Implementing the standards-based curriculum: The roles of reform vision, incentives and action plan in teacher experiences

Abstract

This phenomenological study examined the roles of vision, action plan, and incentives in implementing a standards-based curriculum in La-Nkwantanang, Ghana, using the Knoster (1991) model. Pre-tertiary teachers have indicated they are experiencing challenges implementing the new curriculum; however, only a few studies have examined the role of vision, action plan and incentives in curriculum reforms. The purpose of this paper was to discover the roles vision, action plan and incentives play in implementing the standards-based curriculum in La-Nkwantanang. The selected participants were: a circuit supervisor, a headteacher, and seven trained pre-tertiary teachers. Data were collected through interviews, observation, and document analysis. Data were analyzed using Saldana’s (2013) sub-coding method. The results of this work strengthened the generalization of Knoster’s change management theory as an effective model for examining teachers’ concerns during a reform. Teachers recommended (a) commitment to the reform action plan, (b) re-communication of the reform vision, and (c) provision of external incentives.