Culturally sensitive curriculum development

Abstract

To assure high quality education in developing countries, curriculum development efforts are often initiated as part of international cooperation projects. Culture affects the educational context of the countries involved as well as the ways in which curriculum developers from different countries are used to working and behaving. Therefore, the influences of culture on curriculum development cannot be neglected. The study described in this chapter aimed to shed light on cultural factors influencing curriculum development processes. This study took place in the context of an international educational cooperation programme that involved project partners from Ghana and The Netherlands. Specifically, the project studied concerned the development and implementation of a professional development programme for Heads of Department of polytechnics in Ghana. In the chapter, a conceptual framework is first developed and cultural challenges affecting the development, implementation and sustainability of the professional development programme are investigated. Next, the findings are compared with similar international cooperation projects to substantiate the outcomes. As this study reinforced and strengthened the importance of accounting for culture, this chapter also provides guidelines and recommendations for culturally sensitive curriculum development in the context of international cooperation.