Factors influencing the implementation of the local curriculum in Mozambique: a study carried out in ZIP1 schools in Marrupa

Abstract

The research was conducted in a context of profound political, social, economic and cultural transformations, highlighting the difficulty of Mozambican education in implementing the local curriculum in schools. The central question of the study was to understand how the influencing factors contribute to the implementation of the Local Curriculum (LC). The general objective was to identify the factors that impact on this process, and this was broken down into four specific objectives: (i) To investigate perceptions of the relevance of the local curriculum; (ii) To identify the strategies adopted by schools to overcome the challenges of its implementation; (iii) To assess the involvement of the community in this process; (iv) To analyze the obstacles faced by teachers. The research adopted the interpretative paradigm, with a qualitative approach. Data was collected through observation, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The results revealed that there is no implementation of the local curriculum in ZIP1 schools in Marrupa. The main obstacles identified were: lack of seminars to train teachers in specific CL methodologies and practices; gaps in the definition of tasks and responsibilities of influencing factors; lack of initiative and openness on the part of school managers; lack of dissemination of CL; and an insufficient research culture among teachers. In addition, the local curriculum in Mozambique is perceived more as a political agenda associated with economic power than as a structuring and organizational instrument. As a result, it is difficult to exploit the margins of autonomy in curriculum development in this education subsystem.