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Teachers' understanding and implementation of the Primary Literacy curriculum: The case of Chongwe and Lusaka in Zambia
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613867416223744 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Kapambwe, William Mpundu |
| author2 | Maureen, Robinson |
| author_browse | Kapambwe, William Mpundu Maureen, Robinson |
| author_facet | Maureen, Robinson Kapambwe, William Mpundu |
| author_sort | Kapambwe, William Mpundu |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/128706 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:57.574Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/128706 Teachers' understanding and implementation of the Primary Literacy curriculum: The case of Chongwe and Lusaka in Zambia Kapambwe, William Mpundu Maureen, Robinson Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. Curriculum implementation, literacy curriculum and teaching strategy curriculum, implementation, teaching stratgey Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. In 2014, in response to poor reading ability levels of primary school learners identified in Zambia, a National Literacy Framework was developed. This framework included a new Primary Literacy Curriculum (PLC), based on a phonics teaching approach to local languages and implemented from Grades 1 to 4. Evaluations of this strategy showed, however, that reading levels remained low. It is against this background that this study was undertaken. The aim of the study was to explore teachers’ understanding and implementation of the PLC. Data were gathered through classroom observations, followed by individual semi-structured interviews with Grade 2 teachers at four schools in Lusaka and Chongwe. The findings showed that the teachers lacked a good understanding of the PLC objectives and teaching strategy. The majority of the teachers also felt that they had not received any formal or special training in preparation for the implementation of the PLC. Furthermore, the Learner’s Books were not readily available to all the learners in the schools. The study found that the teachers did not use the materials in accordance with the PLC strategy and the available Learner’s Books were not aligned with the PLC teaching strategy. Finally, the teachers were not given proper orientation on how to use the Learner’s Books for delivering the lessons. Teachers perceived two major enablers for the successful curriculum implementation of the PLC, namely use of the local language and in-service training. On the other hand, the teachers perceived four barriers to successful PLC implementation, namely unavailability of Learner’s Books, lack of teacher competence in teaching in a local language, overcrowding of classes, and lack of alignment between the content in the Learner’s Books and the PLC curriculum teaching strategy. Three types of contextual background factors were identified: home background, school background and teacher background. Home factors included challenging home circumstances and languages spoken at school being different from that used at home. Schools were seen to have inadequate facilities for sitting and writing, an inadequate number of Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides, unsupportive headteachers, positive use of homework, and the prevalence of absenteeism. Contextual factors for the teachers were that the majority of the teachers lacked content knowledge of the PLC teaching strategy, they were moderately young teachers with little teaching experience, and the possessed the Primary ZATEC certificate, which had no content based on the PLC teaching strategy. In conclusion, it can be stated that the teachers lacked a good understanding of the PLC objectives and the PLC teaching strategy. The study provides several recommendations to the Ministry of Education in Zambia for improving the implementation of the PLC. These include providing the PLC content for both pre-service and in-service teacher training, establishing on-going school-based CPD in the PLC teaching strategy and developing learning materials in good time before the commencement of the implementation process. The study has contributed to a deeper understanding of teacher and learner activities in delivering a PLC lesson. It confirms research that has shown that the curriculum as planned at a national level may differ from the curriculum as implemented and, importantly, has highlighted the factors that have contributed to a policy-practice gap in this context. Doctoral 2023-02-12T12:40:10Z 2023-11-16T09:03:48Z 2023-02-12T12:40:10Z 2023-11-16T09:03:48Z 2023-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128706 en Stellenbosch University 212 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Curriculum implementation, literacy curriculum and teaching strategy curriculum, implementation, teaching stratgey Kapambwe, William Mpundu Teachers' understanding and implementation of the Primary Literacy curriculum: The case of Chongwe and Lusaka in Zambia |
| title | Teachers' understanding and implementation of the Primary Literacy curriculum: The case of Chongwe and Lusaka in Zambia |
| title_full | Teachers' understanding and implementation of the Primary Literacy curriculum: The case of Chongwe and Lusaka in Zambia |
| title_fullStr | Teachers' understanding and implementation of the Primary Literacy curriculum: The case of Chongwe and Lusaka in Zambia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Teachers' understanding and implementation of the Primary Literacy curriculum: The case of Chongwe and Lusaka in Zambia |
| title_short | Teachers' understanding and implementation of the Primary Literacy curriculum: The case of Chongwe and Lusaka in Zambia |
| title_sort | teachers understanding and implementation of the primary literacy curriculum the case of chongwe and lusaka in zambia |
| topic | Curriculum implementation, literacy curriculum and teaching strategy curriculum, implementation, teaching stratgey |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128706 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kapambwewilliammpundu teachersunderstandingandimplementationoftheprimaryliteracycurriculumthecaseofchongweandlusakainzambia |