Volume : 5, Issue : 2, FEB 2019

PRIMARY EDUCATION SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM IN NEPAL: PROBLEM AND PROSPECTS

DR. RAJENDRA KUMAR SHAH

Abstract

Social studies as a subject is one of the important subject in the field of primary education in Nepal. In the context of Nepal, the need of social studies was felt in the early 1950s. The present study is carried out in order to study the problem and prospective of primary education social studies curriculum in Nepal. Descriptive survey design has been used in present study. Utilizing a convenient sample, a total of 30 school teachers from primary schools participated in this study. The study group of the research consisted of the primary level social studies teachers who worked in Tikapur Municipality, Kailali, Nepal. The researcher constructed a questionnaire titled ‘primary education social studies curriculum in Nepal: problem and prospect’. The questionnaire consisted of seven sections namely; curriculum dissemination of primary education curriculum; Philosophy of the primary level social studies curriculum; objectives of the primary level social studies curriculum; content of the primary level social studies curriculum; teaching learning of the social studies curriculum; assessment and evaluation of the social studies curriculum; and other common problems. Results of this study reveals that most of the primary school teachers rarely get opportunity to participate in the dissemination program. Similarly, philosophy of the primary education social studies curriculum is not clear and is not reflected in the educational materials and contents and objectives of the curriculum are also not seemed relevant, suitable and adequate from the different perspectives. Pedagogical practices lacks child centred perspectives. Last aspects of curriculum, assessment is not also suitable. It calls for further detailed study of the curriculum and needs improvement in the primary level social studies curriculum.

Keywords

SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM, PRIMARY EDUCATION, OBJECTIVES, CONTENT, TEACHING ASSESSMENT.

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