Student-centred teaching and learning new curriculum practices, a case of a rural public secondary school in Tororo district

At the inception of the Revised Lower Secondary Curriculum in Uganda four years ago, one of the strategies was to emphasise collaborative learning, as it was believed to nurture the students under the competence-based curriculum to suit the labour market demands of the twenty-first century. As with all new things, there was scepticism about how this program would be implemented amidst the innumerable challenges in Uganda’s public schools. Much distrust among the public regarding this new curriculum prompted this study in one disadvantaged government school. Specifically, descriptive qualitative research methods focused on teacher application, student response, and student engagement under the competence-based curriculum. Data was gathered using interviews, observation guides, and document analysis. The prevalent learner-centred practices were identified using thematic analysis, group work, role-play, debate, and discussion. Teachers were interviewed to establish how they created environments that fostered English language learning, regardless of their situation. The results showed that student-centred practices benefited learners’ speaking and listening skills, self-discovery, and self-confidence. Teachers in the interviews felt they needed more training regarding how to teach under the new curriculum. They also expressed uncertainty regarding the long-term benefits of the curriculum because the group who participated in the study were the pioneers of the student-centred curriculum

Curriculum · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Sociology · Education Systems and Policy · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching

• Learner-Centered Teaching

  Stephen Sharkey, Maryellen Weimer•Teaching Sociology•2003

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