This thesis sought to investigate the teaching of natural sciences in the
curriculum of middle schools. This was because the Government of South Africa
had introduced a new curriculum to replace an apartheid curriculum which
existed in the country before 1994. Outcomes- Based Education (OBE) was
chosen as the medium through which the curriculum was to be made known to
learners. OBE like all educational theories and principles has its characteristics
and specific approaches to teaching, which were different from the teacher -
centred approaches science teachers were used to. This placed on teachers the
task of teaching science using OBE. There were other problems and challenges
which they had to overcome in order to teach effectively. The purpose of the
research was to determine the extent to which natural science teachers practiced
OBE in their teaching.
The study sought Jo answer the following research questions:
• To what extent was Grade 7 to 9 natural science teachers able to use
Outcomes Based Education methods and principles to teach natural
science?
• Which challenges did middle school science teachers experience in the
use of Outcomes Based Education in the teaching of natural sciences to
learners in Grades 7 to 9?
• How could the challenges experienced by the science teachers in the use
of Outcomes Based Education in their teaching be addressed?
The study drew its population and sample from natural science teachers of
the middle schools of the Mmabatho, Mafikeng, ltsoseng and Bodibe areas.
The teachers responded to questions from questionnaires and interviews.
The data collected was then subjected to both quantitative and qualitative
analysis. The following are the main findings of the study :
That the middle school science teachers had little or no knowledge on
OBE and needed more workshops and or in-service training and
development in OBE strategies and teaching skills. They also needed
further education and certification to improve :
That the unavailability of laboratories, apparatus, chemicals and other
learner support materials such as text books and a school library have
influence on the teachers ability to prepare lessons to suit specific topics
and they could not prepare lesson plans from any other sources except
from prescribed textbooks.
The teachers needed support from the Department of Education officials
to understand and apply OBE in their classrooms. Views they had on
OBE as to its usefulness or otherwise were formed based on how
Department of Education officials interpreted it to them.
Finally to ensure success and effective implementation, the study expressed the
need for further research to be conducted in matters that affect the teaching and
learning of science such as; teachers knowledge in OBE science teaching
strategies and assessment practices; teaching and learning support and, in-service
training and science teacher development and education. A research on
the impact of OBE on learners at middle schools was suggested as a sequel to
the topic of this research. / Thesis (PhD) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/11214 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Kwayisi, Frederick N |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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