A study of primary teachers attitudes towards the ruralisation of school curriculum in English-speaking Cameroon

An attempt is made to ascertain how favourable or negative primary teachers are to some of the major and radical proposals in the report on the Reform of Primary Education, and to improve the understanding of the sources of different attitudes by relating positive attitudes (or reform-mindedness) to a series of 'explanatory' variables.

Abstract

In 1974, Institut de Pedagogie Appliquee a Vocation Rurale
\n(I.P.A.R) Buea was set up to collect and collate information, carry
\nout research, and prepare a report with proposals to the Cameroon
\nGovernment suggesting what curricular and other related reforms
\nshould be introduced into the primary school system to give it a
\ngreater environmental and rural orientation. In 1977 I.P.A.R
\nproduced its Report on the Reform of Primary Education which called
\nfor some major and radical changes in curricular, structures,
\norganisation, examination process, teaching methods, and other
\npedagogical practices of primary teachers.
\nThis study is concerned with the proposed reform and with the
\nattitudes of primary school teachers towards some of the major and
\nradical proposals in the report. Specifically an attempt is made
\nto ascertain how favourable or negative primary teachers are to
\nsome of the proposals. A further objective is to improve the
\nunderstanding of the sources of different attitudes by relating
\npositive attitudes (or reform-mindedness) to a series of 'explanatory'
\nvariables which include a set of biographical background; characteristics
\nof the teachers' pedagogical background; and aspects of the
\nteachers' orientation towards their occupational role.
\nA broad hypothesis was adopted that 'primary teachers' attitudes
\ntowards the different reform issues will be correlated to reflect a
\ncommon attitudinal dimension of general reform-mindedness'. Statistical
\nanalysis confirmed this hypothesis. Other minor hypotheses which
\nwere adopted were either confirmed or rejected depending upon the
\n'explanatory' variable used to analyse the teachers' responses.
\nThe thesis is divided into five parts. The first part (Chapters
\nOne and Two) consists of the conceptualisation of the problem and
\nanalyses the framework within which the proposed reform has to
\noperate. Part two (Chapters Three and Four) describes the primary
\nschool system, its curriculum, its historical genesis, its present
\nnature and the pressure for change. Part three (Chapters Five and
\nSix) outlines the major reform proposals, indicating items chosen
\nfor the questionnaire and describes the characteristics of the primary
\nschool teachers. In part four (Chapters Seven and Eight) the survey
\ndesign is described and hypotheses adopted. The last, part five
\n(Chapters Nine and Ten) analyses the results, discusses these results
\nand considers some of the implications deriving from them leading to
\ncertain suggestions on the way future policy may evolve.