1.2 Rationale for the Curriculum Analysis

Curriculum designers, reviewers and developers take into consideration the fact that there are various approaches/models that may be followed in analysing a curriculum. This study is based on the model first drawn up by Michael Eraut (1976), which identifies the aims, objectives, content, pedagogy, and teaching/learning materials, as well as assessment procedures, and focuses on the relationships between them. Setting this in a broader context, the study tries to answer the following questions:

1) What are the overall aims of the programme?

2) How is the curriculum designed?

3) What are its historical antecedents, what past and present factors influence its form and content?

4) How has the curriculum changed over the last 20 year?

5) What characterises the different components of the curriculum - objectives, content, pedagogy and assessment?

6) How are the curriculum objectives, content, pedagogy and assessment interrelated?

7) How do the components of curriculum relate to the primary school curriculum that they are preparing to teach?

8) What are the aims of the curriculum for preparing English, Mathematics, Science and Education?

9) How is the curriculum organised to achieve these aims?

1.2.1 Sources

For the background review we have drawn on earlier reports (e.g. Otaala and Letsie 1986, Burke and Sugrue 1994, the NTTC annual Calendars), as well as on our own knowledge and interviews with key informants. In analysing the current programme, we have used the curriculum document itself (NTTC 1997).