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 mostly used virtual classrooms for lesson delivery and assessment and employed small class and 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.