A comparative study of opportunity to learn in natural sciences: case studies of two standard 7 classes in Botha-Bothe, Lesotho

Abstract

This paper examines the Opportunities to Learn (OTL) natural sciences in two primary schools in Botha-Bothe, Lesotho. Two case studies relating to curriculum delivery were used to understand how teachers make sense of the curriculum, how they interpret it and how they teach natural sciences. Observations of and interviews with Standard 7 teachers and their principals were used to collect data. The data reveal that different classrooms and schools vary in their provision of OTL. The paper concludes that teachers’ own OTL shape curriculum delivery and practice in their classrooms. We recommend the provision of targeted ongoing professional development for primary-school teachers, in order to improve the teachers’ own OTL and thereby enhance curriculum delivery and learning by school learners.