A critique of the 'objectives model of curriculum design' applied to the education and training of district nurses.
In 1976 the Panel of Assessors for Nurse Training published the 'Right on the Education and Training of District Nurses SRN/RGN'. This recommends an extended form of training based on an outline curriculum. The new scheme of training will be implemented in 1981, and responsibility for developing the detailed curriculum will rest with district nurse tutors and will be undertaken at local level. One method that might be used by district nurse tutors is the 'objectives model of curriculum design', which requires educators to (a) consider sources for the derivation of objectives; (b) identify and express objectives, preferably in behavioural terms; (c) utilize the objectives to identify skills, attitudes and learning experiences required to produce desired learning outcomes and (d) evaluate whether or not objectives have been achieved. It is generally acknowledged that this particular model, which has been tested and tried in the spheres of general and vocational education, has strengths and weaknesses. Some of these are identified in this paper and applied to the education and training of district nurses. District nurse tutors might, therefore, consider both the strengths and the weaknesses of this approach as they prepare to develop the outline curriculum.
D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000193:education*; D006113:United Kingdom