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Evaluating gender representation in Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy: a case study of Independent schools of the Gauteng province in South Africa
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613736155480064 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Morgan, Luciel Venesa |
| author2 | America, Carina |
| author_browse | America, Carina Morgan, Luciel Venesa |
| author_facet | America, Carina Morgan, Luciel Venesa |
| author_sort | Morgan, Luciel Venesa |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134716 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:53.123Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134716 Evaluating gender representation in Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy: a case study of Independent schools of the Gauteng province in South Africa Morgan, Luciel Venesa America, Carina Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. Sex discrimination in education -- South Africa -- Gauteng Business education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Gauteng Women in education -- South Africa -- Gauteng Educational equalization -- South Africa -- Gauteng Private schools -- South Africa -- Gauteng -- Case studies UCTD Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Morgan, L. V. 2025. Evaluating gender representation in Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy: a case study of Independent schools of the Gauteng province in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/03698573-e694-4197-b3ef-27ebfb85c3e1 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examined gender representation in the Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy across selected independent schools in Gauteng, South Africa, with a focus on how gendered knowledge is constructed, sustained, and regulated. Framed as an investigation into gender equity within Business Studies education in independent schools, the research examined how gendered discourses intersect with curriculum policy and classroom practice to shape pedagogical enactment. Using an interpretivist paradigm, the study adopted a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through document analysis of official curriculum texts, departmental publications, policy documents from the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) and the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), and Business Studies textbooks used in IEB schools, alongside semi-structured interviews with seven educators and fourteen classroom observations conducted in corresponding schools. Purposive sampling was used to select educators teaching Business Studies who were employed by independent schools in Gauteng province at the time of this study. Grounded in critical pedagogy and feminist poststructuralist theory, this study employed content and thematic analysis to explore educational texts, teaching methods and institutional discourses to identify embedded gender ideologies. The findings show that, although educators recognise the importance of gender equity, few have access to formal frameworks or training for effective implementation in Business Studies classrooms. An examination of policy documents and departmental publications revealed how dominant discourses reinforce certain knowledge forms while marginalising others, leading to fragmented efforts and limited guidance on inclusive pedagogies. The study highlighted the potential for pedagogical agency within independent schools: despite national standards governing Business Studies content, schools can challenge gender bias at the pedagogical level, as educators can influence change through dialogic engagement. Educators are therefore encouraged to regularly facilitate learner-led discussions that critically examine gendered constructions within economic systems, utilising tools such as media critique, problem-posing dialogue, and debate formats. These methods can support learner agency and encourage critical reflection to create safe and empowering learning environments. To enhance gender representation, the study recommends that curriculum reform could incorporate gender equity as an explicit objective within the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), supported by subject-specific outcomes that promote intersectional perspectives. Improving textbook content to include a diversity of entrepreneurial models and stories of economic participation can challenge deep-seated biases and broaden learners’ understanding of different leadership styles. The successful implementation of these reforms, however, depends on educator preparedness. The study therefore recommends focused professional development (both initial teacher training and ongoing education) that emphasises critical pedagogy as a transformative learning tool and draws on feminist pedagogy to encourage inclusive teaching methods. By engaging in international discussions on curriculum reform and gender equality, this research seeks to promote ongoing collaboration among educators, policymakers, and schools to transform Business Studies into a discipline that actively challenges traditional inequalities and reflects societal diversity. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: studie het geslagsverteenwoordiging in die Besigheidstudies-kurrikulum en -pedagogie in geselekteerde onafhanklike skole in Gauteng, Suid-Afrika ondersoek met ’n fokus op hoe geslagskennis gekonstrueer, onderhou en gereguleer word. Die navorsing, wat as ’n ondersoek na geslagsgelykheid binne Besigheidstudies-onderwys in onafhanklike skole geraam is, het ondersoek ingestel na hoe geslagsdiskoerse met kurrikulumbeleid en klaskamerpraktyk kruis om pedagogiese inwerkingtreding te vorm. Met behulp van ’n interpretivistiese paradigma het die studie van ’n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie-ontwerp gebruik gemaak. Data is ingesamel deur dokumentontleding van amptelike kurrikulumtekste, departementele publikasies, beleidsdokumente van die Departement van Basiese Onderwys (DBE), die Gautengse Departement van Onderwys (GDE) en die Onafhanklike Eksamenraad (IEB), en Besigheidstudies-handboeke wat in IEB-skole gebruik word, tesame met semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met sewe opvoeders en veertien klaskamerwaarnemings wat in ooreenstemmende skole gedoen is. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om opvoeders te selekteer wat Besigheidstudies onderrig en tydens die studie in diens van onafhanklike skole in die Gauteng-provinsie was. Gegrond op kritiese pedagogiek en feministiese poststrukturalistiese teorie, het hierdie studie inhouds- en tematiese analise gebruik om opvoedkundige tekste, onderrigmetodes en institusionele diskoerse te ondersoek en ingebedde geslagsideologieë te identifiseer. Die bevindinge het getoon dat, hoewel opvoeders die belangrikheid van geslagsgelykheid erken, min toegang het tot formele raamwerke of opleiding vir effektiewe implementering in Besigheidstudies-klaskamers. ’n Ondersoek van beleidsdokumente en departementele publikasies het aan die lig gebring hoe dominante diskoerse sekere kennisvorme versterk, terwyl ander gemarginaliseer word, wat lei tot gefragmenteerde pogings en beperkte leiding oor inklusiewe pedagogieë. Die studie het die potensiaal vir pedagogiese agentskap binne onafhanklike skole beklemtoon: ten spyte van nasionale standaarde wat die inhoud van Besigheidstudies beheer, kan skole geslagsvooroordeel op pedagogiese vlak uitdaag, aangesien opvoeders verandering deur dialogiese betrokkenheid kan beïnvloed. Opvoeders word dus aangemoedig om gereeld leerdergeleide gesprekke te fasiliteer wat geslagskonstruksies binne ekonomiese stelsels krities ondersoek deur gebruik te maak van instrumente soos mediakritiek, probleemstellende dialoog en debatformate. Hierdie metodes kan leerderagentskap ondersteun en kritiese refleksie aanmoedig om veilige en bemagtigende leeromgewings te skep. Om geslagsverteenwoordiging te verbeter, beveel die studie aan dat kurrikulumhervorming geslagsgelykheid as ’n eksplisiete doelwit in die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (CAPS) kan insluit, ondersteun deur vakspesifieke uitkomste wat interseksionele perspektiewe bevorder. Die verbetering van handboekinhoud om uiteenlopende entrepreneursmodelle en verhale van ekonomiese deelname in te sluit, kan diepgewortelde vooroordele uitdaag en leerders se begrip van diverse leierskap verbreed. Die suksesvolle implementering van hierdie hervormings hang egter af van die voorbereidheid van die opvoeder. Die studie beveel dus gefokusde professionele ontwikkeling aan (in beide aanvanklike onderwysersopleiding en voortgesette onderwys) wat kritiese pedagogie as ’n transformerende leerinstrument beklemtoon en gebruik maak van feministiese pedagogie en inhoudsanalise om inklusiewe onderrigmetodes aan te moedig. Deur betrokke te raak by internasionale besprekings oor kurrikulumhervorming en geslagsgelykheid, poog hierdie navorsing om deurlopende samewerking tussen opvoeders, beleidmakers en skole te bevorder om Besigheidstudies in ’n dissipline te omskep wat tradisionele ongelykhede aktief uitdaag en samelewingsdiversiteit weerspieël Masters 2026-01-05T08:54:15Z 2026-01-05T08:54:15Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134716 Stellenbosch University 141 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Sex discrimination in education -- South Africa -- Gauteng Business education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Gauteng Women in education -- South Africa -- Gauteng Educational equalization -- South Africa -- Gauteng Private schools -- South Africa -- Gauteng -- Case studies UCTD Morgan, Luciel Venesa Evaluating gender representation in Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy: a case study of Independent schools of the Gauteng province in South Africa |
| title | Evaluating gender representation in Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy: a case study of Independent schools of the Gauteng province in South Africa |
| title_full | Evaluating gender representation in Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy: a case study of Independent schools of the Gauteng province in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating gender representation in Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy: a case study of Independent schools of the Gauteng province in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating gender representation in Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy: a case study of Independent schools of the Gauteng province in South Africa |
| title_short | Evaluating gender representation in Business Studies curriculum and pedagogy: a case study of Independent schools of the Gauteng province in South Africa |
| title_sort | evaluating gender representation in business studies curriculum and pedagogy a case study of independent schools of the gauteng province in south africa |
| topic | Sex discrimination in education -- South Africa -- Gauteng Business education -- Curricula -- South Africa -- Gauteng Women in education -- South Africa -- Gauteng Educational equalization -- South Africa -- Gauteng Private schools -- South Africa -- Gauteng -- Case studies UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134716 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT morganlucielvenesa evaluatinggenderrepresentationinbusinessstudiescurriculumandpedagogyacasestudyofindependentschoolsofthegautengprovinceinsouthafrica |