In recent years, South African teachers were compelled to make an important
paradigm shift in education from a teacher-centred approach to a learner-centred
approach. Put differently, the emphasis is now on an outcomes-based education
(OBE) approach as the key underlying principle of the National Curriculum
Statements (NCS). Furthermore this paradigm shift in teaching and learning
emphasized an active participation of learners which necessitated Economic
teachers to restructure their teaching strategies in terms of the NCS.
The purpose of this study was to design a framework for the implementation of
cooperative learning as a teaching strategy for Economics teachers in the
Further Education and Training (FET) phase in Free State secondary schools.
A literature study and an empirical research was conducted for structuring of
such a framework with different components in the design and implementation of
cooperative learning as a teaching strategy for Economics teachers.
To achieve the aforementioned, OBE in general was outlined. Secondly, the
elements, principles, different OBE curriculum models were discussed. Thirdly,
problem areas and arguments in defence of the implementation thereof in South
African schools were explained. Fourthly, a multi paradigm perspective on the
OBE approach, the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and the place of
the NCS for the FET phase were interrogated from an OBE curriculum model
point of view. Furthermore Economics as a social science was compared to other sciences and
models of economic teaching. Economics as a school subject and the
interrelated components to the curriculum were broadly explained.
As reinforcement to the previous mentioned aspects, a historical development as
well as viewpoints on cooperative learning were outlined. Subsequently the
importance of cooperative learning models, strategies, and group compositions
were thoroughly analysed. In conclusion, the perspective on the development of
cooperative learning, the rationale thereof, as well as the advantages and
disadvantages were scrutinized.
Emanating from the literature review an empirical study was conducted to
determine the current status of in-service training amongst Economic teachers
and to which extent they apply cooperative learning techniques. Economic
teachers and Learning facilitators acted as respondents for obtaining data that
was used for the design of a framework for implementation of cooperative
learning. Findings of the responses of the questionnaires revealed that there was
a great need for more in-service training especially for both beginner and
experienced teachers. Furthermore the majority of respondents indicated a
deficiency in the application of cooperative learning in their Economic classes.
Thereafter a number of recommendations were made regarding the in-service
training and the effective application of cooperative learning as a teaching
strategy in Economics teaching.
In summation, the literature study, the findings of the empirical research and
recommendations of this study forms the basis for the design of a framework for
the implementation of cooperative learning as a teaching strategy for Economics
teachers in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-06242008-094053 |
| Date | 24 June 2008 |
| Creators | van Wyk, Micheal Moos |
| Contributors | Prof SL Miller, Prof R van der Merwe |
| Publisher | University of the Free State |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en-uk |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-06242008-094053/restricted/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University Free State or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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