Classroom Realities and System Constraints: How Curriculum and Pedagogic Related Policies Influence Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools in Southwest, Cameroon.

Abstract

This study examined how curriculum and pedagogic related policies influence teaching and learning in Cameroon’s secondary schools, with particular attention to classroom realities in rural communities of Southwest Region, Cameroon. The study is grounded by Open System Thinking Theory, which conceptualized education as A system. Using a qualitative design, and a purposeful sampling (snowball) technique, data was collected from 5 principals and 7 teachers from rural secondary schools through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Findings revealed that while key policies such as the Competency-Based Approach (CBA), continuous assessment, technology/digital learning, vocational/entrepreneurship education, and STEM orientation create strong reform intentions, their realization is uneven due to constraints including large class sizes, insufficient infrastructure (especially laboratories and libraries), limited and delayed instructional materials, language and connectivity challenges, teacher capacity limitations and irregularities, and mismatches between assessment expectations and classroom feasibility. Teachers described pressures to prioritize exam-oriented coverage and topics most likely to be tested, which reduced time for remediation, formative assessment, practical work, and learner-centered engagement. The study concludes that moving from a program-based approach toward a problem-solving system requires not only curriculum reform but also pragmatic system support and recommends teacher development alignment with CBA implementation, adequate resourcing, realistic pacing aligned to assessment timelines, stronger monitoring and accountability, and contextualized curriculum execution responsive to classroom realities.