Basic School Teachers’ Perceptions about Curriculum Design in Ghana

Abstract

This study focused on teachers’ perceptions about curriculum design and barriers to their participation. The sample size was 130 teachers who responded to a questionnaire. The analyses made use of descriptive statistics and descriptions. The study found that the level of teachers’ participation in curriculum design is low. The results further showed that the importance of teachers taking part in curriculum design include contributing to  successful implementation of curriculum, knowing the needs of the students, developing some skills and contributing their knowledge in the design process. Finally, huge workload, lack of expertise, inadequate funding and lack of availability of information emerged as the major barriers to teachers’ participation in curriculum design. The study recommends that decentralization of the curriculum design process and providing school curriculum leaders are appropriate for increasing the level of teachers’ engagement in curriculum development.

Keywords: curriculum, curriculum design, teacher, barriers, participation