African Educational Research Journal - Full Length Research Paper - Analysis of linkages between the primary and junior secondary schools agriculture curricular in Botswana - December 2015

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanford

The purpose of this study is to describe linkages between primary and junior secondary school agriculture syllabi in Botswana, focusing on subject matter contents, goals, objectives, and the cognitive domain of learning in selected topics. A mixed-method approach combines content analysis with a survey of 50 in-service agriculture students using a validated pre-structured questionnaire. Findings show more topics and objectives in primary schools and note that biotechnology is not taught in secondary schools; soils is more component-based at primary level. Most objectives target lower cognitive levels (knowledge, application, comprehension). The study concludes alignment is weak and recommends review for effective learning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 3(4), pp. 269-279, December 2015 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Analysis of linkages between the primary and junior secondary schools agriculture curricular in Botswana Mpolokang M., Hulela K. and Baliyan S. P.* Department of Agricultural Economics, Education and Extension, Botswana College of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana. Accepted 22 December, 2015 | ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to describe the linkages that exist between the primary school and junior secondary school agriculture syllabi in terms of subject matter contents, goals, objectives and the cognitive domain of learning in selected topics. The study used mixed method whereby content analysis and a survey technique were used. The primary school and the junior secondary school agriculture syllabi in Botswana were analyzed, while 50 in-service agriculture students at Botswana College of Agriculture were surveyed using a pre-structured and validated questionnaire regarding linkages of curricular. The results of the study indicated that the primary school agriculture syllabus had 18 topics comprised of 127 instructional objectives while the junior secondary schools agriculture syllabus had 17 topics comprised of 445 instructional objectives reflecting that more topics were included in primary school syllabus as compared to junior school syllabus. However, the findings revealed that Biotechnology was not taught in secondary schools. The results also revealed that in primary school curriculum, the topic on soils has been broken down into several components while in the junior secondary education syllabus only one component is taught ‘soil fertility’. The majority of the objectives outlined in the syllabi were at lower level of the cognitive domains comprising knowledge, application and comprehension. It was concluded that the linkage between the two syllabi was not strong and therefore, a review of both the syllabi for proper alignment was recommended towards the enhancement of effective learning process.
Keywords: Agriculture curriculum linkages, primary schools, junior secondary schools, content analysis, instructional objectives, teacher’s perceptions, Botswana. | | --- | | *Corresponding author. E-mail: spbal[iyan@yahoo.com](iyan@yahoo.com) , [sbaliyan@bca.bw](sbaliyan@bca.bw). | INTRODUCTION Curriculum continuity in the education is one of the crucial elements particularly in the understanding of how and what people learn in schools (Chapman, 2002) . Martin (2008) explained the concept of continuity as‘concerned with ways in which the education system structures experience and provides sufficient challenge and progress for pupils in a recognizable curricular landscape’ (p.5) . It is further explained in terms of the progression which describes learners’ personal pathways in education whereby they acquire, hone, apply and develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in increasingly challenging situations’ (Martin, 2008:6) . The understanding is that progression depends on procedural and conceptual knowledge acquired through classroom instruction and/or beyond. It is from this background that Bonus (2014) believed that to design a curriculum takes into consideration the horizontal and vertical organizations. The author further stated that vertical arrangements refers to the longitudinal arrangements of subject matter contents as mirrored in the sequencing of both skills and contents under study. On the other hand, the horizontal organization of a curriculum refers to the arrangement of subject matter contents, skills and other processes from the viewpoints of scope and flat integration. The idea is expressed through Bruner’s spiral curriculum (Dixon et al. , 2000) whose goal include that of reinforcing students’ revisits of the subject matter contents allowing logical progression from simple to complex thus making the learner to t

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

To describe linkages between primary and junior secondary agriculture syllabi in terms of content, goals, objectives, and the cognitive domain of learning in selected topics.

How was the study conducted?

It used a mixed method: content analysis of the two syllabi and a survey of 50 in-service agriculture students using a pre-structured, validated questionnaire.

What key findings relate to topic coverage and instructional objectives?

The primary school syllabus contained 18 topics with 127 instructional objectives, while the junior secondary syllabus had 17 topics with 445 instructional objectives, indicating more topics at primary level. Biotechnology was not taught in secondary schools.

What conclusion and recommendation does the study provide?

The linkage between the two syllabi is not strong, so reviewing both syllabi for proper alignment is recommended to enhance effective learning.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanford