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NEW BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN MOZAMBIQUE
In Mozambique, there is only one National Institute for Development of Education (INDE) responsible for designing curriculum and teaching and learning materials. In this respect, Bazilashe, Dhorsan & Tembe (2004:226) stress the following: “the INDE is the central institution of the Ministry of Education whose main objectives are to deal with curriculum and curricular material for primary and secondary education, and primary school teacher training. It was created in 1978 as a specialised institution, under the authority of the Ministry of Education and Culture but with academic and administrative autonomy. It is responsible for translating policy decisions through the development of curriculum, syllabi, textbooks, and other teaching and learning materials.”
The Curricular Plan for Basic Education, also designated by PCEB, constitutes the pillar of the curriculum of Basic Education in Mozambique, presenting the general guidelines that sustain the new curriculum, as well as the perspectives on Basic Education in the country. The new curriculum was formulated and introduced in 1983 by Act No 4/83 of March, and reviewed in 1992 by Act No 6/92 of May. Its aims are to make education more relevant and to contribute to the improvement of community life in the country. The objective of the curriculum is to develop knowledge, skills and values in an integrated and interdisciplinary way. Thus, primary education remains, comprising seven grades divided into two levels: Lower Primary (Grades 1 to 5) and Upper Primary (Grades 6 and 7). PCEB is structured in order to guarantee the integrated development of abilities, knowledge and values.
Integrated Curriculum
In Mozambique, from PCEB, integrated Basic Education is defined as the seven-standard full primary education with articulated structure, objectives, contents, didactic materials and pedagogical practice. It develops learners’ skills, knowledge and values in all learning fields in an integrated and articulated way. The integrated Basic Education is supported by an assessment system that integrates formative and summative components. However, it does not neglect the influence of the hidden curriculum. The PCEB proposal allows for integral development through major integration of different materials. The teaching programmes are tools that facilitate an integrated approach.
Mozambican Languages
The introduction of indigenous languages in the education system will give the learners the opportunity to start their learning in reading and writing as well as numeracy in the language they speak before joining school. This will hopefully allow for a process of valuing their cultural identity and respecting their rights as well as reducing the gap between the home and the school (INDE/MINED, 2003). The PCEB contends the use of Mozambican languages in school in three ways: Bilingual education, in which Mozambican language is taken as a language of instruction in the first two years, and gradually switching to Portuguese; Mozambican language as a resource in the monolingual programme, where Portuguese is the means of instruction and a subject. The bilingual program will be introduced in linguistically homogenous areas. It will not be compulsory.
Learning-centred Approach and Participatory Methods
In terms of innovation, a pedagogical shift is the major concern in the new curriculum. “The actual curriculum in use in the primary school focuses mostly on memorisation and mechanised procedures rather than challenging pupils to demonstrate their skills and abilities” (Assis et al., 1999). In this respect, “the main characteristic of the national pedagogical tradition in Mozambique has been the domain of the teaching and the teacher as well as the non-centrality of the pupil. On the contrary, the new curriculum places the pupil in the center of the teaching and learning process and the teacher as a facilitater” (Bazilashe, Dhorsan & Tembe, 2004). The shift from a teacher-centred to a learner-centred one represents a radical change because it is opposes the teacher-centred approach followed in the schools. The new curriculum refers “to a constructivist methodological perspective, with the learner at the centre of the teaching-learning process, focusing on the teacher-learner, learnerlearner, and learner-community interactions” (Bazilashe, Dhorsan & Tembe, 2004:227). In summary, change such as the shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred learning methods represents the establishment of the new era in teaching in Mozambican primary schools; this constitutes the big challenge for the TTC. For instance, the teacher is expected to use active methods, using learners’ previous knowledge, and to avoid dominating the lesson and questions and answers during the teaching and learning process.
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Brief Historical Overview of Mozambique and its Education System
1.3 Background, Motivation, Rationale of the Research
1.4 Purpose of the Study, and Research Aims and Objectives
1.5 Significance of the Study
1.6 Limitations of the Study
1.7 Structure of the Thesis
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Problem: Policy versus Practice
2.3 Basic Education in Africa and Mozambique
2.4 Conceptual Framework
2.5 Summary and Conclusion
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Paradigm
3.3 Qualitative Research
3.4 Case study
3.5 Data Collection
3.6 Data Analysis
3.7 Ethical Issues
CHAPTER 4 BACKGROUND OF MARRERE CFPP AND CONTEXT OF OSUWELA PROJECT (OP)
4.1 Introduction
4.2 New Basic Education Curriculum in Mozambique
4.3 OP in Marrere CFPP and its Context and Background
4.4 The Relationship between the College and the OP
4.5 Brief History of Marrere CFPP
4.6 School Organisation and Management
Condition)
4.7 Summary
CHAPTER 5 CURRICULUM ORGANISATION AND CURRICULUM CONTENT
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Organisation of the College Curriculum
5.3 Organisation of the Basic Education Curriculum
5.4 The Weight of the Subject
5.5 Restructuring the Content of the New Curriculum
5.6 Facilities and Teaching Resources
5.7 Summary
CHAPTER 6 TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEW CURRICULUM
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Implementation
6.3 Key Characteristics of the Curriculum
6.4 Conclusion
CHAPTER 7 TEACHING METHODS AND CLASSROOM PRACTICE
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Classroom Organisation and Main Features
7.3 Lecture Analysis
7.4 Discussion
7.5 Group Work
7.6 Conclusion
CHAPTER 8 ASSESSMENT
8.1 Introduction
8.2 How are Students Assessed?
8.2.1 Formative Assessment
8.2.2 Summative Assessment
8.3 Outcomes
8.4 Conclusion
CHAPTER 9 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
9.1 Introduction
9.2 The Main Problem, Research Questions, Purposes and Objectives of the study
9.3 Conclusion drawn from the main finding of the investigation
9.4 Reflection on the study
BIBLIOGRAPHY
