The integration of indigenous graphics knowledge and skills to enhance Grade 9 learners’ understanding of graphic designs in Technology Education

Abstract

This single descriptive case study explored the integration of indigenous graphics knowledge and skills into the Technology curriculum of a school in the Ehlanzeni District of the Mpumalanga Province with a Grade 9 Technology teacher and the learners. The integration of indigenous knowledge and skills can help promote Grade 9 learners’ understanding of graphic design, which forms part of the content taught in Technology Education. The graphics knowledge and skills existent in the indigenous contexts from which most of learners come can make the learning of graphic design relevant and more understandable to learners. Hence, there was a need to research this issue. One Grade 9 Technology teacher was purposively selected for an interview and observed while teaching the class. Seven learners from this teacher’s class were also selected to be interviewed. The data analysed in the present study were obtained from the teacher and seven learners. The constructivist theory of learning framed this study. The findings revealed that, although the teacher had some understanding of technology, (i) she battled with the concept of indigenous knowledge; (ii) she was unaware that indigenous knowledge is even mentioned in the subject’s Curriculum, Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS); and, (iii) her limited understanding of the concept of indigenous knowledge meant that she did not to know how she could integrate indigenous knowledge into the teaching of graphic design. She also did not capitalise on indigenous knowledge as a resource in a resource-hungry teaching environment that she faced. While she acknowledged the importance of the learners’ culture, she did not take full advantage thereof in her teaching. Her adoption of demonstration as her predominant teaching approach provided an opportunity for integrating indigenous knowledge and skills but, again, she did not capitalise on that opportunity fully. This study can help transform the teaching of Technology by ensuring the integration of indigenous knowledge into the teaching of graphic design, a much-needed approach to education in the (South) African context.

Lesifundvo sinye, lesichazako sihlola kufakwa kwelwati lwebuchwepheshe nemakhono eluhlelwenitifundvo Lwebuchwepheshe esikolweni seSigodzi saseNhlanzeni eSifundzeni saseMpumalanga. Kuloku, thishela nemfundzi wesifundvo sebuchwepheshe welibanga 9 babe nencenye kulesifundvo lesifuna kubona kutsi kufakwa kwelwati lwendzabuko nemakhono kungatfutfukisa kuvisisa kwemfundzi likhono lekuhlanganisa titfombe nemfanekiso, lokuyincenye yengcikitsi lefundziswa eSifundvweni seBuchwepheshe Technology teacher and learners participated in a study seeking to determine how the integration of indigenous knowledge and skills can help to promote learners’ understanding of graphic design, which forms part of the content taught in Technology Education. Lwati lwebuchwepheshe nemakhono losekuvele kukhona encenyeni yendzabuko leyo linyenti lebafundzi lebeta, baphindza bayisebentisa lokwenta kufundza ngemakhona etitfombe nemifanekiso kwekubili kufaneleke kuphindze kuvisiseke kakhulu. Ngenca yalesizatfu, thishela munye wesifundvo seBuchwepheshe weLibanga 9 wakhetfwa ngenhloso kute ahlolwe ngemibuto, aphindze acashelwe lapho afundzisa. Bafundzi labaSikhombisa kuleliklasi lalothishela bakhetfwa kute bahlolwe ngemibuto, lokwatsi emva kwaloko ledatha yahlatiywa. Ngekusebentisa ithiyori yemcambititayela yekufundza kute kwetiwe luhlaka lwalesifundvo, lokutfoliwe kuveta kutsi, nakuba thishela anekuvisisa lokutsite ngebuchwepheshe, (i) unebumatima ngemcondvo welwati lwendzabuko; (ii) bekangati nekutsi lwati lwendzabuko kukhulunywa ngalo esifundvweni seCurriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS); nekutsi (iii) lwati lwakhe lolulinganiselwe ngemcodvo welwati lwendzabuko kusho kutsi akakwati kukufaka lapho afundzisa likhono lekuhlanganisa titfombe nemifanekiso. Amange asebentise lwati lwendzabuko kutsi lumsite njengemtfombo wesimondzawo sekulambela kufundzisa lebekabukene naso. Nakuba akuvuma kubaluleka kwemasiko ebafundzi bakhe, amange akusebentise kutsi kumsite ekufundziseni kwakhe. Kusebentisa kufanekisa njengendlela legcame kakhulu ekufundziseni kwakhe kumnike litfuba lekufaka lwati lwendzabuko nemakhono, kodvwa, futsi, amange akusebentise kute kumsite. Lokutfolwe kulesifundvo kungasita ekushintjeni kufundzisa sifundvo seBuchwepheshe, ngekuciniseka kutsi kufakwa lwati lwendzabuko ekufundziseni emakhono ekuhlanganisa titfombe nemifanekiso – lokuyintfo ledzingeka kakhulu emfundvweni nemcodvo we (Ningizimu) ne-Afrika.

Leli rhubhululo elilodwa elihlathululako elisasibonelo beliphenya ngokuhlanganiswa kwelwazi kanye namakghonofundwa wendabuko asagrafu kukharikhyulamu yeThekinoloji yesikolo esisesiPhandeni seHlanzeni esiFundeni seMpumalanga. Ukufika lapha. utitjhere wakwaGreyidi 9 kanye nabafundi bazibandakanye kurhubhululo elifuna ukuthola ukobana ukuhlanganiswa kwelwazi namakghonofundwa kungasiza bunjani ekuthuthukiseni ilwazi labafundi malungana nokudizayinwa kwamagrafiki (graphic design), okuyinto eyingcenye yommongo ofundiswa eFundweni yeThekonoloji. Ilwazi kanye namakghonofundwa wegrafiki sele akhona ngaphakathi kobujamo bendabuko, kukulapho abafundi abanengi beza khona, kanti bangasebenza ukobana benze ukufundwa kwedizayini yegrafiki ukobana kukhambisane neendingo zabafundi begodu kuzwisiseke. Yeke-ke ngalesi sizathu, utitjhere munye wakwa Greyidi 9 weThekinoloji wakhethwa ngehloso ukobana abuzwe ngehlolombono, ngemva kwalokho idatha yoke yahlathululwa. Ngokulandela ithiyori i-constructivist theory yokufunda ngokwesakhiwo serhubhululo leli, okutholakeleko kwaveza ukobana, nanyana utitjhere bekanelwazi lethekinoloji, y, (i) bekakalukana nokuzwisisa amagama amalungana nelwazi lendabuko; (ii) bekangakatjheji ukobana ilwazi lendabuko khelavezwa kuSitatimende soMthethomgomo seKharikhyulamu yezokuHlola (Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)) yesifundo; begodu (iii) ukuzwisisa kwakhe kancani igama lelwazi lendabuko bekutjho ukobana bekangazi ukobana ilwazi leli bekangalihlanganisa bunjani nokufundisa ukudizayinwa kwegrafiki. Njengombana wabuka ukuqakatheka kwesikopilo labafundi, akhange asebenzise ngokuzeleko ithuba eliveleko lokha nakafundisako. Ukulandela kwakhe indlela yokufundisa ngokukhombisa njengendlela ejayelekileko yokufundisa kulethe ithuba lokuhlanganisa ilwazi kanye namakghonofundwa wendabuko, kanti, begodu, akhange abambelele kilokho. Okutholakeleko kileli rhubhululo kungasiza ukutjhugulula ukufundiswa kweThekinoloji, ngokuqinisekisa ukuhlanganiswa kwelwazi lendabuko ngokudizayinwa kwegrafiki – okuyindlela edingeka khulu efundweni ngaphasi kobujamo beSewula Afrika.