Abstract:

Meaningful curriculum reform is a key pillar of any education system. The implementation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement in South Africa posed enormous challenges to teachers. Continuing teacher professional development is largely perceived as a panacea for this predicament. This paper provides insights into the challenges, needs and strategies employed by South African in-service physical sciences teachers in grappling with the complexities associated with the implementation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement. This cohort of teachers constituted a purposive sample within the context of this study and were enrolled for a Short Learning Program at a South African university. Data was collected through administration of a questionnaire and analysis of relevant documents. Key findings of the study revealed that coherent and meaningful implementation of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement appeared to be an extremely difficult and complex undertaking for teachers. Theoretical implications for teacher professional development are discussed.

Keywords:

Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement, curriculum reform, teacher professional development.