Curriculum In South Africa Research Articles

The challenges of developing computational physics: the case of South Africa

Most modern scientific research problems are complex and interdisciplinary in nature. It is impossible to study such problems in detail without the use of computation in addition to theory and experiment. Although it is widely agreed that students should be introduced to computational methods at the undergraduate level, it remains a challenge to do this in a full traditional undergraduate curriculum. In this paper, we report on a survey that we conducted of undergraduate physics curricula in South Africa to determine the content and the approach taken in the teaching of computational physics. We also considered the pedagogy of computational physics at the postgraduate and research levels at various South African universities, research facilities and institutions. We conclude that the state of computational physics training in South Africa, especially at the undergraduate teaching level, is generally weak and needs to be given more attention at all universities. Failure to do so will impact negatively on the countrys capacity to grow its endeavours generally in the field of computational sciences, with negative impacts on research, and in commerce and industry.

Status of undergraduate community-based and public health physiotherapy education South Africa

Curricula of health education institutions need to be periodically revised to be aligned with its context. This study explored the status of physiotherapy curricula in South Africa as point of departure for benchmarking by individual institutions. A document analysis was done of the university physiotherapy departments (N=8) in South Africa. institutional ethical clearance and permission from the heads of departments were obtained. Content analysis was used to analyse the South African Qualifications Authority exit-level outcomes and the university study guides for community placements. Most universities employed a form of service-learning, with interventions in a range of settings. Five themes emerged: practice of evidence-based physiotherapy, rendering physiotherapy services, acting professionally, communication, and collaboration. The country’s priority conditions were addressed. Teaching-learning strategies included group activities (class or education sessions), community projects, home visits and portfolios of evidence. Personal and small-group reflections were prominent. The undergraduate community physiotherapy curricula in South Africa address the health profile of the population and priorities in the health system to different degrees. The variation between universities should be interpreted with caution as the study guides only gave a limited snapshot into each institution’s curriculum. However, findings suggest that each physiotherapy university department may have gaps in preparing physiotherapy undergraduate students for the needs of the South African population and expectations of the government. Possible ways to share teaching-learning resources are recommended

Assessment in the Social Sciences: GIS Training and Assessment for Pre-service Geography Teachers in a Rural University

Geographical information system/s (GIS) is a relatively new inclusion in the school curriculum in South Africa. The training and assessment of pre-service teachers is crucial for the successful implementation of GIS in schools. This article explores the impact of GIS software in the training and assessment of student teachers in Geography Education at the University of Limpopo. The students are exposed to mainly rural schools where the use of technology in teaching is rare. Therefore this article examines the exposure of student teachers from rural backgrounds to GIS software and assesses their mastery of the software. The research reports on the process involved in training the students to use GIS software; assessment of students' competency in drawing specific maps; and students' self-assessment in the form of reflections. Data were gathered using questionnaires a nd from a practical assessment using GIS software. The data were quantitatively analysed to determine problems faced by individual students in execution of the assessment task. The findings indicate that students grasped the basic skills required to utilise GIS software, but need more training in complex exercises. Findings from the questionnaires indicated that students benefitted from the training and assessment tasks. Once the technological sk ills were mastered, stu dents could attempt the assessment task with greater ease. It is recommended that Geogr a phy Education students should complete GIS as a module that is fully assessed. In this way assessment tasks can become more complex, and the skills gained can be meaningfully utilised by teachers.

Reflections of students graduating from a transforming medical curriculum in South Africa: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe six year medical programme at the University of the Witwatersrand admits students into the programme through two routes – school entrants and graduate entrants. Graduates join the school entrants in the third year of study in a transformed curriculum called the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP). In years I and 2 of the GEMP, the curriculum is structured into system based blocks. Problem-based learning, using a three session format, is applied in these two years. The curriculum adopts a biopsychosocial approach to health care, which is implemented through spiral teaching and learning in four main themes – basic and clinical sciences, patient-doctor, community- doctor and personal and professional development. In 2010 this programme produced its fifth cohort of graduates.MethodsWe undertook a qualitative, descriptive and contextual study to explore the graduating students’ perceptions of the programme. Interviews were conducted with a total of 35 participants who volunteered to participate in the study. The majority of the participants interviewed participated in focus group discussions. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically, using Tesch’s eight steps. Ethics approval for the study was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Witwatersrand. Participants provided written consent to participate in the interviews and for the interviews to be audio-taped.ResultsSix themes were identified. These were: two separate programmes, problem-based learning and Garmins® (navigation system), see patients for real, being seen as doctors, assessment: of mice and MCQ’s, a cry for support and personal growth and pride. Participants were vocal in their reflections of experiences encountered during the programme and made several insightful suggestions for curriculum transformation. The findings suggest that graduates are exiting the programme confident and ready to begin their internships.ConclusionsThe findings of this study have identified a number of areas which need attention in the curriculum. Specifically attention needs to be given to ensuring that assessment is standardized; student support structures and appropriate levels of teaching. The study demonstrated the value of qualitative methods in obtaining students’ perceptions of a curriculum.

Adequacy of the emergency point-of-care ultrasound core curriculum for the local burden of disease in South Africa

ObjectiveThis prospective cross-sectional study assesses the adequacy of the current South African emergency point-of-care ultrasound (EPCUS) core curriculum against the local burden of disease.MethodPatients presenting to five Emergency Centres during...

Learning to teach argumentation: Facilitated reflection on a pre-service curriculum in South Africa

Abstract In South Africa, critical thinking is a prominent aim of education. Argumentation (the processes and products of arguing) is central to critical thinking and important in science and technology, but teachers have not been trained in classroom methods. This article reports an evaluation of the university-based part of a programme to train science and technology student teachers to teach argumentation. Observations of the university sessions produced detailed descriptions of the enacted curriculum with respect to argumentation and the teaching of argumentation. A model called SIMPL facilitated critical reflection by the programme's teacher educators. These reflections validated course structures, identified key assumptions made by teacher educators and clarified the interplay between student teachers as learners, and teachers’ and teacher educators’ instructional roles. The findings showed that while the curriculum provided student teachers with ample experience of argumentation and opportunities t...

South–South Comparisons: A Syntegrated Approach to the Teaching of the Arts for Primary School Teacher Preparation in South Africa and Australia

In light of the tendency to present the arts in an integrated fashion in many education systems worldwide, this article examines the consequences of integration for discrete art forms. In particular, we investigate the advantages of adopting a syntegrated approach to the facilitation of arts in teacher preparation. A specific comparison between the implementation of arts curricula in South Africa and Australia is made. The disjuncture between policy and practice in arts education that has been reported internationally needs constant monitoring. We conclude that the heart of curriculum transfer and transformation lies in the classroom.

Teacher Professional Development with an Education for Sustainable Development Focus in South Africa: Development of a Network, Curriculum Framework and Resources for Teacher Education

This national case study reports on the development of a national network, curriculum framework and resources for teacher education, with specific focus on the inclusion of environment and sustainability, also known as education for sustainable development (ESD) in the South African teacher education system. It reviews and reports on the history of environment and sustainability education in teacher education, and from this, the national case study begins to conceptualise a new approach to environment and sustainability teacher education within a new curriculum policy environment, and a new teacher education and development policy environment. Action research case study methodology is used to document the first phase of the emergence of this network, and this report covers Phase 1 of the initiative, which covers formation of the network, review of previous practices, three conceptual development pilot studies undertaken in both in-service and pre-service teacher education environments and a piloting of a ‘Train the Trainers’ or ‘Educate the Teacher Educators’ programme, which complements and extends the actual teacher education and development (TED) programme under development. The study highlights critical insights of relevance to the shift to a content referenced curriculum in South Africa, and shows how the ‘knowledge mix’ which forms the foundation of the new Teacher Education Qualifications Framework can be engaged. It also highlights some features of the changing knowledge environment, and what dominant knowledge practices are in environment and sustainability-related teaching and teacher education practices, opening these up for further scrutiny. It raises concerns that dominant knowledge work, while integrating a range of forms of knowledge (as is expected of the teacher education system under the new policy), tends to be limited by content on problems and issues for raising awareness, and fails to develop deeper conceptual depth and understanding of environment and sustainability, as issues based knowledge dominates. Similarly, it fails to support social innovation as a response to environment and sustainability concerns, as awareness raising dominates in dominant knowledge work. The study provides a revised conceptual framework for the Teacher Development Network (TEDN) programme, with guidance on key elements necessary to take the programme forward in Phase 2.

Argumentation-teaching as a method to introduce indigenous knowledge into science classrooms: opportunities and challenges

An innovative school science curriculum in South Africa requires the inclusion of African societal/cultural knowledge, such as indigenous knowledge (IK). The main project involves introducing argumentation to accomplish this requirement. We used a focus group plus critical incident technique to ascertain nine teachers’ understandings of argumentation and IK, their perceptions of how argumentation helps in teaching IK, examples of how argumentation-teaching had (or had not) worked in their classrooms, and their suggestions. Our results show that the teachers accepted argumentation as a viable approach to teach science and introduce IK into their classrooms.

An analysis of the alignment of the Grade 12 Physical Sciences examination and the core curriculum in South Africa

An analysis of the alignment of the Grade 12 Physical Sciences examination and the core curriculum in South Africa

An analysis of the alignment of the grade 12 physical sciences examination and the core curriculum in South Africa

I report on an analysis of the alignment between the South African Grade 12 Physical Sciences core curriculum content and the exemplar papers of 2008, and the final examination papers of 2008 and 2009. A two-dimensional table was used for both the curriculum and the examination in order to calculate the Porter alignment index, which indicates the degree of match between the two. Alignment indices of 0.8 and 0.6 for Physics and Chemistry, respectively, were computed and remained constant for Physics, but fluctuated initially for Chemistry before levelling off. Using the revised Bloom’s taxonomy, discrepancies were found in terms of cognitive levels as well as content areas in both Physics and Chemistry. The cognitive level Remember is under-represented in the Chemistry and Physics examinations, whereas the cognitive levels Understand and Apply were over-represented in Chemistry. It is argued that the shift to higher cognitive levels is in line with the reported increase in cognitive complexity of the Physical Sciences curriculum. The significance of the study for Physical Science teachers is highlighted, and the potential for further research is also indicated. Keywords: alignment; assessment; Chemistry; cognitive level; curriculum content; Physics; revised Bloom’s taxonomy

MB ChB curriculum modernization in South Africa - growing doctors for Africa

This paper reflects on the modernization of medical curricula in South Africa and the road travelled to effect change.

Property Industry Perceptions on Time Allocation to Masters Real Estate Topics in South Africa

As part of the process of assessment of Masters in Real Estate (MRE) curricula in South Africa, real estate professionals in the property industry were surveyed to give percentages of time they thought should be allocated to the topics included in the curricula. Results reveal that professionals want more time to be allocated to property finance and less time to be allocated to information technology and corporate strategy. Findings will support curriculum improvement at universities offering MRE programs in South Africa and elsewhere.

The role of visualisation in data handling in Grade 9 within a problem-centred context

In the recent past, data handling has been neglected at secondary school level, perhaps partially due to the strong emphasis on developing arithmetic, algebra and geometry. For the first time, the South African curriculum includes substantial amounts of data handling at all grade levels. The introduction of more data handling in the secondary school curriculum in South Africa and the prevalence of many problems in the teaching of probability and statistics argues for a serious reconsideration of the way it is taught to the pupils. Currently this concern has been the focus of a call for reform in mathematics education by a body like the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) at all levels of schooling (NCTM, 1989; 2000). The importance of visualisation in mathematics, at all levels of mathematical problem solving is well documented in the literature (Bishop, 1989; Maher & Alston, 1989; Moses, 1982; Wheatley, 1991) but almost nothing was done to appreciate visualisation in the learning of data handling. The paper therefore provides a qualitative examination from a Masters dissertation (Makina, 2005) of the role of visualisation in the learning of data handling. This is done through examining the thought processes involved by Grade 9 learners during visualisation while solving data handling tasks. Several roles of visualisation were identified and most were found to improve the critical and creative thinking of pupils during their learning of data handling. The results show that learners are likely to improve their performance in data handling if the awareness of the need to use visualisation creatively as a tool for understanding are highlighted.

Navigating the byways of polyculturalism – whose dance are we teaching in South African schools?

The post‐apartheid Dance Studies curriculum in South Africa is attempting to offer school learners both an education and training in dance as an art form. The outcomes‐based syllabi are intended to ensure that learners come to respect the diversity of South African society, and therefore a range of dance styles and genres are offered in order to enhance understanding and appreciation of this diversity. Serious questions and problems arise, however, when the intentions need to be translated and implemented into the classroom. Both political and cultural issues inform the hidden curriculum of the syllabi. In addition, the context of schooling in much of the Western Cape, in particular, means that many of the learners in schools offering Dance Studies are drawn from communities beset by current social and political strife. This paper attempts to raise some of the issues involved when we ask: Whose dance are we teaching in the classroom? To what end?

Addressing teachers' concerns about teaching evolution

Evolution was introduced into the senior secondary school Life Sciences curriculum in South Africa for the first time in 2008. Research in other countries shows that evolution is an extremely controversial topic to teach, raising serious concerns for teachers. Curriculum change theory dealing with ‘stages of concern’ suggests that teachers implementing a new curriculum move through a predictable series of types of concerns, and that if their initial concerns are not addressed then teachers are slow to move on to more important task-related matters. This has serious implications for both professional development programmes and the development of support materials for teachers: information about teachers' concerns is needed so that those having to support teachers can do so on an informed basis. This article identifies the concerns of 125 secondary school teachers having to teach evolution for the first time. Data was gathered using an activity-based questionnaire administered in a workshop setting to four different groups of biology teachers attending inservice workshops on the teaching of evolution, at stages progressively closer to the implementation date. The majority of concerns identified were early-stage ‘self-concerns’, dealing with personal worries and a need for information. Implications of the findings for providing support for teachers with concerns about teaching evolution are discussed.

Preparedness for tertiary chemistry: issues of placement and performance

The introduction of an outcomes-based curriculum in South Africa together with a new syllabus for physical sciences for grades 10–12, prompted the development of an instrument to monitor conceptual understanding in chemistry at the secondary-tertiary interface. This instrument was used to evaluate placement within different programmes at tertiary institutions as well as improvement in the conceptual understanding of chemistry during the first year of instruction. Comparison of preparedness revealed distinct profiles for proficiencies of mainstream and academic development cohorts, respectively, at the Universities of Cape Town, UCT, and Pretoria, UP, but not at the University of Limpopo, UL, which raises doubts about the placement of students at that institution. Unnecessary duplication of offerings for under-prepared students was found at UP. The academic development programmes at UCT and UP were effective in raising the level of conceptual understanding of students while students in the UL programme showed very little improvement. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 22 (4) 2008: pp. 861-876

Teaching and learning through multiple intelligences in the outcomes-based education classroom

As outcomes-based education forms the foundation of the new school curriculum in South Africa, educators are confronted with the challenge of not only meeting the different needs of individual learners, but also of helping learners (many of them previously disadvantaged) to achieve their maximum potential. One way of realising this ideal is by applying Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences in the classroom. The article provides a discussion on both Gardner's multiple intelligences theory and outcomes-based education in South Africa, as it is believed that together they can contribute to solving some of the present problems in South African education. The article defines the use of MI theory in an OBE classroom and suggests specific ways in which educators worldwide could incorporate the different intelligences in their teaching and learning activities.

Introducing human rights and health into a nursing curriculum

The introduction of a module in Health and Human Rights into a Postgraduate diploma curriculum for registered nurses is described. An important component of nursing programmes in South Africa has been teaching of the principles of ethical practice and relevant ethical codes. A number of factors have contributed to the need to include human rights as an integral component of nursing curricula in South Africa. These include the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of South Africa and the implications thereof for health care delivery, the primary health care approach in the delivery of health care in South Africa, the development and acceptance of Patients' Rights Charters, and the recognition of the role that health professionals played--whether through lack of knowledge and awareness or direct involvement--in the human rights violations in the health sector exposed during the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. An outline of themes covered in the course content is described, together with examples of learning activities and teaching materials. Reflections of the course convenor and students are used to highlight the importance of inclusion of health and human rights as foundational to ethical nursing practice, regardless of the health care setting.

A Process-Oriented Study of the Development of Science Textbooks in South Africa

This paper provides preliminary evidence from an ongoing qualitative inquiry into the development and classroom use of commercial reform-based science textbooks. In this paper I focus on the process of developing science textbooks in response to the radical streamlining of the recently introduced outcomes-based curriculum in South Africa. Particular attention is given to the forces and factors that determine the format, style and content of these determinants of classroom practice. Taking the position that textbooks are powerful policy instruments, I draw on the theoretical notion that education policy is constructed and reconstructed within three contexts, namely context of influence, text production and classroom practice. Data was gleaned through policy document analysis, extensive interviews with the publishers and authors of four Grade 9 Natural Science textbooks, as well as with education department officials tasked with Learning Support Materials. Apart from the expected emphasis on curriculum alignment and fidelity, this paper points to the defining influence of a highly technical textbook evaluation system. This has major implications for the development of commercial textbooks meant to support the ambitious curriculum reform project currently underway in South Africa.