Browsing by Author "Mokotso, Bontle Adelaide"

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    Obstacles to initiating an action research study at a former Department of Education and Training (DET) school : the case of Kayamandi High School
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-12) Mokotso, Bontle Adelaide; Le Grange, Lesley L. L.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The initial aim of the study was to begin a participatory process of teacher involvement in investigating the possibilities of "integrating a local environmental issue (polluted river) into ecology teaching using the Schools' Water Action Project (SWAP) as an environmental education process. I had decided to do this in the form of an action research study with biology and geography teachers at Kayamandi High School. The school is situated in Kayamandi, a black township of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. My decision to do this action research study with teachers of Kayamandi, aimed at adapting ecology teaching to address a local environmental issue, was prompted by my involvement with SWAP at the school from September 1998. Having realised the capacity of the project to stimulate not only an interest in the polluted river but also a broader environmental awareness, I decided to involve teachers in order to make the project accessible to as many pupils as possible. Problems that arose in my efforts to implement the study caused me to change its focus. As my problems turned out to be largely problems of access, I changed the study into an investigation of obstacles to access. The issues that emerged included the relevance of the study to the needs of teachers, the educational background of the teachers (which, in part impacted on the culture of the school), my position as an outsider with no clear understanding of the context, and my flawed assumptions about action research as a change process. My frustrating but rich experiences during this research journey not only contributed to my "understanding of the complex nature of both research and change, but also to my growth and professional development.