Studying teachers’ prioritization of poverty alleviation and gender equity in the context of curriculum change

The paper aims to present the challenges faced by the schools in implementing a new curriculum designed to improve gender equity and alleviate poverty by providing opportunities for learning of disabled students in the subjects of science and mathematics. Application of Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology along with classroom observations and interviews with teachers indicates that teachers faced several problems including lack of teacher support in terms of training and development, under-prepared students, high teacher-student ratio and lack of adequate resources; all of which prevented them from effectively delivering the new curriculum. The study recognizes that mathematical and scientific literacy are global ideals that are framed in realistic day to day problems faced by the teachers such as selecting the right textbook.

These problems present significant barriers to the application of PAR methodology which merely delivers basic quantifiable outcomes as opposed to embracing the concerns on a wider context. The study concludes that change needs to be embedded within the process and dilemmas faced by the teachers can be reduced to some extent through collaborative team teaching and providing guidance on textbook selection that enables effective delivery of curriculum in a gender sensitive method.