ISSUES IN CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION IN CLASSROOM
Definition of Curriculum
Implementation
Curriculum implementation entails putting into practice the officially prescribed courses of study, syllabuses and subjects. The process involves helping the learner acquire knowledge or experience. It is important to note that curriculum implementation cannot take place without the learner. The learner is therefore the central figure in the curriculum implementation process. Implementation takes place as the learner acquires the planned or intended experiences, knowledge, skills, ideas and attitudes that are aimed at enabling the same learner to function effectively in a society.
Curriculum implementation therefore refers to how the planned or officially designed course of study is translated by the teacher into syllabuses, schemes of work and lessons to be delivered to students.
IMPORTANCE OF CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION:
If you define curriculum as a set of skills and knowledge that the students are expected to achieve by the end of a period of time then curriculum is important because it is a measureable standard that keeps students and teachers accountable for their learning.
A curriculum is a road map of where you are going it can be as simple as an outline of topics to be covered; it can be more complex listing resources to be used, a pacing guide for instruction, and tasks students will be assigned to ensure that they have learned what you set out to teach them.
CURRICULUM ISSUES AND CONCERNS:
There are several issues and challenges that are alarmingly faced in the 21st century by teachers in classrooms as well as schools. This growing concern had brought light into this and made teachers and other faculties more aware about the issues and concerns. Some of the most commonly faced issues are jotted down below:
1)Issues on the varied implementation of the curriculum:
Among schools and teachers seem to be one of the reasons for the prevailing low performance of schools all over the country.
2)Poor academic performance of learners:
There is no effective teaching without learners. Learners are the ones that make teaching effective. But despite of effective curriculum the poor and lagging academic performance of learners is also one of the issues that make curriculum ineffective.
3)Books and resources:
Perennial complaints about books and other instructional materials for both teacher as well as students.
4)Overcrowded classrooms:
overcrowded classrooms do not provide a good learning environment for students.
5)Teachers: The teachers has been identified as one of the influencing factors in the varied implementation of the curriculum. Issues like ill prepared teachers , poor attitudes towards change and low morale have been recent causes for the poor implementation of curriculum.
6)Lack of leadership support from Principals:
Newly implemented curriculum must be supported by the principals so as to arrange every necessary needs to implement it for students and school.
7)Some curricular are results of bandwagon but are not well supported by managers:
In the desire of some schools to be the part of the global educational scenario, changes and innovations are drastically implemented even if the school is not ready.
8)Lack of monitoring and evaluation: Inadequate monitoring activities to find out the curricular strength or weaknesses and problems are being encountered.
Innovations results to teacher burn out: With so many new changes taking place in the curriculum, many teachers are getting burn out. They get tired easily and motivation is very low. It is because they cannot cope with the rapid changes that take place.
9)Lack of communication:
In several situations the newly implemented curriculum are only know to the managers or principals or teachers but are not properly communicated to the students. Which is one the major reason in the failure of the curriculum.
