Empowering teachers to implement the life orientation learning area in the senior phase of the General Education and Training Band

[摘要] When CURRICULUM 2005, hereafter C2005 (Department of Education [DoE],1997b), was implemented in Grade 7 in 2000 none of the in-service teachers weresufficiently trained to teach Life Orientation. Higher Education Institutions had onlythen started to adapt teacher-training programmes to meet the needs of an outcomesbasedcurriculum for all aspiring teachers. Some in-service teachers had been trainedas subject specialists in some of the focus areas contained within Life Orientation, likePhysical Education, Guidance and Religious Education, but no teacher had beentrained, pre-service or in-service, to be a specialist in all of the focus areas containedwithin Life Orientation.The Department of Education prepared teachers for the implementation of C2005(DoE, 1997b) by means of a weeklong orientation programme. Teachers wereorientated to an outcomes-based philosophy and teaching approach, and to specificoutcomes and assessment criteria, but no content training was offered. A LifeOrientation teacher is expected to have a body of knowledge on a range of subjects orfocus areas as prescribed by the specific outcomes (DoE, 1997b).This study is aimed at researching the Life Orientation learning area and investigatingthe ways and level of preparation teachers had received to equip them to implementLife Orientation in the Senior Phase of the General Education and Training Band. Acase study was used as a research design and specific schools in the EducationManagement and Development Centre Metropole North were selected to participatein the case study. Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained throughquestionnaires, interviews and observations. A descriptive research strategy wasemployed to capture, analyse and interpret the data.The research found that there were gaps in the preparation of Life Orientationteachers to implement C2005 (DoE, 1997b). Recommendation are made with regardto training and support programmes to ensure that teachers are adequately empoweredto implement Life Orientation in the Revised National Curriculum Statement (DoE,2002b) in the General Education and Training Band and in the National CurriculumStatement (DoE, 2003b) in the Further Education and Training Band.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University