Thematic Curriculum Implementation Strategies and Pupils’ Academic Achievement in Selected Public Primary Schools in Kyengera Town Council, Wakiso District

Abstract

The study examined the effect of thematic curriculum implementation strategies on pupils’ academic achievement in selected public primary schools in Kyengera Town Council, Wakiso. The objectives included; to establish the effect of remedial teaching strategy, teacher motivation strategy and investment in teaching material strategy on pupils’ academic achievement basing on a cross-sectional survey design. The target population comprised of; head-teachers, deputy head-teachers, DOS, and teachers totaling to 106. These were purposively and simple randomly selected. The questionnaires and interview guide helped in collecting the data, and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The study findings revealed that teachers use re-teaching to encourage reading skills, help pupils to understand what they never understood clearly during class lessons. Therefore, remedial teaching strategy has a positive significant effect on pupils’ academic achievement (r=.686**). The study also revealed that allowances encourage teachers to have lesson plans and scheme of work, thus able to have high syllabus content coverage. Therefore, teacher motivation strategy has a positive significant effect on pupils’ academic achievement (r=.589**). Study findings revealed that teachers use interactive teaching materials to enhance reading skills and encourages self-revision to boost their academic scores. Thus, investment in teaching material strategy has a positive significant effect on pupils’ academic achievement (r=0.687**). The study concluded that thematic curriculum implementation strategies have a significant effect on pupils’ academic achievement in public primary schools in Kyengera Town Council. The study recommended that school administrators and curriculum implementers to organize workshops and refresher courses aimed at extending skills to teachers on how best they can run thematic curriculum in schools; and areas of further research were suggested.