Assessing the implementation of environmental education in selected Vosloorus township schools

Abstract

The aim of the study is to assess how teachers from selected primary schools in the Vosloorus township, implement Environmental Education. To that end, Kolb‟s (1984) experiential learning theory was employed as theoretical framework. Data were collected by means of face-to-face interviews, focus group interviews, and observation. Three primary schools in Vosloorus were sampled. One experienced teacher who specialises in Social or Natural Sciences was selected purposively from each school, along with a group of six to eight learners. Convenience sampling was employed, since the various participants, in their respective settings, were readily available to take part in the study. In the process of analysing the data, predefined themes and categories that emerged from the content analysis, were used. The findings emerging from the study indicated that the methods most frequently employed in teaching the content of Environmental Education, were lecturing and question-and-answer. Due to the demanding curriculum, teachers were unable to mitigate environmental problems outside of the classroom; they had divergent perceptions and understandings of the concept of EE; they met with their learners‟ parents once a year to discuss environmental problems and some even conducted annual clean-up campaigns; and most teachers attended workshops related to those Environmental Education components which are incorporated in the natural and social sciences. The findings of the study led to a number of recommendations being made, namely that learners should be encouraged to pick up any waste papers on the school terrain; teachers should enrol for, and attend, Environmental Education courses and workshops at least once a year, to deepen their understanding of the concept; and Environmental Education should not only be based on action, but when teaching the content of the subject, teachers need to employ diverse teaching methods.

Maikaelelo a thutopatlisiso ke go tlhatlhoba ka fa barutabana go tswa mo dikolong tse di potlana tse di tlhophilweng mo toropong ya Vosloorus, ba diragatsang Thuto ya Tikologo ka teng. Ho finyella seo, khopolo ea ho ithuta ea Kolb (1984) e ile ea sebelisoa e le moralo oa theory. Lintlha li ile tsa bokelloa ka lipuisano tsa sefahleho le sefahleho, lipuisano tsa lihlopha tse tsepamisitsoeng maikutlo, le ho shebella. Ho ile ha etsoa sampole likolo tse tharo tsa mathomo Vosloorus. Tichere e ‟ngoe e nang le phihlelo e sebetsanang ka ho khetheha le Saense ea Sechaba kapa ea Tlhaho e ile ea khethoa ka morero oa sekolo ka seng, hammoho le sehlopha sa liithuti tse tseletseng ho isa ho tse robeli. Ho ile ha sebelisoa sampole e bonolo, kaha barupeluoa ba fapaneng, maemong a bona, ba ne ba fumaneha habonolo ho nka karolo thutong. Mo thulaganyong ya go sekaseka datha, go dirisitswe dithitokgang tse di tlhalositsweng pele le dikarolo tse di tlhageletsweng mo tshekatshekong ya diteng. Liphuputso tse hlahileng liphuputsong li bonts'itse hore mekhoa e sebelisoang hangata ha ho rutoa litaba tsa Thuto ea Tikoloho, e ne e le ho fana ka thuto le lipotso le likarabo. Ka lebaka la kharikhulamo e boima, matichere a ile a sitoa ho fokotsa mathata a tikoloho ka ntle ho phaposi ea ho rutela; ba ne ba na le maikutlo a fapaneng le kutloisiso ea mohopolo oa EE; ba ne ba kopana le batsoali ba liithuti tsa bona hang ka selemo ho buisana ka mathata a tikoloho ‟me ba bang ba bile ba etsa matšolo a selemo le selemo a ho hloekisa; ‟me matichere a mangata a ile a ea lithupelong tse amanang le likarolo tseo tsa Thuto ea Tikoloho tse kenyellelitsoeng thutong ea mahlale a tlhaho le a sechaba. Liphuputso tsa phuputso li entse hore ho etsoe likhothaletso tse ngata, e leng hore baithuti ba lokela ho khothaletsoa ho nka lipampiri life kapa life tsa litšila sebakeng sa sekolo; matitjhere a lokela ho ingodisa, le ho ba teng, dithutong le dithupelong tsa Tikoloho bonyane hang ka selemo, ho tebisa kutlwisiso ya bona ya mohopolo; le Thuto ea Tikoloho ha ea lokela ho theoa feela ketsong, empa ha ho ruta litaba tsa thuto, matichere a lokela ho sebelisa mekhoa e fapaneng ea ho ruta.

Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukuhlola ukuthi othisha bezikole zamabanga aphansi ezikhethiwe eziselokishini laseVosloorus, bayisebenzisa kanjani i-Environmental Education. Ukufeza lokho, ithiyori yokufunda ngokuzibonela ka-Kolb (1984) yasetshenziswa njengohlaka lwethiyori. Idatha yaqoqwa ngokusebenzisa izingxoxo zobuso nobuso, izingxoxo zamaqembu okugxilwe kuwo, kanye nokubhekwa. Kuthathwe izikole ezintathu zamabanga aphansi eVosloorus. Omunye uthisha onokuhlangenwe nakho osebenza ngokukhethekile kwezeNhlalakahle noma Isayensi Yemvelo wakhethwa ngokuhlosiwe esikoleni ngasinye, kanye neqembu labafundi abayisithupha kuya kwabayisishiyagalombili. Kwasetshenziswa amasampula alula, njengoba abahlanganyeli abehlukene, ezimeni zabo ezihlukene, babetholakala kalula ukuze babambe iqhaza ocwaningweni. Enqubweni yokuhlaziya idatha, kusetshenziswe izingqikithi ezichazwe ngaphambilini nezigaba ezivela ekuhlaziyeni okuqukethwe. Okutholwe ocwaningweni kukhomba ukuthi izindlela ezisetshenziswa kakhulu ekufundiseni okuqukethwe yi-Environmental Education, wukufundisa kanye nemibuzo nezimpendulo. Ngenxa yekharikhulamu enzima, othisha abakwazanga ukudambisa izinkinga zemvelo ngaphandle kwekilasi; babenemibono nokuqonda okuhlukene komqondo we-EE; babehlangana nabazali babafundi babo kanye ngonyaka ukuze baxoxe ngezinkinga zemvelo futhi abanye baze benze imikhankaso yonyaka yokuhlanza; futhi iningi lothisha lihambele imihlangano yokucobelelana ngolwazi ehlobene nalezo zingxenye Zemfundo Yezemvelo ezifakwe kusayensi yemvelo nenhlalakahle. Okutholwe kulolu cwaningo kuholele ekutheni kwenziwe izincomo eziningi, okungukuthi abafundi kumele bakhuthazwe ukuthi bacoshe noma yiziphi izincwadi ezilahlile endaweni yesikole; Othisha kufanele babhalisele, futhi bethamele izifundo zemfundo yezeMvelo kanye nemihlangano yokucobelelana ngolwazi okungenani kanye ngonyaka, ukuze bajulise ukuqonda kwabo lo mqondo; kanye Nokufundisa Ngezemvelo akufanele kusekelwe ezenzweni kuphela, kodwa lapho kufundiswa okuqukethwe yisifundo, othisha kudingeka basebenzise izindlela zokufundisa ezihlukahlukene.