1. MINISTRY OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
A PRESENTATION BY
GRACE ZULU
ON
SYLLABUS INTERPRETATION
NEW PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION CURRICULUM 2015-2022
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES
0772886213 / 04333816
4. A major curriculum document which:
Prescribes what government would like to see taught
in all schools.
Outlines the experiences that learners should undergo
in a particular course of study.
Summarizes the course objectives, content, methods,
evaluation and assessment criteria.
syllabus
5. Serves as a source document for the teacher and the
learner.
Acts as a road map for the teacher and the learner.
Serves as a contract between the learner and the school.
Ensures accountability.
Ensures that teachers stick to government’s expectations in
terms of what is to be taught and learnt in schools.
Enables government achieve its national education goals.
Makes national examinations to be of the same standard.
What is the purpose of a syllabus?
6. Simply, it is the process of making sense of the syllabus.
Interpretation is about finding meaning.
It is the process of unpacking the syllabus, analysing it and synthesising it.
Syllabus interpretation attempts to put teachers at the same level.
What is syllabus interpretation?
7. New syllabuses impose new demands on the teacher
regarding content, methods and assessment.
There always exists a gap between planned curriculum and
implemented curriculum. Syllabus interpretation helps to
narrow the gap.
Syllabus interpretation prepares the teacher for effective
syllabus implementation.
Syllabus interpretation workshops are a way of
disseminating new syllabuses – a way of communicating
new information, new ideas.
Why syllabus interpretation
8. The methods of delivery.
learner centred and hands on approach
experiential learning.
problem solving methods.
Teacher is a facilitator in the learning process and
not the resevoir of knowledge.
HOW DO WE INTERPRET THE NEW
SYLLABUS?
9. Syllabus interpretation focuses on the following:
The national philosophy/vision as spelt out in the
preamble – Marrying Theory & Practice
The syllabus aims and objectives – What does the
syllabus intend to achieve within the learners?
The content – Knowledge, skills and attitudes i.e.
competences. Content constitutes the heart of the
syllabus.
How do we interpret the syllabus?
10. What is the nature and scope of the content?
- Teachers should navigate the scope and sequence which
elucidates the depth and width of content coverage per
level.
How is it organised?
The Spiral Approach (Bruner)
How many topics to be covered?
The methods of delivery – Learner Centred and Hands-
On Approach; Problem Solving Methods.
How do we interpret the syllabus?
Cont’d
11. Evaluation and Assessment – How do we check whether
indeed learners are benefiting from the syllabus
implementation?
Are objectives being met?
Evaluation/assessment can be in the form of exercises,
tests, projects.
There are two main types of evaluation:
Formative evaluation: On-going, continuous.
Summative evaluation: Coming at the end of the
course, terminal.
How do we interpret syllabus? Cont’d
12. To interpret the syllabus one needs to identify its components and
establish links between and among them. Components of the
syllabus include;
Cover page
Acknowledgements
Contents page
Preamble
Introduction
Rationale
Summary of content
Assumptions
COMPONENTS OF THE SYLLABUS
13. Cross cutting themes:
These are emerging and contemporary issues that cut across all learning areas.
Teachers should find ways of incorporating them in their teaching whenever
possible. These are:
ICT
Gender
Children rights and responsibilities
Disaster risk management
Financial literacy
Sexuality, HIV and AIDS education
Child protection
Human rights
Collaboration
Environmental issues
NB Not all cross-cutting themes can be applied in all learning areas, some are
more applicable to particular learning areas than others
14. Presentation of the syllabus
Aims
Syllabus objectives
Methodology and Time allocation
Topics
Scope and sequence
Competence matrix
Assessment
Glossary/Appendices
COMPONENTS OF THE SYLLABUS
15. How do we check whether indeed learners are benefiting
from the syllabus implementation?
Are the objectives being met?
Evaluation/assessment can be in the form of exercises,
tests, projects, group tasks.
There are two main types of evaluation:
Formative evaluation on-going/ continuous. Continuous
assessment is a major innovation in the new curriculum.
Summative evaluation; coming at the end of the course,
terminal.
Evaluation and assessment
