Difficultés d’implémentation de l’apc dans l’enseignement de la géographie au Cameroun : cas du 1er cycle du secondaire dans l’Arrondissement de Koutaba

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 2014/2015 academic year in Cameroon, discussions have focused on the Competency-Based Approach (CBA) through real life situations.This is a new pedagogic approach that replaces the old one (Objectives-Based Approach). In CBA, the teacher’s role is to guide the learner in knowledge acquisition. The adoption of this new approach necessitated curriculum reform. This reform is in line not only with the Cameroon School Guidance Act, which dates to 1998, but also with the main articulations of the Strategy Document for Growth and Employment (SDGE) which apply on all subjects geography inclusive. The goal of this reform is to respond to the challenges of emergence in Cameroon. The objective is to replace an approach considered very theoretical to offer future Cameroonian citizens, quality training, directly linked to professional practices and the world of employment. This pedagogic approach, which is intended to be more practical and effective, is however, incompatible with the context of the education system in Cameroon (not excluding Koutaba Subdivision) as it coincided with the time when the education system is confronted with enormous difficulties, due to scarcity of resources and the shortcomings in steering the reforms. In this context, this research aims at identifying and analysing the difficulties of the implementation of the CBA in the teaching of geography at the lower secondary cycle in Koutaba. It also attempts to answer this fundamental question: To what extent do certain difficulties hinder the implementation of CBA in the teaching of geography at the lower secondary level in Koutaba? To find answers to this question and to verify the research hypotheses, this survey opted for a qualitative and quantitative approach to collect information from resource persons involved in the implementation of CBA in Cameroon schools. This was done through interviews in the form of group discussions, questionnaire administration and observations with geography teachers in teaching-learning situations. Findings revealed that geography teachers have difficulties in implementing the CBA during the teaching phases: the pre-active, the active and the post-active phases. Moreover, analysis has shown that the origin of these constraints to implementing the CBA must be examined by the state, teacher training schools and even at the level of learning institutions. The solutions to improve this situation are diverse and concern all actors and partners involved in the process, namely the State, the ministries and teacher training colleges.