TOPIC

FACTORS THAT IMPEDES CURRICULUM CHANGE

• The word impedes as used in the topic could mean
Hinder, hamper, obstruct, interfere, opposes…
Curriculum
• Bobbit (1918): curriculum is that series of things which children and youth must do and
experience by way of developing abilities to do things well that makes up the affairs of adult life;
and to be in all respects what adults should be.
• Caswell and Campbell (1935): curriculum is composed of all of the experiences children have
under the guides of the teacher.
Factors that impedes curriculum change
To begin with, Failure to involve teachers in the planning process
Teachers are the implementers of the curriculum and they are in the long ran going to implement
whatever changes that are in the curriculum and the instructional process. It is therefore
imperative to call upon them to make impute in the curriculum development based on their
insight into practical problems in the classroom. But in many centralised educational system like
that of Ghana curriculum planning is centralised and this leaves teachers with little opportunities
to influence the inputs in any way. They therefore see the curriculum as something been imposed
on them from above to implement. The outcome of this neglect is that teachers get frustrated at
their inability to make needed suggestions for improvement and there by approach the
implementation of the innovation with very little commitment. As a corollary to the above point
lack of clarity on the part of teachers can also pose a problem to a curriculum change. i.e. if
teachers do not understand what the change is about their effort in interpreting and implementing
the new curriculum will be minimal as they will not know what exactly they must impart to the
learners.

In addition, The problem of time

Curriculum designing, try-out, field trial, printing and dissemination take a lot of time.
Sometimes, attempt at curriculum change are met with stiff opposition from parents and other
interested member of the curriculum. Consequently, if the region in power feels that it cannot
afford the time, patience and endurance to push the desired changes to their logical conclusion,
then changes will be hindered. The problem of time also has to do with when the programme has
to commence
More importantly, The problem of resistance to change
Sometimes the implementations of innovation become a problem as a result of long established
tradition or ways of doing things. In this instance teacher, parents, administrators, politicians and
sometimes the learners themselves become so much used to the old ways of doing things that they
ted much threatens when changes are proposed. They do play all sorts of tricks in order to
prevent certain changes.
The above points notwithstanding, Attitudes of parents
The primary aim of parents in sending their wards to school is for them to come out successfully
as learned citizens in order to become independent in the long ran. Passing exams therefore is
very important to parents. They therefore tend to be suspicious to changes particularly when it
involves their children spending time on so-called scientific experiments, learning by doing,
manipulating objects and going on excursions, study trip and the like. They feel that such
activities take up so much of the students’ time and that they could have being engaged in
acquiring knowledge that will directly have a bearing on their success on examination. As a
matter of facts many parents attributes falling standards in education to the many instances of
innovative measures in the curriculum and as a result from on curriculum change. Also, there are
people who feel that the status quo must be maintained and therefore make frantic effort to resist
any change in the curriculum. As people generally prefer familiar tings to the unknown some
teachers refuse to implements innovative ideas and methods because they would simply not accept
anything that they have not tried before in the past.

Moreover, Inadequate preparation

At times, the desire to change so much within a short time result in inadequate preparation. This
poor preparation always result in unsuccessful attempt and innovation e.g. it is of the opinion of
many people that the mass failure of the SSS pioneer was due inadequate preparation in terms of
training of teachers, the application of textbook and other teaching and learning resources.
More so, Inadequate material resources
Curriculum change is greatly hindered when textbooks and other instructional materials
reflecting the change are tacking. In those situations the plane changes cannot take place at the
classroom level to any appreciable extent. The reason is that in the absence of such resource
teachers quickly result to their old ways of doing things.

Disagreement between and among policy makers

When policy makers themselves do not agree on key issues in the innovation to change suffers.
This problem arises where there are conflicting ideas in the pronouncement of key policy makers
this confuses the implementers of the change and therefore become divided in their loyalty to the
programme. Such confession breads apathy and result in lack of commitment to the
implementation process
lack of political will
lack of financial resources
resistance from authors of textbook, producers of materials and equipment as well as examination
bodies.
Finally, when teachers, resources person and other participant in the implementation process are
given added responsibility without commensurate remuneration for it attempt at curriculum
innovation fails.
 In conclution
• We discussed factors that impedes curriculum change
• Failure to involve teachers in the planning process
• The problem of time
• The problem of resistance to change
• Inadequate preparation
• Inadequate material resources
• Disagreement between and among policy makers