The concept of curriculum reform is used synonymously with curriculum change or curriculum innovation. To avoid confusion with the concept of curriculum reform, Schubert (1993) differentiated the two words curriculum and reform. Schubert defined reform as to change, to reconfigure, and to make different. On the definition of curriculum, Schubert argues that curriculum means whatever is advocated for teaching and learning.
Fullan (1991) distinguished innovation from change and reform. The argument put forward is that innovation goes beyond the change of subject to more comprehensive changes of the programme, while curriculum change involves the alteration of aspects of curriculum like its philosophy, objectives, teaching strategies, assessment and learning outcome. Meena (2009) contends that reform involves structuring of the school system and wholesale revision of the curriculum and it is initiated in the political system. I bid (2009) argues that there is endless
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discussion among researchers in differentiating these terms (reform, change and innovation).
Generally it would involve the issues of alteration of daily classroom organisation, pedagogical modification, content and teaching and learning resources. Based on these definitions, this study would argue that curriculum reform carries changes, innovation and alteration. The aim of these reforms is to improve the quality of education provided.
Teacher education curriculum reform in Tanzania has been influenced or dictated by various factors. As indicated by Fullan (2000), curriculum reform does and will always originate from different sources and combinations of sources. Maţă (2012) considers that factors for curriculum reform in most cases are contextual, because the successes of curriculum reform and implementation require the application of a number of key features. Maţă pointed to general factors which influence curriculum reform in teacher education. These factors are social and cultural, psychological, pedagogical, economic, technological and legal.
Curriculum reform may be influenced by external factors due to international education policies or the internal needs and values of people. Maţă then analysed the chronological perspectives of most relevant contributors to the factors of curriculum reform (cf. Maţă, 2012, p. 3-5).
Teacher education curriculum reform should reflect cultural factors. Curriculum depends upon a set of cultural factors at the school and in the community at large. The norms and beliefs governing the curriculum implementation have to be consistent with society’s norms.
Maţă (2012) argues that it is important to develop curricula to fit the needs of the community.
In Tanzania, for example, the Education for Self-reliance policy was integrated into the curriculum in order to develop individuals to be self-reliant and play an active role in the community (Nyerere, 1967). Issues like religion, gender and ethnicity have to be considered in curriculum reform, because the school teaches people’s culture. A place to start all these things is at the school in relation to home.
Political factors are considered to be among the factors influencing curriculum reform.
Political factors dictate the acceptance or rejection of the curriculum in the implementation process (Maţă, 2012). They mirror the educational ideas and intentions of a particular society.
The curriculum is used to implement political intentions and the policies formulated and decided by politicians. In multiparty societies, the political parties will make their voices
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heard in an attempt to have an impact on the aims and the content of the curriculum. In this regard curriculum will not merely be about the reproduction of knowledge, skills and values but also the desired changes in society (Lindhe, 1999). So the formulation of curriculum is one thing and the realisation of the curriculum is another thing. Curriculum implementation is the interpretation of the political decision in the form of a syllabus and guidelines based on the field implementation. The curriculum implementation is the work of teachers in schools and the classroom. To successfully implement it depends on other factors such as teacher professionalism and competence (Lindhe, 1999). In short, political factors define the goals, content, experiences and evaluation strategies of the curriculum. Buretta (1995) argued that education philosophy, goals and objectives have to reflect government policies and statements.
The aim of curriculum reform is to improve the quality of education offered and accommodate the technological changes that are happening in the world (Mhaiki, 2009). In order to meet the needs and demands of the labour market, economic factors influence curriculum reform to meet the current needs of the economy from a global level to the local level. For example in Tanzania from 2006 the shift from knowledge- based curriculum to competency-based curriculum, at primary and secondary levels and in teachers colleges, created a demand for human and financial commitment to support teachers, head teachers, and the provision of textbooks (Woods, 2007).
The psychological and pedagogical factors based on the research findings have an influence on curriculum reform of teacher education. Anderson (2002) contends that research results in teacher education have made a great contribution to restructuring the teacher education programme. The TIE conducted a study in 1991 to determine the quality of education at the basic education level. The curriculum of teacher education revealed that less time was allocated for professional subjects; there was a lack of qualified teacher educators, lack of books, as well as inadequate teaching time and poor teaching. The study proposed that teacher education should stop providing academic education as school subjects, teaching methods have to be emphasized more, student teachers have to pass teaching practice and the curriculum has to focus on teacher professional development (Meena, 2009; Buretta, 1995).
Maţă (2012) mentioned the legal factor, which integrates the normative aspect involved in the implementation of curriculum reform. Issues like a professional code of conduct and rules
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which govern educational institutions have to be considered. Due to the deterioration of professional codes of conduct, some education subjects have been emphasized in teacher education programmes.
Holistically, the factors that influence curriculum reform could be united into two dimensions such as external and internal (Maţă, 2012). For example, cultural influence internally includes age, experience, gender and ethnicity, teaching of philosophy. External influence includes cultural appropriateness. Therefore literature surrounding curriculum reform assumes that change is difficult and painful and is complex. The complexity is due to the involvement of instructional, national, political and personal issues (Woods, 2007). So curriculum reform needs a systematic and coherent education system.