Curriculum reform is a complex and multifaceted process. It implies a wide array of
factors and dimensions starting with the process of elaboration and design until its
implementation and evaluation. In order to capture its complex variables and dimensions, it is
important to take a multi-perspective and multi-dimension stance. This was the starting point to
explore the main changes and challenges associated with the curriculum reform in East-Timor,
and particularly at the English Department of the Faculty Education, Universidade National TimorLorosa´e.
The goals of this dissertation are to analyze the ways in which the stakeholders look at
curriculum reform of English Department of the Faculty of Education; to identify the perceived
changes in the transitional and the new curricula from the perspective of the stakeholders; and to
get to know the ways in which the stakeholders look at the development of the new curriculum in
the Faculty of Education.
An exploratory study was carried out with 7 stakeholders, namely the General Director of
the Ministry of Education, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, the Head of Department, three
permanent members of staff and one guest lecturer. Data were collected through semi-structured
interviews.
Findings suggest that the participants held a positive view of the new curriculum. The
main positive aspects were the existence of a new curriculum itself; team teaching; the focus on
students; fewer subjects per semester. As far as the negative aspects are concerned, the lack of
relevance of some subjects, the lack of facilities to support the teaching and learning process and
the lack of human resources especially educators were identified. The main differences between
the new and the old curriculum related to the number of subjects included; the nature and focus
of the subjects; the perspective of the curriculum and role of student; the role of pedagogy and
the role of faculty.
The participants spoke of issues such as insufficient budget, human resources and
national security as the main constraints, as well as team teaching and collaboration, students’
centered teaching, lesson planning, newness of some subjects and lack of materials and
equipment as the main challenges they had to deal with. Issues such as communication,
evaluation methods and support were also referred to by the participants as aspects to focus on
the implementing the new curriculum. One of the main implications of the study relates to
training and professional development opportunities for staff.