Implementing the new Form 1 Home Economics curriculum : a teachers’ resource pack

Abstract

Home Economics education has always been at the forefront in promoting student-centred learning. The new Form 1 curriulum has placed even greater emphasis on “an active, engaging, meaningful and purposeful” teaching and learning process (DQSE, 2011). The mains aims of this study were to find out what kind of resources are used by teachers of Form 1 and to identify those areas where teachers felt that resources needed to be created. Secondly, to create a resource pack that could help teachers to implement the principles as well as some of the content of the new Form 1 Home Economics curriculum. The study was divided into three phases and different research tools were used to satisfy these aims. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine Home Economics teachers teaching Form 1 students. Then a resource pack was developed upon the results obtained from the interviews, to help improve students’ learning, increase their motivation and make learning more enjoyable. Finally, the resource pack was trialled by teachers in different schools where both teachers’ and students’ feedback was gained to assess its effectiveness through post-trial questionnaires. The results revealed that the use of resources in classrooms are effective and enhance the constructivist approaches both in the teaching and learning processes.