Situational Analysis

Situational analysis can be described as a process that tries to identify how changes might positively or negatively affect a curriculum plan. The text identifies several factors that must be considered including: societal factors, project factors, institutional factors, teacher factors, learner factors, and adoption factors. Each of these factors helps decide whether or not a proposed change is successful or not.

In my own teaching experience, I have witnessed the effect of teacher factors on the effectiveness or success of a curriculum. Our district identifies a common curriculum for each of the sites in LKSD. Unfortunately, the amount of teacher preparedness, training, and implementation expertise plays a big role in determining whether or not the curriculum is successful.

Our district can pinpoint sites that have implemented a successful language program and sites that have not. Why do these differences exist? After all, aren’t all the districts following the same curriculum ? Yes, but it must be realized that other factors come in to play (resources, institutional, etc.). Fortunately, some of these factors can be overcome by the effort the teacher(s) is willing to exert to ensure that their students receive a quality education.