Forces Influencing Technical Mathematics Curriculum Implementation: Departmental Heads’ Understanding of Their Practices to Enact Roles and Responsibilities
This qualitative study explores forces influencing the practices of Departmental Heads (DHs) in enacting their roles in implementing and managing Technical Mathematics (TMAT) curriculum. TMAT was piloted in a few South African schools in 2016 and later scaled to others. Since its inception, learner...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/1/103 |
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| author | Mfundo Mondli Khoza Annatoria Zanele Ngcobo |
| author_facet | Mfundo Mondli Khoza Annatoria Zanele Ngcobo |
| author_sort | Mfundo Mondli Khoza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This qualitative study explores forces influencing the practices of Departmental Heads (DHs) in enacting their roles in implementing and managing Technical Mathematics (TMAT) curriculum. TMAT was piloted in a few South African schools in 2016 and later scaled to others. Since its inception, learner performance has been uneven, raising questions about the processes of managing and implementing the curriculum. We use Samuel’s Force Field Model to understand forces influencing DH practices in their quest to implement and manage the curriculum. Data were generated using one-on-one interviews and document analysis and thematically analysed using NVivo. The findings reveal that contextual and external forces are the main factors that influence DH practices when it comes to the implementation and management of the curriculum. These forces influence practices such that the roles and responsibilities are carried out mainly for compliance purposes. While in theory, DHs seem to believe in collaboration, they prefer working in silos and perceive that the success of the TMAT curriculum implementation should be at the hands of seasoned mathematics teachers. In addition, they seem to consider curriculum implementation and management to be solely about ensuring curriculum coverage. We argue that to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the TMAT curriculum, there is a need for the continuous professional development of DHs, such that they are able to balance external forces and internal forces. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3f61bd0a03ce45eab0666463afeb0964 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-3f61bd0a03ce45eab0666463afeb09642025-01-24T13:30:36ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022025-01-0115110310.3390/educsci15010103Forces Influencing Technical Mathematics Curriculum Implementation: Departmental Heads’ Understanding of Their Practices to Enact Roles and ResponsibilitiesMfundo Mondli Khoza0Annatoria Zanele Ngcobo1Department of Mathematics Education, School of Education, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood Campus, Durban 4000, South AfricaDepartment of Mathematics Education, School of Education, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood Campus, Durban 4000, South AfricaThis qualitative study explores forces influencing the practices of Departmental Heads (DHs) in enacting their roles in implementing and managing Technical Mathematics (TMAT) curriculum. TMAT was piloted in a few South African schools in 2016 and later scaled to others. Since its inception, learner performance has been uneven, raising questions about the processes of managing and implementing the curriculum. We use Samuel’s Force Field Model to understand forces influencing DH practices in their quest to implement and manage the curriculum. Data were generated using one-on-one interviews and document analysis and thematically analysed using NVivo. The findings reveal that contextual and external forces are the main factors that influence DH practices when it comes to the implementation and management of the curriculum. These forces influence practices such that the roles and responsibilities are carried out mainly for compliance purposes. While in theory, DHs seem to believe in collaboration, they prefer working in silos and perceive that the success of the TMAT curriculum implementation should be at the hands of seasoned mathematics teachers. In addition, they seem to consider curriculum implementation and management to be solely about ensuring curriculum coverage. We argue that to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the TMAT curriculum, there is a need for the continuous professional development of DHs, such that they are able to balance external forces and internal forces.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/1/103curriculum implementationcurriculum monitoringcurriculum sustainabilitydepartmental headtechnical mathematics |
| spellingShingle | Mfundo Mondli Khoza Annatoria Zanele Ngcobo Forces Influencing Technical Mathematics Curriculum Implementation: Departmental Heads’ Understanding of Their Practices to Enact Roles and Responsibilities Education Sciences curriculum implementation curriculum monitoring curriculum sustainability departmental head technical mathematics |
| title | Forces Influencing Technical Mathematics Curriculum Implementation: Departmental Heads’ Understanding of Their Practices to Enact Roles and Responsibilities |
| title_full | Forces Influencing Technical Mathematics Curriculum Implementation: Departmental Heads’ Understanding of Their Practices to Enact Roles and Responsibilities |
| title_fullStr | Forces Influencing Technical Mathematics Curriculum Implementation: Departmental Heads’ Understanding of Their Practices to Enact Roles and Responsibilities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forces Influencing Technical Mathematics Curriculum Implementation: Departmental Heads’ Understanding of Their Practices to Enact Roles and Responsibilities |
| title_short | Forces Influencing Technical Mathematics Curriculum Implementation: Departmental Heads’ Understanding of Their Practices to Enact Roles and Responsibilities |
| title_sort | forces influencing technical mathematics curriculum implementation departmental heads understanding of their practices to enact roles and responsibilities |
| topic | curriculum implementation curriculum monitoring curriculum sustainability departmental head technical mathematics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/1/103 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mfundomondlikhoza forcesinfluencingtechnicalmathematicscurriculumimplementationdepartmentalheadsunderstandingoftheirpracticestoenactrolesandresponsibilities AT annatoriazanelengcobo forcesinfluencingtechnicalmathematicscurriculumimplementationdepartmentalheadsunderstandingoftheirpracticestoenactrolesandresponsibilities |