What is the Difference Between Curriculum and Scheme of Work?

The main difference between curriculum and scheme of work lies in their purpose and content. Here is a comparison of the two:

Curriculum:

Refers to the course study, guidelines, lessons, and academic content that have to be taught in a specific course or degree program.
Covers the attitude, manner, knowledge, behavior, performance, and skills that students will develop throughout the academic period.
It is a set of guidelines for different academic contents and chapters that are carefully designed by educational institutions or the government.
Focuses on the overall learning experience provided by a course and emphasizes the mental and physical development of the students.

Scheme of Work:

Refers to how the curriculum will be taught.
Outlines the teaching methods, assignments, lessons, and learning activities for a specific subject or topic.
Provides a plan that sits between the whole curriculum and a lesson plan, identifying each lesson to be taught within a subject or topic.
Helps teachers to plan out their work and schedule learning activities for the students.

In summary, the curriculum outlines the academic content and guidelines for a specific course or program, while the scheme of work details how the curriculum will be taught, including teaching methods, assignments, and learning activities.

Comparative Table: Curriculum vs Scheme of Work

The main difference between curriculum and scheme of work lies in their scope and level of detail. Here is a summary comparing the two:

Feature	Curriculum	Scheme of Work
Definition:	Curriculum refers to the course study, guidelines, lessons, and academic content.	Scheme of work refers to the detailed plan that outlines the learning to be covered over a given period of time, usually a term or a whole school year.
Scope:	Curriculum covers the overall academic content, guidelines, and chapters for a course or program.	Scheme of work is derived from the syllabus and focuses on the specific topics and subtopics to be covered in a particular term.
Level of Detail:	Curriculum provides a broader framework for academic content and learning objectives.	Scheme of work is more detailed, outlining the sequence of learning, learning objectives, and teaching methods for each lesson.
Responsibility:	Curriculum is typically developed by educational institutions or the government.	Scheme of work is prepared by educators in particular schools.
Renewal:	Curriculum may need to be renewed frequently to encourage greater standardization.	Scheme of work can vary between schools, even when following the same national curriculum.

In summary, curriculum provides the overall framework for academic content and learning objectives, while scheme of work is a more detailed plan outlining the specific topics, learning objectives, and teaching methods for each lesson within a given period of time.

Syllabus vs Curriculum
Curriculum vs Program
Curriculum vs Instruction
Unit Plan vs Lesson Plan
CV (Curriculum vitae) vs Resume
Teaching Methods vs Teaching Strategies
CBSE vs ICSE
Primary Education vs Secondary Education
Tyler vs Wheeler Model of Curriculum
Edexcel vs Cambridge A Levels
Study Skills vs Study Methods
Teaching vs Learning
Education vs Schooling
School vs Education
Program vs Programme
Graduate Diploma vs Diploma
School vs Life
Database vs Schema
School vs Academy

Guilherme Mazui

Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.

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