Curriculum Development and Review in Sports Academy Setting: Proposing Models and Methodologies

In recent years, the curriculum has become a widely appealing construct within the global discourses of quality assessment and continual improvement. However, the literature in this field reveals a lack of clarity and consensus regarding its meaning and other technical issues related to its development and review, particularly in the sports academy setting. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge in this area through broadly exploring a range of dimensions underpinning the concept of curriculum, including its definitions, elements, processes, and the resultant pedagogical implications. Besides, this review article proposes a model to facilitate the development and review of the curriculum in Ethiopian sports academy programs and provides designers, youth coaches, and administrators with a practical approach for designing and implementing the curriculum. This proposed model seeks to support the Ethiopian sports academies in systematically developing and reviewing curriculum, and using that assessment data to trigger further improvement of the program. Moreover, a systemic view of sports academy is suggested to create broader insights about key ingredients of quality, and identify issues that impinge on curriculum decision-making. The article concludes by summarizing the results of the analyses and offering implications for practices.