Final answer:
An evidence-based curriculum utilizes strategies proven to improve student learning outcomes, balancing traditional instruction with student-centered learning. It aims to promote comprehensive educational goals rather than just preparing for standardized tests. Professionals use such curriculums to address specific objectives and overcome barriers in diverse educational contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
A curriculum derived from research evidence about what kinds of learning outcomes relate to later achievement, and what types of teaching and learning experiences help children achieve those outcomes, refers to an educational approach that utilizes evidence-based strategies to improve student performance. These outcomes are designed to help the instructor decide what content to include or assign and to guide students towards measurable and aligned goals with current teaching practices. Teaching to the test is a phrase used to describe a curriculum that is narrowly focused on preparing students to pass standardized tests, often at the expense of more comprehensive educational goals.
Two contrasting educational approaches are described: traditional instruction, where knowledge is transmitted from teacher to student, and student-centered learning, which focuses on developing problem-solving abilities and learning skills. Evidence-based curriculum aims to balance both approaches, ensuring that students not only gain factual knowledge but also develop valuable critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This approach is based on literature and research that indicates which teaching practices most effectively promote these skills.
Curriculum development involves analyzing curriculum outcomes and determining what is most useful for fostering these outcomes. Professionals in the field, such as those in the Healthy Start Program, often use various evidence-based curriculums to address different educational and program objectives. Decisions regarding educational strategies can be particularly complex in low- and middle-income contexts, where barriers may include adherence to rigid curriculums that do not meet students' needs.