Paper Title
Managing Curriculum Politics of Responsiveness in a Cameroonian University
Abstract
Curriculum content is the life-wire of every educational program without which no meaningful knowledge
construction process can take place. Content in higher education helps shape the students and their academic life as well as
give them direction in the society as they graduate. From this perspective, it is therefore vital to explore the content of higher
education courses to understand what is being taught and why in the bid to ensure that these courses are in line with contextual
realities and the vision of the nation. To achieve this, this paper was crafted as a qualitative case study of three literature
modules taught in a Cameroon university. Data was generated using semi-structured interviews, document analysis and
observation. Pateman’s theory of ideology was used to give meaning to the data. Two major themes emerged from the data
generated; resistance to change through praise singing and advocates change of change in leadership. The analysis of these
themes reveal that lecturers selected content based on their ideological and political stance in the society. While the one
resisted change through what they teach, the other advocated for change in the same manner. The paper concludes with three
key recommendations first, educational integrity and moral commitment are vital for the sustenance of the higher education
sector in any nation. Secondly, higher education stakeholders must differentiate between their moral and intellectual
responsibility to train students who would lead the nation to a better future and the quest to satisfy their present needs. Finally,
curriculum developers, content selectors, lecturers, researchers, university management, higher education governing bodies
and quality assurance entities must work hand in hand for the sustainability of the higher education system.
Keywords - Curriculum, Cameroonian university, ideology, lecturers, literature.