This study provides guidelines for teacher training to promote the constitutional values in schools. The purpose is not to question the constitutional values or develop a new set of values. For a meaningful analysis within the limitations of a Master's dissertation, the study focuses on the General Education and Training Band (Grades Reception to Nine). Compared to foreign countries, open debate regarding values in education is relatively new in South Africa.
Values are usually abstract but sometimes also physical entities to which human beings attach worth. They are common in individuals or groups through physical exposure and genetic make-up. Teaching inevitably instils values in learners. Schools often adopt a values system, which should not be imposed upon any individual learner. Values, and in particular moral values, should be taught in schools because they influence attitudes, priorities, principles, norms, standards, morals and ethics, which in turn influence decision-making, learner performance and behaviour, which affect the future of learners.
In the Manifesto on values, education and democracy, the National Department of Education promotes ten constitutional values - democracy, social justice and equity, equality, non-racism and non-sexism, ubuntu (human dignity), an open society, accountability (responsibility), the rule of law, respect and reconciliation - for teaching in South African schools. The ten constitutional values are not imposed but are intended to help learners develop into good citizens in line with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996). The ten constitutional values should not be the only values taught in schools, as there are many other values that form an inherent part of education.
At South African universities, values are included in teacher-training programmes in different forms and to varying degrees. The Higher Education HIV/Aids Programme, Revised National Curriculum Statement training, Advanced Certificate in Education and the normal curricula for pre-service teacher training are implemented at the different universities investigated. The ten constitutional and other values are integrated into all the learning areas of the Revised National Curriculum Statement. They should also therefore be integrated into teacher-training programmes. Programmes narrowly focused on the ten constitutional values should not be discouraged, as they strengthen the teaching of values in general. Values should be contextualised and purposefully infused in all teacher-training curricula.
The dissertation concludes with the guidelines for the training of teachers to promote the ten constitutional values. The guidelines consider the sixteen strategies for the teaching of the ten constitutional values as outlined in the Manifesto on values, education and democracy. communication, role-modelling, literacy, human rights, arts and culture, history, religion, multilingualism, school sport, equality, anti-racism, anti-sexism, HIV/Aids, school safety, the environment and respect for diversity. The purpose of these guidelines is to guide teachers regarding which values to teach; they are thus not intended to be prescriptions on how to teach them. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NWUBOLOKA1/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/3673 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Pedro, Alice Magdalene |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | North-West University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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