Publication:

EXPLORING NON-SPECIALIST TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES IN IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL STUDIES IN MALAWI SECONDARY SCHOOLS

This study explored the experiences of non-specialist Social Studies teachers in implementing the subject in some selected Malawi secondary schools in Central East Education Division secondary schools. The study also sought to find out what non-specialist Social Studies teachers thought about their teaching of the subject; factors that affect them in implementing the Social Studies Curriculum as well as coping mechanisms they use in teaching the subject. A qualitative research approach was employed in this study with phenomenology as its methodology. Data were collected through in-depth or open-ended face-to-face interviews and lesson observations. The findings indicated that non-specialist Social Studies teachers felt and thought that the subject is necessary, not just a luxury, in the Malawi school curriculum. As such they had a positive attitude in their efforts because they realised that Social Studies acts as the vanguard in the development of positive attitudes and values which are essential for the development of students into responsible citizens (Arweck & Nesbitt, 2004). As non-specialist teachers and knowing that they are going to be judged by the academic performance of their students, they did not get discouraged by factors that negatively affected their implementation of the subject. Instead, the negative factors made them develop a number of coping mechanisms as their survival strategies, such as intensifying the use of a variety of teaching and learning methods; putting into practice Humanities Teachers Association resolutions; assistance from teachers of other schools; and practising team teaching.