Reimagining pedagogy for theological education at a South African University: An ethnographic exploration

Lindie Denny,Cas Wepener

doi:10.4102/ve.v42i1.2143

Abstract

Curriculum transformation within Higher Education has been an ongoing process within South Africa Universities. For a long time, apartheid and the conception of race have shaped the education framework. Recently, decolonisation discourses have led to a rethinking about Curricula of Higher Education. Theological Education has been highlighted, as theological faculties within Universities perpetuate European epistemologies. In order to contribute towards curriculum transformation in South Africa, pedagogy for theological education within South African Universities is explored in this article, and a new praxis theory for a reimagined pedagogy is presented. This article presents only part of the research conducted within a South African University. A description and analysis of the empirical research are provided together with a reimagined pedagogy for theological education at a South African University. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research was performed within the field of Practical Theology with a special focus on pedagogy; however, inter-disciplinary insights were gained from fields such as Education and History, and on an intra-disciplinary level, the research used qualitative methods from Cultural Anthropology and Rituals Studies to empirically study pedagogy as a practice.

Highlights

Since 1994, a democratic South Africa has seen many positive changes towards transformation; ‘exclusion, marginalization and social injustice’ are still prevalent (Buitendag 2017:65)
The Curricula and Pedagogy (Freire 1970), in other words both the content she had to teach and the ways in which she had to teach it, were not conducive for learning in a multicultural and multi-denominational setting, as it was just perpetuating a Western paradigm without taking cognisance of the South African context
The researcher addresses the gap, but the gap pertaining to research regarding the pedagogy of theological education in a Faculty of Theology and Religion within South African Universities and not curricula, in general

Summary

Introduction

Since 1994, a democratic South Africa has seen many positive changes towards transformation; ‘exclusion, marginalization and social injustice’ are still prevalent (Buitendag 2017:65). You sit with students that come from bad schools and they don’t have the necessary skills, or never learned a certain work ethic.’ (Lecturer, module B, date unspecified). ‘I think it must be bad for a student who sits in class and the whole presentation is a Western presentation, and the examples that is used is only Western, so I do feel it is very important to take into consideration the background cultures.’ (Lecturer, module A, date unspecified). Students communicated that they feel certain cultures or language groups were given easier assignments, lectures and exams.

Conclusion

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