Involvement of teachers and subject advisers in the curriculum development process in South Africa: Evidence from the Fort Beaufort Education District in Eastern Cape

Abstract

This study examined the involvement of teachers and subject advisers in the curriculum development process in South Africa. The main focus was on the curriculum which has undergone a series of reviews since the new political dispensation. Curriculum entails all the teaching and learning that take place in a guided environment. Research and international experience suggest that stakeholders’ participation in curriculum development enhances the successful implementation of the curriculum. However how these stakeholders, are involved in the curriculum development process can make a lot of difference in the outcomes. Knowledge about this is limited at present. The study was located in the interpretive paradigm and used qualitative approach and case study design. Data was obtained through interviews, document analysis and focus group discussions.  Participants were 12 teachers, 4 principals and 6 subject advisers from 4 out of the 6 clusters in the Fort Beaufort Education District. The study revealed that teachers and subject advisers participated in the process to different degrees, being mostly involved in the implementation stage and only marginally at the design and evaluation stages. This study recommends that teachers and subject advisers should be involved in all the stages of curriculum development, and on a level where their participation will make some impact in the whole process and decisions taken concerning curriculum development.

Keywords:  Stakeholders’ Participation. Curriculum. Curriculum Development. Involvement and Level