Curriculum reform in Solomon Islands: a shift from Eurocentrism to Solcentrism in curriculum making

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Lingam, Govinda Ishwar;Burnett, Greg;Lilo, Jullian Fenney;Lingam, Narsamma
Abstract

This article focuses on school curriculum documents. It specifically investigates teachers’ perceptions of curriculum in the Solomon Islands context. Using a questionnaire as a means of gathering data, a sample of 35 teachers were asked to provide their perceptions about the curriculum documents for three subject areas, using criteria developed by Print (Curriculum development and design, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1993)—interest, authenticity, appropriateness, organization and balance, and technical quality. The analysis of the data suggests that the local curriculum documents for Social Studies have been received by teachers much more positively compared with the foreign curriculum documents in English and Mathematics. This implies that in both curriculum development work and the delivery of education, it may be preferable to contextualize the curriculum documents to suit the local context. The study has implications for curriculum development in other Pacific Island countries that were colonies of metropolitan powers and even in other small island developing states worldwide.

Journal

Asia-Pacific Education Researcher

Publication Name

N/A

Volume

23

ISBN/ISSN

2243-7908

Edition

N/A

Issue

3

Pages Count

9

Location

N/A

Publisher

Springer

Publisher Url

N/A

Publisher Location

N/A

Publish Date

N/A

Url

N/A

Date

N/A

EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1007/s40299-013-0109-6