This evaluative study examined the factors that influence the implementation of the
intended secondary school curriculum in Namibia’s classroom environment.
Quantitative data were collected from 260 teachers in 15 randomly sampled schools,
supplemented by interview data from 15 purposively selected teachers.
To address the main research question the study analysed various curriculum
interpretations and their implications on classroom teaching and learning. In addition,
the study examined the influence of teachers’ age, gender, number of subjects taught,
professional qualification and teaching experience on the implementation of the
intended secondary school curriculum at the classroom level. Moreover, the study
examined how teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and self-efficacy influence
curriculum implementation in the classroom situation. Furthermore, this study
addressed the question of how learners’ characteristics, teachers’ professional
development and school leadership influence the implementation of the intended
secondary school curriculum in the Namibian classroom environment. Lastly, the
present study also examined how resources, stakeholders’ support and teachers’
involvement in the curriculum development process influence the implementation of the
intended secondary school curriculum within the classroom environment.
Results of this study found that most teachers interpret curriculum as a document used
to transmit objective knowledge to learners. This interpretation of the curriculum
demonstrates that although the 2010 intended secondary school curriculum for Namibia
was founded on a learner centred philosophy of education, most teachers in this study
understand it in terms of the teacher-centred approach.
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Within the context of the interpretive-critical view adopted in this study, the results
further indicated that lack of knowledge and clarity of curriculum goals, limited resources
and inadequate involvement of teachers in the curriculum development process, may
influence teachers to revert to a technical implementation of the intended secondary
school curriculum at the classroom level.
Results also revealed that although teachers’ age, gender, number of subjects taught
and self-efficacy may have a small effect on the implementation of the intended
secondary school curriculum; teaching experience, teachers’ attitudes, beliefs and
professional development were found to have a medium effect on the implementation of
the intended secondary school curriculum. Results of teachers’ professional
qualification, knowledge, learners’ characteristics, resources, school leadership,
stakeholders’ support and teachers’ involvement in the curriculum development process
were found to have a large effect on the implementation of the intended secondary
school curriculum.
Teachers’ opinions confirmed quantitative findings. First, an overwhelming majority of
participants indicated that age, teaching experience and professional qualification
influence the implementation of the intended secondary school curriculum. Some
teachers, however, stated that commitment is the main factor that influences the
implementation of a curriculum policy innovation at classroom level.
Second, a majority of participants in this study confirmed that most teachers received
copies of the curriculum policy, and that they were thus aware of the 2010 National
Curriculum for Basic Education. However, most participants interviewed revealed that
the majority of teachers have little knowledge of the contents of the curriculum policy
despite their access to the document.
Third, most teachers interviewed were not satisfied with the implemented secondary
school curriculum and suggested for the revision of the curriculum policy to include
vocational subjects.
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Fourth, the majority of teachers in this study had negative beliefs regarding the
principles of learner centred education. For example, most teachers indicated that
learner centred education is only appropriate for lower primary school phase. Some
teachers stated that they were frustrated with the competence-based continuous
assessment practice adopted in the learner centred approach.
Fifth, the majority of teachers in this study concurred with quantitative data and stated
that lack of teachers’ participation in the curriculum development process and ineffective
school leadership influence the implementation of the intended secondary school
curriculum at the classroom level.
Sixth, the results found that although the majority of teachers interviewed in this study
were keen to engage in continuous professional development; most participants
indicated that they had limited opportunities in their schools to participate in professional
development programmes. Teachers in this study were also of the opinion that
undisciplined learners, weak school-parent relationships and language barriers
influence curriculum implementation at the classroom level.
Seventh, teachers’ oral responses also confirmed that lack of resources mainly in rural
schools impedes the implementation of the intended secondary school curriculum at the
classroom.
This study discusses the implications of the findings on how teaching and learning of
the intended secondary school curriculum is conducted in Namibia’s classroom level
environment. The study also provides recommendations for consideration by curriculum
policy decision makers.