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South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study

Year 2015, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 137 - 150, 31.08.2015

Abstract

There is a dearth of research on primary school Geography in
South Africa. With no Annual National Assessments (ANAs) being done in the
subject, little is known about the quality of geographical learning and
teaching in South African primary schools. This article begins to address this
shortcoming. More specifically, it responds to the need for empirical research
on Geography in primary schooling in the developing-world context of South
Africa, where large scale education transformation has taken place since 1994.
An overview of the national school system is given followed by a discussion of
the major inefficiency characterising the South African school system, namely
the low quality of learning and teaching in many schools. Our main contention
is that the focus of research has been on understanding and addressing systemic
factors associated with low learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy, with
little attention being paid to Geography. Drawing on the findings of an
exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, we provide
tentative insights into primary Geography from the perspective of teachers. We
conclude with some propositions for a future research agenda.

References

  • Beets, P., & Le Grange, L. (2008). Has Geography curriculum reform in post-apartheid South Africa strengthened continuity and progression? South African Geographical Journal 90(2), 68-79.
  • Catling, S. (2013). Editorial. The need to develop research into primary children’s and schools’ Geography. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 22(3), 177-182.
  • Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE). (2015). Teacher Supply and Demand 2013-2025. Executive Summary. Johannesburg: CDE.
  • Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011) Research Methods in Education (7th ed.). New York: Taylor and Francis.
  • Conrad C. and R. C. Serlin. (Eds.). 2006 The Sage handbook for research in education: Engaging ideas and enriching inquiry. SAGE Publications, Inc: Thousand Oaks, CA. Department of Education (DoE). (1997). Outcomes-Based Education: Draft Curriculum Framework. March 1997. Pretoria: Government Printer.
  • Department of Education (DoE). (2002). Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9: Geography. Pretoria: Government Printer.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011a). Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), General. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education. www.education.gov.za
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011b). The Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS) for Social Sciences, Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6). Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011c). The Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS) for Social Sciences, Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9). Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011d). The Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS) for Life Skills, Foundation Phase (Grades 0 to 3). Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011e). The Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS) for General Sciences, Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6). Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2013a). The Internal Efficiency of the School System. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2013b). National Schools Feeding Programme Annual Report 2012/2013. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2013c). Education for All. 2013 Country Progress Report: South Africa. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Education. (September 2014a). 2014 School Realities. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2014b). Report on the 2013 National Senior Certificate: Diagnostic Report. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Grant, D. (2013). Background to the national quintile system. Media Release by the Minister of the Western Cape Education Department. Downloaded from: wced.pgwc.gov.za/comms/press/2013/74_14oct.html on 26 September 2014
  • Le Grange, L., & Beets, P. (2005). Geography education in South Africa after a decade of democracy. Geography 90(3), 267-277.
  • Lotz-Sisitka, H.B. (2009). Epistemological access as an open question in education. Journal of Education, 46, 57-79.
  • Merriam, S.B. (2009) Qualitative Research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU). (2013). National Report South Africa. Nel, E., & Binns, T. (1999). Changing the Geography of apartheid education in South Africa. Geography, 84(2), 119-128.
  • Spaull, N. (2013). South Africa’s Education Crisis: The quality of education in South Africa 1994-2011. Centre for Development and Enterprise. Johannesburg. http://www.section27.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Spaull-2013-CDE-report-South-Africas-Education-Crisis.pdf
  • Taylor, N. (2011). Priorities for Addressing South Africa’s Education and Training Crisis. http://www.jet.org.za/publications/research/Taylor%20NPC%20Synthesis%report%20Nov%202011.pdf/view accessed on 15 December 2011.
  • Taylor, N. (2014). The Initial Teacher Education Research Report: An examination of aspects of initial teacher education curricula at five higher education institutions. Johannesburg: JET Education Services. http://jet.org.za/publications/initial-teacher-education-research-project/taylor-iterp-summary-report-on-component-1-feb15web.pdf
  • Westaway, A. (2015). Towards an explanation of the functionality of South Africa’s ‘dysfunctional’ schools. Paper presented at an Education Faculty Seminar, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 13 March 2015.
  • Wilmot, D. & Dube, C. (2015a). Opening a window onto school Geography in selected public secondary schools in the Eastern Cape Province. South African Geographical Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2015.1028989.
  • Wilmot, D., & Dube, C. (2015b). School Geography in South Africa after two decades of democracy: Teachers’ experiences of curriculum change. Geography 100(2), 94-101.
Year 2015, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 137 - 150, 31.08.2015

Abstract

References

  • Beets, P., & Le Grange, L. (2008). Has Geography curriculum reform in post-apartheid South Africa strengthened continuity and progression? South African Geographical Journal 90(2), 68-79.
  • Catling, S. (2013). Editorial. The need to develop research into primary children’s and schools’ Geography. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 22(3), 177-182.
  • Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE). (2015). Teacher Supply and Demand 2013-2025. Executive Summary. Johannesburg: CDE.
  • Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011) Research Methods in Education (7th ed.). New York: Taylor and Francis.
  • Conrad C. and R. C. Serlin. (Eds.). 2006 The Sage handbook for research in education: Engaging ideas and enriching inquiry. SAGE Publications, Inc: Thousand Oaks, CA. Department of Education (DoE). (1997). Outcomes-Based Education: Draft Curriculum Framework. March 1997. Pretoria: Government Printer.
  • Department of Education (DoE). (2002). Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9: Geography. Pretoria: Government Printer.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011a). Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), General. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education. www.education.gov.za
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011b). The Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS) for Social Sciences, Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6). Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011c). The Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS) for Social Sciences, Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9). Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011d). The Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS) for Life Skills, Foundation Phase (Grades 0 to 3). Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2011e). The Curriculum and Assessment Statement (CAPS) for General Sciences, Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6). Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2013a). The Internal Efficiency of the School System. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2013b). National Schools Feeding Programme Annual Report 2012/2013. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2013c). Education for All. 2013 Country Progress Report: South Africa. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Education. (September 2014a). 2014 School Realities. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Department of Basic Education. (2014b). Report on the 2013 National Senior Certificate: Diagnostic Report. Pretoria: Department of Basic Education.
  • Grant, D. (2013). Background to the national quintile system. Media Release by the Minister of the Western Cape Education Department. Downloaded from: wced.pgwc.gov.za/comms/press/2013/74_14oct.html on 26 September 2014
  • Le Grange, L., & Beets, P. (2005). Geography education in South Africa after a decade of democracy. Geography 90(3), 267-277.
  • Lotz-Sisitka, H.B. (2009). Epistemological access as an open question in education. Journal of Education, 46, 57-79.
  • Merriam, S.B. (2009) Qualitative Research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU). (2013). National Report South Africa. Nel, E., & Binns, T. (1999). Changing the Geography of apartheid education in South Africa. Geography, 84(2), 119-128.
  • Spaull, N. (2013). South Africa’s Education Crisis: The quality of education in South Africa 1994-2011. Centre for Development and Enterprise. Johannesburg. http://www.section27.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Spaull-2013-CDE-report-South-Africas-Education-Crisis.pdf
  • Taylor, N. (2011). Priorities for Addressing South Africa’s Education and Training Crisis. http://www.jet.org.za/publications/research/Taylor%20NPC%20Synthesis%report%20Nov%202011.pdf/view accessed on 15 December 2011.
  • Taylor, N. (2014). The Initial Teacher Education Research Report: An examination of aspects of initial teacher education curricula at five higher education institutions. Johannesburg: JET Education Services. http://jet.org.za/publications/initial-teacher-education-research-project/taylor-iterp-summary-report-on-component-1-feb15web.pdf
  • Westaway, A. (2015). Towards an explanation of the functionality of South Africa’s ‘dysfunctional’ schools. Paper presented at an Education Faculty Seminar, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 13 March 2015.
  • Wilmot, D. & Dube, C. (2015a). Opening a window onto school Geography in selected public secondary schools in the Eastern Cape Province. South African Geographical Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2015.1028989.
  • Wilmot, D., & Dube, C. (2015b). School Geography in South Africa after two decades of democracy: Teachers’ experiences of curriculum change. Geography 100(2), 94-101.
There are 27 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Di Wılmot

Pat Irwın This is me

Publication Date August 31, 2015
Submission Date February 27, 2015
Published in Issue Year 2015 Volume: 5 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Wılmot, D., & Irwın, P. (2015). South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study. Review of International Geographical Education Online, 5(2), 137-150.
AMA Wılmot D, Irwın P. South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study. Review of International Geographical Education Online. August 2015;5(2):137-150.
Chicago Wılmot, Di, and Pat Irwın. “South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study”. Review of International Geographical Education Online 5, no. 2 (August 2015): 137-50.
EndNote Wılmot D, Irwın P (August 1, 2015) South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study. Review of International Geographical Education Online 5 2 137–150.
IEEE D. Wılmot and P. Irwın, “South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study”, Review of International Geographical Education Online, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 137–150, 2015.
ISNAD Wılmot, Di - Irwın, Pat. “South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study”. Review of International Geographical Education Online 5/2 (August 2015), 137-150.
JAMA Wılmot D, Irwın P. South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study. Review of International Geographical Education Online. 2015;5:137–150.
MLA Wılmot, Di and Pat Irwın. “South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study”. Review of International Geographical Education Online, vol. 5, no. 2, 2015, pp. 137-50.
Vancouver Wılmot D, Irwın P. South African Teachers’ Perceptions of the Primary Geography Curriculum: An Exploratory Study. Review of International Geographical Education Online. 2015;5(2):137-50.