ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to find out how curriculum implementation affects the attainment of critical thinking skills amongst pupils in the South West Region of Cameroon. Specifically the study sought to examine the effect of the use of instructional materials, content delivery, classroom management and organization of assessment on the attainment of critical thinking skills. The study was guided by the following theories: Robert Gagne’s events of instruction, Rudolf Dreikur’s social discipline theory, Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy theory and Rogan and Grayson’s curriculum implementation theory. The exploratory sequential mixed design was used for the study. An observation checklist and an achievement test were used as the instruments for data collection. The sample consisted of 100 class five pupils and their 6 teachers selected from two schools. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select the respondents and schools for the study. Data were analysed using percentages, mean, Chi-square and T-test with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The findings revealed that instructional materials and classroom management does not affect the attainment of Critical Thinking Skills. However, content delivery and organization of assessments has an effect on the attainment of Critical Thinking Skills. The study recommended that, teachers should ensure that they use content delivery strategies that  give opportunities for pupils to reason out facts for themselves. Their  lessons  should also be related to real life situations. Different forms of assessment should also be used to assess pupils that allows them think broadly and provide in-depth answers to questions.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Curriculum is the planned and guided learning experiences and intended learning outcomes formulated through systematic reconstruction of knowledge and experiences for learners under the auspices of a school (Tanner &Tanner, 1975). Translating curriculum content and other instructional guidelines into practice inside the classroom is known as curriculum implementation (Dorgu, 2015). In implementing the curriculum, the teacher delivers the content in an appropriate manner, carries out assessment to find out if students have understood concepts, makes use of instructional materials and ensures that the classroom environment is conducive for learning to take place. Paul and Elder (2008) consider critical thinking ‘as that mode of thinking – about any subject, content, or problem – in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them’. Cottrell (2011) considers critical thinking as “a complex process of deliberation which involves a wide range of skills and attitudes”. The curriculum should be implemented in a way that enhances the development of critical thinking in learners. This chapter focuses on the background to the study, the statement of the research problem, the objectives of the study, research questions and hypothesis of the study, significance of the study and justification of the study, scope/delimitation, as well as operational definition of key terms.

Background to the Study

Ivowi (2004) viewed curriculum implementation as ‘the process of putting all that have been planned as a curriculum process into practice in the classroom through the combined efforts of the teacher, learner, school administrator as well as the interaction with the physical facilities, instructional materials, psychological and social environment. It is the task of teachers to carry out the task of implementing the curriculum through providing instruction. With their knowledge, experiences and competencies, teachers are central to curriculum implementation. A good teacher supports better learning because they are knowledgeable about the practice of teaching and are responsible for introducing the curriculum in the classroom.  The  role of the teacher cannot be over emphasized as he creates lesson plans and syllabi within the framework of the given curriculum, he tailors his lessons to meet the needs of the different learners and suit their learning styles. The teacher organizes the different the resources and facilities available so as to bring about effective teaching. Since the teacher is the implementer of the curriculum, he should possess certain characteristics so as to better implement the curriculum; such as content/subject matter knowledge, attitudes that foster learning and technical skills of teaching (Tambo, 2003).

Teaching and learning may not effectively take place without adequate instructional materials. To ensure that the officially designed curriculum is fully implemented as per plan, adequate materials such as textbooks, teaching aids and stationery should be made available to enable teachers and learners to play their roles satisfactorily in the implementation process (Chaudhary, 2015). Other facilities such as classrooms, laboratories and libraries are also necessary to create an environment in which implementation can take place. The resource materials should not only be available but also of quality as this is an important aspect of curriculum implementation. Instructional materials promote efficiency of education by improving the quality of teaching and learning. Buseri and Dorghu (2011) state that “instructional material makes the subject-matter more real, helps to enhance the learners’ imagination, helps to prevent misconceptions and also makes learning more interesting”. Permanent retention is enhanced through the use of instructional materials.

Riessman (1968) stated that classroom management involves all what a teacher does to organize students, space, time and materials so that student learning can take place. Classroom management determines how well students learn.  When students get actively engaged in their work, they tend to be well behaved.  Therefore, having students understand what is expected of them, keeping them involved in their work, preventing confusion or disruption, maximizing time on task, and running a work simulated but relaxed and pleasant classroom are some of the ways to ensure effective curriculum implementation. Classroom management has to do with planning and managing a conducive learning environment. By a conducive learning environment we mean spacious and well- ventilated classrooms and seats. There should be no distraction of any kind or noise, no interference to disrupt the learning activities. A classroom environment where all these ingredients are found wanting, curriculum implementation will be hindered and the teacher in question will not be able to carry out his/ her duties effectively and efficiently. This implies that the school environment is not student friendly.

Assessment in the form of tests and examinations is another important aspect of curriculum implementation. Unless teachers assess and evaluate the work of their pupils on a regular basis, they will not know if pupils are making progress or not. They will not also know what modifications to make in their teaching and planning (Tambo, 2003). Different types of tests such as; objective tests, performance tests, essay tests, oral tests should be used to assess pupils knowledge skills and attitudes. However, due to the great value given to public examination certificates by communities and schools, teachers have tended to concentrate on teaching and assessment that promotes academic excellence and little else on the rest. This action by the teacher obviously can affect the achievement of the broad goals and objectives of the curriculum.

As humans we have the unique quality of thinking. But thinking can be biased, partial and distorted. In order to avoid these biases and distortions, and improve on ourselves and the society, we need to think critically. “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action” (Scriven & Paul, 1987). According to Grecmanová et al (2000) to think critically means “to grasp an idea and explore it rigorously, compare it with opposing views and with what we already know about the given subject, to be curious, use different strategies for identifying information, ask questions and find answers systematically, follow a healthy skepticism, find alternatives to the usual steady practices and have doubts about the finished judgements, to arrive at a decision, formulate opinions and be able to rationally defend our opinion”.

Uribe-Enciso, Uribe-Enciso and Vargas-Daza (2017) state that, education has  traditionally been concerned with the direct transmission of knowledge. But considering the present times, ‘this spoon-feeding education’ has to change since students need to acquire knowledge and develop skills and competences for life. However, this cannot be done if they are not active participants of their learning process. This makes critical thinking very important in teaching and learning as it makes learners to think critically about information. Critical thinking skills  are one of the top skills students need for life beyond school.

Beyond the importance of critical thinking to education in general, there exists personal benefits experienced by individuals who think critically (more opportunities, better jobs, higher income) and society also benefits when the general populace can think creatively and insightfully. According to Pescatore (2007), citizens must think critically about what they read and view and  also react to transform the world. Rather than accepting information at face value, educated critical thinkers can thoughtfully explore the broader perspectives of an issue. The National Association for Media Literacy Education (2010) advocated explicit teaching of critical inquiry, encouraging students in active inquiry and critical thinking about the messages that we receive and create. The ability of students to explore issues thoughtfully, offers a way to speak out against injustice and unfairness (Pescatore, 2007). Critical thinking skills do not occur randomly or without effort; it takes structured, deliberate, and repetitive exposure and practice for students to develop insightful thinking. Developing the ability to think critically is an essential life skill; it is also clear that practicing critical thinking strategies should be a daily occurrence in classrooms across the country and it should start at the basic level of education. A group of 30 experts convened in a Delphi study and determined that critical thinking is a process divided into skills and dispositions (Facione, 1990). These skills include;

1. Interpretation: The ability to understand information.
2. Analysis: The ability to identify the main arguments presented.
3. Evaluation: The ability to judge whether this argument is credible and valid based on the logic and evidence given.
4. Inference: The ability to decide what to believe or do based on solid logic, and to understand the consequences of this decision.
5. Explanation: The ability to communicate the process of reasoning to others.
6. Self-Regulation: The ability to monitor one’s own thinking and correct flaws in logic.

Four theories will be discussed in this work: The curriculum implementation theory of Rogan and Grayson (2003), Robert Gagne’s Events of Instruction (1972), Rudolf Dreikurs’ (1968) Social Discipline Model and Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy theory (1956). The first three theories illustrate the specific aspects of curriculum implementation studied in this research, and Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy theory (1956) is used to discuss critical thinking skills. According to Grecmanová et al. (2000) in the sciences of education the term critical thinking is most often associated with taxonomy of educational objectives by B. S. Bloom, especially with its higher categories. The original taxonomy consists of six major categories in the cognitive domain, which are hierarchically arranged in this order: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation.

Historically, the advent and evolution of formal education in Cameroon is classified into three eras: pre-colonial era (indigenous, 1844-1884), colonial era (1884-1961), and post-colonial era (federal system, united republic, the republic). The history of curriculum implementation in Cameroon began with informal and non-formal education when parents taught their children certain skills at home. According to Mac Ojong (2008), the subject matter of the curriculum was drawn from the physical, economic, social and cultural environments, the norms, values, customs, beliefs and religions of the Cameroon indigenes. The education of the Cameroonian child began from birth with the mother being the sole teacher up to the age of about 5 or 6. After this age, the education of the child is extended to older siblings, relatives and the community in general. The subjects which made up the curriculum included; physical education, social code, history, geography, literature, music, mathematics, natural sciences, language, agriculture and trade/craft. The curriculum implementation (teaching) was carried out in the homes, community. tribe and secret societies, and the curriculum implementers were family members, elders, and specialist in specific areas like medicine, military, etc. The main teaching methods used were observation, imitation and participation; and the teacher applied the same teaching method he/she went through.