TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 DECLERATION ............................................................................................................................................. II DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................................ 111 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ V LIST OF TABLES .. ................ ........................... ....... ....... .. ..... .... . .' .......... VII ACRONIMS ................................................................................................................................................ Vlll DEFINITION OF TERMS ............................................................................................................................ IX ABSTRUCT ..................................................................................................................................................... X CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................................... 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...................... .. ....... ................................. ........................................................................ 1 1.1 BACK GROUND OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY .......................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY .... : ................................................................................................ 4 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .......................................... ................................................................. ................ . 4 1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY .............................................................................................................................. 5 1. 7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY .................................................................................................................. 5 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................................. 7 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 7 2. 0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. .......... ............................ 7 2.1 CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................. ... 7 2.2 MAJOR AIMS OF THE THEMATIC CURRICULUM IN UGANDA ...................... .............................................. 9 2.4 POSSIBLE PROBLEMS BEING E NCOUNTERED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE THEMATIC CURRICULUM ........................... : ................................................................................... .. .............................. 12 CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................................................... 13 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 13 3. 0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................... .. ........................................................................... 13 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN .... ............... ............ ....... .................................................... ...................................... 13 3.2 RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT ......... ............................ .... .......... ........... ....... ..................................... ........... 13 3.3 RESPONDENTS OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................................ 13 v =-~-~- _· -~ . ~ -- ---------.-_ - - - -~ ____ -_----_-·-- - - -------- ------ 3.4 SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION ............................................................................................................. 14 3.5 INSTRUMENTS OF DATA COLLECTION .............................................................. .. ................................... 14 3.6METHODOFDATAANALYSIS .................................... ...... .................. .... .............. ....................... ............ 14 CHAPTER FOUR .......................................................................................................................................... lS DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ......................................................... 15 4. 0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ .............. ........................ 15 4.1 DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS ........................................................... ........................... ................... .. . 15 4 .2 TEACHERS' AWARENESS ABOUTMAIOR AlMS OF THE TC ....................... ........ .................................. ... 16 4.3 IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF THE TC & HOW IT WORKS .................. .............. .......... ............. ......... ..... 19 4.4 TEACHERS ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TC. ................................................ 22 4. 5 PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TC ........... ........................................... 24 4.5 SOLUTIONS TO TC PROBLEMS ABOVE ................. ........ .......... .... ............................................... .. ... 26 CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................................................................ 29 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................. 29 5. 0 INTRODUCTION ............................. .. ......................... .. .... .......... ...... ............... ........................ ......... ........ 29 5.1 SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS ... .. ....... ........ .. .... .............. .. .. .. .............................................................. 29 5.2 CONCLUSION ...... .... ............................. ..................................... .. .. ..................... ............ ......................... 30 53 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... .. ..... ................ ..................... ........ ...... ......................... ................ ................ ..... 31 5.4 AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ............. ............................................................ ...................... .... .. .... . 32 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................•........................................ 33 APPENDIX A: INTRODUCTORY LETTER ................................................•............................................. A APPENDIX B: ACCEPTANCE LETTER .................................................................................................... B APPENDIX C: RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS ............................................................................................ C Vl ... LIST OFT ABLES TABLE 4.1: DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS BY GENDER ............................................... 15 TABLE 4.2: DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS BY EDUCATION LEVEL .............................. 16 TABLE 4.3: DESCRIPTION.OF RESPONDENTS BY SUBJECT (S) TAUGHT ........................... 16 TABLE4.4: TEACHER'SAWARENESSABOUTTCAIMS ..................................................... 17 TABLE4.5: WHYTHEGOVERNMENTINTRODUCED THE TC: TEACHERSAWARENESS ..... 18 TABLE 4.6: TEACHERS VIEWS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TC TO THE LEARNERS 19 TABLE 4. 7: CLASSES IN WHICH THE TC IS BEING IMPLEMENTED • ................................. 19 TABLE4.8: IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF THE TC ......................................................... 20 TABLE 4.9 HOW TEACHERS FIND THE TC LESSON PLAN GUIDELINES ............................ 21 TABLE 4.10HOWTEACHERS FIND THE TC TEXT BOOKS ................................................ 21 TABLE4.11: TEACHERS ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TC. ......... 23 TABLE 4.13: FACE PROBLEMS IN USE OF LOCAL LANGUAGE ......................................... 26 TABLE 4.14 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS OF TC ................................................. 27 Vll TC MOES NCDC ACRONIMS Thematic Curriculum. Ministry of Education and Sports. National Curriculum Development Centre. Vlll ---::. ---=~-: - _- -- -~ ____ .. __ - - --~- --- ----------:-- ---- ~~ -=---=--==-===-=-.=_-_::--=----==---:.,_---::::_-_ - -- - - ~ -=---=---===------------ -- -- - ~- -=---- DEFINITION OF TERMS Attitude; The like or dislike of some thing, in this case the TC and the positive or negative views about some thing. Curriculum; a syllabus or a list of courses of study and their descriptions. Implementation; putting in practice or operation a given plan, in this case the TC in order to achieve the set goals and objectives. IX

ABSTRACT

This study set out to examine teachers' attitude towards the implementation of the thematic curriculum (TC) in Bujumba Sub-County, Kalan gala District Uganda. The researcher specifically wanted to identify the major aims of the TC, how it works, its implementation status, possible problems encountered and the attitude and awareness of teachers towards its implementation. The researcher employed a simple survey research design to explore into the topic of study, using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Classroom teachers were the major respondents of this study. Random sampling was used to select 50% of the schools in Bujumba and to select 30 teachers to answer the questionnaires which were self administered by the researcher. Data was analyzed using SPSS data processor. Frequency counts, cross tabulations and the chi-square were the statistical techniques use in data analysis. The findings indicate that most teachers (73%) were grade three and that about 46% of them are unaware ofthe five aims of the TC (Early breakthrough to literacy) and on others, teachers were less aware. Also most teachers were not aware of why the government introduced the TC (55%, 18%, 23%, 18% and 5% respectively - see table 4.5), however most teachers were aware 'of the aims (91%, 68%, 73%, 73% and 100% respectively- table 4.6). Also 91% new the classes in which TC is implemented (P 1 - P3) and 77% schools had received TC text books and lesson plan guidelines. About 64% teachers are not contented by rate at which TC moves, yet 68% still find lesson plan guidelines difficult. It was also found out that 50% teachers have a negative attitude towards the implementation of the TC. The most serious problem encountered by teachers in implementation of the TC is inadequate instructional materials (91 %), textbooks (68%) and local language ( 41%0. The most immediate solutions to the above problems are providing adequate teaching learning materials (86%0, sensitizing teachers and parents (73%), providing more teachers (32%) and increasing their pay (23%). The researcher concluded that most schools are dominated by low grade teachers, there is scarcity of English and science teachers, teachers' awareness about TC is still low and most of them have negative attitudes towards TC. The most serious problems encountered by teachers with TC is inadequate instructional materials but the biggest cause is unaware. The researcher recommends that the government should revise the TC and involve the teachers more in its improvement and developing instructional materials, and provide and train more teachers in the TC, as this will promote their awareness and boost their attitude towards the TC.