“Underprepared” Principals Leading Curriculum Reform in Lesotho

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the views of six Lesotho primary school principals regarding the in-service training they received to implement the integrated curriculum. Purposive sampling was used to select participants who met the inclusion criteria in Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho. A document analysis of the integrated curriculum was conducted, and open-ended interviews were audio-taped, coded, and analysed using the thematic interpretive approach. Findings show that the participants were partially trained to lead the implementation of the new integrated curriculum. The participants reported that their training was shorter compared to that of the teachers. Furthermore, teachers were trained before the principals, compelling the principals to rely on the teachers for implementation information and strategies. The unique finding emerging from the current study is that principals in Lesotho had to learn the dynamics of implementing the new integrated curriculum from the teachers they were supervising. We conclude that having insufficient knowledge about curriculum reform disempowers school principals and holds potential threats to the implementation of new curriculum initiatives, not only in Lesotho but in many other centralised education systems. We recommend that policy reformers and curriculum supervisory authorities should adopt a renewed approach to empower principals with appropriate curriculum reform leadership skills.

Contextual Factors Obstructing the Effective Implementation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy in the Lesotho Education Sector

“…The lack of prior training for the teachers has, therefore, contributed to their inability to implement CAP 2009 effectively. Ralebese et al (2022) reiterate this view, claiming that principals lack the skills and knowledge to support the effective implementation of CAP 2009 in their schools despite having attended training on integrating the curriculum.…”

“…In 2009, Lesotho finally introduced and implemented the CAP 2009 as a localised curriculum (Raselimo & Mahao, 2015;Selepe, 2016). With the CAP 2009, MoET explicitly attempts to improve Basotho's quality of life and address the socioeconomic challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and HIV/AIDS that the country faces (Ralebese et al, 2022). It also wants to correct the wrongs in the education sector.…”

Exploring the Alignment of Professional Development and Classroom Practices in African Contexts: A Discursive Investigation

“…Lifelong Learning: Professional development will transition from sporadic workshops to a lifelong learning approach. Online platforms, micro-credentials, and collaborative learning communities will enable continuous growth and adaptation in the teaching profession (Ralebese, 2022).…”

“…Thus, the focus of teacher professional development in African contexts is evolving towards contextual relevance, teacher empowerment, and technology integration. The future holds a vision of culturally responsive pedagogy, lifelong learning, research-based practices, and collaborative partnerships, all aligned to foster quality education and equip teachers to guide Africa's next generation towards a prosperous future (Ralebese, 2022).…”