Abstract

The aim of the study was to understand the factors that affected the implementation of Social and Development Studies, a subject that was introduced in the senior secondary school curriculum in 2002. The purpose of this study was to understand the underlying factors behind the students’ poor academic performance in Social and Development Studies. The objectives of this study were to investigate the challenges faced by teachers during implementation of Social and Development Studies; to find out how teachers dealt with the encountered challenges; to assess the support services given to teachers in their teaching of Social and Development Studies and to examine the challenges that Heads of Department, Headteachers and Education Methods Advisors faced when providing support services to teachers of Social and Development Studies. To achieve the above stated objectives, qualitative methods using interview guides were employed. Data were collected from teachers, Heads of Department and Headteachers in eight secondary schools and from the Education Methods Advisor based at South East Education Division (SEED) office. The study revealed that the implementation of Social and Development Studies faced a number of challenges such as inadequate textbooks and other teaching and learning materials, teachers’ lack of adequate knowledge in the subject, inadequate supervisory and advisory support. The study has also shown that although implementation of Social and Development Studies is fraught with a series of obstacles or challenges, teachers devise coping mechanisms to deal with the emerging situation by borrowing textbooks from neighbouring schools, inviting resource persons to talk to pupils, asking colleagues to teach certain topics. The findings of this study further vii indicated that the implementation of new subjects in a school curriculum is a delicate and critical process that demands sufficient preparation and support from both within and outside the school. It is therefore concluded that some schools did not have adequate capacity to implement Social and Development Studies due to unavailability of textbooks and other teaching and learning resources and lack of specialised teachers for the subject. In addition, external support was not adequately given by Education Methods Advisors in terms of supervision and in-service training for the practising teachers. In light of the findings of this study, a number of recommendations have been made to address obstacles to the implementation of Social and Development Studies. The major recommendation is that the Ministry of Education should ensure that future curriculum implementations are adequately planned for in terms of availability of instructional materials, specialised teachers and in-service training of teachers as well as Heads of Department and Headteachers who supervise curriculum implementation in their respective schools. Other recommendations include the re-introduction of TRF matching fund, pre-service training of teachers, in-service training of teachers and provision of adequate funds to Education Methods Advisors to enable them monitor implementation of Social and Development Studies through regular supervision of teachers.

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School	: School of Education
Issued Date	: 2008

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