Controversial topics in the school curriculum: a case study on the teaching of evolution in South Africa

Abstract

Hierdie studie het gepoog om te ondersoek hoe Lewenswetenskappe-onderwysers in Suid-Afrika uitdagings van die onderrig van evolusie hanteer in ʼn land waar Christenskap oorheersend is en deur middel van openbare en/of nasionale vakansiedae gevier word. Die teoretiese raamwerk wat hierdie studie ondersteun, is ʼn kognitiewe raamwerk van implementering, wat die verkenning moontlik maak van hoe onderwysers begrip van die boodskap van die beleid kan saamstel; ʼn interpretasie van hul eie praktyk saamstel; en hoe hulle die boodskap van die beleid in hul praktyk geïntegreer het. ʼn Kwalitatiewe benadering is aangewend deur ʼn in-diepte gevallestudie-ontwerp te gebruik om te ondersoek hoe drie Lewenswetenskappe-onderwysers in Suid-Afrika oor omstrede onderwerpe soos evolusie binne die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring onderhandel, en wat die uitdagings en geleenthede is vir onderrig oor evolusie. Data is ingesamel deur gebruik te maak van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en klaskamerwaarnemings. Vyf belangrike bevindinge het uit hierdie kruisgevalle-ontleding na vore gekom. Eerstens kon daar waargeneem word dat twee van die onderwysers nie evolusie bestudeer het toe hulle opgelei is om onderwysers te word nie, terwyl die onderwerp van evolusie deel was van die derde onderwyser se opleidingsprogram. Die tweede bevinding spreek tot die invloed van onderwysers se oortuigings en perspektiewe oor evolusie tydens die les. Die derde bevinding toon dat onderwysers beide onderwysergesentreerde en leerdergesentreerde benaderings kon gebruik wanneer hulle oor evolusie onderrig het. Onderwysergesentreerde onderrigstrategieë was egter dominant. Die vierde belangrike bevinding dui daarop dat die onderwysers uitdagings ervaar het wat in die pad gestaan ​​het van die effektiewe onderrig van evolusie, wat die idee insluit dat evolusie as ʼn mededingende wêreldbeskouing staan teenoor die leerders en onderwysers se oortuigings oor die oorsprong van die aarde en sy mense. Die vyfde belangrike bevinding toon dat die onderrig en leer van evolusie leerders aan kritiese denke blootgestel het. Die studie beveel aan dat besluitnemers, beleidmakers en onderwysowerhede wat verantwoordelik is vir die onderwysstelsel in Gauteng en soortgelyke skoolkontekste, duidelike beleidsriglyne verskaf oor die onderrig en leer van evolusie as ʼn omstrede onderwerp en, waar moontlik, deurlopende professionele ontwikkelingsprogramme op verskeie onderwysvlakke moet voorsien om onderwysers se pedagogiese praktyke toe te rus.

This study sought to explore how Life Science teachers in South Africa deal with challenges of teaching evolution in a country where Christianity remains dominant and is celebrated through public and/or national holidays. The theoretical framework underpinning this study is a cognitive framework of implementation, enabling the exploration of how teachers can construct understandings of the policy message; construct an interpretation of their own practice and how they integrated the policy signals in their practice. A qualitative approach was employed using an in-depth case study design in order to explore how three Life Sciences teachers in South Africa negotiate controversial topics like evolution within the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement, and what the challenges and opportunities are for teaching about evolution. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and classroom observations.

Five major findings emerged from this cross-case analysis. First, it could be observed that two of the teachers did not study evolution when they trained to become teachers, whilst the topic of evolution was part of the third teacher’s training programme. The second finding speaks to the influence of teachers’ beliefs and perspectives on evolution during the lesson. The third finding shows that teachers demonstrated that they could use both teacher-centred and learner-centred approaches when teaching evolution. However, teacher-centred instructional strategies were dominant. The fourth major finding indicates that the teachers experienced challenges that stood in the way of teaching the topic of evolution effectively, which includes the notion that evolution stands as a competing worldview to the learners’ and teachers’ beliefs on the origins of the earth and its people. The fifth major finding shows that the teaching and learning of evolution exposed learners to critical thinking. The study recommends that decision makers, policy makers and educational authorities responsible for the education system in Gauteng and similar school contexts provide clear policy guidelines on the teaching and learning of evolution as a controversial topic and, where possible, provide continuous professional development programmes at various educational levels to equip teachers’ pedagogical practices.

Lolu cwaningo lufuna ukuveza ukuthi othisha besayansi yempilo eNingizimu Afrikha babhekana kanjani nezingqinamba zokufundisa uguquko ezweni lapho inkolo yobuKrestu isadlondlobele futhi igujwa ngamaholidi omphakathi kanye nezwe. Injulalwazi eyesekele lolu cwaningo uhlaka lokusebenzisa ukusebenza kwengqondo, okuvumela ukuphenya ukuthi othisha banga kuqamba kanjani ukuqonda komlayezo wenqubomgomo; ukuqamba isihumusho sendlela yokwenza kwabo nokuthi bazifaka kanjani izinkomba zenqubomgomo ekusebenzeni kwabo. Indlela yocwaningo lobunjalobotho yasetshenziswa kusetshenziswa uhlelo locwaningonto olunzulu ukuze kuphenyeke ukuthi othisha abathathu besayensi yempilo eNingizimu Afrikha babhekana kanjani nezihloko ezibucayi ezifana noguquko eSitatimendeni seNqubomgomo yokuHlola kanye nokuFundiswayo, nokuthi ziyini izingqinamba kanye namathuba okufundisa uguquko. Imininingo yaqoqwa kusetshenziswa izingxoxo ezisakuhleleka kanye nokubukela emaklasini. Imiphumela emikhulu emihlanu yavela ekuhlaziyeni okuthatha nxazonke. Okokuqala, kwakubonakala ukuthi othisha ababili abayifundelanga inguquko ngesikhathi beqeqeshelwa ukuba ngothisha, yize isihloko soguquko sasiyingxenye yesikhathi yohlelo lokuqeqeshwa kothisha. Umphumela wesibili ukhuluma ngomthelela wezinkolelo zothisha kanye nendlela ababuka ngayo izinto mayelana noguquko ngesikhathi sesifundo. Umphumela wesithathu uveza ukuthi othisha baveza ukuthi bebengakusebenzisa kokubili izindlela ezincike kothisha kuphela kanye nezincike kubafundi ngesikhathi befundisa ngenguquko. Kodwa-ke, amasu okufundisa ancike kothisha kuphela ayedlondlobele. Umphumela wesine omkhulu uveza ukuthi othisha babhekana nezingqinamba ezimelene nabo endleleni yabo endleleni yokufundisa isihloko senguquko ngempumelelo, okubandakanya umbono wokuthi inguquko ime njengombono ophikisanayo ezinkolelweni zabafundi kanye nezothisha mayelana nendabuko yomhlaba kanye nabantu bawo. Umphumela wesihlanu omkhulu uveza ukuthi ukufundisa kanye nokufunda ngenguquko kwenekela abafundi ekucabangeni okusabalele ngokunzulu. Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuthi abathathi bezinqumo, abaqambi benqubomgomo kanye neziphathimandla zezemfundo ezibhekene nenqubo yezemfundo eGauteng kanye nakwezinye izizinda ezifanayo zesikole zinikeza imigomo yenqubomgomo ecacile ekufundiseni nasekufundeni ngenguquko njengesihloko esinomqakuliswano futhi, lapho kufanelekile khona, zinikeze izinhlelo zoqeqesho lokusebenza oluqhubekayo emazingeni ahlukahlukene ezemfundo ukukhulisa umsebenzi wokufundisa kothisha.

Diphuputso tsena di batla ho sibolla hore na matitjhere a Dithuto tsa Bophelo mona Afrika Borwa a sebetsana jwang le diphephetso tsa ho ruta ka diphetoho tsa bophelo naheng e tletseng boKreste mme e le tumelo e nang le balatedi ba bangata, mme e ketekwa ka matsatsi a phomolo le a setjhaba. Diphuputso tsena di itshetlehile kgopolotabeng ya moralo wa ho sebedisa seo, e le hore ho fumanehe hore matitjhere a ka aha kutlwisiso ya molaetsa wa leano; ba iphumanele kutlwisiso ya bona, le hore ba kopanya jwang matshwao a leano mosebetsing wa bona. Ho sebedisitswe kgopolotaba ya bongata ho sebediswa boithuto ba taba bo tebileng, e le ho fumana hore na matitjhere a mararo a Thuto Ya Bophelo Afrika Borwa a shebana jwang le thuto e ditabataba hakana ka ya diphetoho tsa bophelo ka hara Kharikhulamo le Setatemente sa Leano. Ho ile ha nkwa deitha ho sebedisa dipuisano le ho hlokomela se etsahalang ka phaposing ya ho rutela. Sena se ile sa etsa hore ho hlahelle diphihlello tse hlano tsa bohlokwa. Ya pele, e bontshitse hore matitjhere a mabedi ha a ka a ithuta ka tsa diphetoho tsa bophelo ha ba ne ba kwetlisetswa ho ba matitjhere. Ya bobedi, e bontsha kamoo tumelo ya matitjhere ya bodumedi e ba etsang hore ho ruta ka diphetoho tsa bophelo e se be seo ba se natsang kapa ba se nkelang hloohong. Ya boraro, e bontshitse hore matitjhere a ka nka sefe kapa sefe se hlahang ho bona kapa se hlahang baithuting. Ya bone, e ka sehloohong, ke hore matitjhere a fumana phephetso, ebe ha ba tsebe ho e ruta hantle. Ya bohlano, e kgolo, e bontsha hore ho rutwa le ho ithuta ka diphetoho tsa bophelo ho etsa hore barutwana ba nahane hantle, ka ho teba. Diphuputso tsena di kgothalletsa ba nkang diqeto, ba etsang maano le baemedi ba thuto ba nang le boikarabelo ba maano a thuto Gauteng, le maemo a jwalo a thuto; hore ba nehelane ka maano a hlakileng ka ho ruta le ho rutwa ha diphetoho tsa bophelo e le thuto e sa hlakang hantle, mme moo ho kgonehang, ba kenye lenaneo la thupello ya matitjhere maemong a fapaneng, ho ba fumantsha tsebo le mekgwa ya ho ruta.