Masters full desertation pdf mwazi oscar

EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REVISED BIOLOGY 5090 SYLLABUS IN THE
ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND VALUES AMONG LEARNERS- A case study of
Mwense District
MWAZI OSCAR S Reg. No. : 17291779602
Guide
MARK KASONGO
Project Report
submitted
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Postgraduate Degree of
MASTER OF EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN BIOLOGY
April 2019
DMI-ST.EUGENE UNIVERSITY
ZAMBIA

i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PROFORMA FOR APPROVAL OF PROJECT PROPOSAL - ii
BIO-DATA OF THE PROPOSED GUIDE FOR PROJECT WORK - iii
CERTIFICATE OF THE GUIDE - iv
DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE - v
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE - vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - vii
SYNOPSIS / ABSTRACT - viii
LIST OF TABLES - ix
LIST OF FIGURES - x
LIST OF ACRONYMS - xi
CHAPTER - I (INTRODUCTION) - 1
CHAPTER - II (REVIEW OF LITERATURE) - 11
CHAPTER – III (RESEARCH METHODOLOGY) - 35
CHAPTER - IV (DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION) - 40
CHAPTER - V (FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION) - 57
BIBLIOGRAPHY - 61
APPENDICES - 62

ii
PROFORMA FOR APPROVAL OF PROJECT PROPOSAL
Proposed Project Team:
S.No. Reg. No. Name of the
students
Semester Branch
1 17291779602 Mwazi Oscar S. 4 MEd.Bio. (Bio.Edu)
Title of the
Project:
Evaluating the effectiveness of the revised biology 5090 syllabus in the
acquisition of knowledge, skills and values among learners- A case study of
Mwense District
Subject
Area:
Biology
Name of the
Guide:
Mark Kasongo
Designation : Senior Education Standards officer - Special Education
Address with Phone No.: Box 710196, Mansa Cell No. 0977937200
Office: Provincial Education Office
Luapula Province
Residence: 1008 Spark Extension
Mansa
No. of projects & students currently working under the
Guide:
41
Signature of the Student Signature of the Guide
Date......................... with seal
N.B.: Please do not forget to enclose the synopsis of the project and the Bio-data of the
Guide. In case the complete and signed Bio-Data of the Guide is not enclosed, the proposal
will not be entertained.
For Office Use only:
SYNOPSIS APPROVED NOT APPROVED
GUIDE APPROVED NOT APPROVED
Comments / Suggestions for reformulation of the Project
Date...................... SIGNATURE OF THE HOD

iii
BIO-DATA OF THE PROPOSED GUIDE FOR PROJECT WORK
1. PERSONAL INFORMATION
NAME (in block letters) : MARK KASONGO
Date of Birth & Age : 04/04/1964
Sex : MALE
Academic Qualification : FORM 5
Official Address : Box 710196
Phone No. and Fax. : 0977937200
Residential Address :1008 Spark Extension, Mansa
Phone No., and e-mail id : kasongomark@gmail.com
2. DETAILS OF EMPLOYMENT
Designation : Senior Education Standards Officer – Special Education
Field of Specialization : Special Education (Bachelors degree), Education
Management (Masters degree), Education administration and policy studies (Doctorate
degree)
Teaching Experience (in years) : 32
Industrial Experience (in years) : 25
Particulars of contribution / experience in the field of specialization:
No. of Projects guided : 41
I Mark Kasongo do hereby accept to guide Mwazi Oscar S the student of the MEd.Bio.
(Bio.Edu) programme of the DMI St Eugene University
Signature of the Student Signature of the Guide with Seal

iv
CERTIFICATE OF THE GUIDE
This is to certify that the project work entitled ―Evaluating the effectiveness of the revised
biology 5090 syllabus in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values among learners-
A case study of Mwense District” is a bonafide work of Mwazi Oscar S, Register No.
17291779602 in partial fulfillment for the award of the Postgraduate degree of MEd.Bio
(Bio.Edu) of DMI St Eugene University under my guidance. This Thesis work is an
original one and has not been submitted earlier for the award of any degree / diploma
elsewhere.
Student’s Signature
Signature of the Guide

v
DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE
I Mwazi Oscar S hereby declare that this project report ―Evaluating the effectiveness of the
revised biology 5090 syllabus in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values among
learners- A case study of Mwense District” submitted to DMI St Eugene University in the
partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of the Postgraduate degree of MEd.Bio
(Bio.Edu) is a record of the original work done by me under the supervision of Mark
Kasongo
Enrolment No. :
Register No. : 17291779602
Date :
Signature :

vi
DMI-ST.EUGENE UNIVERSITY
CHIBOMBO - ZAMBIA
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
Register No: 17291779602
Certified that this is a bonafide record of work done in ―Evaluating the effectiveness of the revised biology
5090 syllabus in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values among learners- A case study of Mwense
District” by Mwazi Oscar S of Master of Education Curriculum in Biology course in MEd.Bio (Bio.Edu) In
DMI St Eugene University
During the academic year 2019
INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER

vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
At the outset, from beneath of my heart, I thank the ALMIGHTY God for the blessings
showered on me in all the stages in the journey of my task of completing this project work,
without any obstacles.
I stand indebted in gratitude to our beloved Founder/Chancellor Rev.Fr. J.E.ARUL
RAJ.OMI for all the facilities provided at our institution.
I would like to thank our beloved President University Council Dr. T.X.A. ANANTH, DMI
groups of Institution, Zambia, Director of Education Dr. IGNATIUS A. HERMAN, DMI
groups of Institution, Zambia for providing me an opportunity to do this project successfully.
I further proudly express my esteemed gratitude to Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor,
Administrator, and Vice Principal for their encouragement by assistance and guidance
towards completion of my project.
I also thank HOD, School of Education and the internal guide and staff members of the
Department for their valuable support to finish my project.
I feel obliged to thank my wife, LYDIA and my two sons SIMASIKU and LIKANDO, for
accepting the poverty I exposed them to in my quest to obtain this postgraduate qualification.
I sincerely thank the District Education Board Secretary – Mwense District, Mr. BENNIE
MWANSA, who gave me permission to conduct research in schools under his charge.
Furthermore, I wish to express my gratitude to Ms LUBINDA INGOMBE, who offered
professional assistance as I collected data at the unit with visually impaired learners, Mr.
MOONO RICHWELL, who spared time to review my work before final submission for
grading and my young brother SILILO for typesetting and printing my work at no monitory
cost.

viii
ABSTRACT
Although the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values is the central focus of the
revised 5090 biology curriculum, it seems learners in Mwense district are not benefiting fully
from the well written curriculum. This paper is based on a study which examined the
effectiveness of the revised biology 5090 syllabus in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and
values in selected secondary schools in Mwense District. The study endeavoured to find out
how inadequate planning, lesson delivery, infrastructure and learner factors impact on the
acquisition of knowledge, skills and values. It also sought to investigate the prevailing
attitudes, values and community expectations. Using data from questionnaires given to five
head teachers, five heads of natural sciences departments and fifty five grade twelve learners,
lesson observations of five teachers, physical inspection of school infrastructure and schemes
of work in five schools, and tests administered to fifty five grade twelve learners drawn
randomly and proportionally from five different schools, this paper explains why effective
lesson delivery in an environment with special education trained biology teachers (in an
inclusive school), adequate infrastructure and learning and teaching resources is essential for
effective acquisition of knowledge, skills and values. Through interviews with traditional
leaders in the five communities surrounding the schools where the study was conducted, the
study exposed the gaps in the implementation process of the revised biology 5090 syllabus as
far as influencing the community values and skills is concerned. The main findings from this
mixed method study indicated that the majority of learners were not being fully prepared to
contribute positively in their communities and also to pursue biology related careers at
tertiary level as evidenced also by the low marks scored by learners in the test administered in
this study. This is because they had not acquired relevant knowledge, skills and values since
the quality of teaching and availability of teaching and learning resources was compromised.
Key words: Biology teaching, curriculum evaluation, teacher characteristics, learner
characteristics, community characteristics, special education

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1.1 Demographic data of some biology teachers in the sample …………………... 41
Table 4.1.2 Demographic data of some learners in the sample …………………………… 41
Table 4.2.1 Information on Revised 5090 Books availability ……………………………. 42
Table 4.2.2 Observations made on physical facilities and other teaching resources …….. 42
Table 4.1.1 Descriptive statistics of test results of established boarding school ………… 44
Table 4.1.2 Descriptive statistics of test results of newly upgraded Secondary School …. 44
Table 4.1.3 Descriptive statistics of test results of visually impaired learners …………… 45
Table 4.1.4 Descriptive statistics of test results of physically disabled learners …………. 45
Table 4.1.5 Descriptive statistics of test results of technical school learners …………….. 46
Table 4.1.6 inferential statistics of test results …………………………………………….. 46
Table 4.3.1 Summary of descriptive statistics ……………………………………………… 53

x
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.7.1 Luapula Province Districts …………………………………………………… 7
Figure 4.1.2 Scatter plot showing the relationship between learner scores for the PD school
and those of other schools in the sample …………………………………………………… 48
Figure 4.1.1 Scatter plot showing the relationship between learner scores for the VI unit and
those of other schools in the sample ………………………………………………………. 47
Figure 4.3.1 Choices made by research participants to open soft drink bottle ……………... 54
Figure 4.3.2 Methods used by research participants to prevent malaria …………………… 54
Figure 4.3.3 Methods used by respondents to avoid getting pregnant …………………… 54
Figure 4.3.4 Professional qualifications of some sampled teachers ……………………….. 55
Figure 4.3.5 Socio-economic status of some learners in the sample ……………………….. 55
Figure 4.3.6 prevailing community values …………………………………………………. 56
Figure 4.3.7 Concept map of prevailing community attitudes ……………………………... 56
Figure 4.3.8 Concept map of prevailing community expectations ………………………… 56

xi
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
Av Average
CDC Curriculum Development Centre
Civ/Edu Civic Education
CPD Continuing Professional Development
CSE Comprehensive Sexuality Education
ECE Early Childhood Education
Econ Economic
ECZ Examinations Council of Zambia
EFA Education For All
Emp Employment
ESD Education for Sustainable Development
Exp Experience
GRZ Government of the Republic of Zambia
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
JETS Junior Engineers Technicians and Scientists
KSV Knowledge, Skills and Values
Lab Laboratory
MESVTEE
Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early
Education
MOE Ministry of Education
NCLB No Child Left Behind
NEAP National Environmental Action Plan
NGO Non Governmental Organisation
Norm So-called-Normal
P.E Physical Education
PD Physically disabled
Perm Permanent
PopFLE Population and Family Life Education
Prof Professional
PTA Parents Teachers Association
Qualif Qualification
SBCPD School Based Continuing Professional Development

xii
SLD students with learning disabilities
T/L Teaching/Learning
Tech Technical
Temp Temporary
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
VI Visually Impaired
Yrs Years
ZECF Zambia Education Curriculum Framework

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
Biology is an essential subject in the curriculum of any formal education system. It
plays a very important role in imparting in the learners knowledge, skills and values that
are relevant for self-preservation and conservation of the environment. A quality
curriculum is therefore crucial and its implementation has to be so effective that the
intended curriculum objectives are met. However, it should be acknowledged here that
the effective implementation of the curriculum is greatly determined by factors such as
learner aptitudes, teacher competence and community characteristics, availability of
teaching/learning resources and leadership as well as fiscal resources.
The Jomtien Conference (1990), the Dakar Conference (2000) and the Millennium
Development Goals (2000) committed governments to honour the set out goals which
include provision of education for all citizens. Specifically, the Dakar Framework of
Action which was adopted at the Dakar Conference (2000) required that all member
governments, international institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
commit the necessary resources and effort to achieve a comprehensive and inclusive
system of quality Education For All (EFA) by 2015 (UNESCO, 2007). Thus essential to
any curriculum evaluation discussion is the need to assess learning for both so called
normal and learners with special education needs.
Comprehensive curriculum evaluation includes assessing the worth and merit of the
written curriculum as well as monitoring the implementation process.
In Zambia, and Mwense district in particular different categories of schools offer
biology 5090 at senior secondary school level. Some are newly upgraded day secondary
schools with various physical and fiscal challenges. Other schools are well established
and haveboarding facilities. Some of these schools have children with special education
needs and one school in the district is a technical secondary school for girls. According to
the Zambia Education Curriculum Framework 2013, the review of the curriculum which
gave birth to the revised 5090 biology syllabus was necessitated by the need to provide an
education system that would not only incorporate latest social, economic, technological
and political developments but also equip learners with vital knowledge, skills and values
that are necessary to contribute to the attainment of Vision 2030 (CDC, 2013). However,

it is essential that regardless of the category of the school, all learners in all schools
should acquire the relevant knowledge, skills and values as stated in the revised biology
syllabus.
Using data from questionnaires given to five head teachers, five heads of natural
sciences departments and fifty five grade twelve learners, lesson observations of five
teachers, physical inspection of school infrastructure and schemes of work in five schools,
and tests administered to fifty five grade twelve learners drawn randomly and
proportionally from five different schools, this paper explains why effective lesson
delivery in an environment with special education trained biology teachers (for inclusive
schools), adequate infrastructure and learning and teaching resources is essential for
effective acquisition of knowledge, skills and values. Through interviews with traditional
leaders in the five communities surrounding the schools where the study was conducted,
the study exposed the gaps in the implementation process of the revised biology 5090
syllabus as far as influencing the community values and skills is concerned.
1.1 Background To The Study
Curriculum evaluation is an essential ingredient in the effective implementation of
any curriculum. It informs policy and decision making. A good curriculum is not enough
in itself. For the curriculum to be worth its value, it needs to be implemented in a correct
context, with the right input and using the best methods. This assertion is supported by
Mwania (2013) who argues that the worth of a curriculum is only realized if the
implementation is timely, proper and fully done.
Objectives of the curriculum are attained through teaching. Teaching can be defined
as a deliberate action intended to impart knowledge, skills and values in the individual
being taught. Successful teaching leads to learning. However, learning may not always
accompany the process of teaching no matter how rigorous the exercise may be. In the
area of science education, numerous attempts have been made to bring change into the
way science education is taught (Davies, 2002). There have been proposals for
remodelling science teaching in various countries with a wide consensus regarding the
need to adopt the constructivist view of learning (Sanchez and Valcarcel, 1999). Davies
(2002) reports ―traditional lecture-textbook methodologies‖ as the continous focus of
science instruction, and that in traditionally teacher centred classrooms, students have

little status and voice regarding how they learn and what happens in theclassroom.
Similarly,Zohar, Degani and Vaaknin (2001) describe science education classrooms as
places where teachers still transmit knowledge and cover curriculum rather than guide
students as they think and construct their own ways of learning.As Yagger (2000) says,
children learn science when they are able to witness and experience ―science in action.‖
Reading about scientific concepts or having a teacher explain them is not enough.
However, most classes appear to be set up for students to rote learn facts and procedures.
The subject matter of the revised biology 5090 curriculum places clear emphasis on
the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values that are essential for daily life.Given the
detailed explanations and suggestions provided in the revised curriculum, classrooms are
expected to be places where learning occurs not just by hearing, but also by seeing and
doing things under the guidance of teachers.
1.2 Statement of The Problem
Biology encompasses environmental issues, health, hygiene, good health habits, and
communication skills and covers a lot of knowledge, values and skills which when put
into practice can make the life of individuals and society safe and sound.
In our society, however, it is noted that students as well as those who have gone through
the biology curriculum still tend not to possess skills and values associated with the
biology curriculum. Let alone, these people seem not to be influencing their communities
into adopting such values to make their life better.
Consequently, poor hygiene has been the order of the day leading to communicable
diseases such as cholera. Secondly, harm to the environment as a result of such human
activities as deforestation and overfishing is also vivid. These and many other notable
problems are the factors that led to this study.
1.3 Purpose of The Study
The purpose statement is a statement that advances the overall direction or focus for
the study (Creswell, 2013). Researchers describe the purpose of a study in one or more
succinctly formed sentences.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the revised biology
5090 curriculum in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values among learners in
secondary schools in Mwense District. The study endeavoured to find out how

inadequate planning, lesson delivery, infrastructure and learner factors impact on the
acquisition of knowledge, skills and values. It also sought to investigate the prevailing
attitudes, values and community expectations.
1.4 Objectives
A research objective is a statement of intent used in quantitative research that
speciﬁes goals that the investigator plans to achieve in a study (Creswell, 2013).
Researchers often subdivide objectives into general and specific objectives. They appear
frequently in survey or questionnaire studies or in evaluation research in which
investigators have clearly identiﬁed objectives.
1.4.1 General Objectives
1. To ascertain the curriculum intentions of the revised 5090 biology syllabus
2. To investigate local, school and classroom level factors that influence the acquisition
of knowledge, skills and values in biology
3. To assess how effectively learners are acquiring knowledge, skills and values in
biology in Mwense district
1.4.2 Specific Objectives
1. To investigate if the revised biology 5090 syllabus clearly states knowledge, skills
and values to be acquired by learners
2. To investigate if schemes of work prepared by teachers in the sampled schools clearly
state knowledge, skills and values to be acquired by learners
3. To ascertain the prevailing attitudes, values and expectations of the community in
Mwense District
4. To study the impact of leadership and fiscal resources on the acquisition of
knowledge, skills and values
5. To investigate the special characteristics of the learners under study
6. To study the impact of physical facilities and learning/teaching materials on
curriculum implementation

1.5Significance of The Study
Learner performance in biology 5090 at school certificate level seems to be poor
compared to other subjects including science subjects. It also appears that prevailing
community attitudes, values and expectations suggest the need to review the
implementation of the revised 5090 biology curriculum. This review was meant to inform
policy and decision making.
1.6 Assumptions And Hypotheses
According to Simon (2011), basic assumptions in the study are things that are
somewhat out of the researcher‘s control but if they disappear, the study would become
irrelevant. The study worked on the following basic assumptions:
1.) The information obtained from the respondents was true to the best of their
knowledge.
2.) The respondents were well informed of the school and community factors influencing
curriculum implementation.
3) The instruments used in the data collection process were reasonably valid and reliable
Hypotheses are statements in quantitative research in which the investigator makes a
prediction or a conjecture about the outcome of a relationship among attributes or
characteristics (Creswell, 2013). Traditionally used in experiments, they serve, like
research questions, to narrow the purpose statement to speciﬁc predictions. These
predictions are not simply an ―educated guess.‖ Rather, researchers base them on results
from past research and literature where investigators have found certain results and can
now offer predictions as to what other investigators will ﬁnd when they repeat the study
with new people or at new sites. The following were the hypotheses of the study.
1. H0: The revised biology 5090 syllabus clearly states knowledge, skills and values to
be acquired by learners
H1: The revised biology 5090 syllabus does not clearly state knowledge, skills and
values to be acquired by learners
2. H0: Schemes of work prepared by teachers in the sampled schools clearly state
knowledge, skills and values to be acquired by learners

H1: Schemes of work prepared by teachersin the sampled schools do not clearly state
knowledge, skills and values to be acquired by learners
3. H0: Prevailing attitudes, values and expectations of the community in Mwense District
favour the effective acquisition of knowledge, skills and values in the revised biology
5090 syllabus
H1: Prevailing attitudes, values and expectations of the community in Mwense District
do not favour the effective acquisition of knowledge, skills and values in the revised
biology 5090 syllabus
4. H0: Leadership and fiscal resources have an impact on the acquisition of knowledge,
skills and values
H1: Leadership and fiscal resources have no impact on the acquisition of knowledge,
skills and values
5. H0: Special characteristics of learners influence the acquisition of knowledge, values
and skills
H1: Special characteristics of learners do not influence the acquisition of knowledge,
values and skills
6. H0: Physical facilities and learning/teaching materials have an impact on curriculum
implementation
H1: Physical facilities and learning/teaching materials have no impact on curriculum
implementation
1.7 Location of The Study
Five schools offering secondary education in Mwense district were sampled. One is a
boarding school, another a newly upgraded day secondary school, another is a boarding
secondary school with a special unit for the visually impaired, another is a special school
with physically changed learners and the last one is a technical secondary school for girls.
All the schools are located along the Mansa-Nchelenge/Kawambwa road. The first school
is closer to Mansa and the last school is closer to Mwansabombwe.

Figure 1.7.1 Luapula Province Districts
Data was also collected from traditional leaders of villages surrounding the sampled
schools. Figure 1.7.1 above shows the position of Mwense district within Luapula
province.
1.8 Limitations
Pajares, F. (2007) says that limitations identify potential weaknesses of a study. They
include analysis, nature of self report, instrument and the sample. Limitations also include
threats to internal validity that may have been impossible to avoid or minimise.
Data from lesson observations will offer minimal potential for generalisation due to
limitations in the sample size hence the need to triangulate it with responses from head
teachers and heads of departments. The study faced the following limitations.
1. Biased responses may be anticipated from traditional leaders, head teachers and heads
of departments who may want to show positive image of their communities and work,
respectively.
2. Teachers may also have performed better than usual during lesson observations.
3. The test administered to learners was self-made. To ensure internal validity of the test,
the ECZ biology blue print was used in the formulation of the test.
4. Financial limitations were encountered as a result of long distances between
researcher‘s destination and schools and communities were research was conducted.
5. Time was also a challenge because the researcher was involved in full time
employment during the period of research.

1.9 DEFINITION OF OPERATIONAL TERMS
Assistive device
Any gadget used by a visually impaired learner to enhance their
vision
Curriculum evaluation
Systematic process of collecting, analysing and interpreting
information in order to make value judgements about the
curriculum and determine the extent to which learners are
achieving the set objectives
Curriculum merit
Intrinsic value of a curriculum established without reference to a
context
Curriculum worth
Extrinsic or "payoff" value of a curriculum established with
reference to a particular context
Established school
School with a secondary school establishment having enough
facilities to offer biology education
Evening prep
Studies conducted between 18:00 Hours and 20:00 Hours that are
compulsory for boarders and optional for day scholars
Fish ban
Period from 1st December to 1st March during which fishing
from the natural water bodies is prohibited
Inclusive education
Interaction of disabled children with the so-called-normal children in
the same educational setting
Knowledge
Scope of information within a particular field or domain meant to
be acquired by learners
Low vision learner
Partially sighted learner with defective vision even after
correction
Mechanical device
Objects such as condoms and intrauterine devices used to prevent
unwanted pregnancy during sexual intercourse
Newly upgraded school
School initially offering basic education and recently upgraded to
offer secondary education with insufficient facilities to support
biology education
PD school
School offering inclusive education catering for learners with
orthopaedic handicap
Physical disability
Reduced efficiency of an individual in performing one's personal
and social obligations according to a socially determined
standard
Profound learner
Blind learner whose vision is so pronounced that they cannot be
educated through visual methods but through channels other than
vision

Raised diagram Chart made using mosaic for tactile learning of the visually
impaired learners
Reflective tape
A long coloured thin piece of paper stack on the edges of the table
to ensure the safety of a learner with low vision
Re-entry policy
Policy of the Zambian Government which allows girls who fall
pregnant to go on maternity leave along with the boy who
impregnated them and return to school upon delivery
Skills Ability to do, discriminate, judge or reason
So-called-normal Learners without special educational needs
Special Education
All aspects of education that are applied to exceptional children,
Namely physical, mental, disadvantaged and gifted children.
Technical school
School offering technical subjects to a homogenous group of
gifted learners
Values
Responsible behaviour expected to be acquired by a learner upon
completion of the senior secondary school biology course
VI unit
School offering inclusive education catering for learners with
visual impairment
Visual impairment Having partial sight or being totally blind

CHAPTER – II REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Biology curriculum evaluation research overview
All the literature reviewed is based on research about curriculum implementation.
Such research places an emphasis on the context and process of curriculum implementation.
This study on the other hand endeavoured to conduct a more comprehensive curriculum
evaluation, which sought answers as to whether the intended curriculum was explicit enough
and was being achieved or not, considering inclusive education schools as well. The study is
vital since successful implantation of the curriculum depends on several factors, which
consist of inputs, processes and the outcomes of the education system as asserted by the
ZECF-2013 (MESVTEE, 2013)
Evaluation has a long history. Guba and Lincoln (1981) pointed out that a Chinese
emperor in 2200 B.C. required that his public officials demonstrate their proficiency in
formal competency tests. In the United States, the concern for evaluating schools can be
traced at least as far back as the recommendations of the Committee of Ten, which at the end
of the 19th century set perhaps the first example of ―evaluative standards‖ for the nation‘s
secondary schools (National Education Association, 1969). In recent years, however, the
interest in curriculum evaluation in particular has seemed to increase markedly. The public‘s
insistence on educational accountability, the experts‘ demands for educational reform, and
the educators‘ concomitant need for evidence of results have all contributed to the current
interest in theories and methods of curriculum evaluation. Unfortunately, much of this
interest seems to have resulted in an ill-conceived obsession with test results. A broader
perspective and more diversified approaches seem necessary.
In order to keep the curriculum up to date, ZECF will be reviewed every ten (10)
years in response to change drivers that will include political, economic, social,
technological, ecological and legal factors. However, curriculum support materials such as
syllabuses and books will be reviewed after every five (5) years in order to keep them up to
date (MESVTEE, 2013). Furthermore, from time to time, individual, community, national
and global needs change, knowledge expands and new technologies emerge. Considering that
an effective curriculum should meet these changes, the Ministry of Education, Science,
Vocational Training and Early Education will revise the curriculum periodically. It will also
review other documents that go with the curriculum such as the syllabuses, teachers‘ and

teacher-educators‘ materials (MESVTEE, 2013). With regard to performance, there is some
improvement in the achievement levels but Practical Subjects, Mathematics and Sciences
continue to record unsatisfactory results. On average, less than two-thirds of the candidates
who sit for either the Junior Secondary School Leaving Examinations or the School
Certificate Examinations pass Mathematics each year. Cumulatively, one-third of boys, and
two-thirds of girls, have registered complete fail in Mathematics since 2005, while only half
of the boys and one-fifth of the girls have managed to obtain a pass or better. In Sciences, the
scenario is slightly better but not satisfactory. A massive proportion of candidates obtain a
fail or only mediocre passes each year, with girls always lagging far behind boys
(MESVTEE, 2013).
The worth of a curriculum is only realized if the implementation is timely,proper and
fully done (Mwania, 2013). Furthermore, quality education requires the availability and use
of educational materials. The current situation in Secondary Schools is that educational
facilities and resources are not available for effective teaching and learning.
The curriculum development process should take a global view of the new trends,
strategies and practices, and embrace indigenous heritage and thoughts that could fit in the
local and national situations. It is important that teachers and teacher-educators use a variety
of teaching methods and techniques in order to cater for the range of learning needs taking
into account the available local resources. The teachers and teacher-educators should as much
as possible, use methods that promote active learners‘ participation and interaction. In
addition, they should use methods that encourage learners to reflect, think and do rather than
reproduce from rote learning. In this regard, teachers and teacher-educators are strongly
advised to use the Learner-Centred Approach in the teaching and learning process
(MESVTEE, 2013). Sadly enough it is noted that most of the teaching and learning is done
theoretically, even for Practical and Science subjects (MESVTEE, 2013). Therefore, various
legislations have been put in place to change this scenario.
The Education Act-1966 was the first post-independence Government Law on
education. It was meant to overhaul the colonial education system in order to meet the
aspirations of an independent Zambia. Among its reforms was the teaching of Science in a
practical manner. The Act was repealed in 2011.
Learners have different learning abilities. The category of learners with Special
Educational Needs include; the hearing, visually, physically, intellectually impaired as well

as the gifted/talented ones. Teachers and teacher-educators should be equipped with
knowledge and skills to enable them identify, screen and assess them. They should also
provide appropriate interventions to learners with Special Educational Needs in learning
institutions (MESVTEE, 2013). Therefore, learning institutions should ensure that learners
with Special Educational Needs are provided with appropriate resources for quality learning.
Children with special educational needs will require adapted curriculum and adapted
technology relevant to their disabilities. However, learners with Intellectual Impairments as
well as others with severe disabilities who cannot benefit from the inclusive curriculum will
have an alternative curriculum that suits their needs and abilities. Such learners will be sent
to special education units and schools. Teacher Education institutions should also include
special education in their programmes in order to equip teachers with necessary knowledge,
skills, positive attitudes and values in this area. The Disability Act-1996 was put in place to
provide for the needs of persons living with disabilities in the light of discrimination practices
against them in different environments, which included the curriculum (MESVTEE, 2013).
The United Nations General Assembly adopted Universal Declaration of Human Rights-1948
on 10th
December, 1948.It was established for all people of the world in order to promote and
have respect for human rights and freedoms which include access to education by all. In 1989
a convention on the rights of the child aged between 0 to 18 years was adopted. The
instrument stipulates the rights and freedoms of children including the disabled. It is,
therefore, imperative that through the curriculum these rights are explicitly defined and
taught to all learners (MESVTEE, 2013).The education system seeks to promote equality of
access, participation and benefit to all regardless of their individual needs and abilities. In
view of this, institutions of learning should put in place measures to promote Equity and
Equality in their programmes (MESVTEE, 2013).In addition, the Education Policy values
and promotes a holistic development of individuals, taking into account their uniqueness. The
concept of equity in education, therefore, necessitates the diversification of curriculum in
order to suit different abilities, talents and interests (MESVTEE, 2013).The transcription of
print materials into Braille will be an important ingredient for effective learning for the
visually impaired learners, just like Sign Language for the hearing impaired learners
(MESVTEE, 2013).
The Education Act-2011 places emphasis on the need to clearly include knowledge,
skills and values in the curriculum from ECE to Tertiary is based (MESVTEE, 2013).

Zambia has experienced various environmental problems, including deforestation, air
and water pollution, land degradation, inadequate sanitation and depletion of fish and wild
species.These problems impose greater socioeconomic costs to the people of Zambia. Given
that the majority of the people will, in many years to come, depend on natural resources for
their livelihood, environmental problems will always undermine the future of the people. It is
against this background that the Government supported the initiative of putting in place
mechanisms to enhance the establishment of legislations to regulate the management of the
environment. In 1994 a National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) was adopted which
became the basis for the preparation of a National Policy on environment and a guide to
Curriculum Development in Environmental Education (MESVTEE, 2013).Environmental
Education focuses on certain sets of values, knowledgeperspectives and attitudes which can
contribute to environmental friendly action and solving of environmental problems
(MESVTEE, 2013). Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a distinctive form of
environment related education, which focuses on adopting an educative approach to
sustainability issues in order to improve the capacity of learners to comprehend, participate in
and become better at resolving the contentious clash of ecological, social and economic
interests in our environments. Learning institutions, at all levels, should provide aspects of
Education for Sustainable Development, and Environmental Education in their programmes
so as to impart knowledge, skills, positive attitudes and values (MESVTEE, 2013). This
should enable learners and teachers to uphold the values and importance of the environment.
Schools should.
In Zambia, Population and Family Life Education (PopFLE) as a concept and issue
addresses a wide range of dynamics of human populations and their relationships to different
environments, health needs and challenges. The focus is directed at children, adolescents and
families. Healthcare services, health education and analysis of the impact of the social policy
on education are the main broad themes of PopFLE. The school curriculum should be tailored
in such a way that PopFLE is well integrated and implemented through Comprehensive
Sexuality Education (CSE)also ensure that they come up with appropriate activities that will
promote the teaching and learning of Environmental Education (MESVTEE, 2013). Climate
Change is an ecological problem as well as a social problem because all societies are affected
in one way or another. For this reason, it is important that the school curriculum provides for
this education so that learners become aware of the ecological aspects of the climate crisis
and learn how to contribute towards preventing and combating the issue.

Reproductive Health is essential in helping learners appreciate the functions of their
bodies and knowing how to handle issues of sexuality. Learning institutions should,
therefore, equip learners with knowledge, skills, values, and positive attitudes about their
reproductive health and sexuality for their benefit and that of society (MESVTEE, 2013).
Evaluation of the acquisition of values is among the three major aspects of this study.
According to DeRocheand Williams (1998), there are certain encompassing principles
underlying the successful implementation of value education in schools which are discussed
here.
1. Connection: We need to connect the values prioritized for a particular school with the
curriculum and activities. We need to connect teachers with students, students with students
and teachers and students with parents and community. We need to connect value education
initiatives with other school interventions. We need to demonstrate to students how to
connect the content of what they learn in one subject with the content learned in other
subjects. We need to help students learn how to connect learning with living and how to
connect in positive ways with teachers, parents, friends and others in their lives. Teachers and
administrators need to connect with one another in new and better ways if value education
efforts are to be successful.
2. Caring: Similarly the principle of caring has to permeate the entire school from principal to
students and other staff. The underpinning of value education is that allefforts to foster values
simply will not work without a caring school‘ and this comes through by developing
meaningful relationships from pre-primary to higher secondary school. Students should learn
and be encouraged to practise why caring, sharing, helping are good behaviours. So the
important question for school is to consider that if people do not care, the exercise of
implementing value education is futile and it cannot be done without the spirit of caring.
3. Critical School personnel: need to be critical about what they say, what they do, how they
model the values that they are trying to foster. They need to make judgements about their
plans and practices. They need to be critical to find out and promote practices and strategies
that work and discard those that do not work.
4. Communication and Collaboration: Communication is vital to build confidence, gain
support and encourage participation in work. Collaboration is based on the premise that there
are people in schools who willingly work together to create a common bond and who

willingly share responsibility and hold themselves accountable for the result of their efforts.
Collaboration requires clarifying roles, building trust, refusing to participate in the actions
that detract from organisational unity, efficiency and effectiveness.
5. Conviction, Commitment and Courage: Efforts towards implementation are likely to bring
fruits with conviction to change and to take risk. School personnel need to develop conviction
to say that we want our students to learn values and pro-social behaviour. Without conviction,
commitment and courage, it is not possible for the schools to be prepared for the sacrifice for
time, energy and resources. Sense of commitment and conviction conveys the message that
situations, conditions, events ought to change in the school by opening up to new experiences
and meeting challenges. The change then will be a kind of learning experience for further
improvement, empowerment, and collaboration. The points discussed above are the basic
principles which can serve as criteria for implementation of education for values in schools.
These principles are not mutually exclusive but are connected. Furthermore, a biology teacher
who plans their lessons with these principles in mind stands a higher chance of helping their
learners acquire the intended values.
In a study entitled ―Effective biology teaching: a value-added instructional
improvement analysis model,‖Haynieet al(2006) established thattop teachers were generally
of one mind when asked about the main barrier to their effectiveness with students. Nine
gave answers related to time. Six cited lack of class time with students (too much material in
the curriculum) and two cited lack of time to plan and meet with students (too many other
duties). One top teacher said that there was too much in the curriculum (causing a time
issue). One teacher thought students did not study. This answer was the only response not
related directly to time with students. This observation is consistent with Ojala‘s (2004)
findings in his study entitled “Aims of Education and Curriculum Planning in Special
Education Units and Schools in Lusaka, Zambia. A Qualitative Study of Special Education
Teachers’ Views and Classroom Practice.”In an interview in this study, one teacher
responded by saying, ―The subjects are similar, they are the same. For example mathematics,
we can even use the same book. Ourselves, we just reduce the work so that the child can
handle it.‖
The bottom teachers did not show a similar consensus of answers. There were seven
different answers. Three cited ‗Time‖ with no explanation, two said ―too many other tasks,
too much paper work, and surveys‖, two said ―too much in curriculum‖, one cited parental

home structure, one said ―students can‘t read, student motivation, and class size‖, one said
―lack of colleague support‖, and one gave no answer. The consistence in the responses of the
top teachers means it can be concluded that time is the main barrier to teachers‘ effectiveness
with students.
Another aspect of this study is an evaluation of the acquisition of knowledge.
According to Krathwohl (2002), there are four kinds of knowledge: fact (factual) knowledge,
concept (conceptual) knowledge, method (procedural) knowledge, and metacognitive
knowledge. Factual knowledge includes basic elements (knowledge of terminology and
knowledge of specific details) that students must know to be acquainted with a discipline or
solve problems in it. Conceptual knowledge means interrelationships among basic elements
within a larger framework that enable them to function together. It includes knowledge of
classifications and categories, knowledge of principles and generalizations, and knowledge of
theories, models, and structures. Procedural knowledge means understanding how to do
something. It includes methods of inquiry, and criteria for using skills, algorithms,
techniques, and methods, knowledge of subject-specific skills and algorithms, knowledge of
subject-specific techniques and methods and knowledge of criteria for determining when to
use appropriate procedures. Metacognitive knowledge means knowledge of cognition in
general as well as awareness and knowledge of one‘s own cognition. It includes strategic
knowledge, knowledge about cognitive tasks, including appropriate contextual and
conditional knowledge, and self-knowledge. Of these types of knowledge, metacognitive
knowledge was the least represented one in the reviewed articles. The scope of this study is
subject specific knowledge specified in contents column of the revised biology 5090 syllabus.
The third aspect of the study is the evaluation of the acquisition of skills. These skills
can be psychomotor or cognitive. Cognitive skills are also called thinking skills. In one study,
types of thinking skills were analyzed using the hierarchy of the cognitive domain. Bloom
(1956) defined cognitive learning as ―learning dealing with recall or recognition of
knowledge and development of intellectual abilities and skills.‖ The cognitive domain
comprises six sub-domains concerning the development of our mental skills and the
acquisition of knowledge. The sub-domain of knowledge has to do with the ability to recall
data and/or information. Comprehension means the ability to understand the meaning of what
is known and to demonstrate understanding by describing, paraphrasing, etc. The sub-domain
of application is the ability to utilize an abstraction or to use knowledge in a new situation.
Analysis involves the ability to differentiate facts and opinions and to break down a problem

into its constituent parts. The sub-domain of synthesis means the ability to integrate different
elements or concepts in order to form a sound pattern or structure so that new meaning can be
established. The uppermost sub-domain, evaluation, includes the ability to make judgments
about the importance of concepts (Bloom, 1956; Krathwohl, 2002; Vermunt, 1995). In
dealing with the cognitive domain, it is relatively easy to specify desired types of student
behaviour and the phenomena on which they impinge, i.e., the subject-matter content of
science instruction. Teachers and researchers are also used to specifying the types of
behaviour desired of the student in acquiring and using science content (Karna, Hakonen &
Kuusela, 2011). The sub-domains of knowledge, comprehension, and application were well
represented in the articles, as well as those of analysis and evaluation. Synthesis was taken
into account the least. It requires creativity: putting elements together to form a coherent or
functional whole, reorganizing elements into new patterns or structures through generating,
planning, or producing. It involves the generating of new ideas, products, or ways of viewing
things. It is considered the most complex form of thinking (Bloom, 1956). Studies analyzing
classroom tests have found that most teacher-made tests require only recall of information
(Rodriguez, Plax & Kearney, 1996). However, when teachers are asked how often they assess
application, reasoning, and higher-order thinking, both elementary (Macmillan, Myron &
Workman, 2002; Marso & Pigge, 1993) and secondary (Macmillan, 2001) teachers claim that
they assess these cognitive levels quite often. The reason that recall-level test questions are so
prevalent is that they are the easiest kind to create. They are also the easiest kind of questions
to ask spontaneously in the classroom. Notably, the test given to learners in this study was
based on a specific blueprint, which is itself formulated on the basis of Bloom‘s taxonomy.
In the educational context, ―skills‖ are referred to as achievements and/or behaviours to
be acquired through practice or training to facilitate the student learning and classroom
management (Irvine, 1997). Rather than separate, one-size-fits all kind of teaching skills,
researchers note the interdependent nature of these teaching skills , required as a ―set of
procedures‖ (Grossman, 1990, p. 37) that teachers apply to provide a rich and varied
pedagogical experience. According to Darling-Hammond, Wise, and Klein (1995), effective
teacher education requires teachers to integrate multiple kinds of knowledge and skills as
they are used in practice to forge connections between theory and practice.

2.2Learning environments and curriculum implementation
One factor that influences curriculum implementation concerns the particular
circumstances of each school. Schools located in rich socio-economic environments and
those that have adequate human and material resources can implement the curriculum to an
extent that would be difficult or impossible for schools in poor economic environments
(Chaudhary, 2015).
Learning institutions should also have appropriate infrastructure such as classrooms,
lecture rooms/lecture theatres, tutorial rooms and specialised rooms, laboratories, workshops
and resource rooms. This infrastructure should be well stocked with adequate equipment and
materials needed for effective teaching and learning. They should also have user-friendly
facilities for learners, and learners with Special Educational Needs and Pre-School. The
Library is a very important resource-room in a learning institution. Therefore, it must have
adequate and appropriate reading and other learning materials for both learners and staff.
Since learning environments have been developed to support the selected teaching
methods, they both have an effect on learners‘ achievements. The most often used learning
environment is classrooms. Introductions, guidelines, and discussions concerning learning
experiences and results of observations and experiments are often carried out in the
classrooms, in addition to traditional teacher presentations and inquiries. Outdoor and field
environments are also used for learning purposes. Different visiting places, such as museums,
gardens, and nature parks, are also common learning environments. Such places appear to be
good learning environments because students‘ learning results are significantly better when
they get first-hand experiences and studies in authentic learning environments (Brody, 2005;
Lavie& Tal, 2015; Bogeholz,2006; Smeds, Jeronen&Kerppa, 2015]. One reason can be that
emotionally supportive learning environments engage students in adaptive learning strategies
such as elaboration, organization, and critical thinking (Turner, Husman&Schallbert, 2002).
Laboratory environments are another example of learning environments. In school
laboratories, students can develop their experimentation skills when planning and carrying
out small studies. The internet and electronic discussion forums are emerging learning
environments. Computer-assisted teaching-learning processes offer a useful way for cognitive
process-oriented instruction, during which the teacher‘s role is to activate students‘ mental
activities and to support self-regulatory strategies for learning (Vermunt, 1995;
Vermunt&Verschaffel, 2000). Out of these learning environments, the major focus will be on
the classroom and laboratory.

According to the Jomtien conference (1990), overcrowding in primary schools especially
in early grades is a major source of poor achievement. Member states argued that there is
evidence that there is correlation between special facilities like computer laboratories and
achievement of specific domains of learning (UNESCO, 1990). According to the KIE survey
of 1994, physical facilities in NFSs were generally inadequate and inappropriate.
Inadequate facilities like classrooms, desks etc hamper curriculum implementation in
NFSs (MOE, 2007). Unfortunately, most of the NFPSs are located in high poverty areas such
as urban slums and they are financially unable to construct learning facilities (Mwania,
2013). The Basic Education Act (2013), demands that the government provide infrastructure
including schools, learning equipment and appropriate finances. According to the study of
Mukuru Kwa Njenga on NFE by Wambowa (2011), the government should provide adequate
facilities and finances for NFSs to build more classrooms and other social amenities to ease
congestion in the existing facilities.
As Strage and Bol (1996), Gwimbi and Monk (2003) stress in their studies, too many
students in classrooms also make it harder to do experiments in the laboratory.
A learning environment that recognises children‘s strengths and differences is regarded as
being positive because it allows children to share and experiences diverse perspectives
(Banks, Cochran-Smith, Moll, Richet, Zeichner, LePage, Darling-Hammond, Duffy &
McDonald, 2005).
2.3Teacher characteristics and curriculum implementation
Aguilando (2012) argues that the teacher is the developer and implementer of the curriculum.
He or she writes curriculum daily through a lesson plan, lesson notes and schemes of work.
He then addresses the goals, needs and interests of the pupils by creating experiences from
where they can learn. In the process, the teacher designs, enriches and modifies the
curriculum to suit the needs of the pupils (Aguilando, 2012). Teachers use their knowledge,
experiences and competencies to interpret and execute the curriculum on day to-day basis
(Zeiger, 2014). According to her, the key to getting teachers committed to curriculum
implementation is to enhance their knowledge in the program through training and
workshops.The ministry of general education standards and evaluation guidelines (2016)
states that secondary school teachers should teach subjects in which they are specialised. This
document further states that class size for secondary schools is 35 learners per class.

Regarding workload for teachers, the document says teachers should have a minimum of 24
periods and HODs a minimum of 28 periods per week. As for qualifications and experience
of staff, the document stipulates that a grade 10-12 teacher must possess a minimum of a
Bachelor‘s degree in education with a relevant teaching subject. The HOD should have a
minimum of Bachelor‘s degree in Education, with a relevant teaching subject plus 5 years
teaching experience.Salamuddin, Harun & Abdullah (2011) noted that teachers being the
main executors of the curriculum should possess sufficient knowledge and skills in order to
ensure success of the education. Basic Education Act (2013), demands that the government
should provide human resource, including adequate teaching staff according to the prescribed
staffing norms.
In biology education, selected teaching methods should support learning biology,
learning to do biological science and learning about biological science (Sporhase, 2012).
Several biological topics require approaches promoting experimental problem-solving and
process-based skills (Keselman, 2003; Ehmer, 2016). The focus is on science investigation
processes and the goal is to reach valuable learning results, and students therefore need
crucial science content knowledge as well as autonomous learning (Hoff, 2011). This,
however, seems to create difﬁculties for the so-called working memory, which again impairs
the self-regulation competencies (Kirschner, Sweller& Clarke, 2006). Therefore it is
important to implement teaching methods including both autonomous learning and
instructional activities, and to vary the level of openness of experimental tasks. The
implementation of problem-based active learning models have positive effects on students‘
academic achievements and their attitudes to science courses (Akinoglu & Tandogun, 2016),
while implementation of problem-based learning and group investigation encourages students
to think critically through planning, arguing, stating questions and problems, and providing
solutions to environmental problems (Asyari, Mudhar & Ibrohim, 2016).
As demands for deeper and more complex student learning have intensified,
practitioners, researchers, and policymakers have begun to think more systematically about
how to improve teachers‘ learning from recruitment, preparation, and support, to mentoring
and other leadership opportunities. Sophisticated forms of teaching are needed to develop
21st century student competencies, such as deep mastery of challenging content, critical
thinking, complex problem solving, effective communication and collaboration, and self-
direction. In turn, opportunities are needed for teachers to learn and refine the pedagogies
required to teach these skills (Darling-Harmond, Hyler and Gardner, 2017). Furthermore,

coaching or other expert scaffolding can support the effective implementation of new
curricula, tools, and approaches by educators and professional development models
associated with gains in student learning frequently provide built-in time for teachers to think
about, receive input on, and make changes to their practice. The traditional episodic and
fragmented approach to does not afford the time necessary for learning that is rigorous and
cumulative (Darling-Harmond, Hyler and Gardner, 2017).By promoting learning over time,
both within and between sessions, Professional Development that is sustained may lead to
many more hours of learning than is indicated by seat time alone. Analyzing student work
collaboratively gives teachers opportunities to develop a common understanding of what
instructional strategies may or may not be working and for whom (Darling-Harmond, Hyler
and Gardner, 2017). Teacher learning in a community can be a source of efficacy and
confidence in the process of adopting new practices.
Teachers‘ academic qualifications show an important but complex relationship to
students‘ outcome (Wellington, 2006). Students acquire more knowledge from teachers with
high academic skills that teachers with weak academic skills. The implementation of IE
curriculum is greatly affected by teachers‘ academic qualification (Lai, 2008; Law, 2008;
Thomas & Knezek, 2008).Researchers have made observations regarding the importance of
teachers‘ academic and professional qualifications. Moseti (2007) noted that the effectiveness
of any curriculum depends on the quality of teachers that are there to translate the syllabus to
practical instructional material in class. On the other hand, Fisher, (2006) observed that
teachers with little or no training tend to use authoritarian and inefficient methods that make
students see school as repressive places with little to enjoy. Bishop (1986) noted that for a
teacher to be able to educate others he must himself be educated. This competence according
to Farrant, (2004) is built upon mastery of subject. content pedagogical training and teaching
experience. In Kenya, Chepkonga (2004) carried out a study on teacher effectiveness as
perceived by learners in secondary schools in Baringo North. In her study, she found out that
teachers discriminated against slow learners and this according to the study was attributed to
inadequate pre-service teacher training. In-service teacher training is continuously updating
teachers with skills to promote efficiency in implementation. The education of a teacher does
not end in the in pre-service but has to continue after a teacher graduates and enters teaching
service. (Chemutai, 2010). The concept of in- service teacher training has been supported by
Buchler (2003) who observes that teachers still find a challenge to implement it since in-
service programme on the same have been inadequate. The in-service courses equip teachers

with knowledge, skills, and attitude needed for the implementation of any given educational
programme and sensitize them to any changes in the curriculum.
Andrew (2007) defines teaching style as a set of personal characteristics and traits that
clearly identify the individual as a unique teacher. A research carried out by Ng‘onga (2002)
revealed that Kenyan students continue to perform poorly due to poor teaching methods. This
is because as Andrew (2007) noted instructors develop a teaching style based on their beliefs
about what constitutes good teaching, personal preferences, their abilities, and the names of
their particular discipline. This is done in disregard of the learners‘ needs.
According to Law, (2008) teachers‘ skills and attitude count for a great deal more in
curriculum renewal than do changes in content and method. It is noted that many teachers
often lack the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out an innovation. These teachers are
reluctant to break new ground and lack sense of inner security, so necessary in good teaching.
All factors being constant it is generally agreed that a teacher gains skills through
experience and the more experience a teacher has, the more successful he will be in his work
(Oliva, 1988). Bishop (1986) also indicates that a teacher‘s expectation has an impact on
teaching and importance attributed to understanding the influence of this past expectation
should be enhanced. Mutoro (2001) carried out a study on the factors that influence
curriculum implementation. He agrees with Oliva that teacher‘s experience determines
competence and efficiency and continuous teacher‘s training makes the teacher receptive and
flexible in the implementation of the curriculum.
Barners (1985) however, noted that relationship between teaching experience and
teaching effectiveness is curvilinear and there is an overall negative relationship between the
years a teacher has taught and teacher effectiveness.
Moseti (2007) argues that the effective implementation of any curriculum depends on
the quality of teachers in the school. Pupils below the recommended age may impede proper
curriculum implementation because their cognitive maturity level is still low (Sharp, George,
O‘Donnell &Heron, 2009).Teaching aids are some of the essential inputs for good curriculum
implementation (Dahir and Faize, 2011).Teaching methods used by teachers determine the
quality of education implemented. (Twoli, 2007). Small classes give no room for effective
private study or practice of teaching methods like group discussion, role-play and
demonstration (UNESCO, 1990).Pupils require comfortable and spacious sitting and working

facilities to enable them efficiently and effectively engage in the learning process which will
then lead to high academic achievement (UNESCO, 1990).
In their research work, Penuel, Fishman, Yamaguchi &Gallagher (2007) found out that
educational attainment of teachers affect their class performance. They argue that for the
teacher to be qualified enough to be involved in the implementation process, he/she must be
equipped with the right knowledge, skills and attitudes. As such, the focus on learning
achievement implies increasing teacher capacity and performance through pre-service and in-
service training and improved school and classroom management (UNESCO, 1990). Moseti
(2007) argues that the effectiveness on any curriculum depends on the quality of teachers that
are there to translate the syllabus in to practical instructional materials in class. In addition,
Orstein and Hunkins (1988) assert that effective implementation of any curriculum can only
happen if the teachers‘ pre-service and in-service training are adequate and regular.
Socrates in Murray's (1994) article postulated that 'Excellent teaching is that which
produces learning and understanding.' If I am wrong in what I say it is your business to take
up the argument and refute me (Westwood, 1996).
Lembo (1971, 7) says, 'While there are many complex factors, physical,
psychological, economic and sociological, which account for each child's school
performance, the basic cause of failure is the schooling process itself. Students do not enter
school as failures; when students 'fail' it is the practices which teachers and administrators
individually and collectively employ that are at fault'... (and) ... 'unless the classroom
teacher's policies and practices are viewed as the most significant conditions in determining
the direction and quality of classroom learning, and unless attempts at improving classroom
learning focus on the formulation of more effective teaching policies and practices, there will
be no significant reduction in the number of students who year after year become alienated
from the educational process'.
Although some aspects of the process-product research have been criticised (Bezzina:
1986), the general findings concerning what makes an 'effective teacher' are sound; and they
tend to be confirmed by students' own perceptions of effective teachers (Batten, Marland and
Khamis: 1993). It is clear that students themselves agree with the proposition that excellent
teaching is that which produces learning and understanding.

Studies of exemplary teachers (e.g. Tobin and Fraser: 1991) have indicated that
although expert teachers differ in their actual style of teaching and management, they all tend
to use strategies which maximise student time-on-task, encourage active participation; ensure
that students understand the work and that they can perform at high levels of success. They
also create a positive and very supportive classroom environment.
According to Fullan and Pomfret (1977), effective implementation of curriculum
requires time, personal interaction and contacts, in-service training and other forms of
support. This entails that teachers ought to be committed to their duty, collaborate with each
other and participate both in SBCPD activities as well as subject association meetings outside
the school.
SADC (2000), asserts that the quality and quantity of the human resource determines
the quality of teaching and learning. The MOE therefore should ensure that there is some
equity in the distribution of qualified personnel in all schools. This is because the allocation
of human resources to schools is as important as the allocation of financial resources (SADC,
2000). According to Firestone and Corbett (1988), the functions of the administrators in the
school includes obtaining resources, shielding curriculum implementation from outside
interferences and encouraging staff members. They also provide the necessary leadership in
evaluating teaching personnel and school program.
It can be firmly concluded from research that teacher behaviour in classrooms is
positively related to student achievement (Creemers: 1994). Teachers who help students to
be successful in basic academic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics, tend to
exhibit a particular set of characteristics within their general approach to teaching. For
reviews of the research you are directed to Holton: 1980, Rosenshine: 1986, Rosenshine and
Stevens: 1986, Yates: 1988, Kindsvatter, Wilen and Ishler: 1992, Creemers: 1994,
Westwood: 1995, and Rosenshine: 1995.
The research suggests that effective teachers:
• have well-managed classrooms where students have the maximum opportunity to learn
• maintain an academic focus
• have high, rather than low, expectations of what students can be helped to achieve
• are business-like and work-oriented

• show enthusiasm
• use strategies to keep students on task and productive
• impose structure on the content to be covered
• Present new material in a step-by-step manner
• employ direct (explicit) teaching procedures
• use clear instructions and explanations
• use a variety of teaching styles and resources
• Frequently demonstrate appropriate task-approach strategies
• monitor closely what students are doing
• adjust instruction to individual needs and re-teach where necessary
• provide frequent feedback to students
• use high rates of questioning, to motivate students and to check for understanding.
It is sometimes stated that what is described in the effective teaching literature is a
behaviourist position, -- the teacher does something, the student responds, is in some way
rewarded or reinforced, and learning takes place. This is a very narrow and inaccurate
interpretation of the work of the effective classroom teacher. Learning and teaching quite
obviously involve reciprocal and dynamic interactions between teachers and learners. Van
Kraayenoord and Elkins (1994) have commented that when teaching is viewed as an
interactive process, the teacher is sensitive to the characteristics of the students and uses a
wide variety of techniques.
There is also a tendency to picture the stereotypical 'direct teacher' described in the
effective teaching research as one who is authoritarian and dehumanised. This is not the case
at all. Rather than being a clinical form of teaching, effective teaching is carried out in an
environment of cooperation and trust. Research has indicated that effective teachers are
actually warm, concerned and flexible in their general approach to students (Kindsvatter,
Wilen and Ishler: 1992). This is also reflected in the comments made by students themselves.

Notice in the following list that students are very conscious of both the pedagogical skills of
good teachers and their empathic and caring characteristics.
According to Batten, Marland and Khamis (1993), students in Australian schools
describe a 'good' teacher in the following terms.
A good teacher:
• helps you with your work
• explains well so you can understand
• is friendly and easy to get on with
• is fair and straightforward
• makes lessons enjoyable
• cares about you; is always ready to listen; understands you
• has a sense of humour
• controls the class well
• knows what he or she is talking about.
• knowing your subject
• being able to see to the heart of the matter • being able to see the matter from a learner's
perspective and
• The ability to explain things in simple terms.
Expert teachers who obtain consistently good results from students in their classes are
reported to incorporate the following features within their lessons (Bush and Kincer: 1993):
• Efficient initial presentations of new work
• Clear and precise instructions • a greater variety of ways of explaining topics
• More frequent reviews and revision of work.

Furthermore, teachers and teacher-educators are key players in any education system
and should regularly attend Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes. This
helps in updating pedagogical approaches, pastoral care for learners, assessment procedures,
school organization and management, and relationship with parents/guardians and the
community. Learning institutions should develop in teachers and teacher-educators the spirit
of Continuing Professional Development in order for them to effectively implement the
curriculum. Learning institutions should have well-organised CPD programmes for members
of staff. Such programmes should be predominantly institutional based. There should be
regular paper presentations and professional discussions in identified areas(MSVTEE, 2013).
Subject Associations are professional bodies; therefore, they are encouraged to
participate in the effective implementation of the education curriculum. To this effect, subject
associations are expected to play a complementary role in suggesting solutions to challenges
encountered during the teaching and learning process (MSVTEE, 2013).
As Kimpston (1985) and Scott (1994) point out in their studies, many teachers need
support in improving their teaching and laboratory skills to implement the curriculum in
intended ways. In addition to teachers‘ own lack of capabilities, physical conditions and
facilities of schools limit the process of curriculum implementation as Fullan and Pomfret
(1977), Scott (1994), Shymansky and Kyle (1992), Strage and Bol (1996) mention before.
Lack of time is another constraint teachers feel in carrying out desirable curriculum
implementation tasks as Kimpston (1985), Scott (1994), Anderson and Helms (2001)
conclude in their studies.Cole (1971, cited in Fullan and Pomfret, 1977) identifies intensive
in-service training as an important strategy for curriculum implementation. Solomon et al.
(1977), Ashley and Butts (1970, cited in Fullan and Pomfret, 1977) also report that teachers
that received in-service training shifted toward behaviors consistent with implementation of
the curriculum.
Successful teachers believe that all their students are capable of learning – gathering
information, understanding complex material, posing and solving problems, critiquing and
questioning conflicting information, constructing alternative perspectives and synthesizing,
comparing and analysing evidence (Irvine, 1997).
Eisner (2002) suggests that teaching is a caring exercise. Teachers have the
responsibility of involving pupils in purposeful academic learning, supporting and caring for
them (LePage, Darling-Hammond Akar, Guiterezz, Jenkins-Gunn & Rosebrock, 2005).

Korthagen (2001) believes that it‘s the teachers‘ task to guide children in this essential aspect
of life, the development of self-understanding and a sense of interconnectedness. In
particular, the care with which teachers support and guide all their pupils‘ learning forms an
integral part for supporting pupils to succeed in learning (Noddings, 2005).
A central part of being a professional teacher is a commitment to help all students.
Teachers should understand their roles and responsibilities as professionals in schools. They
should be committed to prepare students for an equitable participation in a democratic society
(Bransford, Darling-Hammond & LePage, 2005).
Teachers need to be lifelong learners (Darling- Hammond & Bransford, 2005). The
content of the curriculum as well as methods and materials for teaching are changing so
rapidly that teachers‘ must be continuous learners to maintain their professional effectiveness.
Being innovative, efficient and be able to improvise during lessons help teachers become
adaptive experts. An adaptive expert will desire continuous leaning and innovation. A truly
adaptive expert in teaching appreciate the value of seeking feedback from many sources, is
open to new ideas and continues learning throughout their lives (Hammerness, Darling-
Hammond, Bransford, Berliner, Cochran-Smith, McDonald &Zeichner, 2005).
2.4 Learner characteristics and curriculum implementation
Learners hold the key to what is actually transmitted and adopted from official
curriculum. Since learner factors influence teachers in their selection of learning experiences,
there is need to consider their diverse characteristics in curriculum implementation
(University of Zimbabwe, 1995). According to Biesta (2009), there is an emerging trend in
the curriculum implementation, which is placing the learner at the heart of education; a trend
he refers to as ‗learnification‘ of education. This idea concurs with the position of Ross
(2000) and Schiro (2008) who argue that the purpose of education is to train students‘ skills
and procedures they will need in the workplace. The learner factor influences teachers in
their selection of learning experiences, hence the need to consider the diverse characteristics
of learners in curriculum implementation. For example, home background and learner ability
can determine what is actually achieved in the classroom (Chaudhary, 2015).
In order for the teacher to effectively implement the planned curriculum, he/she must
use diverse styles to teach the pupils and not just the subject (Chittom, 2012). According to
her, this is because different pupils require different styles of teaching in order to grasp

curriculum content that will in turn lead to effective curriculum implementation. According
to Felder and Silverman (1988), when mismatches exist between learning styles and the
teaching style of the teacher, the student may get bored and inattentive in class, do poorly in
class and get discouraged about the subject. They argue that teachers should strive for a
balance of instructional methods. Davidoff (1990) argues that students learn better and more
quickly if the teaching methods used match their preferred learning styles. He argues that
appropriate teaching methods motivate pupils to learn and lead to improved student-teacher
relationship that makes them more successful and is more interested in learning.
Physical facilities are the tangible resources in the school that support implementation
of the planned curriculum. Though their relationship with learning may not be very direct,
there is evidence that physical conditions of the schools can influence student achievement
(Mcgowen, 2007). In a Virginia study, Cash (1993) developed research that examined the
impact of various factors of building condition on student achievement in a manner that
controlled socio-economic status of the students. He found out that when socio-economic
factors were constant, facility condition had significant correlation with student achievement.
Cash (1993) found that air conditioning, absence of graffiti, condition of science laboratories,
locker accommodations, and condition of the classroom furniture correlated with students‘
achievement at a significant level.
Findings of a study done by Sharp, George, Sargent, O‘Donnell & Heron (2009)
revealed that pupils who are younger in the year group do less well in attainment tests. The
findings also indicated that children who are younger in year group are more frequently
retained, that is, they have to repeat a year of schooling. The finding further revealed that
relatively younger children are more frequently identified as having special needs. According
to this study, though there is a smaller relative age difference among older primary children
the difference remains educationally significant in primary school (P:1)
In the research literature, visuals have been found to be especially helpful when
teaching students whose first language is not English (Carrier, 2005; Vaughn, Bos, &
Schumm, 2003). Through pictures, teachers display visual stimuli that can be universally
understood by all students (Curtis & Bailey, 2001). Visuals can be used in any subject area
when teaching about concepts. Furthermore, hands-on materials and visuals that students can
manipulate engage a variety of senses and help to make learning more meaningful, especially
for diverse students who tend to be tactile, kinaesthetic learners (Bruno, 1982; Curtin, 2006).

Peer tutoring promotes communication, motivates students, and helps learners attain
higher levels of achievement while developing friendships between students from different
backgrounds (SaraviaShore & Garcia, 1995; Snowman & Biehler, 2003). Peer tutoring can be
implemented in any subject area and may be used to conduct experiments, revise and
complete assignments, practice new skills, review for tests, solve problems, and gather
information (Vaughn, Bos, &Schumm, 2003). Although most young adolescents welcome the
opportunity to work with a classmate because of learning style preferences and because peer
tutoring is more fun than working alone (Carbo & Kapinus, 1995), there are some potential
pitfalls in pairing students. For example, students may get off-task and spend more time
socializing than working, and higher-achieving students may become resentful if asked too
often to help their lower-achieving peers (Vaughn, Bos, & Schumm, 2003). Attentive
monitoring of activities, thoughtful decisions about pairing students, and specific guidelines
and rules about working together can help to minimize these problems in middle school
classrooms.
A wealth of research has demonstrated that cooperative learning is an instructional
approach that benefits all students, and, in particular, students from diverse backgrounds
(Kline, 1995; Johnson & Johnson, 1990; Slavin, 1991; Willis, 2007). Grouping students from
different cultural backgrounds into heterogeneous groups and instructing them to collaborate
and cooperate with each other on activities and problem- solving tasks has been found to
promote inter-ethnic friendships, develop cross-cultural understandings, and build teamwork
while also enhancing literacy and language acquisition among linguistically diverse students
(Crandall, 1999; Crandall, Jaramillo, Olsen, & Peyton, 2001; Saravia-Shore & Garcia, 1995;
Slavin, 1990; Snowman & Biehler, 2003). Cooperative learning also assists diverse students
in developing intellectual autonomy (Crandall, 1999). Furthermore, because young
adolescents are extremely interested in their peers, cooperative learning provides a perfect
opportunity for them to interact and collaborate with friends and other young people who are
likely to become friends. The middle school teachers in Florida affirmed the benefits of
cooperative learning, rating it as a "highly effective" strategy that improves academic
performance and enhances communication skills in multicultural and multilingual
classrooms.
There are a number of specific cooperative learning activities or methods that have
been employed with success by teachers in multicultural middle school classrooms. One
example is the "Think/Pair/Share" method in which students are first asked to think

individually about a topic.They are then paired up and asked to share information with each
other. After the pair has discussed the topic, they are asked to share the information with the
entire class or another group of students. Another example is the "Jigsaw" method, in which a
unit of material is first divided into a number of different sections or components (e.g., for
four sections the class is divided into four groups, and each group is assigned to learn the
material in one section and to become "experts" on that specific material). Each group then
teaches the content they have learned to the whole class, and the component parts are put
together like a jigsaw puzzle to complete the study of the material. These methods, and other
cooperative learning activities, offer unique opportunities for positive social interactions and
interpersonal communication between students from different backgrounds in diverse
classrooms, thereby providing the basis for real dialogue, mutual understanding, and positive
learning outcomes (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1994; Slavin, 1990; Wlodkowski &
Ginsberg, 1995).
2.5 Teaching and Learning materials and curriculum implementation
Eshiwani (1988) observed that lack of textbooks and teaching materials makes
teaching difficult as pupils are unable to do their oral or written work during class lessons.
The availability of quality resource material has a great influence on curriculum
implementation (University of Zimbabwe, 1995).
Students‘ achievement at any point is a cumulative function of inputs such as
laboratories, textbooks, school buildings and libraries among others (Dahirand Faize, (2011).
Provision of stationeries and teaching aids is also critical to curriculum implementation.
According Yara and Otieno (2010), the more the provision of stationeries and teaching aids
the better the academic performance of students. The findings of Yadar (2001) and the Report
by UNESCO (2008) has shown that classrooms, teaching aids and stationeries affect the
academic performance of learners. Further, they argue that learning is strengthened when
there are enough reference materials such as textbooks, and classrooms.
According to the Zambian Vision 2030, the provision of educational facilities remains
limited and unsatisfactory due to the increasing pressure on education infrastructure, poor
maintenance and increase in the school going population. The document attributes the poor
education infrastructure to the limited investment in education infrastructure. It further notes
that the poor investment in education has led to high pupil-teacher ratios and textbook-pupil
ratio of 1:7 at high school level in different subjects.

2.6Special Education and curriculum implementation
The vision of the National Special Needs Education Framework (2009) is to have a
society in which all persons regardless of their disabilities and special needs achieve
education to realize full potential (MOE,2009). It also advocates an inclusive education
where pupils with special needs are integrated in normal education system. In America,
recent mandates such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the No
Child Left Behind (NCLB) require schools to provide access to general education classrooms
for students with learning disabilities (SLD) (Harris, Kaff, Anderson, & Knackendoffel,
2007).The first step in assisting SLD in the science classroom is to be aware of their
disability, which might be associated with a disorder. ―A disorder in one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written,
that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do
mathematical calculations‖ (IDEIA, 2004).
Even though the intelligence of SLD varies from average to high, their behaviors can
create a distraction to their engagement and performance in science. Depending on the type
of disorder they have, SLD with visual disorders can have difficulty understanding visual
displays, power point slides, data tables, or graphs (Lerner & Kline, 2006). SLD with
auditory disorders can have difficulty with lectures, discussions, and group work. SLD with
memory disorders can have difficulty with recalling pre-knowledge, solving problems, and
engaging in higher-order tasks in science (McNamara, 2007).
SLD have at least one low basic academic skill, either in reading and writing or math.
Having a low basic skill in one of these courses may interfere with their science learning
(McNamara, 2007).SLD that have problems associated with writing skills may have
difficulty completing projects and assignments that require the use of science terminology.
SLD who have difficulty with organization and attention may have challenges tracking in-
class work and bringing home appropriate materials needed to study for assignments and
assessments (Lerner & Kline, 2006; McNamara, 2007). The association of multiple disorders
with SLD may create problems in retaining science knowledge and maintaining motivation
and engagement during class time, and in inquiry-based learning tasks. These challenges can
make science learning difficult for SLD. However, through teacher collaboration, high
learning goals, effective pedagogical approaches, and modifications, SLD can engage and
become more effective learners in science classrooms.

The following is what the ministry of general education standards and evaluation
guidelines (2016) states. Special education units/centres should have one teacher per 5
learners and each class should have 4-5 learners.
2.7 Community characteristics and curriculum implementation
Collaboration is an essential element for effective change. School, home and
community share the responsibility for children‘s success (Darrow, Fisch, Uhry & Ellsworth,
1998).
Teachers should find ways to work collaboratively and creatively with parents,
engaging them in productive school activities. When teachers learn to work collaboratively
they welcome rather than avoid feedback. Johnson (2003), in his study on collaboration cites
Hargreaves (1994) in that collaboration promotes moral support, increases efficiency,
improves effectiveness, reduces overload, establishes boundaries, promotes confidence,
promotes teacher reflection, promotes teacher learning and leads to continual development.
Cultural and ideological differences within a society or country can also influence
curriculum implementation. Some communities may resist a domineering culture or
government ideology and hence affect the implementation of the centrally planned
curriculum (Chaudhary, 2015).
According to educating our future policy document (MOE, 1996), Amajor objective
of liberalisation and democratisation isis to enhance the involvement of individuals and civic
society in development. Community participation in education is one way of realising this. It
is essential because the first responsibility of educating the children lies with parents then the
wider community in which the family lives.
Gatens (2014) asserts that parents must share your expectations. He argues that
understanding parents‘ expectations is essential to helping their children succeed in school.
Gaten further proposes that this can be achieved through persistent communication, sharing
expectations upfront, caring, practicing empathy, and not overburdening the parents.
Teachers should meet the ever rising expectations of the community. They ought to build
support, invite the community in, be transparent in practice, protect privacy, foster a legacy
and prioritise students.

2.8 Conclusion
Modern education emphasises the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values. Syllabi
ought to categorically state the knowledge, skills and values to be attained by the learners.
Comprehensive evaluation of effective implementation of a curriculum involves an
evaluation of both school and community factors that affect curriculum implementation.
School factors include learner and teacher characteristics, physical infrastructure, availability
of teaching/learning resources, etc. Community values can indicate the impact of a
curriculum on the community. Community attitudes can determine the extent of community
involvement in the education process. Their expectation should tarry with those of the school
and to a large extent the expectations should be met.

CHAPTER – III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0Introduction
This chapter discusses how the research was conducted. It presents the procedures that
were used in conducting the study. The procedures are presented under a number of topics,
that is, research design, universe, sampling procedure, sample size, sampling area, sources of
data, methods of data collection, tools for data collection, report of data analysis including
variables used in the study and difficulties faced by the researcher.
3.1 Research design
A mixed method research design was employed in this study.
Qualitative research was employed in obtaining data from traditional leaders, head
teachers, heads of department, teachers and learners.
Aspects of quantitative research in this study include explaining raw data on learner
performance in the test to establish the inherent characteristics of the learners in the sample
especially in relation to their aptitudes. This view is supported by Creswell, J.W (2013) who
says that, ―explaining or predicting relations among variables is an important characteristic of
quantitative research.‖ On the hand, investigating the prevailing attitudes, values and
expectations of the community constitutes qualitative research as supported by Creswell, J.W.
(2013) in his assertion that, ―exploring a problem is a characteristic of a qualitative
research.‖Descriptive and inferential statistics were obtained by analyzing test results.
3.2Universe
This study revolved around an investigation into the teaching methods and techniques
used in teaching biology in schools, factors that influence the effective implementation of the
revised biology 5090 curriculum and the prevailing community attitudes, values and
expectations.
3.3Sampling procedure
The ﬁrst step in the process of collecting data is to identify the people and places you plan
to study. This involves determining whether you will study individuals or entire organizations
(e.g., schools) or some combination. If you select either individuals or organizations, you

need to decide what type of people or organizations you will actually study and how many
you will need for your research. If you select an entire school to study or a small number of
individuals, you need to consider what individuals or schools you will study. A more
advanced research process is to select individuals or schools who are representative of the
entire group of individuals or schools. These individuals are selected from group of
individuals who have the same characteristics called a population. Within this target
population, researchers then select a sample for study. This process of selecting a sample
from a population is called sampling.
The manner in which subjects are selected has important implications for identifying
factors that affect subject performance and for generalising the results (Macmillan, J.H.,
1996). Hence it is necessary to understand who the subjects are and how they are selected.
This research had multiple samples. One sample comprised up to fifty five learners
proportionally drawn from five different schools within the district. Stratified random
sampling was used to select the participants and the strata were proportional. This means 16
girls from the girls‘ school plus 6 from each of 2 schools plus 1 visually impaired girl and 1
physically disabled girl will comprise 30girls in the sample. The other 25 participants will be
boys, that is, ten from each of the 2 coeducation schools, two physically disabled boys and
three visually impaired boys.
Other respondents comprised head teachers, heads of natural sciences departments and
one biology teacher in each of the sampled schools. Schools were sampled purposefully and
the biology teachers were sampled on the basis of whoever had a class at the time their school
was visited for data collection. Traditional leaders were also sampled purposefully. Data was
collected from the village headman of any one village proximal to the school.
3.4Sample size
Four schools in the sample were co-education schools with six out of sixteen learners
making the sample being girls and the other ten being boys in two out of the four schools.
The VI unit had only 4 grade 12 learners, three of which were boys and one girl. The PD
school had 3 learners, two of which were boys. As for the girls‘ school, all the sixteen
learners constituting the sample were obviously girls. This gave a total of 55 learners.

The other respondents were five head teachers, five heads of natural sciences
departments, five biology teachers and five traditional leaders, each school and village being
represented by one of each of the stated categories of respondents.
3.5Sampling area
Five schools and their surrounding communities within Mwense district constituted the
sample. Each school had unique characteristics making the sample a complete representation
of features of all secondary schools in the district.
3.6 Sources of data
Both primary and secondary sources of data were utilised. Primary sources included
traditional leaders, head teachers, heads of natural sciences departments, biology teachers and
learners. Secondary sources of data included various literatures such as the revised biology
5090 syllabus, ZECF and all literature that was reviewed.
3.7 Method of data collection
Fifty five learners doing grade 12 in the sampled schools were given a test to assess their
levels of knowledge of selected grade 10 and 11 topics. Thirty were girls and twenty five
were boys.
The sampled learners were further subjected to observational tests to assess their
prevailing values from a sample of values specified in the revised 5090 biology syllabus. The
learners were also made to complete questionnaires to assess their perceptions of the quality
of their learning experiences.
Lesson observations in biology were also conducted at each school. One teacher was
observed per school. The teachers were those found to have a lesson in biology on the day the
school was visited.
Data was also collected from head teachers and Natural Sciences Heads of Department at
each school. This data was collected via questionnaires.
Village headmen for the villages in which each school is located were also interviewed to
collect data on the prevailing attitudes, values and expectations of the community.

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