An investigation into the implementation of the life orientation curriculum in selected Fort Beaufort district high schools

摘要

The challenges of implementing the curriculum for the Life Orientation learning areas in the National Curriculum Statement have been a matter of concern for South African schools. This study sheds light on the implementation of the LO curriculum in selected high schools in the Fort Beaufort District, in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative approach and used face-to-face interviews, focus group interviews, classroom observation and document analysis to collect the data. The purpose of the study was to investigate the implementation of the Life Orientation curriculum in high schools in the Fort Beaufort District. Six high schools from the six clusters in the Fort Beaufort District were purposively selected to form the focus of the study. The participants were six principals, six LO teachers and thirty-six learners. The study revealed that lack of adequate teaching and learning materials in schools affected the implementation of the curriculum. Inadequacy of teaching and learning materials affected both the teachers and learners as they sought to make up for the shortages of teaching and learning materials by sourcing for local materials like news paper and magazine. In some of the schools, teachers made photocopies of textbooks for learners which could be time consuming and added to the teachers‘ workload. The study found that some of the teachers were frustrated because of the lack of adequate teaching and learning materials in LO. The results also revealed that the majority of the teachers had the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE LO) qualification and/or an undergraduate qualification in Psychology, which are basic requirement for teaching LO, while the others had general teaching qualifications in other subjects. It was found that many learners were positive about LO, but it could not be proven that learners meant all their positive responses as it seemed that learners‘ responses were too good to be true. However, the results showed that learners had at least been taught and were aware of the consequences of the social problems like teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and HIV/AIDS that affect them. Some of the challenges that teachers encountered in the implementation of the Life Orientation curriculum were also highlighted in this study. These include; lack of adequate training which some of the teachers complained did not allow them to handle some topics like career choice and religious education as they should. Some of the teachers also stated that their culture and belief did not permit them to share some LO topics with their learners. There was also the challenge of learners turning against things taught in LO class. The study found that the support and monitoring put in place for LO teachers are in the form of documents such as subject guides, textbooks and sometimes funds to take learners out on outdoor activities, extra teachers to lessen the teachers‘ burdens, advice, workshops and training. There is course moderation where teachers‘ and learners‘ files are marked. In some of the schools where monitoring is carried out, it starts with the Heads of Departments (HODs) and ends with the principal. Many of the schools do not monitor the teaching of LO because of the trust the principals have in the teachers and challenge of school size. Class visits is prohibited by South African Democratic Teachers‘ Union. The subject is not being handled properly despite its importance in helping learners to be adequately guided towards positive self-concept formation, the realisation of their potential, and enabling them to protect themselves from various forms of social violence and abuse, and this in turn would make the society safer.