Currere on the rescue: exploring teachers voices that shape teachers’ actions and identities

Abstract

Exploring teachers’ voices in curriculum spaces is critical. As enactors of the curriculum, teachers need to reflect and critique their teaching actions in order to recognize voices that summon their actions. The study employed the currere curriculum model to engage Eight (8) geography teachers purposively selected from four (4) high schools in Eswatini. The aim was to explore the teachers’ voices that shape their actions and identities. The qualitative approach under the pragmatic paradigm and the educational design research guided the study. To generate data, semi-structured interviews, reflective activities and focus group discussions were used. Guided/thematic data analysis was used. The findings revealed that two (2) giant voices dominate and drive teachers’ actions: professional and societal voices. These two voices are in constant tension, resulting to the loss of teacher’s personal voice and identity. In essence, the tension causes teachers’ voices to be silenced or absent in curriculum enactment spaces. It was discovered that it was possible to sort the tension between the two giant voices through applying currere reflective moments, that would develop a neutral voice, the personal voice of teachers, thus a theory of teachers’ voices developed. The study concluded that teachers should identify strengths of both societal and professional voices to relieve the tension between the two and embrace teachers’ personal voices which are critical for understanding natural identities and for effective curriculum enactment. Key Words: Teacher’s voices, professional voice, societal voice, personal voice, currere, teacher’s identity