Active Go-Betweens or Passive Observers? Examining the Instructional Leadership Role of Districts in the Implementation of the History 2166 Syllabus Reform in Zimbabwe

The tendency among most scholars over the years is to underestimate the instructional leadership role of districts, especially in the implementation of curriculum reforms, while over-emphasising the role played by other stakeholders such as schools, teachers, pressure groups, examination boards, and industries. This qualitative study draws on historical data from primary and secondary documents coupled with transcripts of in-depth interviews with 11 key informants to explore the instructional leadership role of districts in the implementation of the History 2166 Syllabus. The present account uses instructional leadership to provide an alternative dimension in explaining the participation of districts in the implementation of curriculum reforms, especially in developing countries. The key finding in this study was that the omission of districts from active participation in the implementation of the History 2166 Syllabus was not really deliberate and malicious but rather a result of the hurried manner used during the process. The article concludes that in order for curriculum reforms to succeed, districts should be at the cutting edge of the implementation process due to their intermediary role between the schools and the provincial and national instructional leadership. Districts should therefore actively participate as go-betweens rather than being demoted to passive observers such as what happened during the History 2166 Syllabus reform. I recommend that curriculum planners should thoroughly involve and consult the responsible school districts so as to harness all necessary ideas in order to facilitate the smooth implementation of curriculum reforms.