TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE INTEGRATED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN SERENJE DISTRICT, ZAMBIA

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the teachers’ perceptions on the integrated early childhood education curriculum in Serenje District of Zambia. The objectives of the study were to: Explore the early childhood teachers’ views about planning integrated curriculum in Early Childhood Education Centers; identify the challenges faced by early childhood teachers regarding integrated curriculum planning and establish the practices Early Childhood teachers can adopt to implement planning of the integrated curriculum in Early Childhood Education centers in primary schools of Serenje district. The study used a phenomenological design. The sample size was twelve respondents. Five respondents were ECE teachers from five primary schools; three were Resource Center Coordinators (RCC) from Provincial Resource Center while other two were Senior Education Officers (SEO) from Early Childhood Education Directorate and two officers from Collaborating Partners (CP) VVOB. The Study used convenient sampling to select participants. Interviews, classroom observations and document analysis were used to collect data that was analysed thematically. The study found that ministry of education curriculum policy for early childhood education did not support teacher perceptions on integrated curriculum varied among early childhood teachers, early childhood teachers positively perceived integrated curriculum, curriculum integration and teachers used integrated curriculum as an alternative to facilitate holistic learner development. The teachers faced challenges that included use of standalone subject syllabus; use of standalone scheme of work and inconsistence on what integration was based among others. Strategies that ECE teachers could adopt included collaboration during planning; integrated curriculum models to be used in structuring integrated lesson plans and use of puzzles, discussion, role play to implement learning through play approach in lessons. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education and its stakeholders work together to revise provisions of the early childhood pedagogical policy guidelines so that it reflects integrated approaches in order to efficiently facilitate the holistic learning through play process of early childhood learners. The Ministry of Education (MoE) to identify one model from among the ten integrated models by Fogarty (1991) to facilitate implementation of integrated approaches in ECE centers.