A research report submitted to the School of the Arts,
Faculty of the Humanities
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
Masters of Arts
August 2015 / South African heritage sites are places that have the potential to support curriculum learning
outcomes, and visits to heritage sites are sometimes included in the school timetable.
Learning in museums is difficult to quantify, but it has been suggested that “something
generally [does] happen” during visits to cultural sites (Hooper-Greenhill 2007:47). The focus
of this research report is Constitution Hill, which is a prominent feature in the heritage
landscape of Johannesburg that focuses on the atrocities, and the injustices of the past, while
strengthening understanding of democracy and human rights. This research report evaluates
the experiences of learners from the Further Education and Training (FET) Phase visiting
Constitution Hill and participating in the Saturday Workshops run by Constitution Hill
Education Project and attempts to identify what is the ‘something’ that ‘generally happens’.
The data was obtained through semi-structured, open-ended interviews with learners,
educators and programme co-ordinators. The data was analysed using the Generic Learning
Outcomes Model, an evaluation tool developed in the United Kingdom. The research report
proposes, despite the best efforts of schools and educators, many learners, regardless of socio
economic background, struggle with making connections between South African history and
their own daily realities and that this may influence the value they place on their democratic
rights. However, the dynamic interaction with Constitution Hill, provided by the Constitution
Hill Education Project, resulted in shifts in attitudes and perspectives suggesting that the
‘something’ that happens is positive and potentially far reaching. This research report also
reflects on the interpretive strategies that characterise the engagement at Constitution Hill.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/20774 |
| Date | 29 July 2016 |
| Creators | Middleton, Susan |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf |
Page generated in 0.002 seconds