Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies: Home

Abstract:
The study was designed to investigate Nigerian science teachers' involvement, commitment and innovativeness in curriculum development, implementation and change. Resistance to change and reluctance to implement national curriculum have been identified as one of the reasons for falling standard in education. The author sought to find out if Nigerian teachers were always being carried along in the development and implementation of national curriculum. The sample consisted of 630 secondary school teachers drawn from the six southwestern states of Nigeria. Questionnaire tagged Teachers' Involvement, Commitment and Innovativeness (TICIQ) was used for data collection. The data collected was analyzed using frequency counts and percentage. The findings are: Teachers are often drafted to classroom implementation of curriculum reforms but are seldom involved in the development and how best to implement such reforms; The teachers are yet to embrace modern methods, approaches and techniques which include the use of computer interactivity and internet resources in classroom science teaching; While majority of them are proud to be teachers and may not opt out if given a second chance yet they frown at any attempt to lay them off on account of not being computer literate and internet compliant. The author concluded that teachers often show resistance and lack of commitment to implementation of curriculum reforms because they are seldom involved in the development and even how best to implement them. The author equally recommended the adoption of grass root approach to curriculum development involving all stakeholders including teachers who would implement the curriculum in the long run.

Keywords: curriculum development and implementation, change, teachers' involvement and commitment, innovativeness

Download full paper