Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study attempted to present a nuanced perspective on the sense of place of learners and the extent to which teachers practice a pedagogy of place. In the study, the researcher investigated the sense of place of twelve Grade 6 and 8 learners at a school, situated in an eco-village in the Stellenbosch vicinity. The assumption is being made that the eco-village is a more conducive context for cultivating a sense of place amongst learners. The group consisted of six learners that did not live in the eco-village and six learners that did live there. Furthermore, an attempt was made to determine what the two Social Sciences teachers' understanding of the concept "place" was, the extent to which they practiced a pedagogy of place and the influence that the eco-village had on their teaching approach. The research report comprises two components, namely (a) a theoretical-philosophical component, and (b) an empirical component.
The aim of the theoretical component was to explore the idea of a "sense of place" critically. This was done firstly, by emphasising the nexus between place and space, secondly, to present more clarity on the concept "place" by discussing the multiple meanings underpinning the concept, and lastly, to investigate a sense of place as a multi-dimensional concept.
Against the background of a sense of place and pedagogy of place, I critically analysed the South African curriculum statements of the Social Sciences learning area for Grades R to nine, in order to determine how these policy statements address the concept place. Teachers are confronted with these statements on a regular basis and the assumption is that the emphasis being placed on this concept in the statements might have an impact on their pedagogy.
This assumption was further explored in the interviews that were conducted with teachers, in an attempt not only to determine their understanding of the concept "place" but also to determine the extent to which they practice a pedagogy of place.
Before interviews were conducted with teachers, it firstly determined what learners' sense of place is regarding where they live and attend school. The aim was to establish the differences, similarities, overlappings (if any) between these two groups.
This study serves as a confirmation of the complexity regarding educational discourses and practices that explicitly examine the place-specific nexus between the environment, culture and education. It challenges teachers and educators in environmental education to expand the scope of their theory, investigation and practice in order to include the social and ecological contexts of our own inhabitation and those of others. In other words the challenge for teachers and educators lies in reflecting on the relationship between the type of education that they strive for and the type of place that we inhabit and leave behind for future generations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het dit ten doel gehad om 'n genuanseerde perspektief te bied op leerders se sin van plek asook die mate waartoe onderwysers 'n pedagogie van plek toepas. Tydens die studie is die sin van plek onder twaalf graad 6- en 8-leerders aan 'n skool, geleë in 'n eko-dorpie in die Stellenbosch-omgewing ondersoek. Die aanname is gemaak dat die eko-dorpie meer bevorderlik is vir die kweek van 'n sin van plek by leerders. Die groep het bestaan uit ses leerders wat nie in die eko-dorpie woon nie en ses leerders wat wel daar woon. Verder is daar gepoog om te bepaal wat die twee Sosiale Wetenskappe-onderwysers se opvatting van die konsep "plek" is, tot watter mate hulle 'n pedagogie van plek toepas en die invloed wat die eko-dorpie op hulle onderrigbenadering het. Die navorsingsverslag bestaan dus uit twee komponente, naamlik (a) 'n teoreties-filosofiese komponent en (b) 'n empiriese komponent.
Met betrekking tot die teoretiese komponent is daar beoog om die gedagte van 'n sin van plek te verken deur dit krities te ondersoek. Dit is gedoen deur eerstens die verband tussen plek en ruimte te bespreek, tweedens meer duidelikheid omtrent die konsep "plek" te verkry deur die veelvuldige betekenisse aan die lig te bring en laastens om "sin van plek" as 'n multidimensionele begrip te ondersoek.
Wat betref sin van plek en 'n pedagogie van plek, is daar verder beoog om die Suid-Afrikaanse kurrikulumverklarings ten opsigte van die leerarea Sosiale Wetenskappe vir grade R tot nege krities te analiseer om te bepaal tot watter mate die beleidsdokumente die konsep "plek" behandel. Onderwysers word op 'n daaglikse basis met hierdie verklarings gekonfronteer en die aanname is dat die klem wat op die konsep "plek" gelê word, 'n invloed op hulle pedagogie as sodanig sal hê.
Hierdie aanname is verder verken in die onderhoude wat met onderwysers gevoer is waar daar nie net gepoog is om hulle opvatting van die konsep "plek" te bepaal nie, maar ook om vas te stel tot watter mate hulle 'n pedagogie van plek beoefen.
Alvorens daar met onderwysers onderhoude gevoer is, is daar eerstens bepaal wat leerders se sin van plek is met betrekking tot waar hulle woon en skoolgaan. Daar is beoog om die verskille, ooreenkomste en oorvleuelings (indien enige) tussen die twee groepe leerders se sin van plek vas te stel. Die studie dien as 'n bevestiging van die kompleksiteit aangaande opvoedkundige diskoerse en praktyke wat eksplisiet die plek-spesifieke neksus tussen die omgewing, kultuur en onderwys bestudeer. Dit stel onderwysers en opvoedkundiges in omgewingsopvoeding voor die uitdaging om die omvang van hulle teorie, ondersoek en praktyk uit te brei om sodoende die sosiale en ekologiese agtergrond van ons eie en ander se bewoning in te sluit. Met ander woorde, die uitdaging vir onderwysers en opvoedkundiges lê dus daarin om te reflekteer oor die verhouding tussen die tipe opvoeding wat hulle nastreef en die tipe plekke wat ons bewoon en nalaat vir toekomstige generasies. / Andrew Mellon Foundation
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/85593 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Ontong, Krystle |
| Contributors | Le Grange, Lesley Lionel Leonard, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiii, 264 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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