Doctoral Degrees (Curriculum Studies)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Curriculum Studies) by browse.metadata.advisor "Beets, Peter"

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    An assessment of climate change science literacy and climate change pedagogical literacy of geography teachers in the Western Cape
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-04) Anyanwu, Raymond Ndubisi; Beets, Peter; Le Grange, Lesley; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This survey research employed a criterion-referenced multiple-choice questionnaire to collect data from 194 FET Geography teachers in the Western Cape province to assess their level of literacy in both climate change science and climate change pedagogy, and to determine the influence of gender, age, qualification, specialisation, experience, grade mostly taught, their experience in providing instruction on climate change and the location of their school. Aspects of climate change science assessed include: climate processes and probable causes of climate change; climate change impacts; and climate change responses. Aspects of climate change pedagogy assessed include: the aims and significance of climate change education; and constructivist teaching principles and practice. The collected data was analysed using percentage frequencies to determine the teachers‟ level of literacy in climate change science and climate change pedagogy; the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine the influence of the mediating variables on climate change science literacy and climate change pedagogical literacy, respectively. The results indicate that Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province demonstrated „High‟ literacy in climate change science and „Low‟ literacy in climate change pedagogy. Factors such as school location, gender, age and teaching experience were found to have a significant influence on climate change science literacy; whereas qualification, specialisation, grade mostly taught and experience in providing instruction on climate change did not. Conversely, teaching experience and grade mostly taught had a significant influence on climate change pedagogical literacy; whereas school location, gender, age, qualification, specialisation and experience in providing instruction on climate change did not. Based on these findings, it is recommended that professional development interventions in climate change pedagogy are required in order to expose Geography teachers to the aims and significance of climate change education and methods of facilitating problem-based, learner-centred instruction on climate change.
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    Creativity in initial teacher education : a case study in geography
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Traut, Hester Jacoba; Frick, B. L.; Beets, Peter; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Curriculum Studies
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The purpose of this study was to explore, analyse, interpret and describe how the perceptions of a selected group of twelve geography Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students at a South African university developed in the year of their initial teacher education (ITE) programme. The following central research question guided the study: How can the development of geography student teachers’ use of creativity act as a mediator between their acquired content knowledge and their related applied pedagogical practice? This study mainly focused on developmental theories of creativity which advocate that there are qualitatively different levels of creativity and that creativity can and should be developed in the context of ITE. Simultaneously, the importance of preparing student teachers to become subject specialists was highlighted. These two focuses underlay the argument for creativity to be purposefully used to act as mediator between (student teachers’) acquired content knowledge and their related applied pedagogical practice to provide for heightened pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). If this could be achieved, student teachers will ultimately have a positive influence on the quality of basic education in South Africa that in turn will provide for better prepared HE students. Apart from enhanced PCK as an outcome, the individual student teacher (and learner) will benefit from acquiring creative skills to equip them to cope with future demands of the 21st Century. This study followed a case study methodology and the qualitative data was generated by using questionnaires at the beginning of the study period, lesson observations during the course of the study, and in-depth individual interviews at the end of the study period. The data was analysed by means of content and thematic analysis. Although the research findings do not pose to be generalised to a larger population, it may provide new insights that can inform initial teacher education in higher education institutions in South Africa. The analysis and interpretation of this study’s data revealed a synthesis with the literature in the field and iterated the changing landscape in which university students and school-going learners find themselves. The fast-paced world we live in today places demands on individuals to become more creative in their thinking to be able to cope with changing environments, changing knowledge, more choices, more information, more novelty, and greater levels of complexity. Therefore, ITE in the 21st Century has to keep track with the apparent transition from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. Information alone is no longer enough. Individuals (student teachers and their subsequent learners) have to be empowered to lead change and to survive inevitable change. While academic knowledge and skills may be inadequate to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world, creativity may provide skills in coping with different environments, and therefore creativity becomes increasingly important in dealing with complex issues. The results of this research indicated that student teachers’ creativity can and should be developed as part of the PGCE (ITE) programme for improved pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the context of the respondents of this study. The twelve respondents of this study were in agreement that creativity should be included in ITE programmes because they had realised the importance and practical advantages of incorporating creativity in PCK to enhance teaching and learning. This means that creativity does indeed provide the spark that is needed between content knowledge and pedagogical practice to transform subject knowledge for enhanced and deeper learning (or PCK) that may lead to the ultimate creation of new knowledge.
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    Implementing education for sustainable development : the role of geography in South African secondary schools
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-12) Dube, Carolina; Reddy, Chris; Beets, Peter; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2004-2015), better teaching and learning of environmental education and education for sustainable development (EE and ESD) in schools is one of the main responses to the worsening state of the global environment. Environmental concerns are integrated into the South African school curricula; in the General Education and Training (Grades R-9) (GET) and Further Education and Training (FET) phases through the principles that underpin the curricula such as social justice, a healthy environment, human rights and inclusivity. While a cross-curricula approach to teaching and learning is followed in the GET phase, environmental concerns are infused in each subject at FET level. Because geography deals with human-environment relationships and is interdisciplinary, it is considered to be one of the main vehicles for teaching EE and ESD. To respond to the need for better teaching and learning of EE and ESD during the DESD, the main aim of this research project was to find out how EE and ESD are being implemented through the geography curriculum in South African secondary schools at FET level. The investigation sought answers to questions related to: opportunities for teaching EE and ESD in the geography National Curriculum Statement; the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD; the extent to which the teachers incorporate the teaching of EE and ESD in the geography lessons; pedagogical approaches used by the geography teachers; and, the barriers to teaching environmental concerns through the geography curriculum. A qualitative case study research design, underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm, was used. A sample of 10 senior geography teachers comprising 8 males and 2 females participated in the study. They were drawn from five Western Cape secondary schools selected through purposeful sampling in such a way that the sample of schools is representative of the socio-economic and sociocultural context of the Western Cape as far as possible. Data were generated from biographic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Data were also generated from lesson observation and the analysis of documents such as the geography NCS, work schedules and lesson plans. The use of different research instruments ensured the triangulation of data sources in order to address issues of validity and reliability. The qualitative data were then analysed through thematic analysis. The study found that the sustainable development theme is central to the curriculum. Additionally, strategies of implementing EE and ESD such as the enquiry approach, the issues-based approach and the need to impart critical thinking skills are suggested in the curriculum. The teacher participants experience conceptual barriers concerning the nature of EE and ESD and that of notion of integrated geography promoted by the curriculum document. As a result, some of the teacher participants have difficulties in identifying EE and ESD themes in the curriculum document and incorporating them in the lessons. Furthermore, the teacher participants have difficulties in distinguishing learner activities from learnercentred approaches underpinned by constructivist learning theories as observed by Janse van Rensburg & Lotz-Sisitka (2000) and in using the enquiry learning approach. Some teacher participants prefer using traditional teacher-centred approaches which enable them to finish syllabuses in time for examinations. The use of learner-centred approaches such as fieldwork is hindered by barriers such as shortage of resources, class time, large classes, deteriorating discipline, heavy workload and policy contradiction. This study revealed a gap between policy rhetoric and practice in the teacher participants’ efforts to implement EE and ESD through the geography NCS.