Curriculum Planning Process for the Primary Level Education in Post-1991 Ethiopia: The Case of Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State

Setegn, Lemma (2015) Curriculum Planning Process for the Primary Level Education in Post-1991 Ethiopia: The Case of Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

Curriculum Planning Process for Primary Level Education in Post-1991 Ethiopia: The Case of Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State Lemma Setegn, Addis Ababa University, 2015 Diversifying primary school experiences has been considered as a solution to accommodate differences through school curriculum and the government of Ethiopia set an Education and Training Policy (ETP) that provides provisions on localizing primary school curriculum to make the education relevant and responsive to the learner and the society. To materialize the policy, the roles of the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Regional Education Bureau (REB) with regard to curriculum planning process for the primary school were described. Researches on access, equity, quality, efficiency and relevance, which necessitated the launching of the declaration of the Education and Training Policy, were made. However, there have been scarcities of research reports on curriculum planning process for primary schools in post-1991 Ethiopia, especially on Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State (SNNPRS). Thus, a descriptive case study and content analysis were conducted with a purpose to examining and getting clear understanding on the implementation of the policy provisions by assessing to what extent the curriculum planners have been acquainted with the theoretical knowledge, the rationales of curriculum planning and localization of the primary schools’ curriculum and possess required technical skills. It also examined how open and flexible the syllabi were to incorporate local experiences and to accommodate local differences, the work relationship between the Federal and the SNNPR Education Bureau; the achievements, problems and challenges of the localization of the primary school curriculum. To this end, a mixed methods research design has been employed and samples of curriculum planners were selected from former Institute for Curriculum Development and Research (ICDR) and the current Curriculum Development and Implementation Core Process Directorate (CDICPD) from the Ministry of Education using snowball and availability sampling techniques respectively. At the regional level, the Region’s Education Bureau, six Zones and a Special Woreda Education Departments’ Curriculum and Educational Materials Supply Core Performers, Subject Performers, textbook writers and editors were selected using stratified, availability and snowball sampling techniques. A total of 54 samples were made to fill in a questionnaire. In addition, thirteen students’ textbooks were selected using stratified sampling technique for content analysis. Semi-structured interview items were used to collect data from the two heads, two panel members and a coordinator; a director, two experts of the ICDR and the CDICPD at the federal level. One core performer, nine subject performers, eight textbook writers, and three content and language editors were interviewed at the SNNPRS. The data collected through the interview, questionnaire and content analysis were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative (mixed methods) approaches. The qualitative data analysis has been done using narration while the quantitative data were analyzed using frequency count, percentage and mean values to determine the position of level of agreement of the respondents. The analysis of the data showed that the primary school curricula of the regional state were drafted by the MoE the validations were made by representatives of the region when they were invited in both the Transition period and after the founding of the FDRE. The objectives model has been used to plan, but with no needs assessment data. However, the Transition Period Charter, the FDRE Constitution, agreements the country had signed and ratified, the students’ profile of the level and the Education Sector Review(1970s) and the Evaluative Research on General Education System of Ethiopia(1980s) were consulted. The region’s representatives were informed that the syllabi were open and flexible to be adapted to local conditions at the time of validation workshops. Minor adjustments in sequence of contents were made at the preparation of textbooks on those subjects that were left to the region. The adaptations or localizing the contents to local conditions were made using the practical activities, group projects, exercises and questions in both earlier and latter phases of textbook preparations. The region’s curriculum sections were staffed by subject area graduates who had no training on curriculum design and development. The work relationships between the federal MoE and the regional education bureau have been characterized as supportive, or cooperative, but not hierarchic. The use of mother tongue languages and English as media of instruction, the utilization of local resources (materials and institutions) for the instructional process, the acquisition of skills to write textbooks, develop syllabi and writing textbooks for the mother tongue languages, the increased enrolment and retention of students in schools, employment opportunities in the zones and special Woredas to work in school and offices have been considered as some of the achievements of the curriculum localization/adaptation in the region . However, the absence of trained and experienced human resource at the initial period to localize the syllabi, write and edit textbooks, shortages of reference materials and financial support have been the outstanding problems in the planning process encountered during the beginning years. There have been some kind of resistance on the localization of the primary school curriculum and the use of mother tongue languages as media of instruction by some groups, reluctance of those educated groups to participate in changing the curriculum; the diversity of the people in the region and the difficulty to localize the curriculum documents to each of them have been the major challenges. Thus, the restructuring of the Region’s Education Bureau, Zonal and Special Woreda Education Departments with a primary school curriculum section, which is staffed with trained and experienced staff; playing its ascribed roles as per the policy provisions; conducting needs assessment to further localize the curriculum and accommodate differences through the devolution of the curriculum planning power to the zones, special Woredas and schools are recommended to the Regional Education Bureau. Similarly, the Federal MoE needs to strengthen its assistance and setting practicable curriculum planning framework and standards; arranging training and experience sharing programs to build the capacity of the planers both at home and abroad on curriculum development matters; and working to restructure and staff the CDICPD with appropriate experts that work in teams on specific subject lines and levels. It needs to work on creating awareness that localizing the primary school curriculum would not be a threat to national integrity as long as it is done with a purpose of achieving education objectives of the country. Key Terms: Curriculum planning, local curriculum, curriculum relevance, responsive curriculum, Power Devolution, Content diversification, and Integrating experience

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Subjects: L Education > L Education (General)
Divisions: Africana
Depositing User: Kabiru Wallace Ndung'u
Date Deposited: 19 Aug 2019 11:00
Last Modified: 19 Aug 2019 11:00
URI: http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/9427

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