Grade 1 teachers' involvement in school-based curriculum development in the Northern Province

Abstract

The bright future of education in South Africa, as in every developed and developing country such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, France and many others, depends greatly on grade 1 teachers' involvement in School-Based Curriculum Development (SBCD). The fallacy that grade 1 teachers can be operated effectively by remote control should be abandoned from the school curriculum. Success will always be elusive task if grade 1 teachers are excluded from curriculum decision-making, because their proximity to learners in the learning situation is a source of valuable information for curriculum developers, a source which is currently overlooked. This warrants a paradigm shift in teacher training programmes. A situation analysis in our democratic country necessitates problem-centred teacher training which will equip the future generation of teacher trainees and prospective grade 1 teachers with relevant professional skills, precipitated by our country. The bone of contention in this study revolves around the kind of teaching and learning problems experienced by grade 1 teachers involved in SBCD in the Northern Province. It is apparent from the thesis that grade 1 teachers' involvement in curriculum decisionmaking is limited to a certain extent because members of the top structure of curriculum planners are reluctant to quit their 'ivory towers' to perceive the real situation of the noble profession of teaching. A profound problem in South Africa in general and the Northern Province in particular is that there is a serious lack of consultation and negotiations with grade 1 teachers, and the implications thereof are detrimental to SBCD. The measure in which the grade 1 teachers are involved in participation and decisionmaking is a determinant of the success or failure of the innovation project. It is thus noteworthy to point out that the grade 1 teacher must be fully supported by his or her academic seniors, to become actively involved in curriculum activities. The overriding aim of this study, an exploratory investigation of the identified teaching and learning problems by grade 1 teachers in terms of SBCD in the Northern Province emanated from this need. It should also be pointed out that our world is characterised by the rapid tempo at which knowledge becomes out-dated and is replaced by new ideas and concepts. The twentieth century has become known as the information era. This has necessitated a change of emphasis in education; instead of the transfer of knowledge, the grade I teacher must rather be taught how to acquire knowledge on his or her own and be provided with instruments necessary for exploiting knowledge. The method of analysis began with in a literature review, with a viewpoint to provide guidelines for grade I teachers' involvement in SBCD. After an introductory orientation provided in chapter 1, the theories of SBCD and Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) were examined in chapter 2. Qualitative research as a strategy to address problems in SBCD was dealt with in chapter 3 by means of identifying the research instruments to be utilised for data collection techniques and analysis. Furthermore, in this chapter, the researcher elaborated on the types of qualitative methods, characteristics and outcomes of qualitative research, phases of data collection and analysis strategies and qualitative research as a remedy in SBCD problems. In chapter 4, the researcher elaborated on research instruments, findings and data analysis. Findings were based on the implementation of research instruments and literature review. It is in this chapter that the theories of SBCD and OBE in chapter 2 and qualitative research as a strategy to address SBCD problems in chapter 3 have been synthesised. In the ensuing chapter 5, guidelines which could serve as a framework for grade I teachers' involvement in SBCD were provided. It is strongly believed that these guidelines will be useful for both Pre-service Teacher Education and Training (PRESET) and In-service Teacher Education and Training (INSET) to keep pace with the changes taking place in the South African society. Teacher training should thus ensure that teacher trainees and prospective grade I teachers are sufficiently skilled to cope with the tremendous escalation of challenges in SBCD. In fact, grade I teachers should be trained to teach learners who must fulfill their vocational mandate some time in the near future. The youth must be empowered for the future, which covers the period from the time they enter school. These guidelines make it imperative for the trainers of prospective teachers to predict the future realistically and to train grade I teachers in accordance with the principle of constancy and change. Future education requires individuals who will know how to apply principles, norms and values and how to design new methods for effective instruction and learning. The final chapter focused on the background to the problem, the methodology of the investigation and conclusions. The study also highlighted recommendations for the improvement of teaching practice and teacher training and the implications thereof. The researcher summed up the study by proposing areas of concern for future research.

Die suksesvolle ontwikkeling en toekoms van onderwys in Suid-Afrika, soos in elke ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende land, insluitend die Verenigde State van Amerika, die Verenigde Koninkryk, Frankryk en vele ander, hang hoofsaaklik af van die betrokkenheid van graad 1-onderwysers by Skoolgebaseerde Kurrikulumontwikkeling (SBKO) . Dit geld ook vir die Noordelike Provinsie waar hierdie studie gedoen is. Die aanname dat graad 1-onderwysers effektief kan deelneem aan die skoolkurrikulum deur middel van afstandsdeelname, moet laat vaar word. Indien die onderwysers uitgesluit word van die besluitnemingsproses in kurrikulumontwikkeling sal die kanse op sukses bemoelik word. Hulle deelname aan en betrokkenheid by die leersituasie kan dien as 'n bron van inligting vir kurrikulumontwikkelaars. Tans word hierdie bron van inligting nie in aanmerking geneem nie. Hierdie hipotese vereis 'n paradigmaskuif in die onderwysersopleidingsprogramme. 'n Situasie-analise in die Noordelike Provinsie het getoon dat 'n probleemgerigte onderwysersopleidingsprogram nodig is om die toekomstige generasie van onderwysers (veral graad 1-onderwysers) toe te rus met die relevante professionele vaardighede wat so dringend in ons land benodig word. Die kernpunte in hierdie studie handel oor die tipe kennisoordrag- en leerprobleme wat graad 1-onderwysers ondervind m hulle betrokkenheid m Skoolgebaseerde Kurrikulumontwikkeling in die Noordelike Provinsie, en in watter mate dit aangespreek word m kurrikulumontwikkeling. Bevindings m hierdie studie toon dat onderwyserbetrokkenheid beperk word deur die topstruktuur van die kurrikulumbeplanners wat onwillig is om hulle ivoortorings te verlaat en sodoende nie die werklike situasie in die onderwysberoep in aanmerking neem nie. 'n Groot probleem in Suid-Afrika in die algemeen, en in die Noordelike Provinsie in die besonder, is die emstige gebrek aan konsultasie en onderhandeling met graad 1-onderwysers en die negatiewe impak hiervan op kurrikulumontwikkeling. Die mate waarin hierdie onderwysers betrokke is, is bepalend vir die sukses of die mislukking van die innoverende projek. Dit is gevolglik noodsaaklik om daarop te wys dat die graad 1- onderwyser ten voile ondersteun moet word deur sy/haar akaderniese seniors ten einde aktiefbetrokke te kan wees by sodanige kurrikulumaktiwiteite. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie is dan ook 'n ondersoek na die geldentifiseerde kennisoordrag- en leerprobleme van graad l-onde111Jysers in die Noordelike Provinsie in voorafgenoemde verband. Ons leef in 'n snel veranderende wereld waarin kennis vinnig verouder raak en met nuwe idees en konsepte vervang word, die sogenaarnde inforrnasieera. Dit noodsaak 'n verandering in die onderwys, waar die onderwyser geleer moet word om eerstens self kennis te verkry asook dat die instrumente wat no dig is om die kennis te eksploiteer, verskafword, eerder as om net op kennisoordrag te let. Analise as ondersoekmetode is in die literatuuroorsig gebruik met die doel om riglyne vir graad 1-onderwysersbetrokkenheid te verskaf. Na die inleidende orienteringspostulaat in Hoofstuk 1, Is die teoriee van Skoolgebaseerde kurrikulumontwikkeling en Uitkomsgebaseerde Onde111Jys (UGO) m Hoofstuk 2 ondersoek. In Hoofstuk 3 is kwalitatiwe navorsing as strategie om probleme met Skoolgebaseerde Kurrikulumontwikkeling uit te wys, aangespreek. Dit is bereik deur die identifisering van die navorsingsinstrumente wat gebruik is vir data-insameling en analise. In die hoofstuk bespreek die navorser die tipes kwalitatiewe metodes; die eienskappe en gevolge van kwalitatiewe navorsmg; die fases van dataversarneling asook analisestrategiee en kwalitatiewe navorsmg as instrumente in die uitskakeling van Skoolgebaseerde Kurrikulumontwikkeling-probleme. In Hoofstuk 4 word verder uitgebrei oor navorsingsinstrurnente, bevindings en data- analise. In die hoofstuk word die teoriee van SBKO en UGO soos bespreek in Hoofstuk 2 en kwalitatiewe navorsing as strategie om SBKO probleme aan te spreek, gesintetiseer. In Hoofstuk 5 word riglyne verskaf wat kan dien as raarnwerk VIr graad londe111Jyserbetrokkenheid in SBKO. Die verrnoede bestaan dat hierdie riglyne bruikbaar sal wees vir beide Voordiensopleiding en Indiensopleiding om sodoende in pas te wees met die veranderinge wat m die gemeenskap se leefwereld plaasvind. Onderwysersopleiding behoort dus te verseker dat onderwysers wat opgelei word, en veral graad 1-onderwysers, toegerus word om met die toename in uitdagings in SBKO te kan byhou. In werklikheid behoort graad 1-onderwysers sodanig opgelei te word dat hulle leerders kan onderrig en toerus om in die toekoms hulle beroepe te kan beoefen. Die jeug moet bemagtig word vir die toekoms vanaf die oomblik dat hulle die skoolsisteem binnegaan. Hierdie riglyne maak dit noodsaaklik vir die opleiers van voomemende onderwysers om die toekoms korrek te voorspel en om die graad 1-onderwysers op te lei in die beginsels van konsekwentheid en verandering. Toekomstige onderrig vereis individue wat sal weet hoe om beginsels, nonne en waardes toe te pas en hoe om nuwe onderrigmetodes vir effektiewe leer te ontwerp. Die finale hoofstuk fokus op die agtergrond van die probleem, die metodologie van die ondersoek en gevolgtrekkings. Die studie benadruk die aanbevelings vir die verbetering van onderwyspraktyk en onderwysersopleiding en die implikasies daarvan. Die navorser som dan ook die studie op deur areas van belang vir toekomstige navorsing voor te stel.