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The lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2024
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| _version_ | 1867614016509050880 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Wagner, Keanan Nicole |
| author2 | Le Grange, Lesley |
| author_browse | Le Grange, Lesley Wagner, Keanan Nicole |
| author_facet | Le Grange, Lesley Wagner, Keanan Nicole |
| author_sort | Wagner, Keanan Nicole |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130444 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:20.375Z |
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| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130444 The lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum Wagner, Keanan Nicole Le Grange, Lesley Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. Education -- Curricula Environmental education Teachers -- Psychological aspects South Africa. Department of Basic Education Competency-based education Curriculum evaluation Education and state Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Environmental Education (EE) is a tricky concept to define as there are different ways to determine what it means. In the educational context, EE is seen as a response to the environmental concerns that affect individuals, societies, and the natural environment. Teaching EE at school level is a controversial topic as many teachers, educationists and political leaders have different views and experiences with the notion of EE. With the curriculum development process in South Africa, particularly in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), evidence of EE can be seen in the natural sciences, social sciences, and life skills subjects (Department of Basic Education, 2011). Even though EE is not taught as a single school subject, it is teachers’ responsibility to ensure that learners are exposed to learning content regarding environmental concerns and solutions to ever-deepening environmental crises such as global warming, pollution, deforestation, and the degradation of land. However, teachers feel that many factors hinder their ability to teach EE within the learning areas that CAPS offers. These factors include teachers not being able to teach in the preferred language of learning, teachers not being able to teach EE due to a lack of understanding of the subject or a lack of experience in EE and poor resources available for the effective teaching of EE (Rosenberg, 2009). Thus, there are organisations in the Western Cape which focuses on teaching learners about marine life and the natural environment by running school programmes in the form of excursions or field trips to nature reserves, museums, and other similar organisations where EE programmes that link the CAPS curriculum to experiential learning or fieldwork activities are conducted. There are many research articles available about the learning and teaching of EE at school level, but there is a paucity of studies that have investigated teachers’ lived experiences of teaching EE through facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum. In this research study, five teachers employed to teach EE using the CAPS curriculum were interviewed. These educators shared their lived experiences of facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum. This research study will be guided by the question: What are the lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum? The methodology of this research study will include Durrheim’s (2006) understanding of research design concerning the purpose of the research, the context of the research, the research paradigm and research techniques. This research study will also include an inductive approach to data analysis where qualitative data will be obtained through an interview. The interview will be guided by Seidman’s (2013) three-series interview structure where the interview questions focus on: 1. the life history of the participant 2. the details of the experience(s), and 3. reflections of the meaning of experience(s) (Seidman, 2013) In conclusion, it was found that people who were exposed to nature at a young age are inclined to follow a career path that includes some form of EE. It was also discovered that, even though the CAPS curriculum provides a clear framework for teachers, outlining the objectives and outcomes for each subject, EE teachers collaborate with various stakeholders involved in EE to design appropriate activities that are relevant and fundamental in creating environmental awareness. Furthermore, challenges such as bad weather conditions, behavioural issues and technical issues affected the successful learning and teaching of EE as it can make it difficult for EE teachers to implement hands-on activities and field trips, which are often crucial for developing learners’ understanding of environmental issues. However, despite these challenges, the EE teachers are found innovative and creative ways to bring EE to life in the classroom, using local resources and engaging learners in community projects that promote environmental awareness and sustainability. Lastly, environmental educators working at organisations that offers EE programmes using the CAPS curriculum are generally happy with the work they do as they see a connection between their lived experiences and what they teach. As teachers and life-long learners, they expressed an interest in continuous learning. Therefore, they would like to continue making a difference in the lives of learners where educating about sustainability and a love for the natural and social environment is their main priority. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Omgewingsopvoeding (OO) is 'n uitdagende konsep om te definieer, aangesien daar verskeie maniere is om te bepaal wat dit beteken. In die opvoedkundige konteks word OO beskou as 'n reaksie op die omgewingskwessies wat individue, gemeenskappe en die natuurlike omgewing beïnvloed. Die onderrig van OO op skoolvlak is 'n omstrede onderwerp aangesien baie onderwysers, opvoedkundiges en politieke leiers verskillende sienings en ervarings met die begrip OO het.fasilitering van eksperimentele leer met behulp van die KABV-kurrikulum gedeel. Hierdie navorsingsstudie sal deur die volgende vraag gelei word: Wat is die geleefde ervarings van omgewingsopvoedingonderwysers wat eksperimentele leer fasiliteer met behulp van die KABV-kurrikulum? Die metodologie van hierdie navorsingsstudie sal Durrheim se (2006) begrip van navorsingsontwerp insluit wat betref die doel van die navorsing, die konteks van die navorsing, die navorsingsparadigma en navorsingstegnieke. Hierdie navorsingsstudie sal ook 'n induktiewe benadering tot data-analise insluit waar kwalitatiewe data deur middel van 'n onderhoud verkry sal word. Die onderhoud sal deur Seidman se (2013) drie-rek-en-reeks onderhoudstruktuur begelei word waar die onderhoudvrae fokus op: 1. die lewensgeskiedenis van die deelnemer 2. die besonderhede van die ervaring(s), en 3. oorwegings oor die betekenis van die ervaring(s) (Seidman, 2013) Ter afsluiting is daar gevind dat mense wat op 'n jong ouderdom aan die natuur blootgestel is, geneig is om 'n loopbaan te volg wat 'n vorm van OO insluit. Dit is ook ontdek dat, alhoewel die KABV 'n duidelike raamwerk vir onderwysers bied, wat die doelwitte en uitkomste vir elke vak uitlig, werk OO-onderwysers saam met verskeie belanghebbendes betrokke by OO om toepaslike aktiwiteite te ontwerp wat relevant en fundamenteel is in die skep van omgewingsbewustheid. Verder het uitdagings soos slegte weersomstandighede, gedragsprobleme en tegniese probleme die suksesvolle leer en onderrig van OO beïnvloed, aangesien dat dit vir OO-onderwysers moeilik kan maak om praktiese aktiwiteite en veldtogte, wat dikwels noodsaaklik is vir die ontwikkeling van leerders se begrip van omgewingskwessies, te implementeer. Nietemin, ondanks hierdie uitdagings het die OO-onderwysers innoverende en kreatiewe maniere gevind om OO in die klaskamer tot lewe te bring, deur plaaslike hulpbronne te gebruik en leerders in gemeenskapsprojekte te betrek wat omgewingsbewustheid en volhoubaarheid bevorder. Met die kurrikulumontwikkelingsproses in Suid-Afrika, veral in die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV), kan bewyse van OO gesien word in die natuurwetenskappe, sosiale wetenskappe en lewensvaardighede (Department of Basic Education, 2011). Alhoewel OO nie as 'n afsonderlike skoolvak aangebied word nie, is dit die verantwoordelikheid van onderwysers om te verseker dat leerders blootgestel word aan leerinhoud met betrekking tot omgewingskwessies en oplossings vir steeds erger wordende omgewingskrisisse soos globale verwarming, besoedeling, ontbossing, en die degradasie van grond. Tog voel onderwysers dat baie faktore hulle verhinder om OO binne die leerareas wat KABV bied, te onderrig. Hierdie faktore sluit in dat onderwysers nie in die voorkeurtaal van leer onderrig kan gee nie, onderwysers nie in staat is om OO te onderrig as gevolg van 'n gebrek aan begrip van die vak of 'n gebrek aan ervaring in OO nie, en 'n gebrek aan doeltreffende hulpbronne beskikbaar vir die onderrig van OO (Rosenberg, 2009). Daarom is daar organisasies in die Wes-Kaap wat fokus op die onderrig van leerders oor mariene lewe en die natuurlike omgewing deur skoolprogramme in die vorm van uitstappies of veldtogte na natuurbewaringsgebiede, museums en ander soortgelyke organisasies waar OO-programme wat die KABV-kurrikulum aan eksperimentele leer- of veldwerkaktiwiteite koppel, uitgevoer word. Daar is baie navorsingsartikels beskikbaar oor die leer en onderrig van OO op skoolvlak, maar daar is 'n tekort aan studies wat ondersoek ingestel het na onderwysers se geleefde ervarings van die onderrig van OO deur die fasilitering van eksperimentele leer met behulp van die KABV-kurrikulum. In hierdie navorsingsstudie is vyf onderwysers wat aangestel is om OO met behulp van die KABV-kurrikulum te onderrig, geïnterview. Hierdie opvoeders het hulle geleefde ervarings van die fasilitering van eksperimentele leer met behulp van die KABV-kurrikulum gedeel. Hierdie navorsingsstudie sal deur die volgende vraag gelei word: Wat is die geleefde ervarings van omgewingsopvoedingonderwysers wat eksperimentele leer fasiliteer met behulp van die KABV-kurrikulum? Die metodologie van hierdie navorsingsstudie sal Durrheim se (2006) begrip van navorsingsontwerp insluit wat betref die doel van die navorsing, die konteks van die navorsing, die navorsingsparadigma en navorsingstegnieke. Hierdie navorsingsstudie sal ook 'n induktiewe benadering tot data-analise insluit waar kwalitatiewe data deur middel van 'n onderhoud verkry sal word. Die onderhoud sal deur Seidman se (2013) drie-rek-en-reeks onderhoudstruktuur begelei word waar die onderhoudvrae fokus op: 1.die lewensgeskiedenis van die deelnemer 2. die besonderhede van die ervaring(s), en 3. oorwegings oor die betekenis van die ervaring(s) (Seidman, 2013) Ter afsluiting is daar gevind dat mense wat op 'n jong ouderdom aan die natuur blootgestel is, geneig is om 'n loopbaan te volg wat 'n vorm van OO insluit. Dit is ook ontdek dat, alhoewel die KABV 'n duidelike raamwerk vir onderwysers bied, wat die doelwitte en uitkomste vir elke vak uitlig, werk OO-onderwysers saam met verskeie belanghebbendes betrokke by OO om toepaslike aktiwiteite te ontwerp wat relevant en fundamenteel is in die skep van omgewingsbewustheid. Verder het uitdagings soos slegte weersomstandighede, gedragsprobleme en tegniese probleme die suksesvolle leer en onderrig van OO beïnvloed, aangesien dat dit vir OO-onderwysers moeilik kan maak om praktiese aktiwiteite en veldtogte, wat dikwels noodsaaklik is vir die ontwikkeling van leerders se begrip van omgewingskwessies, te implementeer. Nietemin, ondanks hierdie uitdagings het die OO-onderwysers innoverende en kreatiewe maniere gevind om OO in die klaskamer tot lewe te bring, deur plaaslike hulpbronne te gebruik en leerders in gemeenskapsprojekte te betrek wat omgewingsbewustheid en volhoubaarheid bevorder. Masters 2024-02-23T14:14:17Z 2024-04-26T17:50:04Z 2024-02-23T14:14:17Z 2024-04-26T17:50:04Z 2024-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130444 en Stellenbosch University xv, 114 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Education -- Curricula Environmental education Teachers -- Psychological aspects South Africa. Department of Basic Education Competency-based education Curriculum evaluation Education and state Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) Wagner, Keanan Nicole The lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum |
| title | The lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum |
| title_full | The lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum |
| title_fullStr | The lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum |
| title_full_unstemmed | The lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum |
| title_short | The lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the CAPS curriculum |
| title_sort | lived experiences of environmental education teachers facilitating experiential learning using the caps curriculum |
| topic | Education -- Curricula Environmental education Teachers -- Psychological aspects South Africa. Department of Basic Education Competency-based education Curriculum evaluation Education and state Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130444 |
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