Voices from Saint Lucia: A Dialogue on Curriculum Change in a Small Island State

This research aims to identify the issues pertinent to the implementation of new curricula in the small island state of Saint Lucia and focuses in particular on the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Harmonized Language Arts Curriculum which was developed as part of the OECS Education Reform project. The intentions of this research are to fill the gaps in significant information on and knowledge of how implementation processes work in post colonial, small island states, in particular those of the OECS sub region, by giving voice to those hitherto unheard from in the reform process. The key question posed by the research is: “How is the curriculum implementation process represented by insider voices in curriculum discourse in Saint Lucia?”
The study is qualitative in nature, using a dialogic approach to collecting data by way of audio/video taped conversations, focus groups and a panel discussion. Data was collected over a seven month period through conversations with participants who were representative of various strata of the education system: from policy makers through education officers, principals and teachers. Data was analysed using the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Strauss & Corbin, 1990; Charmaz, 2006) and sorted, classified and coded through a combination of electronic and manual processes.
The results indicate that despite the plethora of reform initiatives in the region, there remains an absence of mutually intelligible dialogue within, between and among the various groups involved in the process of implementing curriculum. The findings also illustrate the need for developing collaborative systems designed to facilitate institutional support, strategic preparation, ongoing professional development and organized instructional supervision.