REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON

Paix – Travail – Patrie Peace – Work – Fatherland

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MINISTERE DE L’EDUCATION DE BASE MINISTRY OF BASIC EDUCATION
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INSPECTION GENERALE DES ENSEIGNEMENTS INSPECTORATE GENERAL OF EDUCATION
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MODULE 4

THE TEACHING/LEARNING PROCESS IN

THE NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL
SECTORS
July 2018

Prepared by
Mrs Ndayi Claudette, Mrs Morh Florence, Mrs Mundi Hortensia, Mr John
Tambe, Mrs Ule Helen and Mrs Wirsiy Hedwig

Inspectorate General of Education

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A/ Objectives of the module
 Identify the key learning/teaching strategies/materials (K)
 Use the Project-Based Learning approach as a process and as a product
(S)
 Demonstrate how to use the curriculum (S)
 Demonstrate knowledge of using ICTs to: teach, teach with and teach
through (S)
 Carry out classroom activities in an integrative manner (S)
 Identify key issues in the learning/teaching of National Languages
 Establish a sense of tolerance in the use of any preferred languages
(especially National) in the classroom (A)
 Show commitment to implementing the new curriculum (A)

B/ Teaching various activities in the Nursery

Teaching in the Nursery school will be centred on the eight integrated-learning
themes namely:
1. The school community
2. The body
3. The family and the home
4. Festivities/Celebrations
5. Plants
6. Animals
7. Occupations
8. Travelling
In order to do this with ease, you will have to use the integrated-theme and the
Project-Based Learning methods. They are briefly explained below:

i) Integrated-theme Learning
The themes will help in connecting various activities. Young learners see things
as a whole rather than as chunks, hence integrated learning themes are unifying
factors that will help make the teaching-learning process more interesting. This
is equally useful in Project-based Learning. These themes can help in
introducing aspects of the hidden curriculum. A theme may run for one month
during which, even if contents that centreon the theme is not readily available in
all the activities, opportunities should be created to link them up. However, note
should be taken that making the link between the themes and the contents should
not be forced. Some activities will naturally accommodate, while others will not.
That should not be a cause for alarm.

ii) Project-Based Learning (PBL)

Project-based learning is an effective way of connecting Nursery School
activities to the child’s world and hence integrating the four broad-based
competences: Intellectual, Methodological, Personal and Inter-personal, and
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Communication. It is interesting to note that these competences cover the
purpose of Nursery Education which is to aid the holistic development of the
child. PBL is an “investigative” or “discovery” type of learning. In fact, it is a
research-based method of learning, wherein together with the learners, questions
are asked, investigated and solutions proposed and presented.
If we commit to project-based learning, we will solve many problems and make
the learning/teaching process at any level of education more skill-based. The
points that follow will help us practice project-based learning more comfortably.

How to carry out project-based learning

1. Identify a problem: This can be done either through observing learners’
interests or by asking learners leading questions. A project is designed as a
solution to the problem identified.
2. Identify all the parts of a project namely: Beginning, progression and a
culminating event. That is, we must master how we have to start off with the
project because as mentioned earlier it should be a process that involves
learning across the curriculum/across all subjects. There is a progression
(part) in a project in Project-Based Learning in order to show that the project
is not an end in itself but a means to an end. This simply means that the
subjects/activities are taught in order to be used in producing something.
3. Brainstorm with colleagues about the progression and set aside a “Project
Book” where ideas are jotted down. Points about the progress of the project
should equally be jotted (Monitoring progress). This will help us see what is
working and what is not working and reformulate questions and bring out
more concrete solutions. This will also lead or aid in the culmination event
where the entire process will be explained. NB: when you have a mini
presentation the teacher will be aiding learners with supporting ideas.
4. Discuss with learners. Learners are skilfully guided both in class and at the
project site towards the realisation of the project. Note should be taken that
the learner’s place should not be taken up by the teacher; they should be
guided to complete or carry out their tasks. The tasks should not be carried
out for them. (leading questions and clues are vital)
5. Assign a role to every learner. No learner should feel isolated or abandoned
nor left behind. Assigning roles to each and every one of them empowers
them and builds a spirit of togetherness, initiative, creativity, and
responsibility in the learner.
6. Discuss the progress of the project with individual learners, groups and with
the whole class. Discussing the progress of the project entails participation,
improving on aspects that are lacking and making the project participants
(learners) feel anxious to complete the task/solve the problem.
7. Respect all the three parts of the project that is, introduction (Identifying a
project and talking about it), progression (carrying out the project) and the
culmination event (presenting and evaluating the project).

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 NB: The culmination event is very important and should not be left out. It
must be a presentation by the learners while the teacher evaluates the success
of the project with the help of the points in the “Project book”. Project-based
learning helps us to evaluate our learners as many times as we deem
necessary.

Why PBL?
 Promotes lifelong learning skills
 Enhances logical thinking
 Promotes team spirit/hard work
 Promotes entrepreneurial skills
 Promotes bonding and interaction
 Creates responsible attitudes in learners
 Helps learners to manage their resources
 Motivates learners
 Builds confidence in learners
 Renders learning practical
 Situates learning in a real life situation
 Makes learners inquisitive/curious
 Develops problem-solving skills in learners
 Improves on learners communication skills

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C/The practical integrated approach to the learning/teaching
process in the Nursery School
The first thing to come into our minds we must bear in mind the competences
that are found in the Cameroon National Core Skills Framework which are
the guiding principles for the learning-teaching process in all Nursery,
Primary and Schools. (four broad-based competences and the seven national
core skills). We must readily know the 5 domains per sub sector and the
percentages per domain not forgetting the competence each domain is
developing.
We bore must bear in mind the eight integrated themes and the role it plays
in the learning-teaching process and in PBL
From the eight integrated learning themes, learning contexts will be
developed following a period of four weeks. These contexts will be broken
down from the integrated themes. At times we can break them down to four
weeks and at other times we run them through for the whole month. Note
should be taken here that the context is borne from the integrated theme in
order not to make the teaching-learning process monotonous and boring.
That is, aligning around the same thing. Note should equally be taken that
integration is not forced. Where it can’t be shown in the schemes we leave
the liberty and inspiration to when we will be doing the lesson plans. That is,
we show only the concept to be taught. Where we are unable to develop a
context via the integrated theme for the month, we can do it via the activity’s
concept/contents. Do not lose focus of the fact that whilst integrating peculiar
concepts related to activities/subjects in the projects, there is contents’
knowledge that needs to be grasped and must appear in the lesson plan
preparation. The concept/subject’s contents’ comes first then the integrated
nature follows especially in the higher primary level.
The learning outcomes should be broken down from the broader ones in the
curriculum and stated in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes. They are
not yet SMART since the implementation proper will be at the level of the
lesson plans, this will be reflected in the lessons.
An Integrated lesson unit has been presented in a separate document wherein,
we have immersed all the activities for each day into a continuum. We have
merge individual lesson plans into general lesson plans in order to simplify
the teacher’s work.
D/ Teaching ICTs, teaching through ICTs and teaching with
ICTS
I. The Teaching of ICT and Pedagogic Integration of ICT

In the school environment, digital literacy refers to the ability of teachers to integrate ICTs in
the teaching and learning process. It also refers to the ability of teachers and school
administrators to use digital devices to enhance their daily practices and improve on their
professional development.

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The introduction of ICT in the classroom is geared towards enabling learners develop the
following:
- Learning about ICTs: Children develop skills and knowledge in the potential uses of
ICTs to support learning. Here the focus is on teaching ICT as a subject. Focus should
be placed on content material such as types of ICT tools and their uses.
- Learning through ICTs: Children use ICTs to develop new abilities, attitudes and
skills. Through their collaborative work with ICT tools, children learn manners, which
will enable them to socialize properly. Children use ICTs to acquire new knowledge in
the other subjects.
- Learning with ICTs: Children use ICT resources to enhance the knowledge acquired
in other subjects through practice and knowledge transfer. The teacher in teaching
some concepts like speaking or listening, use tape recorders to record the news from a
reliable source, ask pupils to listen and pose some questions to verify if they retained
they had listened to. He may also ask them to listen and repeat certain words. The
keyboard of a mobile telephone can be used to teach notions like letters of the alphabet
in English and French and numbers and numeration in mathematics. Tape recorders
could also be used to teach story telling. A list of ICT tools and possible activities that
can be used to teach have been provided in table 2.
II. Teaching Approaches/Techniques
In order to achieve this, hands-on activities and pupil-centred approach are the methods
recommended for teaching with and through ICTs. Learning and teaching situations should be
contextualized with emphasis on interactivity and play. Teachers are advised to use practical
work, explanations with diagrams, video, recorded sounds, real objects, etc., where necessary.
Educational games, good computer supported learning packages and simple graphics software
can give pupils a sound introduction to using the computer for the first time. The strategy used
should be pupil-centred and hands-on activities. Teachers should always guide pupils
towards self exploration, productive activities, creativity and invention.
Teachers may initially create simple exercises such as sample documents on Compact discs
and require pupils first to open, modify and resave files; then to progress to more difficult
exercises such as the use of dictionary, thesaurus, spelling and grammar checkers.
“A picture can tell more than a thousand words”. A large variety of reports can be illustrated
by different graphic representations, for example, line graphs, bar charts or pie charts. To
motivate learners, examples should be used which make an appropriate use obvious.
Examples might be found in the school environment, in data about the school community, in
the business world and in daily or weekly newspapers.
III. Suggested Teaching/learning materials
Minimum necessary instructional materials for the teaching of ICTs are classified in
two groups, namely: semi concrete and concrete materials as illustrated in the table below:
Table 1: Concrete and semi concrete teaching materials
Semi concrete materials Concrete materials
Sketches of ICT tools Drums, flutes, gongs, bells, xylophones, etc.
Diverse pictures Different types of computers: desktops,
laptops with their main components
Diagrams Printers
Fabricated objects modelling ICT devices Uninterrupted power suppliers (UPS)
Charts modelling ICT devices Flash disk
Magazines CD-ROM, DVD
News paper articles Webcams

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 Different types of electronic games
Video projector
Interactive white boards
Cameras
Radio set, television set
Telephones (landline and mobile)
iPod
Application software
Systems software
Video films

Table 2: Some ICT tools and activities that can be taught using them

No ICT Tools Activities

I Radio Storytelling, Poetry/ Rhymes, French, Sign Language

and gestures, Mathematics, ICTs, Sensory and
Perceptive Education, Science and Technology,
Agriculture, Citizenship, Moral/Character Education,
Environmental Education, Safety Education,
Health Education and Nutrition, Music and dancing
II Television/CD/DVD Storytelling, Poetry/ Rhymes, French, Sign Language
and gestures, Mathematics, ICTs, Sensory and
Perceptive Education, Science and Technology,
Agriculture, Citizenship, Moral/Character Education,
Environmental Education, Safety Education,
Health Education and Nutrition, Music and dancing,
Drawing and Colouring, Painting, Graphic art,
Handwork, Music and dancing, Physical Education
and Sports

III Overhead projector Storytelling, Poetry/ Rhymes, French, Sign Language

and gestures, Mathematics, ICTs, Sensory and
Perceptive Education, Science and Technology,
Agriculture, Citizenship, Moral/Character Education,
Environmental Education, Safety Education,
Health Education and Nutrition, Music and dancing

IV Telephones/tablets Storytelling, Poetry/ Rhymes, French, Sign Language

and gestures, Mathematics, ICTs, Sensory and
Perceptive Education, Science and Technology,
Agriculture, Citizenship, Moral/Character Education,
Environmental Education, Safety Education,
Health Education and Nutrition, Music and dancing

V Computer Storytelling, Poetry/ Rhymes, French, Sign Language

and gestures, Mathematics, ICTs, Sensory and
Perceptive Education, Science and Technology,
Agriculture, Citizenship, Moral/Character Education,
Environmental Education, Safety Education,

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 Health Education and Nutrition, Music and dancing

VI Cameras Storytelling, Poetry/ Rhymes, French, Sign Language

and gestures, Mathematics, ICTs, Sensory and
Perceptive Education, Science and Technology,
Agriculture, Citizenship, Moral/Character Education,
Environmental Education, Safety Education,
Health Education and Nutrition, Music and dancing

E/ Specificities of National Languages and Cultures

National language and culture falls within the core competence to
Communicate in the two official languages (English and French) and at least one mother
tongue with the ability to listen, speak, read and write them.
Learners are therefore expected to
- Systematically progress in language acquisition from the known to the unknown;
- Develop a positive mind set about their cultures and be culturally enrooted;
- Practice aspects of their cultures;
- Develop a vocabulary which is useful, adapted, precise and concise viz – a – viz their
social milieu
i/ Definition of related terms
 Language is a communication tool with specific symbols and signs,
 National languages are languages of Cameroonian origin spoken in Cameroon,
 Culture refers to values, norms, beliefs, behaviour and material objects that
constitute a people’s way of life.
 National culture refers to values, norms, beliefs, behaviour and material objects
that constitute a people’s way of life first within the Cameroonian nation and
secondly within the several ethnic groups in the country,
 National language and culture
ii) Scope of contents
o The General Alphabet for Cameroonian Languages (AG LC )
o The English alphabet
o Experimental languages ( bassa, ewondo, ghomela, fulfude and duala)
o Languages of pupils in the classroom
o Languages in the community or within the subdivision
o Grammar and vocabulary
o Cultural aspects like meals, dressing, practices in given life’s events, significant
moments like Births, Marriage, Death, Community Life, Traditional interpretation
of nature etc.
o Integrated learning themes

Nursery School Level I Level II Level III

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  The school  The home  The home   Nature 
community  The village,  The village,  The village,
the town  The town  the town 
 The body
 The school  The school   The school
 The family and the  Occupations  Occupation   Occupations 
home  Travelling  Travelling   Travelling
 Festivities/  Health   Health   Health 
Celebrations  Games  Games  Sports and
 Plants  Traditions   Traditions  leisure
 Animals  Communicatio  Communicatio  The ages of
n n life
 Occupations  Customs
 Travelling and
tradition
 The
universe
and space

iii) Methods
Flipped classroom
In a flipped classroom situation learning activities,
 move from generalities to specificities
 move from group learning space to individual learning space
 are based on individual research/assignments out of the traditional classroom
Flipping keepspupils busy and allows for real differentiation in terms of learning pace
and acquisition of K S As

To implement a flipped classroom the teacher needs to

 Plan procedures and define actors;
 Record or document procedures (a blue print);
 Share plans with pupils;
 Change or make adjustments together with pupils;
 Group pupils if possible following criteria;
 Regroup and if possible swap members of groups.
 Make the task engaging and clear;
 Let pupils actually go more in-depth to dig up material after introducing the
concept.
Other methods
These will include:
-Illustrative learning with the use of images and drawings
-Demonstrative methodsthrough dance, games and simulations
-Active learningallows pupils to apply concepts in class where they can ask peers or
instructors for feedback and clarification
-Peer instruction will permit pupils to teach each other by explaining concepts or
working on small problems
-Collaborative learning activities could increase student engagement, enhance
student understanding, and promote collective intelligence
-Project -based learning

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 -Discussions and will give pupils the opportunity to articulate their thoughts on the
spot and to develop their arguments in support of their opinions or claims. They can
describe and bring out the pros and cons of certain cultural phenomena
-Interdisciplinary approach whereby, resources got from one language or even subject could
be exploited in another, through the process of language transfer
-Inter complementary aspects of national language and those of culture

 Teaching learning activities

o Drama and sketches
o Conversation and dialogue
o Debates and round table conferences
o Recitations and poems
o Storytelling
o Listening comprehension
o Artefacts review (archaeological)
o Picture reading
o Visits to museums or cultural centres

 Didactic material
o Real objects
o Artefacts
o Charts and pictures
o Print documents
o Magazines
o Video and audio clips
o The AGLC flip chart
o Letter and word cards
o Puzzles
o Exhibition Corners

 Resource persons, places and activities

o The chief’s palace
o Museums/archaeological sites
o Parents/Elders
o Physical features in the locality
o Cultural ceremony
o Religious communities

Evaluation criteria
Verify,Assess,Observe or Determine
 the learners willingness to speak in mother tongue
 the respect of rules related to the spoken languages
 audibility, fluency, articulation, intonation, sustained dialogue and animation
 aspects of form and neatness in writing.
 learners’ behaviour and mode in a Cultural setting
 willingness to act
 interactions with others and evaluate assignments and projects
 aspects of creativity and innovation
 research skills and ability to look for information

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Workshop task- In groups
Simulate the teaching and learning of National Language and Culture in a class
1- where half of the pupils speak a common language
2- where there is an experimental language
3- with several languages; non with majority
For each of the scenarios, select an integrated theme, given content and clearly bring out
aspects of language and culture.

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