Exploring Head Teachers' Experiences of Developing and Implementing the Local Curriculum in Kailali District

Abstract

This study aims to find out the experiences of head teachers on the development and implementation of the local curriculum in Kailali District, Nepal. Interpretive research approach with qualitative research design has been applied in this research to gain insight into participants' perceptions of local curriculum practices. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from five purposively selected head teachers of community schools and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show that head teachers consider the local curriculum to be a successful way of sustaining local and indigenous knowledge, fostering cultural identity and improving students' learning by bridging the gap between curriculum content and local contexts. While appreciating these benefits, participants identified a number of challenges such as weak policy provisions, lack of opportunities for teacher professional development, and a lack of instructional resources for implementing effectively. The research also pinpoints elements that should be taken into account in reinforcing the implementation of local curriculum such as community engagement, continuous teacher capacity building, supportive policy enacting and institutional collaboration. The results highlight the importance of a co-constructive and context-sensitive curriculum development, which takes into account the local knowledge while being aligned with the national agenda of education. This study has some implications for the policy makers, curriculum developers, school leaders and teacher educators who are interested in improving culturally relevant and locally responsive education in Nepal.