Revision of Primary I-III Science Curriculum in Somalia. African Studies in Curriculum Development & Evaluation No. 83.

This study was designed to evaluate: (1) the content of the primary I-III science curriculum in Somalia; (2) the instructional materials that back up the content and methodologies; and (3) the professional competence of the teachers in charge of teaching this subject. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire, observations, and unstructured interviews from teachers, inspectors and curriculum developers in rural and urban schools. Findings indicate that the curriculum is poorly taught in all the 50 schools examined. Specifically: the level of content is difficult for students to grasp; textbooks, which have few illustrations, are not available for all students; the level of language used in the textbooks is difficult; improvisation of such materials as textbooks and teaching aids is inadequate; the school environment is not used; teachers are crash-trained and their level of knowledge is below average; and teachers are not offered retraining courses. Based on these and other findings several recommendations are offered. They include reviewing the primary I-III syllabus in terms of topics and difficult concepts, providing primary teachers with greater background in science, and utilizing laboratories in teacher training colleges. (JN)