A study of the implementation of the 2005 english Language curriculum: a Case of the Resourced and the Better Resourced Secondary Schools in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma Regions

The study focused on the implementation of the new O-level situational curriculum released in 2005 replacing the 1996 structural curriculum. It aimed at working out the transitional problems which English teachers encountered in adopting and/or implementing the curriculum. Elienitizc’s (1981) and Trow’s (1970) guidelines for successful innovatory processes guided this study. The study was carried out in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma regions in which six (6) resourced and six (6) better resourced secondary schools were studied. It used both qualitative and quantitative approaches of data elicitation. Instruments for data collection were questionnaire, interview, documentary analysis and classroom observation. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis whereas quantitative data were tabulated, computed and put into percentages. Findings from the study revealed that English teachers had a number of transitional problems in adopting the situational curriculum. Poor students’ participation in class; inadequate instructional resources; and usage of inappropriate pedagogical approaches seemed to be very critical problems. All these hampered the implementation of the curriculum. It is recommended that consideration in curriculum design should be given to the role of teachers; non-participatory pedagogical methods should be avoided; peer collaboration strategy should be employed; and the release of the new curriculum should parallel with the timely dissemination of instructional resources.