Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
The voice of the teacher in the context of religious freedom: a KwaZulu-Natal case study
Thesis (MEd (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
2008
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613747447595008 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jarvis, Janet |
| author2 | Roux, C. D. |
| author_browse | Jarvis, Janet Roux, C. D. |
| author_facet | Roux, C. D. Jarvis, Janet |
| author_sort | Jarvis, Janet |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | University of Stellenbosch |
| description | Thesis (MEd (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2926 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:01.634Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2008 |
| publishDateRange | 2008 |
| publishDateSort | 2008 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2926 The voice of the teacher in the context of religious freedom: a KwaZulu-Natal case study Jarvis, Janet Roux, C. D. University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. Religious freedom Voice Identity Context Dissertations -- Curriculum studies Theses -- Curriculum studies Religion in the public schools Human rights -- Religious aspects -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Religion -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Religious educators -- Training of -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Thesis (MEd (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (CRSA) (1996) ushered in a new dispensation with regard to the human right to ‘religious freedom’. Inclusivity in a school context of religious diversity underpins the Religion and Education Policy (2003) which is in turn informed by, and supportive of, the CRSA (1996). To date, the Policy (2003) has not been substantially implemented. In classroom praxis there has been little or no substantial cascading to teachers (and therefore also to learners), of the intention and substance of the Policy (2003). A possible cause of this is that many teachers do not necessarily understand the meaning of the human right to ‘religious freedom’. As a result, they have resisted a multireligion approach to education. The aim of this study was to investigate how teachers construct their understanding of the human right to ‘religious freedom’ and how they voice this understanding in a context of religious diversity in schools. Integral to the investigation was an interrogation of the influence of their biographical context in shaping their personal religious identity. The study also considered the impact of the school context in which teachers taught. This study anticipated the theoretical clarification of how teachers construct their social identities, and in particular their religious identities. This theoretical framework informed what emerged from the empirical research that was conducted. The key concepts of ‘religious freedom’ and voice were described and clarified by the sources employed in the literature review. It was clear from the literature review that while useful research had been undertaken in aspects relating to the acceptance of, or resistance to, the Policy (2003), no research had grappled sufficiently, if at all, with teachers’ understanding of the human right to ‘religious freedom’ and how they constructed this understanding. In order to conduct this study, an empirical, qualitative research design, including elements of small-scale ethnography, using a case study approach, was employed. Research methods included the use of semi-structured individual and focus group interviews and self-administered questionnaires. The data were triangulated. From the research it emerged that teachers’ biographical context and school context do indeed influence the construction of their understanding of the human right to ‘religious freedom’. The way in which they give voice to this understanding varied. It became apparent that many teachers lacked understanding of religions other than (and in some cases, including) their own. The Policy (2003) was also poorly understood as was the implementation thereof. Recommendations relating to the problems and shortcomings identified by the research have been made. These include possible intervention strategies by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and Culture; Human Rights Values Education as a teaching approach; and the empowering of teachers by affording them opportunities to engage in emancipatory discourse. Further research possibilities that can be influenced by this research include issues relating to teacher identity formation; further interrogation of the impact of the teacher’s voice; and the inclusion of parents and the school community in the implementation of policy relating to Religion and Education. Masters 2008-06-17T12:10:08Z 2010-06-01T09:01:47Z 2008-06-17T12:10:08Z 2010-06-01T09:01:47Z 2008-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2926 en University of Stellenbosch application/pdf Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| spellingShingle | Religious freedom Voice Identity Context Dissertations -- Curriculum studies Theses -- Curriculum studies Religion in the public schools Human rights -- Religious aspects -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Religion -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Religious educators -- Training of -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Jarvis, Janet The voice of the teacher in the context of religious freedom: a KwaZulu-Natal case study |
| title | The voice of the teacher in the context of religious freedom: a KwaZulu-Natal case study |
| title_full | The voice of the teacher in the context of religious freedom: a KwaZulu-Natal case study |
| title_fullStr | The voice of the teacher in the context of religious freedom: a KwaZulu-Natal case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The voice of the teacher in the context of religious freedom: a KwaZulu-Natal case study |
| title_short | The voice of the teacher in the context of religious freedom: a KwaZulu-Natal case study |
| title_sort | voice of the teacher in the context of religious freedom a kwazulu natal case study |
| topic | Religious freedom Voice Identity Context Dissertations -- Curriculum studies Theses -- Curriculum studies Religion in the public schools Human rights -- Religious aspects -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Religion -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Religious educators -- Training of -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2926 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jarvisjanet thevoiceoftheteacherinthecontextofreligiousfreedomakwazulunatalcasestudy AT jarvisjanet voiceoftheteacherinthecontextofreligiousfreedomakwazulunatalcasestudy |