'n Gevallestudie van interaktiewe leer en onderrig in maatskaplike werk by die Hugenote Kollege, Wellington
Date
2008-12
Authors
Von Schlicht, Helena
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
The policy statements of South Africa stipulate that students of social work have to be led
in an interactive way during teaching and learning in order to prepare them for their
career, but also to attain the outcomes of the current tertiary education system of South
Africa. These outcomes have, among others, the purpose of empowering students to
develop into critical thinkers. During the mentioned teaching and learning process
students are given the opportunity of bringing their own diverse frames of reference and
experiences to the learning situation and share with one another. Because different inputs
are accommodated in the teaching- and learning process, students get the opportunity to
appreciate their own diversity, that of their fellow students, as well as the diversity of
society. Students can consciously reflect on this and so doing understand theory better
and eventually integrate it.
Lecturers in social work are not necessarily prepared and equipped to teach effectively
within the mentioned context. Although teaching and learning in social work is unique,
the effectiveness of the process of teaching and learning depends on the implementation
of a suitable teaching style by the lecturer, as well as the fitting of this style to the
particular learning style of the students by which empowering teaching and learning is
facilitated.
In this research, the Huguenot College, Wellington was used as a case study to critically
study the application of interactive teaching and learning. A combined qualitative and
quantitative research method was used to involve the final year students in social work in
an exploratory study. Eight principal themes, including the traditional Christian character
of the Huguenot College and the preferred method of study of the students were
researched. Significant findings of this study indicate that:
• The students in social work at the Huguenot College are of the opinion that the
Christian character of this institute should be preserved to play a role in teaching
and learning and that the appropriate accommodation of the diverse spiritual needs of the students augments the effectiveness of the teaching and learning
process.
• The students in social work at the Huguenot College prefer to study according to a
combination of the Assimilative Study Method (observe-and-think) and the
Convergent Study Method (think-and-do). These two learning styles correspond
with the expectations of the outcomes based education system, according to
which, among others, students are expected to be critical thinkers in effective
teaching and learning.
• Lecturers in social work impair the effective handling of diversity during teaching
and learning because class discussions on sensitive issues are ignored and the
lecturers do not demonstrate adequate knowledge and understanding of the
differences among students in a diverse context.
In conclusion the recommendations of this study are given as guidelines for lecturers in
social work in order to optimize interactive teaching and learning. The most important
recommendations resulting from this study indicate that:
• The most relevant and appropriate way in which the Christian character of the
Huguenot College can be accommodated has to be examined and implemented
and the Christian church communities have to become involved in an appropriate
way as co-role players in the teaching and learning of prospective social workers.
• The course of the historic events at the Huguenot College must be utilized to
stimulate the critical thinking process of the students.
• Lecturers in social work must make a concerted effort to increase interactive
teaching and learning in social work by, for example, fitting the unique learning
styles of the students to appropriate teaching styles in a creative way with the
view to optimizing the teaching and learning process.
Description
Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
Keywords
Training of social workers, Social work, Hugenote Kollege, Wellington Suid-Afrika, Social work education, Dissertations -- Social work, Theses -- Social work