The field of education is supported by two main pillars: curriculum and instruction.
Curriculum is an umbrella term that covers everything you need to consider when planning and running a course. The curriculum ensures that students gain specific knowledge and skills. It is the combination of instructional practices, learning experiences, and students' performance assessment that are designed to bring out and evaluate the target learning outcomes of a particular course.
It is based on extensive educational research, the input of the state and local educational standards, and the type of institution. It consists of the "roadmap" or "guideline" of any given discipline. Both the philosophy of teaching of the instructors as well as of the educational institution serve as two of the principles upon which a curriculum is based. It therefore determines the content of what students learn and the methods that their educators use to teach, ranging from general educational requirements to specific programs for special education.
An effective curriculum provides teachers, students, school leaders and community stakeholders with a measurable plan and structure for delivering a quality education.
Instruction is frequently associated with the term ‘curriculum’ and generally refers to the teaching methods and learning activities that a teacher uses to deliver the curriculum in the classroom. The terms ‘teaching’ and ‘instruction’ are often used interchangeably. Instruction is therefore the process of teaching and engaging students with content.