Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE POTENTIAL OF THE TRACPROGRAMME
IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT
STAKEHOLDERS IN PHYSICAL SCIENCE EDUCATION
For South Africa to be competitive at international level, it is important to deliver learners that
will meet the standards set by industry and tertiary institutions. Most of the current South
African schoolleavers do not meet these needs.
Learners, educators, education departments, tertiary institutions and industry are jointly
responsible for the outcomes of the education process. However, each of these role players
has specific needs regarding scientific knowledge and skills of learners. An integrated,
interactive educational approach is therefore necessary to address the needs of all of these role
players successfully.
This study specifically focuses on identifying both the needs of the role players in physical
science education in the Western Cape and how TRAC SA, a national, non-governmental
organisation, can assist in addressing these needs, with the help of computer based
technology.
The following role players were included in this study: tertiary institutions, industry,
education department, educators and learners. Information on the needs of these role players
was mainly collected through interviews and questionnaires, while workshops were held to
determine the needs of learners and educators.
It is significant that the information derived from the empirical study (questionnaires and
interviews) is in many ways in agreement with the literature findings. One of the most
important conclusions of the empirical study is that the different role players have distinctive,
as well as corresponding needs regarding the preparation of learners at school level. The
industry expects learners to be sufficiently equipped with the necessary skills to facilitate
integration into the workplace. Tertiary institutions emphasise the need for theoretical as well
as practical basis of the science subject content. Learners expressed the need for extracurricular
programmes, focusing on simplifying difficult concepts. Educators identified the
need for adapting the syllabus and for regular refresher courses. The Department of Education
needs funds for pilot education programmes, and also puts in a plea for the more structured
involvement of tertiary institutions and non-governmental organisations as well as the support
oftheir education initiatives, such as outcomes-based education. Data collected shows that there is a significant gap between the current state of identified
skills of learners and of what is deemed important by the other role players.
In addressing the needs identified, the contribution of non-governmental organisations (with
specific reference to TRAC SA), the OBE approach as well as input from tertiary institutions
and the industry are emphasised. The TRAC-programme focuses on the understanding of
basic and complicated physical science concepts by using computer-supported experiments
and worksheets.
To enhance the development of skills at school level, the education approach as a whole will
have to be revised, with the co-operation of all relevant role players. For an education system
to be effective, mutual communication between the different role players is imperative. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vir Suid-Afrika om op internasionale vlak mededingend te wees, is dit belangrik dat die Suid-
Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel bekwame leerders aan die industrie en tersiêre inrigtings lewer.
Die meeste leerders wat tans die formele Suid-Afrikaanse skoolopleidingsprogram voltooi,
voldoen volgens kenners egter nie aan die standaarde wat dié genoemde inrigtings aan hulle
stel nie.
Leerders, onderwysers, die onderwysdepartement, tersiêre inrigtings en industrie is
gesamentlik verantwoordelik vir die uitkomste van die onderwys. Elkeen van hierdie
rolspelers het egter spesifieke behoeftes ten opsigte van wetenskaplike kennis en vaardighede
van leerders. 'n Geïntegreerde, interaktiewe onderwysbenadering is dus nodig om elkeen van
hierdie rolspelers se behoeftes suksesvol aan te spreek.
Hierdie studie fokus spesifiek daarop om beide die behoeftes van die rolspelers in die Wes-
Kaap ten opsigte van natuur- en skeikunde-onderwys, te identifiseer, en hoe TRAe SA, 'n
nie-regeringsonderwysorganisasie wat van rekenaargesteunde aktiwiteite gebruik maak,
aangewend kan word om hierdie behoeftes aan te spreek.
Die verskillende rolspelers wat by die studie betrek is, sluit in die tersiêre inrigtings, industrie,
onderwysdepartement, onderwysers en leerders. Inligting aangaande rolspelerbehoeftes is
hoofsaaklik versamel deur onderhoude en vraelyste, terwyl werkswinkels ook gebruik is om
vas te stel wat leerders en onderwysers se behoeftes is.
Dit is opmerklik dat die inligting verkry uit die empiriese studie (vraelyste en onderhoude) in
'n groot mate ooreenstem met literatuurbevindinge. Een van die belangrikste gevolgtrekkings
uit die empiriese studie is dat die verskillende rolspelers eiesoortige asook ooreenstemmende
behoeftes ten opsigte van die voorbereiding van leerders op skoolvlak het. Die industrie
verwag dat leerders voldoende met die nodige vaardighede toegerus sal wees om integrasie
binne die werksfeer te vergemaklik. Tersiêre inrigtings beklemtoon die verkryging van die
teoretiese sowel as praktiese grondslag van die wetenskapvakinhoud. Leerders verlang
ondersteuning van ekstra-kurrikulêre programme wat fokus op vereenvoudiging van moeilike
konsepte. 'n Vakkurrikulumaanpassing asook gereelde opknappingskursusse is deur
onderwysers as belangrike behoeftes geïdentifiseer. Die onderwysdepartement benodig fondse
om opleidingsprogramme te loods en pleit ook vir meer georganiseerde betrokkenheid van
tersiêre inrigtings en nie-regeringsonderwysorganisasies. Verder verwag die
onderwysdepartement dat hulonderwysstrategieë soos uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys
ondersteun word. Die data toon ook verder aan dat daar In wesenlike gapmg tussen die verwagting van
rolspelers ten opsigte van bepaalde vaardighede en die werklike stand van vaardighede by die
leerders bestaan.
As deel van die studie word voorstelle bespreek om die geïdentifiseerde behoeftes aan te
spreek. Klem word gelê op die bydrae van nie-regeringsonderwysorganisasies (met spesifieke
verwysing na TRAC SA), die UGO-benadering, asook die insette van tersiêre inrigtings en
industrie tot die aanspreek van geïdentifiseerde behoeftes. Die TRAC-program fokus onder
meer op die vereenvoudiging van basiese en moeilike natuurwetenskapbegrippe deur gebruik
te maak van rekenaargesteunde eksperimente, aan die hand van werkkaarte.
Om die ontwikkeling van vaardighede op skoolvlak te bevorder, sal die hele
onderwysbenadering met die samewerking van alle relevante rolspelers hersien moet word. In
dié verband is wedersydse kommunikasie tussen die verskillende rolspelers onontbeerlik.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49759 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Philander, Christa Jolene |
| Contributors | Jordaan, A. S., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education . Dept. of Sport Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | vi, 248 p.: ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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