Content Analysis of Lesotho’ Secondary Religious Education Syllabus Assessing the Dominating Ideology and its Implication for Promoting Social Justice Competences among Students

Curriculum development encompasses specific beliefs or ideologies regarding what schools should teach and the interactions between educators and students. These ideologies are embedded in subject curricula in varying proportions based on the educational goals intended. One of Lesotho's educational objectives is the pursuit of a just society. This study examines the Lesotho Secondary Religious Education LSRE syllabus to identify its dominant curriculum ideology and assess its impact on cultivating social justice competences among students. The study is grounded in Schiro's ideologies, focusing on LSRE's aims, pedagogy, and assessment, with the inclusion of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy CAP of 2009 to provide context. The findings aim to inform educational practices, LSRE curriculum development, and Lesotho's policies in promoting a socially just societal environment. The findings reveal a plurality of ideologies in the LSRE syllabus, with a particular emphasis on learner centred LC and social reconstructive ideologies within the aims. It was also revealed that the scholar's academic SA ideology dominates the assessment of the LSRE syllabus. The recommendation is that assessment methods within LSRE should include both theoretical assessments and practical evaluations, allowing students to demonstrate their understanding of social justice. Lehlohonolo Kurata "Content Analysis of Lesotho' Secondary Religious Education Syllabus: Assessing the Dominating Ideology and its Implication for Promoting Social Justice Competences among Students" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-7 | Issue-6 , December 2023, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd60133.pdf Paper Url: https://www.ijtsrd.com/other-scientific-research-area/other/60133/content-analysis-of-lesotho'-secondary-religious-education-syllabus-assessing-the-dominating-ideology-and-its-implication-for-promoting-social-justice-competences-among-students/lehlohonolo-kurata