Managing the process of currriculum change in the National University of Rwanda : a case study.

Abstract

Nowadays, change becomes more and more a continuous basis of the educational systems for their improvement. People increasingly need to tackle and cope with their organisational environments which are complex and dynamic. However, the problem is to know how to move from the status quo to the situation wherein all stakeholders should work both individually and collaboratively as inquirers and learners to investigate and solve problems. My case study is located at the heart of this context. Its purpose was to investigate why and how the process of curriculum change was managed in the National University of Rwanda from 1995. In addition, it aimed to identify how the University community should come together to handle curriculum change as an ongoing feature of improvement, and as a learning organisation. This research was carried out through a triangulation of participant observation, documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews. Throughout my case study, I observed that orientations and needs for changing the curricula in the National University of Rwanda essentially stemmed from the situation inherited from the war, genocide and massacres undergone by the country in 1994. Furthermore, initiating curriculum change came from the top management, while the basic organ to deal with development and its implementation was the Department. I noted also that it is likely the National University of Rwanda focused more on changing curriculum frameworks than changing organisational habits, behaviours, values, skills and beliefs. Although the shift to the new culture is at the centre of a learning organisation, most of the time this aspect is left untouched in practice. As lecturers in a professional organisation such as the National University of Rwanda have the skills and control over their own work, I conclude that they are in a position to play a vital role to manage curriculum change, learn from it, help students and other stakeholders learn from and take part within it.