Implementing the Lower Secondary Curriculum in Uganda During the Covid-19 Crisis

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had implications on education globally and with it came the
closure of institutions of learning as one of the measures to curb the spread of the Corona
virus. The closure of schools in Uganda coincided with the implementation of the Lower
Secondary Curriculum (LSC), starting with Senior One (S.1) students. The LSC replaces the
existing curriculum designed in the 1970s; problematized for teaching methodologies
perceived as ineffective in promoting the acquisition of 21
st
century skills. As teachers of S.1
grappled with shifting from traditional teacher centered methods to the learner-centered
ones stipulated in the LSC, they were thrown into a conundrum. This is because the closure
of schools meant that they had to also take up the use of unfamiliar remote learning methods
to teach a new curriculum. This qualitative study made use of a convenience sample of 15
respondents who were interviewed to investigate how they had coped in implementing the
LSC during the COVID-19 crisis. The study focused on how these teachers planned for
lessons, taught and assessed learners. This study further established the challenges teachers
encountered and their recommendations towards effective LSC implementation during the
COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal that teachers engaged in preparation of activities
and selection of teaching materials in the planning process. The main resources for
planning and instruction were the computer, smart phones, the internet and the LSC course
books. Teachers majorly used virtual classrooms for lesson delivery and assessment and
employed small class/whole class discussions, role play and presentation teaching methods.
Teachers faced resource related, pedagogical and assessment challenges while
implementing the LSC. The main forms of support teachers highlighted were
resource/instructional materials support, and professional development.