Implementation of the new 2018 curriculum and construction of individual and collective competences in numeracy and literacy in public primary schools in yaounde vi sub-division.

Abstract

This study evaluates the implementation of the new 2018 curriculum in Cameroon and its effects on the construction of individual and collective competences in literacy and numeracy. Conducted in the public primary schools of the Yaounde VI sub-division, the research quantitatively tests the influence of three modalities of the independent variables on student achievement: teacher capacity building (IV1), instructional delivery (IV2), and resource availability (IV3). The study’s theoretical framework is drawn on Fullan’s theory of educational change to analyze the macroorganizational conditions of implementation, and on the socio-constructivist and interactive model of competence by Jonnaert and Vander Borght to understand the micro-pedagogical foundations of the competency-based approach targeted by the reform. This dual perspective allows for an analysis of both the systemic levers of change and the nature of the pedagogical transformation required at the classroom level. From a quantitative approach and based on correlation and linear regression analyses, the results are particularly telling and allow for a hierarchisation of success factors. First, the study reveals that instructional delivery (IV2), which includes the pedagogical leadership of head teachers and the support of supervisory bodies, is the most powerful predictor, alone explaining 88.3% of the variance in student competences (R=0.913, p<0.05). Then, teacher capacity building (IV1) proves to be an almost equally decisive factor, explaining 80.4% of the variance (R=0.897, p<0.05). Finally, the availability of resources (IV3), although statistically significant, has a lesser influence, explaining 54.3% of the variance (R=0.737, p<0.05). The study reveals that the success of the new 2018 curriculum implementation is fundamentally a matter of human and organisational capital. The most decisive factors are effective institutional leadership that creates a favorable ecosystem, and well-trained, competent, and supported teachers in transforming their practices towards a pedagogy of the problem-situation. While material resources are a necessary condition, they are not sufficient, and their effect is subordinate to the quality of the actors and the system that surrounds them. The suggestions emanating from the study therefore recommend prioritising continuous professional development for teachers and the training of managers (head teachers, inspectors) in pedagogical leadership, while ensuring a strategic and equitable provision of resources. This study thus provides clear lines of action for policymakers aiming to transform curricular reform into a tangible and sustainable improvement in learning for all students.