Strategies of implementing environmental education in primary schools in iLembe District, Kwazulu-Natal : teachers’ experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies of implementing environmental education (EE) in primary schools in iLembe District in KwaZulu-Natal, a province in South Africa, and the teachers’ experiences. The objectives were to describe the strategies used by primary school teachers to implement EE in iLembe District; to investigate how successful they were and the challenges they faced while using these strategies, as well as to explain how teachers can benefit from partnering with non-governmental environmental organisations in implementing EE in primary schools in this district. The study followed a phenomenological design using a qualitative approach, with interviews, non-participant observations and document analysis as the methods for data collection. The findings of this study revealed a number of classroom and outdoor strategies used by teachers in primary schools in iLembe District for implementing EE, which include designing posters, role plays, debates, group discussions, projects and showing videos and pictures, among others, as well as field trips, planting vegetables and trees, river and beach cleaning, litter picking, reusing waste materials and recycling. Teachers have experienced successes in terms of instilling environmental knowledge, skills and values in learners as well as natural resource conservation and having clean and green school environments. Challenges comprised inadequate time due to heavy workloads, lack of resources and funding, negative learner behaviour, poor communication and lack of support from stakeholders such as members of the school management team. Such challenges hindered teachers’ success in the use of the aforementioned strategies, both in the classroom and outdoors. The study makes recommendations and offers directions for further research in the field to be carried out in primary schools that have never been affiliates of the Eco-Schools programme to discover the kinds of strategies used for teaching EE in such primary schools and the experiences of teachers in terms of successes and challenges in the course of implementing EE.

Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuhlola amasu okuqalisa imfundo yezemvelo (EE) ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi esiFundeni iLembe KwaZulu-Natal, isifundazwe saseNingizimu Afrika, kanye nolwazi lothisha. Izinhloso bekuwukuchaza amasu asetshenziswa ngothisha basezikoleni zamabanga aphansi ukuqalisa i-EE esiFundeni iLembe; ukuphenya ukuthi baphumelele kangakanani kanye nezinselelo ababhekane nazo ngesikhathi besebenzisa la masu, kanye nokuchaza ukuthi othisha bangazuza kanjani ngokubambisana nezinhlangano ezingekho ngaphansi kukahulumeni kwezemvelo ekusebenziseni i-EE ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi kulesi sifunda. Ucwaningo lulandele indlela yokuhlangabezana nezimo ezingachazwanga. lusebenzisa indlela egxile ekutholeni imininingwane ngokusebenzisa ukuxhumana okuvulelekayo, nezingxoxo, ukubhekwa okungahlanganyeli kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo njengezindlela zokuqoqa imininingwane. Okutholwe kulolu cwaningo kuveze inqwaba yamasu asekilasini nangaphandle asetshenziswa ngothisha basezikoleni zamabanga aphansi esifundeni iLembe asebenzisa i-EE, okuhlanganisa ukwenza amaphosta, imidlalo yokulingisa, izinkulumo-mpikiswano, izingxoxo zamaqembu, amaphrojekthi kanye nokubonisa amavidiyo nezithombe, phakathi kokunye, kanye nokuvakashela endaweni engaphandle kwekilasi elivamile, ukutshala imifino nezihlahla, ukuhlanza imifula namabhishi, ukucosha udoti, ukusebenzisa kabusha izinto ezilahlwayo kanye nokugaywa kabusha. Othisha bathole impumelelo mayelana nokugxilisa ulwazi lwezemvelo, amakhono namagugu kubafundi kanjalo nokongiwa kwemithombo yemvelo nokuba nezindawo zezikole ezihlanzekile neziluhlaza. Izinselele zazihlanganisa ukungabi nesikhathi esanele ngenxa yomsebenzi omningi, ukuntuleka kwezinsiza nokuxhaswa ngezimali, ukuziphatha okungekuhle kwabafundi, ukungaxhumani kahle kanye nokuntula ukusekelwa ababambiqhaza abafana namalungu ethimba labaphathi besikole. Izinselele ezinjalo zithiya impumelelo yothisha ekusebenziseni amasu ashiwo ngenhla, ekilasini nangaphandle. Lolu cwaningo lwenza iziphakamiso futhi lunikeza iziqondiso zolunye ucwaningo kulo mkhakha okufanele lwenziwe ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi ezingakaze zibe ngaphansi kohlelo olukhulu kunazo zonke lwezikole ezisimeme emhlabeni wonke ukuthola izinhlobo zamasu asetshenziswa ekufundiseni i-EE ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi kanye nolwazi lothisha. mayelana nempumelelo kanye nezinselelo ngesikhathi kuqaliswa i-EE.

Nepo ya thuto ye e be e le go hlahloba maano a go phethagatsa thuto ya tikologo (EE) dikolong tsa praemari Seleteng sa iLembe ka KwaZulu-Natal, profenseng ya Afrika Borwa, le maitemogelo a barutisi. Maikemisetso e be e le go hlalosa maano ao a somiswago ke barutisi ba dikolo tsa praemari go phethagatsa EE ka Seleteng sa iLembe; go nyakisisa gore ba atlegile bjang le ditlhohlo tseo ba ilego ba kopana le tsona ge ba le gare ba somisa maano a, gammogo le go hlalosa gore barutisi ba ka holega bjang ka go somisana le mekgatlo ye e sego ya mmuso ya tikologo go phethagatsa EE dikolong tsa praemari seleteng se. Thuto e ile ya latela tlhamo ya mokgwa wa thuto wo o somisago dipalopalo, ka dipoledisano, ditebeledisiso tsa go hloka bakgathatema le tshekatsheko ya dingwalwa bjalo ka kgoboketso ya datha. Diphihlelelo tsa nyakisiso ye di utolotse palo ya maano a phaposiborutelo le ya ka ntle ao a somiswago ke barutisi ba dikolo tsa praemari seleteng sa iLembe go phethagatsa EE, e akaretsago go hlama diphoustara, ditiragatso, dipoledisano, dipoledisano tsa dihlopha, diprotseke le go bontsha dibitio le diswantsho, gare ga tse dingwe, gammogo le maeto a go ithuta selo la mathomo, go bjala merogo le mehlare, go hlwekisa dinoka le mabopo, go topa ditlakala, go somisa leswa ditlakala le go somisa leboelela. Barutisi ba itemogetse dikatlego mabapi le go tsenya tsebo ya tikologo, bokgoni le boleng baithuting gammogo le pabalelo ya methopo ya tlhago le go ba le ditikologo tsa go hlweka gape tse tala dikolong. Ditlhohlo di be di akaretsa nako ye e sa lekanego ka lebaka la boima bja mosomo, tlhokego ya didiriswa le thekgo ya ditshelete, maitshwaro a mabe a baithuti, poledisano ye e fokolago le go hloka thekgo go tswa go baamegi bjalo ka maloko a sehlopha sa balaodi ba sekolo. Ditlhohlo tse bjalo di ile tsa sitisa katlego ya barutisi ka tshomiso ya maano a a boletswego ka godimo, ka phaposing ya borutelo le ka ntle. Nyakisiso e dira ditigelo le go fana ka ditaetso tsa dinyakisiso tse di tswelago pele lekaleng leo le swanetsego go dirwa dikolong tsa praemari tseo di sego tsa ba ditho tsa lenaneo la Eco-Schools go utolla mehuta ya maano ao a somiswago go ruta EE dikolong tse bjalo tsa praemari le maitemogelo a baithuti mabapi le dikatlego le ditlhohlo nakong ya go phethagatswa ga EE.