Despite science subjects being compulsory in different countries, literature shows that learners perceive these subjects as difficult to learn and pass in school-based or national examinations. Studies have shown that this perception is linked to how teachers teach these subjects. For Uganda, in particular, teachers were facing difficulties when trying to interpret expectations in a competence-based curriculum, plan for lessons, and carry out formative assessment. This is a practical problem. Additionally, there is a knowledge gap where limited research has focused on how teachers’ understanding of the written curriculum can be displayed in their classroom instructional practices. To solve the practical problem and fill the knowledge gap, the paper is focused on showing: how chemistry teachers display their understanding of the written curriculum, and how this understanding enables them to achieve effective teaching of chemistry in secondary school. The paper presents an Understanding Written Curriculum model, constructed using qualitative findings derived from the author’s doctoral study. The qualitative part of the study used an informed grounded theory design in which qualitative data were collected from seven chemistry lesson plans and eleven semi-structured interviews between May and November 2025. Key findings from the study, from which the model is constructed, show that chemistry teachers can display their understanding of the written curriculum through: making appropriate decisions on whether to followor modify the order of topics in the syllabus; using learning outcomes in teaching and assessing learning; applying STEM instructional techniques; and using effective assessment strategies. The implication is that the model is a tool to enable teachers toeffectively teach chemistry in secondary school.
Atukwase, C.(2026). Understanding Written Curriculum Model: An Enabler for Effective Teaching of Chemistry in Secondary School. East African Journal of Education Studies,9(3),572-586.https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.9.3.5493.