EDUCATIONAL

OBJECTIVES/ LEARNING
Unit V:OBJECTIVES.
Principals of education and
teaching learning process.
teaching learning process.
Domains of objectives and
formulation of general and
specific objectives.

Introduction:

Education is a process, the chief goal of

which is to bring about change in human
behavior. Every individual should have
access to a type of education that permits
maximum development of his potential and
capabilities.
Every task is done for particular purpose, it
becomes easy to achieve it when we know
its objectives or goal as well.
In any educational programme to be
effective the purposes and objectives are

So that it is easy to select the right subject

matter, the clinical experience and the
right method to be evaluate the student's
performance and the teaching learning
process.
Entire society, philosophy, values,
circumstances under which students are
going to perform should be taken into
account comprehensively before planning
educational objectives.
Thus the objectives are desirable outcomes
of intended actions through the mode of

The

Definition:

result sought by the learner at the

end of the educational program, ie what
the students should be able to do at the
end of a learning period, that they could
not do beforehand
-- J J Guilbert.
It is learner centered or behavior
centered and subject centered.

Importance and Meaning.

The

educational objectives are expressions

of what a teacher hopes his/her students can
accomplish as a result of his/her teaching.
Educational objectives are policy
statements of direction and provides
foundation of the entire educative structure.
These are the statement, which express
specifically and in measurable terms, an
attitude that will be developed cognitive or
psychomotor skills that the students would
be able to do as a result of prescribed
treatment method or mode of instruction.

Types:
A) According to type of objectives:
1.Institutional
2.Departmental (Intermediate).
3.Specific instructional/ behavioral.
B) According to domain:
1. Cognitive domain
2. Affective domain
3. Psychomotor domain.
C) According to person:
1.Teacher centered.
2. Student centered.

Characteristics:
Relevant:

confirm to the needs of the

learner and institutional objectives.
logical
Unequivocal: clear action verbs to be used.
Feasible: be within the time limit and
resources available.
Observable: able to see the action
performed e.g. Writing, spoken, performed.
Measurable: able to evaluate, check and
recheck e.g. rating, grading, marking etc.

Data Sources:
Health

needs, demands and resources of

the society.
National health policies.
Services to the community.
Services to the patient.
The health professionals.
The teachers and learners.
Scientific progress in knowledge, methods
and skill.
Educational philosophy.
Future demands in terms of advanced
technology.

Purposes:
Preparing teaching/ learning program:
Facilitates course planning.
Communicates desirable emphasis of
treatment.
Provides for selective approach.
Helps in curriculum design.
Facilitates evaluation.
Facilitates learning.

Types of educational objectives:

Institutional/

general objective: A set of

statements identifying the major skills
that all the graduates of the program
should posses at the completion of their
studies.
Departmental objectives: A set of
statements identifying the skills to be
acquired by all students who are taught
within a particular school/
department/division, of a nursing college.
These skills must be consistent with the
institutional objective.

Types of educational objectives:

Instructional objectives:
A) Basic instructional objective (BIO): A
brief, clear statement of basic skill/
competence which is to be
demonstrated at the conclusion of a unit
instruction.
B) Specific instructional objective (SIO): A
brief, clear statement of a single skill,
directly related to BIO and stated in
terms of observable student behavior.

Elements of specific
objectives:
Activity- appropriate action verb to be
used.
2. Content- what is to be implemented or
performed.
3. Condition- with or without help of
equipments, books, specimens reports
etc.
4. Criteria- minimum level of performance.
1.

Taxonomy of objectives
A Taxonomy is a hierarchical classification in a
given field. It provide a classification of
various instructional objectives at suitable
levels and in given spheres.
A systematic organization of objectives into
three domains to help the teachers in
precise formulation and evaluates the result
of a system of education, helps students to
prepare for examinations to obtain the
desired end results.

Advantages of taxonomy:
To

help teachers formulate the educational

objectives clearly.
To give clear cut guidelines to avoid
ambiguity in statement of objective.
To enable educators to communicate among
each others goals.
Evaluation of the result of system of
education.
Collective work is made possible.
To solve problems regarding a practicability.
To construct test items in examination.
As research tool in education and evaluation.

Cognitive domain
Mc Guire (1963) described the levels in cognitive
domain.
I.
Recall of facts: remembering the facts,
principles, processes, patterns, methods
necessary for efficient performance of a
professional task.
II.
Interpretation of data: The process of
application or use of ideas, principles, methods
to deal with a new phenomenon or situation.
III.
Problem solving: Relating to diagnosis,
treatment, organization etc it includes finding
solutions for problem arising from new
situations. It will serve as a guide.

Blooms categories in cognitive

domain (1956)
Knowledge:

The remembering of previously

learned material. Recall of specifics and universals
and of methods and processes, remembering of a
pattern structure or setting, memorization of
facts, principles etc. Includes Recall, Recognize.
Comprehension: Grasping communication
accurately, able to put it in different form of
presentation, reorganizing material in summary
with the central meaning and points. Includes
Translation, interpretation, extrapolation, see
relationship, cite example, discriminate, classify,
interest, verify, generalize.

Application:

The ability to use learned material

in new situation, it may be general ideas,
principals or methods. Includes, reason,
formulate, establish, inference, predict.
Analysis: The ability to breakdown material into
its component parts so that its organizational
structure. Requires an understanding of both the
content and the structural form of the material.
Synthesis: It is the ability to put together to
form a new whole learning outcomes in the area
and stress to creates behavior, with major
emphasis on the formulation of new patterns or
structures. E.g. preparing codes, developing
nursing process, derive abstract relations.

 Evaluation:

The ability to judge the value

of material for a given purpose, it is
based on use of criteria, standards, it
may be quantitative or qualitative.
Action verbs: compare, contrast, identify,
distinguish, explain, list, enumerate,
describe, select, specify, relate,
interpreat.

Conative or psychomotor skills

or domain or practical skill
This deals with the routine actions carried out by
the student, able to perform practical with high
degree of precision and efficiency having effective
control over the practical skill.
Imitation: The student exposed to an observable
action makes an attempt to copy it step by step,
guided by an impulse to imitate, needs a model.
Control: The student is able to demonstrate a skill
according to instructions and not merely on the
basis of observation. Begins to differentiate
between one set of skills and another and to be
able to choose one required, starts to adapt at
handling instruments.

 Automatism:

A high degree of proficiency is

attained in using the skill, which now
requires only a minimum of energy.
Manipulation: Ability to do an act according
to instruction not by observation alone. E.g.
following direction, selection, fixation.
Precision: high level of performance with
refinement. E.g. reproduction, control.
Articulation: coordination of series of acts
in sequence with internal consistency. E. g.
sequence, harmony.
Naturalization: Highest proficiency in
performance with minimum expenditure of
energy. E.g. automatism, interiorization.

Action verbs: dissect, palpate, perform,

inject insert, operate, osculate, identify,
prepare, remove.

Domain of attitude or affective

domain (communication skill)
Behavior representative of feelings or
conviction. An objective dealings with
emotions or feelings indicated by words,
e.g. interest, appreciation, enthusiasm,
motivation and attitudes. These are
reflective of the values.
A persistent disposition to act either
positively or negatively towards a person,
group, object, value or situation. It refers
to interpersonal relations. Three levels are
identified:

 Receiving

or attending: willingness to
receive/ attention. E.g. awareness,
willingness to receive, controlled or
selected attention.
Responding: Learner is sufficiently involved
in an activity that he seeks it out and gain
satisfaction working with it. E.g. agree or
accept, willingness to respond, satisfaction
in response.
Valuing: The behavior is now consistent
and stable not only accepted but is valued.
E.g. acceptance of a value, preference of
value, commitment/ conviction.

 Organization:

The level at which the learner

constructs a value system which guides his/ her
behavior. E.g. conceptualization of a value,
organization of value system.
Characterization by a value or value complex?
internalization: The values have a place in the
persons value hierarchy and organized. E.g.
generalized set, characterization.
Internalization: Perception of phenomenon
affecting values. This enables you to adapt your
attitude to the other person as if you were
experiencing the same phenomenon yourself.
e.g. attitude shown to grieving family gives
impact of being concern and care towards them
and readiness to help them to get over it.

Action verbs: Respond, receive, cooperate,

participate, display, permit, react, contribute.

Steps for stating objectives :

1. Start with an action verb or operative verb, that
describes a specific behavior or activity by the
learner ie what does he do?
e.g. enumerate, perform, explain, describe etc.
2. Follow the action verb with content reference that
describes the subject being tested e.g. performs
what? Enumerate the articles displayed in
general trolley set up. Perform back care.
3. End with the performance standard/ criteria that
indicated the minimum acceptable
accomplishment in measurable terms.

e.g. Enumerate the bones in human hand

with an accuracy of at least 90%.
Perform I.M. injection procedure for five
consecutive cases, by following scientific
principals, with minimum discomfort to
client.
4.Specify the main conditions under which
actions is to take place ie resources
supplied or restrictions applied. Eg. With
an electron microscope, with
signomenometer, with oral thermometer
etc.