety and irritability, which contributes to a lack of interest in the studies or the subject matter in question.

Starting from the basics and easily accessible, the level of difficulty increases, which has two great advantages.

The first is that the student feels that he or she is in control of the situation and that it is not so difficult for them to learn the new knowledge because they have already mastered the previous one.

The second is that he/she notices that he/she is progressively learning more and more.This is an aspect that contributes to the development of positive emotions and, in addition, fosters motivation and interest in learning more.

3. Integration

Traditionally, teaching has been done in such a way that the content of the subjects was shown completely independently of each other. Even within the same subject, the content seen one year was radically different or not at all related to that of later years.

For example, it is common in high school for chemistry and biology subjects to be taught in a completely separate way, without using topics such as organic chemistry and fluids as aThe other case, this time within a biology course, is that of organic chemistry and the fluids of the digestive system, for example, without using as an interesting link such topics as organic chemistry and the fluids of the digestive system.

Another case, this time within the same subject, is how biology is usually taught in high school. The first year focuses on the anatomy and functioning of the systems and apparatus of the human body, while the following year focuses on the chemical composition of the organism and the structure of DNA.

With the spiral curriculum method, not only is it intended to interrelate the knowledge given in the courses of the same subject, but also to relate it to other subjects. is also intended to relate it to other subjects.

This integration is a great advantage given that knowledge applied to real life does not distinguish between subjects or disciplines.. On a day-to-day basis, what is learned is applied in various contexts and without borders.

4. Logical sequence

Although this advantage may seem identical to that of traditional linear education, there is a nuance to be taken into account.

In linear education, a sequence is followed in which knowledge follows one after the other, according to the teacher's preferences.

Here, in the spiral curriculum, this sequence may also imply that knowledge follows one after the other, but after a while, the passage of classes will be repeated. the passage of the classes through this knowledge will be repeated, and the level will be increased.. There is a hierarchy and a progressive increase in difficulty, and this difficulty is done on the basis of what has been seen to have been learned by the students.

5. Higher level objectives

In traditional education, the aim is for students to memorize what they have been taught in class and to present it in an exam or a paper.

In the spiral curriculum students are invited to participate in their own education, showing them that the things seen in class will alwaysIn the spiral curriculum, students are invited to participate in their own education, showing them that the things seen in class will always have a higher degree of complexity, which invites them to do their own research on it.

For example, related to the previous example on biology, at the beginning of the course the Respiratory system can be explained. In future classes, you can explain that there are certain diseases that affect this system, inviting them to look up on their own medical problems related to breathing and what treatments exist for each of them.

6. Flexibility

This type of curriculum is flexible, given that it takes into account what has been assimilated by the students.The level of difficulty of the following phases of the spiral can be modified, as well as the content to be related.

In this way, no one is left behind and it is guaranteed that everyone has a good grasp of the knowledge, in addition to facilitating constructive learning.

Bibliographical references:

• Dowding , T.J. (1993) The application of a spiral curriculum model to technical training curricula, Educational Technology, 33(7), 18-28.
• Good, T. and Brophy, J (1995). Contemporary Educational Psychology. McGrawHill. Mexico.
• Harden, R.M. (1986) Ten questions to ask when planning a course or curriculum.
• Harden, R.M. (1999) What is a spiral curriculum, Medical Teacher, 21:2, 141-143.
• ASME Medical Education Booklet No 20, Medical Education, 20, 356-365.
• Kabara, J.J. (1972 ) Spiral curriculum, Journal of Medical Education, 47, 314-316.