Democratic citizenship education in South African schools: Teachers' practices and perspectives

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dc.contributor.advisorRobinson, Maureenen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRock, Chrischaren_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-23T07:07:21Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-16T12:46:45Z
dc.date.available2022-11-23T07:07:21Z
dc.date.available2023-01-16T12:46:45Z
dc.date.issued2022-12
dc.descriptionThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since the advent of democracy in South Africa, policy documents and curriculum guides have attempted to shape and provide a framework for democratic citizenship education in schools. Even with such policies being in place, this research works from the premise that through teachers’ practices, perspectives, and lived experiences in classrooms and schools, policy endeavours and ideals for democratic citizenship education can be given meaning. The study draws on practice theory, where the emphasis lies on examining practices in practice. The study uses the notion of sense-making, which includes the central concepts of individual cognition, situated cognition, and policy signals. Through its findings, the research sheds light on teachers’ conceptualisation of democratic citizenship education and how it is implemented, organised, and practiced across different classrooms in different schools. The study utilized qualitative research methods within an interpretivist framework, and it focused on eight Life Orientation teachers, all in their first five years of teaching. Data-collection methods included lesson observations and semi-structured interviews. The lesson observations offered insight into how these teachers implemented democratic citizenship education in their respective classrooms. Semi-structured interviews allowed the research participants to discuss their perspectives on democratic citizenship education and offer further insights into the pedagogical strategies observed in lessons. This study has identified that, conceptually and empirically, there exists a gap between how curriculum policy in South Africa articulates the values and strategies of democratic citizenship education and teachers’ understanding and interpretations of these ideas. Findings indicate the importance of the relationship between the teacher as the individual sense-maker, the situational context, and external policy representations on teachers’ conceptualisation and implementation of democratic citizenship education. The study showed how teachers are constrained or enabled by their situational context and the different ways in which they take initiative to navigate their individual contexts. Results indicate a need for a better understanding of how teachers themselves make sense of democratic citizenship education in practice and the influence of the situational context on teachers’ classroom pedagogy. As one strategy towards this end, the study argues that teacher education programs, both in their design and implementation, need to create opportunities for pre-service and in-service teachers to develop pedagogical approaches to explore, implement and promote democratic citizenship education. By giving attention to the findings and recommendations of this study, it is argued that we may develop a better understanding of the teacher (self), the profession, and the practice for the realisation of democratic citizenship education in schools in South Africa.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert die aanbreek van demokrasie in Suid-Afrika het beleidsdokumente en kurrikulumgidse probeer vorm gee aan en ʼn raamwerk voorsien vir die onderrig van demokratiese burgerskap in skole. Hierdie navorsing berus op die veronderstelling dat, alhoewel sodanige beleide bestaan, dit onderwysers se praktyke, perspektiewe en belewenisse in klaskamers en skole is wat sin gee aan beleidsondernemings en die ideale vir die onderrig van demokratiese burgerskap. Hierdie studie word binne die raamwerk van die praktykteorie geplaas waar die klem le op die ondersoek van praktyke in die praktyk. Die studie gebruik die gedagte van singewing wat die sentrale begrippe “individuele kognisie”, “gesitueerde kognisie” en “beleidseine” bevat. Die bevindings van die studie werp lig op onderwysers se konseptualisering van demokratiese burgerskaponderrig en hoe dit geimplementeer, georganiseer en toegepas word in verskillende klaskamers in verskillende skole. Die studie gebruik kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodes binne ʼn interpretatiewe raamwerk en fokus op agt Lewensorientering-onderwysers wat almal in hul eerste vyf jaar van onderwys is. Data-insamelingsmetodes het leswaarnemings en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude behels. Die leswaarnemings het insig gebied in hoe hierdie onderwysers demokratiese burgerskaponderrig in hul onderskeie klaskamers geimplementeer het. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude het die deelnemers in staat gestel om hul perspektiewe op demokratiese burgerskaponderrig te bespreek en verdere insigte te bied in die pedagogiese strategiee wat in die lesse waargeneem is. Hierdie studie het geidentifiseer dat daar, konseptueel en empiries, ʼn leemte bestaan tussen hoe kurrikulumbeleid in Suid-Afrika die waardes en strategiee van demokratiese burgerskaponderrig enersyds, en onderwysers se begrip en interpretasies van hierdie gedagtes andersyds, artikuleer. Bevindings het die belangrikheid aangetoon van die verhouding tussen die onderwyser as die individuele singewer, die situasionele konteks, en die eksterne beleid oor onderwysers se konseptualisering en implementering van demokratiese burgerskaponderrig. Die studie toon hoe onderwysers aan bande gele of bevoegdheid gegee word deur hul situasionele konteks en die verskillende maniere waarop hulle die inisiatief neem om hul individuele kontekste te navigeer. Resultate dui op die behoefte ʼn beter begrip van hoe onderwysers vir hulself sin maak van demokratiese burgerskaponderrig in praktyk en die invloed van die situasionele konteks op onderwysers se klaskamerpedagogie. Die studie voer aan dat een strategie hiervoor is dat onderwysersonderrigprogramme in ontwerp en in implementering geleenthede moet bied vir pre-diens- en in-diensonderwysers om pedagogiese benaderings te ontwikkel ten einde demokratiese burgerskaponderrig te verken, implementeer en bevorder. Daar word betoog dat, deur aandag te skenk aan die bevindings en aanbevelings van hierdie studie, ons ʼn beter begrip sal ontwikkel vir die onderwyser (self), die beroep, en die praktyk vir die verwesenliking van demokratiese burgerskaponderrig in skole in Suid-Afrika.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extentxi, 160 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126034
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectDemocracy and education -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectEducation -- Political aspectsen_ZA
dc.subjectCitizenship -- Study and teaching -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectMentoring in educationen_ZA
dc.subjectTeachers -- Training ofen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.titleDemocratic citizenship education in South African schools: Teachers' practices and perspectivesen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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