Pedagogical practices in a higher education context : case studies in environmental and science education

Date
2001-07
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: My study investigates opportunities that may currently be available to enable the transformation of post-apartheid teacher education. I examine two case studies of my own professional practice. The first case study involves in-service education work that I performed with teachers in a local community, Grassy Park. The second case study represents work I performed with students in a pre-service education programme at the University of Stellenbosch. My study aims to: • Critically examine the implications of social issues, particularly environmental issues, for pedagogical practices generally and for South African pedagogical work in particular. • Critically review the changing socio-historical determinants of pedagogical practices in South African teacher education. • Investigate changing pedagogical practices by describing and reflecting on work done in my own professional contexts as a science/environmental teacher educator at a historically Afrikaner university. With respect to teacher education, Pendlebury (1998) argues that we are seeing shifts in public space, evaluative space, pedagogical space and institutional space from insulated space (hidden from public scrutiny) to a more porous space. In this study I am concerned with pedagogical space that, in Pendlebury's (1998:345) terms determines 'who may learn (or teach), how and what they learn (or teach), when and for how long and where'. I use these categories of Pendlebury (1998:345) together with Turnbull's (1997) perspectives on knowledge production as conceptual tools to frame my analyses of the cases. Although a significant part of my study focuses on classroom practices, I take pedagogy to have a much broader meaning that incorporates in Hernandez's (1997:11) terms 'all spaces in which knowledge is produced and identities are formed'. This research report offers a brief insight into the complexities of change at the micro-level of classroom practices. But, importantly also contextualises these micro-level pedagogical practices within broader socio-historical determinants and provides praxiological comments on postapartheid education policies. The research also initiates an investigation into the social organisation of trust in post-apartheid South Africa.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie ondersoek ek die geleenthede vir die transformasie van onderwyseropleiding in die post-apartheidsera. Ek bespreek twee gevallestudies uit my eie professionele praktyk. Die eerste gevallestudie handel oor die indiensopleiding van onderwysers in Grassy Park, 'n plaaslike gemeenskap. Die tweede gevallestudie handel oor die werk wat ek met studente in 'n voorgraadse onderrigprogram aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch gedoen het. Die studie het die volgende ten doel: • 'n Kritiese ondersoek na die uitwerking van sosiale aspekte, met die klem op omgewingsaangeleenthede, op opvoedkundige praktyke in die algemeen en op die Suid- Afrikaanse opvoedkundige praktyk in die besonder. • 'n Kritiese oorsig oor die sosio-historiese veranderinge wat deeI vorm van die opleiding van Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysers. • 'n Ondersoek na veranderende opvoedkundige praktyke aan die hand van 'n beskrywing van en refleksie op my eie professionele werk as dosent in die wetenskap/omgewingsopvoeding aan 'n historiese Afrikaanse universiteit. Ten opsigte van onderwyseropleiding beweer Pendlebury (1998) dat verskuiwings in die publieke ruimte, evaluerende ruimte, pedagogiese ruimte en institusionele ruimte, plaasvind van 'n afgesonderde ruimte (verberg vir publieke waarnemimg/evaluasie) na 'n meer deursigtige ruimte. In hierdie studie fokus ek op die pedagogiese ruimte wat, volgens Pendlebury (1998:345), bepaal 'who may learn (or teach), how and what they learn (or teach), when and for how long and where'. Ek gebruik Pendlebury (1998: 345) se kategoriee saam met Turnbull (1997) se perspektiewe oor kennisproduksie as konseptuele raamwerk vir my analise van die twee gevallestudies. Alhoewel 'n beduidende gedeelte van my studie op klaskamerpraktyke fokus, moet die term pedagogie(k) volgens my 'n veel breer betekenis verband gesien word om ook Hernandez (1997: 11) se 'all spaces in which knowledge is produced and identities are formed' intesluit. Hierdie navorsingsverslag lig die komplekse aard van transformasie op die mikro-vlak van klaskamerpraktyke toe. Van groot belang is ook die kontekstualisering van opvoedkundige praktyke op mikro-vlak binne die breer sosio-historiese veranderlikes en lewer praktykverwante kommentaar op die opvoedkundige beleid van die post-apartheidsera. Die navorsing dien ook as vertrekpunt om sosiale vertroue in die post-apartheids-Suid-Afrika te ondersoek.
Description
Thesis (PhD) -- Stellenbosch University, 2001.
Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
Keywords
Environmental issues, Classroom practices, Education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Post-Apartheid era -- Education -- South Africa, Teachers -- Training of
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