Four Main things That Objective Should Specify
1. Audience
Who? Who are the specific people the objectives are aimed at?
2. Observable Behavior
What? What do you expect them to be able to do? This should be
an overt, observable behavior, even if the actual behavior is covert or
mental in nature. If you cannot see it, heat it, touch it, taste it, or smell
it, you cannot be sure your audience really learned it.
3. Special Conditions
The third components of instructional objectives is the special
conditions under which the behavior must be displayed by the
students. How? Under what circumstances will be learning occur? What
will the student be given o already be expected to know to accomplish
the learning?
4. Stating Criterion Level
The fourth component of the instructional objectives is stating
the criterion level. The criterion level of acceptable performance
specifies how many of the items must the students answer correctly
for the teacher to attain his/her objectives. How much? Must a specific
set of criterion be met? Do you want total mastery (100%), do you
want them to response correctly 90% of the time, among others? A
common (and totally non-scientific) setting is 90% of the time.
Always remember that the criterion level need not be specified
on percentage of the number of items correctly answered. It can be
stated as, number of items correct; number of consecutive items
correct; essential features included in the case of essay question or
paper; completion within a specified time or completion with a certain
degree of accuracy.
Types of Educational Objectives
Educational objective is also known as instructional objective. There
are two typeso educational objectives: specific or behavioral objectives and
general or expressive objectives (Kubiszyn and Borich, 2007).
1. Specific or Behavioral Objectives. Precise statement of behavioral
to be exhibited by the students; the criterion by which mastery of the
objectives will be judged; the statement of the conditions under which
behavior must be demonstrated.
Example of behavioral objective are: (1) Multiply three-digit
number with 95% accuracy. (2) List the months of the year in proper
order from memory, with 100% accuracy. (3) Encode 30 words per
minute with at most three (3) errors using computer. These activities
specify specific educational outcomes.
2. General or Expressive Objectives. Statement wherein the
behaviors are not usually specified and the criterion of the
performance level is not stated. It only describes the experience or
educational activity to be done. The outcomes of the activity is not
expressed in specific terms but in general terms such as understand,
interpret or analyze. Examples of expressive objectives: (1) Interpret
the novel the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; (2) Visit Manila Zoo
and discuss what was of interest; (3) Understanding the concept of
normal distribution. These examples specify only the activity or
experience and broad educational outcome.
Instructional objective is a clear and concise statement of skill or
skills that students are expected to perform or exhibit after discussing
a certain lesson or unit of instruction. The components of instructional
objective are observable behaviors, special conditions which the
behavior must be exhibited and performance level considered
sufficient todemonstrate mastery.
When a teacher developed instructional objectives, he must
include an action verb that specifies learning outcomes. Some
educators and education students are often confused with learning
outcome and learning activity. An activity that implies a certain
product or end result of instructional objectives is called learning
outcome. If you write instructional objectives as a means or processes
of attaining the end product, then it is considered as learning activity.
Hence, revise it so that the product of the activity is stated.
Examples:
Learning Activities Learning Outcomes
Study identify
Read Write
Watch Recall
listen list
TYPES OF LEARNING OUTCOMES
After developing learning outcomes the next step the teacher must
consider is to identify whether the learning outcome is stated as a
measurable and observable behavior or non-measurable and non-
measurable and non-observable behavior. If learning outcome is measurable
then it is observable, therefore, always state the learning outcomes in
observable behavior. Teachers should always develop instructional
objectives that are specific, measurable statement of outcomes of instruction
that indicates whether instructional intents have been achieved (Kubiszyn,
2007). The following are examples of verbs in terms of observable learning
outcomes and unobservable learning outcomes.
Observable Learning Outcomes Non-observable Learning
Outcomes
Draw Understand
Build Appreciate
List Value
Recite Know
Add Be familiar
Examples of observable learning outcomes:
1. Recite the names of the characters in the story MISERY by Anton
Chechov.
2. Add two-digit numbers with 100% accuracy.
3. Circle the initial sounds of words.
4. Change the battery of an engine.
5. List the steps of hypothesis testing in order.
Examples of non-observable learning outcomes:
1. Be familiar with the constitutional provisions relevant to agrarian
reforms.
2. Understand the process of evaporation.
3. Enjoy speaking Spanish.
4. Appreciate the beauty if an art.
5. Know the concept of normal distribution.
