PART II. SAMPLE LESSON PLAN►

PART I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION

  • PART I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION

     PART I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION

    1.0 About the teacher’s guide

    This book is a teacher’s guide for Medical Pathologies subject, for senior six in 
    Associate Nursing program. It is designed to accompany student book and intends 
    to help teachers in the implementation of competence-based curriculum specifically 
    Medical Pathologies syllabus.

    As the name says, it is a guide that teachers can refer to when preparing their 
    lessons. Teachers may prefer to adopt the guidance provided but they are also 
    expected to be more creative and consider their specific classes’ contexts and 
    prepare accordingly.

    1.1. The structure of the guide 
    This section presents the overall structure, the unit and sub-heading structure to 
    help teachers to understand the different sections of this guide and what they will 
    find in each section. 
    Overall structure
    The whole guide has three main parts as follows: 

    ♦ Part I: General Introduction. 
    This part provides general guidance on how to develop the generic competences, 
    how to integrate cross cutting issues, how to cater for students with special 
    educational needs, active methods and guidance on assessment. 

    ♦ Part II: Sample lesson plan
    This part provides a sample lesson plan, developed, and designed to help the 
    teacher develop their own lesson plans.

    ♦ Part III: Unit development
    This is the core part of the guide. Each unit is developed following the structure 
    below. The guide ends with references.
    Each unit is made of the following sections:
    • Unit title: from the syllabus
    • Key unit competence: from the syllabus

    • Prerequisites (knowledge, skills, attitudes and values)

    This section indicates knowledge, skills and attitudes required for the success of 
    the unit. The competence-based approach calls for connections between units/
    topics within a subject and interconnections between different subjects. The teacher 
    will find an indication of those prerequisites and guidance on how to establish 
    connections.

    ♦ Cross-cutting issues to be addressed
    This section suggests cross cutting issues that can be addressed depending on 
    the unit content. It provides guidance on how to come up with the integration of 
    the issue. Note that the issue indicated is a suggestion; teachers are free to take 
    another cross-cutting issue taking into consideration the learning environment. 

    ♦ Guidance on the introductory activity
    Each unit starts with an introductory activity in the teacher’s book. This section of 
    the teacher’s guide provides guidance on how to conduct this activity and related 
    answers. Note that students may not be able to find the right solution but they are 
    invited to predict possible solutions or answers. Solutions are provided by students 
    gradually through discovery activities organized at the beginning of lessons or 
    during the lesson. 

    ♦ List of lessons/sub-heading
    This section presents in a table suggestion on the list of lessons, lesson objectives 
    copied or adapted from the syllabus and duration for each lesson. Each lesson /
    subheading is then developed.

    ♦ End of each unit
    At the end of each unit the teacher provides the following sections:

    • Summary of the unit which provides the key points of content developed in 
       the teacher’s book. 
    • Additional information which provides additional content compared to the 
       student book for the teacher to have a deeper understanding of the topic.
    • End unit assessment which provides answers to questions of the end unit 
        assessment in the teacher’s book and suggests additional questions and 
        related answers to assess the key unit competence.
    • Additional activities sad remedial, consolidation and extended activities). The 
      purpose of these activities is to accommodate each student (slow, average, 

      and gifted) based on the end of unit assessment results. 

    Structure of each subheading 

    Each lesson/sub-heading is made of the following sections:

    Lesson /Sub heading title 1: ……………………………..

    ♦ Prerequisites/Revision/Introduction: 

    This section gives a clear instruction to teacher on how to start the lesson.

    ♦ Teaching resources
    This section suggests the teaching aids or other resources needed in line with the 
    activities to achieve the learning objectives. Teachers are encouraged to replace 
    the suggested teaching aids by the available ones in their respective schools and 
    based on learning environment. 

    ♦ Learning activities
    This section provides a short description of the methodology and any important 
    aspect to consider. It provides also answers to learning activities with cross 
    reference to student’s book. 

    ♦ Exercises/application activities
    This provides questions and answers for exercises/ application activities.

    1.2. Methodological guidance

    1.2.1 Developing competences
    Since 2015 Rwanda shifted from a knowledge based to a competence based 
    curriculum for pre-primary, primary and general secondary education. For Secondary 
    Schools, it is in 2019 that the competence based curriculum was embraced. This 
    called for changing the way of learning by shifting from teacher centered to a learner 
    centered approach. Teachers are not only responsible for knowledge transfer but 
    also for fostering teacher’s learning achievement and creating safe and supportive 
    learning environment. It implies also that a student has to demonstrate what he/she 
    is able to do using the knowledge, skills, values and attitude acquired in a new or 
    different or given situation.

    The competence-based curriculum employs an approach of teaching and learning 
    based on discrete skills rather than dwelling on only knowledge or the cognitive 
    domain of learning. It focuses on what learner can do rather than what learners know. 
    Students develop basic competences through specific subject unit competences 

    with specific learning objectives broken down into knowledge, skills and attitudes. 

    These competences are developed through learning activities disseminated in 
    learner-centered rather than the traditional didactic approach. The students are 
    evaluated against set standards to achieve before moving on. 
    In addition to specific subject competences, students also develop generic 
    competences which are transferable throughout a range of learning areas and 
    situations in life. Below are examples of how generic competences can be developed 

    in Medical Pathologies: 

              

     1.2.2. Addressing cross cutting issues
    Among the changes in the competence-based curriculum is the integration of cross 
    cutting issues as an integral part of the teaching learning process-as they relate to
    and must be considered within all subjects to be appropriately addressed. The eight 
    cross cutting issues identified in the national curriculum framework are: genocide 
    studies, environment and sustainability, gender, Comprehensive Sexuality Education 
    (CSE), Peace and Values Education, Financial Education, standardization Culture 
    and Inclusive Education.

    Some cross cutting issues may seem specific to learning areas or subjects, but the 
    teacher needs to address all of them whenever an opportunity arises. In addition, 
    student should always be given an opportunity during the learning process to address 
    these cross-cutting issues both within and out of the classroom to progressively 

    develop related attitudes and values. 

    Below are examples on how crosscutting issues can be addressed in Medical 

    Pathologies:

               

        1.2.3 Attention to special educational needs specific to each 
                    subject
    In the classroom, students learn in different way depending to their learning pace, 
    needs or any other special problem they might have. However, the teacher has 
    the responsibility to know how to adopt his/her methodologies and approaches 
    to meet the learning needs of each student in the classroom. Also, teacher must 
    understand that students with special needs need to be taught differently or need 
    some accommodations to enhance the learning environment. This will be done 
    depending on the subject and the nature of the lesson. 

    To create a well-rounded learning atmosphere, teacher needs to: 
    • Remember that students learn in different ways, so they have to offer a variety 
      of activities (e.g., role-play, music and singing, word games and quizzes, and 
      outdoor activities).
    • Maintain an organized classroom and limits distraction. This will help students 
       with special needs to stay on track during lesson and follow instruction easily. 
    • Vary the pace of teaching to meet the needs of each student-teacher. Some 
       students process information and learn more slowly than others. 
    • Break down instructions into smaller, manageable tasks. Students with 
      special needs often have difficulty understanding long-winded or several 
       instructions at once. It is better to use simple, concrete sentences to facilitate 
       them understand what you are asking. 
    • Use clear consistent language to explain the meaning (and demonstrate or 
       show pictures) if you introduce new words or concepts.
    • Make full use of facial expressions, gestures, and body language.
    • Pair a student who has a disability with a friend. Let them do things together 
       and learn from each other. Make sure the friend is not overprotective and 
       does not do everything for the student-teacher. Both students will benefit from 
        this strategy
    • Use multi-sensory strategies. As all students learn in different ways, it is 
        important to make every lesson as multi-sensory as possible. Students with 
        learning disabilities might have difficulty in one area, while they might excel in 
        another. For example, use both visual and auditory cues.
     
    Below are general strategies related to each main category of disabilities and how 
    to deal with every situation that may arise in the classroom. However, the list is not 
    exhaustive because each student is unique with different needs and that should be 

    handled differently.

    Strategy to help students with developmental impairment:
    • Use simple words and sentences when giving instructions.
    • Use real objects that the student can feel and handle, rather than just working 
       abstractly with pen and paper.
    • Break a task down into small steps or learning objectives. The student should 
       start with an activity that s/he can do already before moving on to something 
       that is more difficult. 
    • Gradually give the student less help.
    • Let the student work in the same group with those without disability.
      Strategy to help students with visual impairment:
    • Help students to use their other senses (hearing, touch, smell and taste) to 
       play and carry out activities that will promote their learning and development.
    • Use simple, clear and consistent language. 
    • Use tactile objects to help explain a concept.
    • If the student has some sight, ask them what they can see. Get information from 
       parents/caregivers on how the student manages their remaining sight at home. 
    • Make sure the student has a group of friends who are helpful and who allow 
       the students to be as independent as possible. 
    • Plan activities so that students work in pairs or groups whenever possible. 
       Strategy to help students with hearing impairment:
    • Strategies to help students with hearing disabilities or communication difficulties
    • Always get the students attention before you begin to speak.
    • Encourage the student to look at your face.
    • Use gestures, body language and facial expressions.
    • Use pictures and objects as much as possible.
    • Ask the parents/caregivers to show you the signs they use at home for 
      communication use the same signs yourself and encourage other students to 
       also use them.
    • Keep background noise to a minimum. 

       Strategies to help children with physical disabilities or mobility 
        difficulties:
    • Adapt activities so that student who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids, or 
        other students who have difficulty moving, can participate. 
    • Ask parents/caregivers to assist with adapting furniture e.g. The height of a 
       table may need to be changed to make it easier for a student to reach it or fit 
       their legs or wheelchair under.
    • Encourage peer support friends can help friends.
    • Get advice from parents or a health professional about assistive devices.

    1.2.4 Guidance on assessment
    Each unit in the teacher’s guide provides additional activities to help students 
    achieve the key unit competence. Results from assessment inform the teacher 
    which student needs remedial, consolidation or extension activities. These activities 
    are designed to cater for the needs of all categories of students; slow, average and 
    gifted learners respectively. 
    Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning process. The main purpose 
    of assessment is for improvement. Assessment for learning/ Continuous/ formative 
    assessment intends to improve student-teachers’ learning and teacher’s teaching 
    whereas assessment of learning/summative assessment intends to improve the 
    entire school’s performance and education system in general.

    Continuous/ formative assessment 
    It is an ongoing process that arises out of interaction during teaching and learning 
    process. It includes lesson evaluation and end of subunit assessment. This formative 
    assessment plays a big role in teaching and learning process. The teacher should 
    encourage individual, peer and group evaluation of the work done in the classroom 
    and uses appropriate competence-based assessment approaches and methods. 
    In Year two textbook, formative assessment principle is applied through application 
    activities that are planned in each lesson to ensure that lesson objectives are 
    achieved before moving on. At the end of each unit, the end unit assessment is 
    formative when it is done to give information on the progress of students and from 
    there decide what adjustments need to be done. Assessment standards are taken 
    into consideration when setting tasks.

    Summative assessment
    The assessment done at the end of the term, end of year, is considered as 
    summative. The teacher, school and parents are informed on the achievement of 
    educational objectives and think of improvement strategies. There is also end of 

    level/ cycle assessment in form of national examinations.

    1.2.5. Student teachers’ learning styles and strategies to 

       conduct teaching and learning process

    There are different teaching styles and techniques that should be catered for. The 
    selection of teaching method should be done with the greatest care and some of 
    the factors to be considered are: the uniqueness of subjects, the type of lessons, 
    the particular learning objectives to be achieved, the allocated time to achieve the 
    objective, instructional available materials, the physical/sitting arrangement of the 
    classroom, individual student teachers’ needs, abilities and learning styles.

    There are mainly four different learning styles as explained below:

     a) Active and reflective students
    Active learners tend to retain and understand information best by doing something 
    active with it, discussing or applying it or explaining it to others. Reflective learners 
    prefer to think about it quietly first. 

     b) Sensing and intuitive students
    Sensing learners tend to like learning facts while intuitive learners often prefer 
    discovering possibilities and relationships. Sensors often like solving problems by 
    well-established methods and dislike complications and surprises; intuitive learners 
    like innovation and dislike repetition. 

     c) Visual and verbal students
    Visual students remember best what they see (pictures, diagrams, flow charts, 
    timelines, films, demonstrations, etc); verbal learners get more out of words (written 
    and spoken explanations).

    d) Sequential and global students
    Sequential students tend to gain understanding in linear steps, with each step 
    following logically from the previous one. Global learners tend to learn in large 
    jumps, absorbing material almost randomly without seeing connections, and then 
    suddenly “getting it.” 

    1.2.6. Teaching methods and techniques that promote the active 
    learning
    The different student learning styles mentioned above can be catered for, if the 
    teacher uses active learning whereby students are really engaged in the learning 

    process. 

    What is Active learning? 
    Active learning is a pedagogical approach that engages students in doing things 
    and thinking about the things they are doing. In active learning, students are 
    encouraged to bring their own experience and knowledge into the learning process. 

    The role of the teacher in active learning 
    • The teacher engages students through active learning methods such as 
    inquiry methods, group discussions, research, investigative activities and 
    group and individual work activities. 
    • He/she encourages individual, peer and group evaluation of the work done 
    in the classroom and uses appropriate competence-based assessment 
    approaches and methods. 
    • He provides supervised opportunities for students to develop different 
    competences by giving tasks which enhance critical thinking, problem solving, 
    research, creativity and innovation, communication and cooperation. 
    • Teacher supports and facilitates the learning process by valuing student
       teachers’ contributions in the class activities. 

    The role of students in active learning 
    Learners are key in the active learning process. They are not empty vessels to fill 
    but people with ideas, capacity and skills to build on for effective learning. A learner 
    engaged in active learning:
    • Communicates and shares relevant information with other learners through 
       presentations, discussions, group work and other learner-centred activities 
       (role play, case studies, project work, research and investigation) 
    • Actively participates and takes responsibility for their own learning 
    • Develops knowledge and skills in active ways 
    • Carries out research/investigation by consulting print/online documents and 
       resourceful people, and presents their findings 
    • Ensures the effective contribution of each group member in assigned tasks 
       through clear explanation and arguments, critical thinking, responsibility and 
       confidence in public speaking
    • Draws conclusions based on the findings from the learning activities.

    Some active techniques that can be used in Medical Pathologies
    The teaching methods strongly emphasised in the competence Based Curriculum 
    (CBC) are active methods. Below are some active techniques that apply in Nursing 
    sciences:

    A. Practical work:
    Many of the activities suggested in Associate Nursing curriculum as well as in the 
    teacher’sbook are practical works. 
    Practical work is vital in learning Medical Pathologies; this method gives the student 
    the opportunity to implement a series of activities and leads to the development of 
    both cognitive and hands-on skills. The practical work and questions given should 
    target the development of the following skills in student-teachers: observation, 
    recording and report writing, manipulation, measuring, planning, and designing. 

    A practical lesson is done in three main stages:
    • Preparation of practical work: Checking materials to ensure they are available 
       and at good state; try the demonstration before the lesson; think of safety 
       rules and give instructions to lab technician if you have any.
    • Performance of practical work: Sitting or standing arrangement of student
       teachers; introduction of the demonstration aims and objectives; setting up 
        the apparatus; performing the nursing technique; write and record the data.
    • Discussion: Observations and interpreting data; make generalisations and 
      assignment: writing out the demonstration report and further practice and 
       research.
    In some cases, demonstration by the teacher is recommended when for example 
    the nursing technique requires the use of sophisticated materials or very expensive 
    materials or when safety is a major factor like dangerous practical work, and it 
    needs specific skills to be learnt first. 

    In case your school does not have enough laboratory materials and chemicals, 
    demonstration of nursing techniques can be done in groups but make sure every 
    student participates. You can also make arrangements with the neighbouring 
    science school and take your students there for a number of experiments.

    Each student or group of students is given a research topic. They have to gather 
    information from internet, available books in the library or ask experienced people 
    and then the results are presented in verbal or written form and discussed in class. 

    B. Project work
    Medical pathology teachers are encouraged to sample and prepare project works 
    and engage their students, as many as possible. Students in groups or individually, 
    are engaged in a self-directed work for an extended period of time to investigate 
    and respond to a complex question, problem, or challenge. The work can be 
    presented to classmates or other people beyond the school. Projects are based on 
    real-world problems that capture learners’ interest. This technique develops higher 
    order thinking as the students acquire and apply new knowledge in a problem

    solving context. 

    C. Field trip
    One of the main aims of teaching Fundamentals of Nursing in Rwanda is to apply 
    its knowledge for development. To achieve this aim we need to show to students 
    the relationship between classroom science lessons and applied sciences. This 
    helps them see the link between science principles and technological applications. 
    To be successful, the field visit should be well prepared and well exploited after the visit:
    Before the visit, the teacher and student:
    • agree on aims and objectives
    • gather relevant information prior to visit
    • brainstorm on key questions and share responsibilities
    • discuss materials needed and other logistical and administrative issues
    • discuss and agree on accepted behaviours during the visit 
    • Visit the area before the trip if possible to familiarise yourself with the place

    After the visit
    When students come back from trip, the teacher should plan for follow-up. The 
    follow-up should allow studentsto share experiences and relate them to the prior 
    science knowledge. This can be done in several ways; either: Students write a 
    report individually or in groups and give to the teacher for marking. The teacher 
    then arranges for discussion to explain possible misconceptions and fill gaps. Or 
    students write reports in groups and display them on the class notice board for 
    everyone to read.

    Main steps for a lesson in active learning approach
    All the principles and characteristics of the active learning process highlighted 
    above are reflected in steps of a lesson as displayed below. Generally, the lesson 
    is divided into three main parts whereby each one is divided into smaller steps to 
    make sure that students are involved in the learning process. Below are those main 
    parts and their small steps:

    1) Introduction
    Introduction is a part where the teacher makes connection between the current 
    and previous lesson through appropriate technique. The teacher opens short 
    discussions to encourage students to think about the previous learning experience 
    and connect it with the current instructional objective. The teacher reviews the prior 
    knowledge, skills and attitudes which have a link with the new concepts to create 
    good foundation and logical sequencings.

    2) Development of the new lesson
    The development of a lesson that introduces a new concept will go through the 
    following small steps: discovery activities, presentation of student-teachers’ findings, 
    exploitation, synthesis/summary and exercises/application activities, explained 
    below:
    Discovery activity 

    Step 1 
    • The teacher discusses convincingly with students to take responsibility of 
    their learning
    • He/she distributes the task/activity and gives instructions related to the tasks 
    (working in groups, pairs, or individual to instigate collaborative learning, to 
    discover knowledge to be learned)

    Step 2 
    • The teacher let the students work collaboratively on the task.
    • During this period the teacher refrains to intervene directly on the knowledge
    • He/she then monitors how the students are progressing towards the 
    knowledge to be learned and boost those who are still behind (but without 
    communicating to them the knowledge). 

    Presentation of student-teachers’ productions

    In this episode, the teacher invites representatives of groups to 
    present the student-teachers’ productions/findings.

    • After three/four or an acceptable number of presentations, the teacher decides 
       to engage the class into exploitation of the student-teachers’ productions.

       Exploitation of student-teachers’s productions
    • The teacher asks the students to evaluate the productions: which ones are 
       correct, incomplete or false
    • Then the teacher judges the logic of the student-teachers’ products, corrects 
    those which are false, completes those which are incomplete, and confirms 
    those which correct.
    Institutionalization (summary/conclusion/ and examples)
    • The teacher summarises the learned knowledge and gives examples which 
        illustrate the learned content. 

    Exercises/Application activities
    • Exercises of applying processes and products/objects related to learned unit/
    sub-unit
    • Exercises in real life contexts
    • Teacher guides students to make the connection of what they learnt to real 
    life situations. At this level, the role of teacher is to monitor the fixation of 
    process and product/object being learned.

    3) Assessment
    In this step the teacher asks some questions to assess achievement of instructional 
    objective. During assessment activity, students work individually on the task/activity. 
    The teacher avoids intervening directly. In fact, results from this assessment inform 
    the teacher on next steps for the whole class and individuals. In some cases, the 

    teacher can end with a homework assignment.

        

       

       

      

    PART II. SAMPLE LESSON PLAN►