Investigating the micro-processes of change used by grassroots individuals and organisations to embed sustainability in South African education

Date
2022-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: As we enter the Anthropocene, an era marked by the significant degradation of the environment and living systems, many are pointing to the role of education in preparing the next generation to adequately respond to the crises we are facing. Yet, traditional education has been found wanting. Top-down approaches to education transformation appear to have been largely ineffectual and poorly adapted to the challenge. Despite some changes, the crises have persisted. Stepping up to fill the gap, a variety of initiatives, programs, and practices have emerged under the umbrella of education for sustainability. A host of grassroots change agents – many of whom are school-going youth – are attempting to challenge the status quo using bottom-up tactics to challenge and transform the education system. In this study, I explore how the facilitation of change culminates from the actions of grassroots citizens and organisations. I use a combination of grounded theory and narrative inquiry methodologies to investigate the micro-processes of change that grassroots actors utilise to embed sustainability in South African education, and the barriers thereto. My findings reveal that grassroots change agents are predominantly driven by a need to shift the purpose of education towards supporting sustainability. I identify three key characteristics of grassroots change agency, namely grassroots change agency uses a predominantly bottomup approach to change that encourages top-down action, grassroots change agents show a high level of agility, and the youth play a particularly important role in shaping the discussions and the agenda related to education for sustainability. My analysis reveals that grassroots actors undertake four micro-processes of change: building relationships, moulding champions, exploring alternative learning, and encouraging engaged citizenship. Additionally, I find that grassroots actors face four key counter-forces to carrying out their change efforts: inequality within the South African education system, access to resources, bureaucracy, and apathy and resistance to change. I show how grassroots change agents embed sustainability in South African education by proposing a process model. I use this process model to explain how grassroots change agents utilise the four micro-processes of change to either shape education for sustainability or disrupt traditional education. I draw on two areas of scholarship, namely institutional work and social movement theory to gain insights into each stage of the process model and the mechanisms at play. While institutions such as education are not easy to change and grassroots actors’ efforts to affect change remain slow and hindered by counter-forces, I find that the micro-processes of change I identified continuously reinforce one another. Integral to this reinforcing cycle, were the efforts of grassroots change agents to mould champions to continuously support the social movement towards change. Accordingly, I propose further study to examine grassroots practices that prepare youth and educators for collective action. Finally, I utilise the insights gained to develop practical recommendations for grassroots change agents to chart pathways towards embedding sustainability in education. As the need for a reimagined education for sustainability continues to grow, I argue for an increased recognition of the role of bottom-up change agency in disrupting and (re)creating the institution of education.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Soos ons die Antroposeen betree, 'n era gekenmerk deur die aansienlike agteruitgang van die omgewing en lewende sisteme, dui heelwat op die rol van onderwys in die voorbereiding van die volgende generasie, om voldoende te reageer op die krisisse wat ons in die gesig staar. Tog skiet tradisionele onderwys sisteme te kort. Bo-na onder benaderings tot onderwystransformasie blyk grootliks ondoeltreffend te wees en swak aangepas vir die uitdaging. Ten spyte van 'n paar veranderinge, het die krisis-situasies voortgeduur. Om dié gaping te vul, het 'n verskeidenheid inisiatiewe, programme en praktyke ontstaan onder die sambreel van onderwys vir volhoubaarheid. ’n Groot aantal voetsoolvlak-veranderingsagente – waarvan heelwat skoolgaande jeug insluit – poog om die status quo uit te daag deur onderna-bo-strategieë aan te wend om die opvoedingstelsel uit te daag en te transformeer. In hierdie studie ondersoek ek hoe die fasilitering van verandering kulmineer uit die optrede van voetsoolvlakburgers en organisasies. Ek gebruik 'n kombinasie van begronde teorieë en narratiewe ondersoekmetodologieë om die mikro-prosesse van verandering wat voetsoolvlakagente gebruik, vir die inbedding van volhoubaarheid in Suid-Afrikaanse onderwys, te ondersoek, asook die struikelblokke daaraan verbonde. My bevindinge toon dat voetsoolvlak-veranderingsagente hoofsaaklik gedryf word deur 'n behoefte om die oogmerk van onderwys te verskuif na die ondersteuning van volhoubaarheid. Ek identifiseer drie sleutelkenmerke van voetsoolvlak-veranderingsagentskap, naamlik voetsoolvlak-veranderingsagentskap gebruik oorwegend ‘n onder-na-bo-benadering tot verandering wat bo-na-onder-aksie aanmoedig, voetsoolvlakveranderingsagente toon 'n hoë vlak van behendigheid, en die jeug speel 'n besonder belangrike rol in die vorming van besprekings en die agenda wat verband hou met onderwys vir volhoubaarheid. My ontleding toon dat rolspelers op voetsoolvlak vier mikro-prosesse van verandering onderneem: om verhoudings te bou, kampioene te vorm, alternatiewe leervorme te ondersoek, en om betrokke burgerskap aan te moedig. Daarbenewens vind ek dat voetsoolvlak-rolspelers vier hoofhindernisse in die gesig staar om hul veranderingspogings uit te voer: ongelykheid binne die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel, toegang tot hulpbronne, burokrasie, en apatie en weerstand jeens verandering. Ek wys hoe voetsoolvlak-veranderingsagente volhoubaarheid in Suid-Afrikaanse onderwys insluit deur 'n prosesmodel voor te stel. Ek gebruik hierdie prosesmodel om te verduidellik hoe voetsoolvlak-veranderingsagente die vier mikroprosesse van verandering gebruik om óf onderwys vir volhoubaarheid te vorm óf tradisionele onderwys te ontwrig. Ek maak gebruik van twee areas van literatuurwetenskap, naamlik institusionele werk en sosiale bewegingsteorie om insigte te verkry in elke stadium van die prosesmodel en die betrokke meganismes. Terwyl instellings soos onderwys nie maklik is om te verander nie en voetsoolvlak-agente se pogings om verandering te beïnvloed stadig bly en deur teenkragte belemmer word, vind ek dat die mikro-prosesse van verandering wat ek geïdentifiseer het mekaar voortdurend versterk. Integraal tot hierdie versterkende siklus was die pogings van grondvlakveranderingsagente om kampioene te vorm ten einde voortdurend die sosiale beweging na verandering te ondersteun. Gevolglik stel ek verdere studie voor om voetsoolvlakpraktyke te ondersoek wat die jeug en opvoeders voorberei vir kollektiewe optrede. Laastens gebruik ek die insigte wat verkry is om praktiese aanbevelings vir voetsoolvlakveranderingsagente te ontwikkel, ten einde roetes vir die inbedding van volhoubaarheid in die onderwys uiteen te sit. Namate die behoefte aan herbedagte opvoeding vir volhoubaarheid toeneem, pleit ek vir 'n groter erkenning van die rol van onder-na-bo-veranderingsagentskap om die instelling van onderwys te ontwrig en te herskep.
Description
Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Discrimination in education -- South Africa, Education -- Social aspects -- South Africa, Educational change -- South Africa, UCTD
Citation