PEDAGOGICAL AND CURRICULAR CHALLENGES IN BOTANY TEACHING: PERCEPTIONS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN ANGOLA

Abstract

This study analyzes secondary school teachers’ perceptions of the pedagogical and curricular challenges associated with teaching Botany. A qualitative, descriptive-interpretative investigation was conducted, involving twelve Biology teachers from four secondary schools located in the provinces of Benguela, Luanda, and Huíla, Republic of Angola, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The results indicate that teachers identify the main challenges as the high level of abstraction in botany content, weak integration between theory and practice, insufficient teaching resources, limitations in specific training, and weaknesses in curriculum organization. These factors hinder meaningful learning and student engagement. It is concluded that overcoming these challenges requires a curricular reorganization that values Botany in secondary education, combined with strengthening teachers’ specific pedagogical training and adopting more contextualized, practice-oriented teaching strategies.