Enhancing economics curriculum implementation in selected schools in the Northern Cape

Abstract

Ekonomie, as ʼn keusevak in die hoërskool, help leerders om die werkinge van ekonomie te verstaan en rus leerders toe met kritiese denke, analiserings-, probleemoplossing- en besluitnemingsvaardighede. Dit bemagtig leerders met die vaardighede om die 21ste eeu se uitdagings te konfronteer. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het gepoog om ondersoek in te stel oor hoe die kurrikulum se implementering van Ekonomie in geselekteerde skole in die Noord-Kaap verbeter kan word deur die publikasie van artikels. Die studie is noodsaaklik omdat daar gerapporteer is dat akademiese prestasie in Ekonomie in die Noord-Kaap asook in die land swak is. Daar is ook literatuur wat dokumenteer dat Ekonomie-onderwysers uitdagings ervaar wanneer hulle die Ekonomie-kurrikulum implementeer. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie ondersoek hoe die Ekonomie-kurrikulum in geselekteerde skole in die Noord-Kaapprovinsie verbeter kan word. Die Bemiddelde Leerervaringsteorie is gekies vir die teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie studie, terwyl gevallestudienavorsing vir die ontwerp- en interpretatiewe paradigma as die lens vir die studie aanvaar is. Die data is ingesamel deur gebruik te maak van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en klaskamer-observasies, en dokumentanalise en die tematiese analise is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Die studie het bevind dat alhoewel daar inderdaad goeie gewoontes is in die implementering van die Ekonomie-kurrikulum, moet meer gedoen word in terme van die voorsiening van onderrig- en leermateriaal, om onderwysers toe te rus met behoorlike Pedagogiese Inhoudskennis, en die ondersteuning wat deur verskeie belanghebbendes, insluitend die departementshoofde, gegee word, moet verbeter word. Die studie beveel aan dat daar meer betekenisvolle gebruik moet wees van huidige en relevante opvoedkundige hulpbronne en dat onderwysers deurlopend onderwyser-gedrewe, bemagtigende werksessies bywoon om sodoende die implementeringspraktyke van die Ekonomie-kurrikulum te verbeter.

Economics, as a high school elective subject, helps learners to understand the operations of the economy and equips learners with critical thinking, analytical, problem solving and decision-making skills. It empowers learners with the skills required to confront 21st-century challenges. This qualitative study aimed to explore how Economics curriculum implementation can be enhanced in selected schools in the Northern Cape Province through article publications. This study is vital because Economics academic achievement has been reported to be poor in the province and country at large. There has also been literature which documents that Economics teachers face challenges in implementing the Economics curriculum. This qualitative study explores how Economics curriculum implementation can be enhanced in the selected schools in the Northern Cape Province. Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) theory was chosen to theorise the study while adopting case study research for the design and interpretive paradigm as the lens for the study. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and document analysis and analysed using thematic analysis. The study findings revealed that although there are pockets of good practices in Economics curriculum implementation, more still needs to be done in terms of the provision of teaching and learning resources, equipping teachers with proper Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and improving the support provided to Economics teachers by various stakeholders including departmental heads. The study recommends more meaningful use of current and relevant educational resources and that teachers should undergo continuous teacher-initiated empowerment workshops to enhance their Economics curriculum implementation practices.

Isifundo Sezomnotho, njengesifundo sokuzikhethela sasesikoleni samabanga aphezulu, isiza abafundi ukuqonda ukusebenza komnotho futhi isiza abafundi ukucabangisisa okunzulu, ukuhlaziya, ukuxazulula izinkinga kanye namakhono okuthatha izinqumo. Inika amandla abafundi ngamakhono adingekayo ukubhekana nezingqinamba zeminyaka yekhulu-minyaka yama-21. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuphenya ukuthi ukusebenzisa isifundo Sezomnotho kungathuthukiswa kanjani esikoleni esikhethekile esifundazweni saseNyakatho Kapa ngendlela yokubhala amaphepha asatshalaliswayo. Lolu cwaningo lubalulekile ngoba ukuphumelela isifundo Sezomnotho kusabikwe njengokungagculisi esifundazweni kanye nesezweni lonkana. Sekunemibhalo yocwaningo ebalula ukuthi othisha balesi sifundo babhekene nezingqinamba ekusebenziseni okuqukethwe isifundo Sezomnotho. Lolu cwaningo lwekhwalithethivu luphenya ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kokuqukethwe isifundo Sezomnotho kungathuthukiswa kanjani ezikoleni ezikhethekile esiFundazweni saseNyakatho Kapa. Injulalwazi i-Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) yakhethwa ukwesekela ucwaningo ngesikhathi kusetshenziswa uhlaka locwaningonto kanye nepharadaymu yokuhumusha njengezibuko zalolu cwaningo. Imininingo yaqoqwa kusetshenziswa izingxoxo ezisakuhleleka, ukubukela emaklasini kanye nokubuyekezwa kwamadokhumenti kusetshenziswa ukuhlaziya ngezindikimba. Imiphumela yocwaningo yaveza ukuthi noma ngabe kukhona izigaba zokwenza kahle ekusebenziseni okuqukethwe izifundo ze-Economics, kuningi okusamele kwenzeke mayelana nokunikezelwa kwezinsiza kufundisa kanye nezokufunda, ukwelekelela othisha ngoLwazi oluQukethwe lokuFunda nokuFundisa, i-Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) futhi ukuthuthukisa ukwesekelwa okunikezwa othisha besifundo Sezomnotho ngababambiqhaza abahlukene okubalwa kubo izinhloko zomnyango. Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukusetshenziswa okunomvuzo kwezinsiza zokufunda zesimanje nezinomvuzo futhi ukuthi othisha kumele bahambele imihlangano ehlelelwe ukuthuthukisa amasu ahlelelwe bona ukuthuthukisa ukusebenza kwabo ukusebenzisa okuqukethwe isifundo Sezomnotho.

Ikhonomikse jwaloka e nngwe ya dithuto tse kgethetsweng dikolo tse phahameng, e thusa barutwana ho utlwisisa ditshebetso tsa moruo mme e ba etsa hore ba kgone le ho nahana ka botebo, ho hlahlobisa, ho rarolla mathata le ho ba le bokgoni ba ho nka diqeto. E neha barutwana bokgoni bo hlokahalang ho tadimana le diphephetso tsa ngwahaketekgolo ya 21. Thuto ena ya boleng e ikemiseditse ho fuputsa hore na kharikhulamo ena ya Ikhonomikse e ka kgothaletswa jwang dikolong tse kgethilweng tsa Provense ya Kapa Leboya ka phatlalatso ya diatikele. Diphuputso tsena di molemo hobane ho na le dingolwa tse bolelang hore matitjhere a Ikhonomikse a teana le bothata ba ho ruta thuto ena ya Ikhonomikse. Diphuputso tsena tsa boleng di fuputsa hore kharikhulamo ya Ikhonomikse e ka kenywakapa ho hlahiswa jwang dikolong tse kgethilweng provenseng ya Kapa Leboya. Tsela ya MLE , e kgethilwe ho nahanisisa thuto ha lehlakoreng le leng ho amohelwa diphuputso tsa dithuto tse itseng bakeng sa ho bopa le ho hlalosa seo e leng sona se etsang hore diphuputso tsena di bonahale. Ho ile ha bokellwa deitha ka mokgwa wa ho ba le dipuisano, ho ela hloko se etsahalang ka phaposing hammoho le ho manolla dingolwa. Diphuputso tsena di fumane hore leha ho na le melemo e itseng bakeng sa ho hlahisa thuto ya Ikhonomikse, boholo bo sa tshwanetse ho etswa mabapi le phumaneho ya tse thusang ho ruta le ho rutwa, e le hore matitjhere a fumane bokgoni ba ho tseba seo ba se etsang le ho matlafatsa thuso eo matitjhere a Ikhonomikse a e fumanang, hammoho le tshehetso eo ba e fumanang ho ba bang, ho kenyeleditswe le Dihlooho tsa Mafapha. Ka hona diphuputso tsena di kgothaletsa tshebediso e molemo o bonwang ya disebediswa tse hlokehang, le hore matitjhere a tshwanetse ho tsamaya kwetliso e tswellang, e le ho matlafatsa tsebo ya bona ya ho sebedisa Kharikhulamo ya Ikhonomikse.