A case study of emergent environmental pedagogical content knowledge in a Fundisa for Change teacher professional development course
- Authors: Brundrit, Susan
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Career development -- South Africa , Environmental education -- South Africa , Teachers -- Training of --South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Fundisa for Change
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62850 , vital:28301
- Description: This study set out to explore and describe in the form of a qualitative case study, an iteration of a Fundisa for Change teacher professional development programme, in this case the Teaching Life & Living short course presented to seventeen teachers as part of their Advanced Certificate in Teaching (ACT) Senior Phase Natural Sciences, at the University of Cape Town. The focus of the research was on describing how the development of teacher environmental pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) was supported and constructed in the course. The Consensus Model of Teacher Professional Knowledge and Skill, an outcome of the 2012 PCK Summit, was used to define the concept of PCK and also contributed the concept of amplifiers and filters as processes that mediate the development of teacher PCK. The study drew on Borko’s (2004) model of a professional development system, using the elements of course, teachers, facilitators and context as an analytical framework. Data generated included a teacher contextual profile questionnaire, audio-recordings of group work, course outputs and reflection and evaluation forms. Data analysis had two phases: the first phase concentrated on the development of analytic memos based on particular data sources whereas the second phase worked across data sources to present the evidence relating to each of the professional development system elements. The study found that teachers were supported in the development of their environmental PCK by the collaborative learning opportunities afforded by the course. Emergent PCK was organised according to five components: assessment knowledge; pedagogical knowledge; content knowledge; knowledge of learners; and, curricular knowledge. Emergent teacher learning ranged in specificity from general, to subject-specific, to domain-specific, and lastly to topic-specific knowledge. Teacher beliefs and orientations, prior knowledge and contexts brought into the professional development system were described as amplifiers and filters to teacher learning of PCK. In particular there were several contextual factors that emerged as themes from the data that had potentially filtering effects. Recommendations included that facilitators create an atmosphere conducive to collaborative learning, that evidence of learner conceptual understanding be examined during the course, that teachers be exposed to in-depth examples of canonical PCK and that more modelling of formative assessment strategies are presented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Brundrit, Susan
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Career development -- South Africa , Environmental education -- South Africa , Teachers -- Training of --South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Fundisa for Change
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62850 , vital:28301
- Description: This study set out to explore and describe in the form of a qualitative case study, an iteration of a Fundisa for Change teacher professional development programme, in this case the Teaching Life & Living short course presented to seventeen teachers as part of their Advanced Certificate in Teaching (ACT) Senior Phase Natural Sciences, at the University of Cape Town. The focus of the research was on describing how the development of teacher environmental pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) was supported and constructed in the course. The Consensus Model of Teacher Professional Knowledge and Skill, an outcome of the 2012 PCK Summit, was used to define the concept of PCK and also contributed the concept of amplifiers and filters as processes that mediate the development of teacher PCK. The study drew on Borko’s (2004) model of a professional development system, using the elements of course, teachers, facilitators and context as an analytical framework. Data generated included a teacher contextual profile questionnaire, audio-recordings of group work, course outputs and reflection and evaluation forms. Data analysis had two phases: the first phase concentrated on the development of analytic memos based on particular data sources whereas the second phase worked across data sources to present the evidence relating to each of the professional development system elements. The study found that teachers were supported in the development of their environmental PCK by the collaborative learning opportunities afforded by the course. Emergent PCK was organised according to five components: assessment knowledge; pedagogical knowledge; content knowledge; knowledge of learners; and, curricular knowledge. Emergent teacher learning ranged in specificity from general, to subject-specific, to domain-specific, and lastly to topic-specific knowledge. Teacher beliefs and orientations, prior knowledge and contexts brought into the professional development system were described as amplifiers and filters to teacher learning of PCK. In particular there were several contextual factors that emerged as themes from the data that had potentially filtering effects. Recommendations included that facilitators create an atmosphere conducive to collaborative learning, that evidence of learner conceptual understanding be examined during the course, that teachers be exposed to in-depth examples of canonical PCK and that more modelling of formative assessment strategies are presented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Teacher perspectives on value creation and learning in South African eco-schools: an evaluative review of teacher support processes in an eco-school professional learning community
- Authors: Khan, Anisa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Continuing education , Teachers -- Attitudes , Communities of practice -- South Africa , Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education , Eco-schools
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62840 , vital:28300
- Description: The study is framed within the broader policy context of teacher professional development and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Department of Higher Education (DHET) strategy to support the development of Professional Learning Communities. Teacher Education and Development initiatives in South Africa face multiple challenges, with the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education in South Africa: 2011-2025 (ISFPTED) (South Africa, DBE, 2011) providing guidance on priority interventions to address these, including guidance on continuous teacher professional development through teacher education support in professional learning communities. The Eco-Schools programme has, over its decade-long history, provided support to teachers in schools registered as Eco-Schools. The value created by the diverse support practices is not well known or understood. The study aimed to shed light on the support teachers in the Eco-Schools programme value and how this contributes to environmental learning and practice. Working with Wenger’s Communities of Practice theory (Wenger, 1998) as a conceptual framework and lens, the study set out to describe and explore the processes of teacher learning amongst a sample of teachers supported to function as a professional learning community within the Eco-Schools programme. The findings and recommendations made are in relation to the research goals which are to explore and describe the value being created by the patterns of teacher support in an Eco-Schools node/cluster. To this end, the evaluative study generated evidence in relation to what teachers derive value from through the support they receive; and assessed evidence on how teaching, learning, and practice are developing through participation in the Eco-Schools Professional Learning Community examined. The study was conducted in 2 phases, the first as a survey of the patterns of support in Eco-School clusters/ nodes. The descriptions enabled a mapping of the patterns of support in the “coordinator supported model” of Eco-Schools to understand how the coordinator supported model of Eco-Schools enables teacher collaboration and supports the development of an environment and sustainability community of practice between teachers from across the cluster/ node. The second part of the study explored teacher’s perspectives of value derived from participation in an expanded model of Eco-Schools support, using an appreciative inquiry methodology to extract teacher narrations of value creation and meaning-making. In relation to goal one, the main findings indicate that the patterns of support enabled teachers to develop confidence and skills for action taking and responding to local socio-economic and environmental challenges. The data also reflected local partnerships with other environmental knowledge organisations, thus adding value to the programme through an expanded network of environmental practice and provision of additional resources. In relation to goal 2 of the study, teachers experienced Eco-School practices as personally meaningful and connected to their identity. Teachers expressed value in the training they had received through the Fundisa for Change programme which deepened their understanding of the implementation requirements of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) and helped to connect knowledge concepts in the curriculum with sustainability practices implemented as part of the Eco-Schools framework. In relation to goal 3, teachers gained confidence in “Teaching Biodiversity” through the Fundisa for Change training. Teachers were better able to understand the Specific Aims of the Biodiversity curriculum (CAPS) and to adapt their teaching methods to support the CAPS content and assessment requirements. Teacher portfolios also showed evidence of teachers developing skills in analysis of learner performance and an awareness of the need to adjust their teaching and assessment strategies to address “gaps” in learner understanding.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Khan, Anisa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Continuing education , Teachers -- Attitudes , Communities of practice -- South Africa , Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education , Eco-schools
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62840 , vital:28300
- Description: The study is framed within the broader policy context of teacher professional development and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Department of Higher Education (DHET) strategy to support the development of Professional Learning Communities. Teacher Education and Development initiatives in South Africa face multiple challenges, with the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education in South Africa: 2011-2025 (ISFPTED) (South Africa, DBE, 2011) providing guidance on priority interventions to address these, including guidance on continuous teacher professional development through teacher education support in professional learning communities. The Eco-Schools programme has, over its decade-long history, provided support to teachers in schools registered as Eco-Schools. The value created by the diverse support practices is not well known or understood. The study aimed to shed light on the support teachers in the Eco-Schools programme value and how this contributes to environmental learning and practice. Working with Wenger’s Communities of Practice theory (Wenger, 1998) as a conceptual framework and lens, the study set out to describe and explore the processes of teacher learning amongst a sample of teachers supported to function as a professional learning community within the Eco-Schools programme. The findings and recommendations made are in relation to the research goals which are to explore and describe the value being created by the patterns of teacher support in an Eco-Schools node/cluster. To this end, the evaluative study generated evidence in relation to what teachers derive value from through the support they receive; and assessed evidence on how teaching, learning, and practice are developing through participation in the Eco-Schools Professional Learning Community examined. The study was conducted in 2 phases, the first as a survey of the patterns of support in Eco-School clusters/ nodes. The descriptions enabled a mapping of the patterns of support in the “coordinator supported model” of Eco-Schools to understand how the coordinator supported model of Eco-Schools enables teacher collaboration and supports the development of an environment and sustainability community of practice between teachers from across the cluster/ node. The second part of the study explored teacher’s perspectives of value derived from participation in an expanded model of Eco-Schools support, using an appreciative inquiry methodology to extract teacher narrations of value creation and meaning-making. In relation to goal one, the main findings indicate that the patterns of support enabled teachers to develop confidence and skills for action taking and responding to local socio-economic and environmental challenges. The data also reflected local partnerships with other environmental knowledge organisations, thus adding value to the programme through an expanded network of environmental practice and provision of additional resources. In relation to goal 2 of the study, teachers experienced Eco-School practices as personally meaningful and connected to their identity. Teachers expressed value in the training they had received through the Fundisa for Change programme which deepened their understanding of the implementation requirements of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) and helped to connect knowledge concepts in the curriculum with sustainability practices implemented as part of the Eco-Schools framework. In relation to goal 3, teachers gained confidence in “Teaching Biodiversity” through the Fundisa for Change training. Teachers were better able to understand the Specific Aims of the Biodiversity curriculum (CAPS) and to adapt their teaching methods to support the CAPS content and assessment requirements. Teacher portfolios also showed evidence of teachers developing skills in analysis of learner performance and an awareness of the need to adjust their teaching and assessment strategies to address “gaps” in learner understanding.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
How policy discourses and contextual realities influence environmental teaching and learning processes in early childhood development: a case study of the Raglan Road child care centre
- Authors: Vallabh, Priya
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Early childhood education -- South Africa , Health education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Day care centers -- South Africa , Child development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1559 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003441 , Early childhood education -- South Africa , Health education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Day care centers -- South Africa , Child development
- Description: This case study considers the relationship between context, school policy and environmental teaching and learning processes at a community-based early childhood development centre in South Africa. The study recognises that educational practices in the early childhood development field are shaped by historical, cultural, economic and political realities at both local and national levels. It is from the understanding that each school is a unique composition of these shaping factors that the research was designed to consider the community-based school participating in this study. By compiling a contextual profile, this study attempts to consider dominant contextual factors affecting the school. Through the critical discourse analysis of a school policy document, this study considers local level policy, and through the literature chapter, national policy. Teacher interviews provide insight into teacher understanding of school policy in response to contextual issues, as well as providing insight into how teachers perceive their translation of policy into teaching practice. Observations of lessons in the centre provided an. opportunity to see how context and policy translated into and influenced environmental teaching and learning processes. This study looks at how environmental education is addressed in the Raglan Road Child Care Centre, and provides insight into how environmental education within the context of the school and in relation to school policy may be strengthened. It comments on the tensions and ambivalences arising from the relationships between context, policy and environmental teaching and learning processes and makes recommendations to address these ambivalences in ways that are contextually relevant. The main recommendations were designed to be practically useful for the school involved in the study and are focused around engaging the ambivalences emerging from this study to open up 'spaces' for deliberating environmental teaching and learning processes and other tensions arising out of the study at an ECD level. Recommendations included: 1) engaging with the strong development focus in school policy and the educational focus in national policy and teacher discourse; 2) deliberating the ways in which school policy and national policy respond to risk; 3) engaging with the ambivalence in the school-parent relationship; 4) the re-alignment of the explicit curriculum and broadening the contextually-based view of whole child development; and 5) engaging the ambivalence in approaches to education at the centre.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Vallabh, Priya
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Early childhood education -- South Africa , Health education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Day care centers -- South Africa , Child development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1559 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003441 , Early childhood education -- South Africa , Health education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Day care centers -- South Africa , Child development
- Description: This case study considers the relationship between context, school policy and environmental teaching and learning processes at a community-based early childhood development centre in South Africa. The study recognises that educational practices in the early childhood development field are shaped by historical, cultural, economic and political realities at both local and national levels. It is from the understanding that each school is a unique composition of these shaping factors that the research was designed to consider the community-based school participating in this study. By compiling a contextual profile, this study attempts to consider dominant contextual factors affecting the school. Through the critical discourse analysis of a school policy document, this study considers local level policy, and through the literature chapter, national policy. Teacher interviews provide insight into teacher understanding of school policy in response to contextual issues, as well as providing insight into how teachers perceive their translation of policy into teaching practice. Observations of lessons in the centre provided an. opportunity to see how context and policy translated into and influenced environmental teaching and learning processes. This study looks at how environmental education is addressed in the Raglan Road Child Care Centre, and provides insight into how environmental education within the context of the school and in relation to school policy may be strengthened. It comments on the tensions and ambivalences arising from the relationships between context, policy and environmental teaching and learning processes and makes recommendations to address these ambivalences in ways that are contextually relevant. The main recommendations were designed to be practically useful for the school involved in the study and are focused around engaging the ambivalences emerging from this study to open up 'spaces' for deliberating environmental teaching and learning processes and other tensions arising out of the study at an ECD level. Recommendations included: 1) engaging with the strong development focus in school policy and the educational focus in national policy and teacher discourse; 2) deliberating the ways in which school policy and national policy respond to risk; 3) engaging with the ambivalence in the school-parent relationship; 4) the re-alignment of the explicit curriculum and broadening the contextually-based view of whole child development; and 5) engaging the ambivalence in approaches to education at the centre.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
Research portfolio : environmental education
- Authors: Le Roux, Kim
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1738 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003622
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: Le Roux, Kim
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1738 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003622
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
Enabling green skills: pathways to sustainable development : a source book to support planning for green economies 2017
- Ramsarup, Presha, Ward, Mike
- Authors: Ramsarup, Presha , Ward, Mike
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Curricula -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Instructional and educational works , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62694 , vital:28254 , 978-0-620-79605-7 , https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/62694
- Description: The purpose of this source book is to support skills planning entities to work with employers to identify and anticipate green skills needs and to build these needs into occupational descriptors and sector skills plans. Thus, the source book complements the existing Enabling Document (DEA, 2010b) and provides guidelines to support SETAs to embed environmental considerations, related occupations and green skills into their skills planning processes. Written by Presha Ramsarup and Mike Ward with contributions from Eureta Rosenberg, Nicola Jenkin and Heila Lotz-Sisitka. The Green Skills programme (2015-2018) helps key role players to plan for and develop green skills. It is a three-year programme funded by the Green Fund of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) through the Development Bank of South Africa. The implementation partners include Rhodes University’s Environmental Learning Research Centre, the Centre for Researching Education and Labour (REAL) at Wits University, the University of Cape Town’s African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI), the Further Education and Training Institute (FETI) at the University of the Western Cape, as well as several other environmental partners.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ramsarup, Presha , Ward, Mike
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Curricula -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Instructional and educational works , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62694 , vital:28254 , 978-0-620-79605-7 , https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/62694
- Description: The purpose of this source book is to support skills planning entities to work with employers to identify and anticipate green skills needs and to build these needs into occupational descriptors and sector skills plans. Thus, the source book complements the existing Enabling Document (DEA, 2010b) and provides guidelines to support SETAs to embed environmental considerations, related occupations and green skills into their skills planning processes. Written by Presha Ramsarup and Mike Ward with contributions from Eureta Rosenberg, Nicola Jenkin and Heila Lotz-Sisitka. The Green Skills programme (2015-2018) helps key role players to plan for and develop green skills. It is a three-year programme funded by the Green Fund of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) through the Development Bank of South Africa. The implementation partners include Rhodes University’s Environmental Learning Research Centre, the Centre for Researching Education and Labour (REAL) at Wits University, the University of Cape Town’s African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI), the Further Education and Training Institute (FETI) at the University of the Western Cape, as well as several other environmental partners.
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Food for us: reducing food waste, supporting social learning, creating value
- Lotz-Sisitka, Heila, Ward, Mike, Jenkin, Nicola P, Tantsi, Thato
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , Ward, Mike , Jenkin, Nicola P , Tantsi, Thato
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Instructional and educational works , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70859 , vital:29754 , 978-0-620-82216-9 , https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/70859
- Description: An estimated third of the 29 million tons of food produced annually in South Africa goes to waste (Oelofse, 2014). Fifty percent of this waste (by mass) occurs during the agricultural production and post-harvest handling and storage stages (von Bormann et al., 2017). At the same time 13 million South Africans routinely experience hunger, with malnutrition a serious concern for early childhood development (StatsSA, 2018). This disconnect between the need for food and the food that is available for consumption but being wasted, has profound social, environmental and economic impacts. This, in turn, suggests that there must be opportunities to create social, environmental and economic value through innovative and transformative initiatives that link food producers with food consumers in South Africa, particularly those in need. Food for Us is a sustainable food systems mobile phone learning pilot project initiated in 2017 by a consortium of partners in South Africa working with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Lifestyles and Education Programme within the One Planet Network. The intention was to design and develop a mobile application (app) that could help reduce on-farm food surplus, while also supporting social learning. The initial phase of the project was 18 months. This publication shares what has been learned and can also be considered a springboard for the potential that is possible.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , Ward, Mike , Jenkin, Nicola P , Tantsi, Thato
- Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Instructional and educational works , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70859 , vital:29754 , 978-0-620-82216-9 , https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/70859
- Description: An estimated third of the 29 million tons of food produced annually in South Africa goes to waste (Oelofse, 2014). Fifty percent of this waste (by mass) occurs during the agricultural production and post-harvest handling and storage stages (von Bormann et al., 2017). At the same time 13 million South Africans routinely experience hunger, with malnutrition a serious concern for early childhood development (StatsSA, 2018). This disconnect between the need for food and the food that is available for consumption but being wasted, has profound social, environmental and economic impacts. This, in turn, suggests that there must be opportunities to create social, environmental and economic value through innovative and transformative initiatives that link food producers with food consumers in South Africa, particularly those in need. Food for Us is a sustainable food systems mobile phone learning pilot project initiated in 2017 by a consortium of partners in South Africa working with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Lifestyles and Education Programme within the One Planet Network. The intention was to design and develop a mobile application (app) that could help reduce on-farm food surplus, while also supporting social learning. The initial phase of the project was 18 months. This publication shares what has been learned and can also be considered a springboard for the potential that is possible.
- Full Text:
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