Integrating Life Skills Learning and Teaching Support Materials into Teachers’ Teaching Strategies

Abstract

This paper investigated the integration of Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) into teachers’ teaching strategies to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 Foundation Phase classrooms. The aim was to understand teachers’ teaching strategies integrating LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning. The South African National Policy Guidelines for LTSMs require teachers to be mediators of teaching to improve the quality of results. This paper was informed by Engestrom’s Cultural Historical Activity Theory, whose strength lies in its ability to enable researchers to understand learning as the complex result of tool-mediated interactions. The study used a qualitative methodology with an interpretive perspective. In order to gather and analyse data, semi-structured interviews, structured observation, and documents were used. Three Life Skills teachers were chosen using a purposeful sample process, and they were interviewed and observed in action. Themes that were formed from the subsidiary questions and coded for convenience referencing served as the guide for the data analysis under the guidance of content analysis. Findings revealed that teachers demonstrate a lack of learning and teaching support materials and a lack of professional development to integrate strategies during lesson presentations. The researchers concluded that there is an imperative need for Life Skills teachers to integrate LTSMs in their teaching strategies to guarantee access and support to the delivery of quality education. The authors recommend that the Department of Education should develop and equip Life Skills teachers to integrate LTSMs into their teaching strategies. Keywords: Learning and teaching support materials, Life Skills, Mediate, Teaching.