Universal Journal of Educational Research Vol. 9(4), pp. 720 - 726
DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2021.090402
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Theorising Alternative Pathways for Curriculum Theorising in Africa

Kehdinga George Fomunyam ^*
Durban University of Technology, South Africa

ABSTRACT

Curriculum study has always been a contested field with alternative notions and understandings of how it should be understood, enacted, evaluated, and how curriculum should reconstitute the happenings in education. Curriculum theorising has the potential to change societies and orchestrate a way forward on a continent plagued by socio-economic and political challenges. However, curriculum theorising on the continent have failed to produce the desired outcome or the solutions which would drive innovation on the content. Curriculum theorising on the continent has been dominated by three approaches structural theorising, generic theorising, and substantive theorising. Prior to articulating new or alternative approaches to theorising curriculum on the African continent, this paper first articulates the existing approaches, giving explanations as to why they are considered insufficient to theorise the African curriculum landscape. Three key approaches that have dominated the African curriculum theorising landscape were discussed, and they include, substantive theorising, structural theorising, and generic theorising. Curriculum theorising in the era of the fourth industrial revolution needs to move away from these traditional approaches of theorising (structural, generic, and substantive theorising), as they can no longer proffer solutions that would address the ever-changing needs of the educational landscape. This study further proposes three alternative approaches to curriculum theorising: contextual theorising, responsive theorising and theoretical theorising.It concludes that these three approaches would work towards contextual relevance and global excellence for the African educational landscape as it pushes to address issues which make for quality education and responsiveness.

KEYWORDS
Curriculum, Theorising, Africa, Relevance, Responsiveness

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Kehdinga George Fomunyam , "Theorising Alternative Pathways for Curriculum Theorising in Africa," Universal Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 720 - 726, 2021. DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2021.090402.

(b). APA Format:
Kehdinga George Fomunyam (2021). Theorising Alternative Pathways for Curriculum Theorising in Africa. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 9(4), 720 - 726. DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2021.090402.