Boys’ and girls’ perspectives on learning technology education concepts : a case study of primary schools

Abstract

The coming into being of the new democratic dispensation in South Africa (SA) brought many changes in the way South Africans lived their lives. The education sector was not spared from this transformation. The existing school subjects offered were reconfigured into new disciplines whose main intention was to inculcate the philosophy of outcomes based education (OBE), which is mediated through the National Curriculum Statement (NCS). Moreover, it was realised that the apartheid education system promoted rote and dogmatic learning, which produced learners who were unable to be critical, creative, innovative and original in transferring classroom-learnt content, skills and values to different and dynamic contexts. This presented many challenges to the country. Most learners produced by the education system prior to the new political dispensation could not respond to the ever-changing needs of society. That made a mockery of many subjects because the content could not be understood, and learners could not relate to them. Subjects, such as science, mathematics and technology (SMT), require that learners engage and apply content in unfamiliar environments for different purposes. The application of content requires that learners construct meaning out of subject content; make associations between the content‘s components; and engage in project-based learning for practical, creative and critical application of the content. Instead of regurgitating what is presented in their lessons, learners need to form associations between new and existing content in order to deal with the challenges that the world is currently facing. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) of the NCS sought to change a stagnant form of education by promoting the development of skills appropriate to the 21st century, which include critical, creative and problem-solving skills/attitudes that the outmoded and rote-learning curriculum of the past did not foster. Additionally, the apartheid era education system favoured males who were expected to perform particular social roles, which influenced learners‘ choice of school subjects. Thus, males were expected to take, and excel in, subjects such as SMT. In fact, if a female were to choose these fields, it was perceived as a unique occurrence or once-off episode. Although, it has been 23 years since the dawn of the new democratic dispensation, the outmoded paradigms of the past are still prevalent, affecting every aspect of life. The performance of males and females in science and technology (S&T) still harbours those past patterns, although the new education system sought to change the apartheid patterns. By now, a new order should be established in SA, and education ought to have improved. However, most learners are still battling, especially with their performance in S&T, which has worsened. This poses serious challenges to the education system the success of which is determined, inter alia, by its S&T outputs, especially in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Learners often have negative perceptions of these subjects, especially girls, who are not expected by society to succeed in them. These perceptions, which are based on societal expectations, affect the success of girls in S&T-related subjects. In the study described in this research report, the researcher sought to unravel boys‘ and girls‘ perspectives on learning technological concepts in selected primary schools of the Gert Sibande Education District in the province of Mpumalanga. This required the researcher to interpret their views, feelings and attitudes concerning learning such concepts. Thus, the researcher followed the interpretivist paradigm that seeks to know about and understand research participants‘ experience and views of the situation being studied. Purposive sampling based on the researcher‘s knowledge and judgment of the population being studied was used in the study that comprised five females and five males who were purposively sampled. The study followed a qualitative case study research design that involved the use of interview and observation techniques to collect data from ten learners who were purposively selected from five primary schools in different quintiles. The researcher used the promotional schedule of the previous years to select these learners for both interview and observation purposes. These ten learners (five boys and five girls) were chosen based on their percentage achievement (from high to low) as reflected by their schools‘ promotional schedules. The interview proceedings were recorded with the aid of an audio recorder, and notes were compiled to complement the interviews. Moreover, observation cues were used to observe the behaviour of the sampled learners in real-life situations. The literature review revealed, inter alia, that female learners in South Africa are still affected by patriarchy in learning S&T. Although, biological differences exist between males and females, it has been proved that learning is mostly dependent on socialisation. SA is not the only country affected by these trends, as Ghana and Ireland, for example, are also affected. The picture may not be the same in all societies, but it has been proved that socialisation is a driving force in learning S&T, in particular. Thus, the small number of female engineers in SA and other countries is attributable to social factors. The findings of the literature review were extensively corroborated by the findings of the case study. The analysed data proved that boys and girls are indeed affected by societal expectations in choosing and succeeding in MST. However, boys show more passion and dedication in pursuing these subjects than girls. In addition, the study revealed that boys demonstrate a greater degree of autonomy in learning, compared to girls who are often reliant on their teacher and parents.

Ukusebenza kwentando yeningi eNingizimu Afrika (SA) kwaletha izinguquko eziningi endleleni abantu baseNingizimu Afrika ababephila ngayo. Umkhakha wezemfundo nawo wathinteka ngenxa yalezo zinguquko. Izifundo ezazifundwa ngaphambili zahlelwa kabusha zaba yizifundo ezintsha ezihloselwe ngokuyinhloko ukugxilisa ifilosofi ye-Outcomes Based Education (OBE) exhumaniswa neSitatimende Sikazwelonke Sohlelo Lwezifundo (i-NCS). Kwabonakala ukuthi imfundo yangesikhathi sombuso wobandlululo yayithuthukisa ukufunda okungahileli ukucabanga nokuqonda, nokungayamukeli imibono ehlukile, okuyimfundo eyakhiqiza abafundi abangakwazi ukucubungula izinto, ukusungula izinto, ukuza nemibono nemicabango emisha, ababengakwazi ukusebenzisa lokho abakufunde ekilasini ezimweni ezihlukahlukene nezishintshashintshayo. Lokhu kwadala izinselele ezinkulu ezweni. Abafundi abaningi abakhiqizwa yimfundo yangesikhathi esidlule babengakwazi ukubhekana nezidingo zomphakathi ezishintsha njalo. Lokho kwenza izifundo eziningi zaba yinhlekisa ngoba ezikuqukethe kwakungaqondakali. Izifundo ezinjengeSayensi, Izibalo Nezobuchepheshe zidinga, phakathi kokunye, ukuba abafundi bafunde futhi basebenzise leyo mfundo ezimweni abangazijwayele ngenxa yezinjongo ezihlukahlukene. Ukusetshenziswa kokuqukethwe kudinga, phakathi kwezinye izinto, ukuthi abafundi bakha okushiwo kokuqukethwe okufundwayo, benze ukuzihlanganisa phakathi kwezingcezu zokuqukethwe, bahlanganyele ekufundweni okususelwa kuProjekthi ngokusetshenziselwa, kokudala nokuhlolisisayo kokuqukethwe futhi bakwazi ukwakha ubudlelwano phakathi okusha nokuqukethwe okukhona esikhundleni sokulawula kabusha lokho okwethulwa ukubhekana nezinselelo umhlaba obhekene nazo njengamanje Izitatimende Zenqubomgomo Yezikhombo Zokuhlola Nokuhlola (i-CAPS) ye-NCS, zafuna ukuguqula lelo hlobo lesimo semfundo ngokuqhakambisa ukuthuthukiswa kwamakhono ekhulu lama-21 afaka amakhono acacisayo, okudala, okuxazulula izinkinga. Kwakungenakwenzeka ukufeza izinhloso zekhulu lama-21 ngokusebenzisa ikharikhulamu yokufunda eyedlule nenethiwekhi yesikhathi esedlule. Ngokwengeziwe Ukwenza lokho kudinga, phakathi kokunye, ukuba baqonde okushiwo yisifundo kunokuba bamane nje babambe ngekhanda lokho abakufundiswayo kodwa bengakuqondi. Lokhu kwakunzima kakhulu ukukwenza ngesikhathi kusasetshenziswa ikharikhulami yemfundo endala eyayingakukhuthazi ukucabanga. Ngaphezu kwalokho, esikhathini esidlule imfundo yayigxile kubantu besilisa njengoba kwakulindeleke ukuba benze imisebenzi enzima emphakathini futhi lokho kwakuthinta nezinqumo abafundi ababezenza ngokuphathelene nezifundo zasesikoleni. Ngenxa yalokho, abesilisa kwakulindeleke ukuba bakhethe futhi benze kahle ezifundweni ezinjengeSayensi, Izibalo kanye Nezobuchwepheshe. Uma kwenzeka owesifazane enze kahle ezifundweni zakhe, lokho kwakubhekwa njengento eyivela kancane. Nokho, sekudlule iminyaka engu-23 kwaqala ukusebenza intando yeningi, kodwa imiphumela yalokho okwakwenzeka esikhathini esidlule isabonakala futhi ithinta zonke izingxenye zokuphila kwethu. Imiphumela yezifundo zeSayensi Nezobuchwepheshe kubesilisa nabesifazane ibonisa ukuthi okwakwenzeka esikhathini esidlule akukashintshi. Uhlelo olusha lwemfundo luhlose ukushintsha imiphumela eyayibangelwa umbuso wobandlululo, futhi kumelwe ukuba manje lolo shintsho siyalubona eNingizimu Africa nezemfundo kumelwe ngabe sezithuthukile. Kodwa abafundi abaningi basadonsa kanzima futhi kubi kakhulu lapho kuziwa emiphumeleni yeSayensi Nezobuchwepheshe. Ngakho, ukufundwa kwalezi zifundo kudala izinselele ezinkulu futhi ukuphumelela kwanoma yiluphi uhlelo lwemfundo kunqunywa, phakathi kokunye, imiphumela etholakala ngokusetshenziswa kweSayensi Nezobuchwepheshe, ikakhulukazi kule nkathi ye-4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). Iqiniso liwukuthi, abafundi abanawo umbono omuhle ngokufunda iSayensi Nezobuchwepheshe. Amantombazane ayizisulu eziyinhloko futhi okulindelwe umphakathi kuyimbangela eyinhloko yemibono enjalo, kuthinta isilinganiso sokuphumelela kwamantombazane ezifundweni zeSayensi Nezobuchwepheshe. Kulolu cwaningo, umcwaningi ubehlose ukuqonda imibono amantombazane nabafana abanayo mayelana nokufunda izinto zobuchwepheshe kwezinye izikole zamabanga aphansi eGert Sibande Education District eSifundazweni saseMpumalanga. Ukuze enze lokho, umcwaningi usebenzise indlela yokucwaninga emsiza aqonde ehilela ukuxoxa nabantu nokuzinika isikhathi sokubabuka ukuze aqongelele imininingwane. Ngamabomu kwakhethwa abafundi abayishumi ezikoleni ezinhlanu zamabanga aphansi. Izingxoxo nabo zaqoshwa kusetshenziswa umshini wokuqopha izwi, kwabhalwa namaphuzu ahambisana nalezo zingxoxo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwaba nesikhathi sokubuka laba bafundi abakhethiwe ukuthi baziphatha kanjani ekuphileni okuvamile. Kulolu cwaningo, umcwaningi wafuna ukuvula imibono yabafana namantombazane ngokufunda imiqondo yezobuchwepheshe ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi esifundeni saseGert Sibande esifundazweni saseMpumalanga. Ukufunda ukubuka, ukubuka, imizwa kanye nesimo sengqondo sabafundi (abafana namantombazane) maqondana nokufunda imiqondo yeTekhnoloji kwakudinga ukuba bahumushe imizwa yabo, ukubuka kwabo, imibono kanye nemizwa yabo maqondana nemicabango enjalo.Ukuze enze lokho, umcwaningi wasebenzisa ifilosofi yama-intepretivists njengoba anikeza umcwaningi ithuba lokuthola izampula zabafundi ukwenza ingxenye yesampula ukuthola ukuthi bazizwa kanjani, babuke futhi babone ukufundwa kwemiqondo. Ukuhlolwa kwezincwadi kwembula, phakathi kokunye, ukuthi ekufundeni iSayensi Nezobuchwepheshe abafundi abangamantombazane eNingizimu Afrika basathonywa umbono womphakathi othi amadoda yiwo abalulekile. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi abesilisa nabesifazane abakhekanga ngendlela efanayo ngokomzimba, kodwa umehluko kwezemfundo uxhomeke endleleni umphakathi ofuna abantu bobulili obuthile baziphathe ngayo. INingizimu Afrika akulona lodwa izwe elinalezi zinkinga. Amazwe anjenge-Ghana ne-Ireland nawo ayathinteka. Kungase kungafani ncamashi, kodwa umbono womphakathi wendlela okumelwe kuphilwe ngayo uye wabonakala unomthelela omkhulu ekufundweni kweSayensi Nezobuchwepheshe. Inani elincane lonjiniyela besifazane eNingizimu Afrika nakwamanye amazwe libangelwa yindlela imiphakathi eyakheke ngayo. Okutholakale ngesikhathi kuhlolwa izincwadi kuye kwafakazelwa okutholakale ocwaningweni. Idatha eye yacubungulwa iye yafakazela ukuthi ngempela amantombazane nabafana bathonywa okulindelwe umphakathi kubo lapho bekhetha, befunda nalapho bephumelela ezifundweni zeSayensi, Ezobuchwepheshe Nezibalo. Kuye kwembulwa nokuthi imisebenzi kwezeSayensi, Izibalo Nezobuchwepheshe ibonakala iheha abafana kakhulu kunamantombazane. Ngokuvamile, amantombazane akhetha lezi zifundo ngoba zingekho ezinye angazikhetha nangenxa yokuthi ngeke aphumelele ekuphileni ngaphandle kwezobuchwepheshe. Abafana babonisa uthando nokuzimisela okukhulu kunamantombazane lapho befunda lezi zifundo. Okokugcina, abafana babonise ukukwazi ukuzenzela izinqumo lapho benza lezi zifundo kunamantombazane. Amantombazane ngokuvamile ancika kothisha nakubazali babo.