Adoption of the geography curriculum by teachers in middle and high schools in Senegal

Geography, along with history, forms a disciplinary package taught by the same teacher in the middle and secondary cycles of Senegal. Its teaching is governed by a program that applies to all teachers. This pedagogical framework includes a set of recommendations and strategies provided to the teacher. The understanding and adoption of this curriculum determine its utilization and implementation in accordance with the established guidelines. Hence, the necessity to examine the teachers' relationship with the program in terms of grasping its essence. This article analyzes the sources of obtaining the program, the differences and similarities in its implementation, as well as the appropriation of the writing format, content, pedagogical principles, and axiological aspects. The methodology relied on literature review, quantitative survey involving 365 history-geography teachers, and semi-structured interviews conducted with 121 teachers. While the program is approached differently by teachers, it is also well understood and embraced as a normative tool that governs pedagogical activities.