LEVEL OF APPLICATION OF THE SITUATIONAL APPROACH AMONG MATHEMATICS TEACHERS IN THE FINAL CYCLE OF BASIC EDUCATION. THE CASE OF THE SCHOOLS OF KISANGANI, ISIRO AND FARADJE

Authors: Emmanuel Kenya Kyangambi, Franck Nganga Zoko & Marcel Otita Likongo

ABSTRACT

This study assesses the actual implementation level of the Situation-Based Approach (SBA) among mathematics teachers within the final cycle of basic education in Kisangani, Isiro, and Faradje. We analyzed this implementation by observing a sample of 39 teachers, including 21 in Kisangani, 9 in Faradje, and 9 in Isiro. Data were collected through direct observations of instructional sequences. Based on a maximum score of 5 points, the findings reveal that the overall implementation level of the SBA among these teachers is low, yielding an average of 1.87/5. At the institutional level, Kisangani recorded a mean score of 2.15/5, followed by Isiro with 1.7/5, and Faradje with 1.4/5. Out of all the surveyed schools, Collège Maele in Kisangani was the sole establishment to achieve a sufficient implementation level of the SBA, with an average score of 2.74/5. These results demonstrate that government directives mandating the SBA as the exclusive method for teaching mathematics struggle to be applied in practice. We argue that the choice of a pedagogical framework should not be dogmatically imposed. It is urgent to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge to use this approach effectively, while also rapidly reinforcing in-service teacher training to rescue this curricular transition.

Keywords: Situation-based approach, Basic education, Curriculum evaluation, DRC.

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