Evolution of the Aim of Education Policy into Curricular Materials and the Status of Teachers’ Awareness and Classroom Practice

Abstract

A new Education and Training Policy was introduced in Ethiopia in 1994. The policy is identified, among many others, with the tag of problem solving education and citizen. This study scrutinized how the policy‟s aim of developing problem solving capacity is translated into curricular materials and teaching practices by addressing social studies and science textbooks and 47 teachers‟ awareness and practices. Curriculum organizational constructs such as problem situated learning, allowing students to predict, searching out knowledge, etc. were applied to this end. Results revealed that social studies and science textbooks, albeit better in comparison to social studies, were poorly aligned with requirements for developing problem solving capacity. None of the topics of these textbooks presents components of problem solving curriculum. All address the components in a disjointed manner. Teachers‟ awareness of how to develop problem solving capacity is characterized by uncertainty. Teachers‟ practice also deviates a great deal from instructional elements of problem solving. The development of problem solving capacity does not therefore seem to be properly met by textbooks‟ organizations teachers‟ awareness and practice. Suggestions for the betterment of these problems are forwarded.