Curriculum concepts appropriate in addressing “How” and “Why” knowledge in Agricultural Sciences Pedagogical Practice

Abstract

South Africa’s Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) specifies the content to teach and confines pertinent curriculum concepts to addressing the questions of “what”, “how” and “why” in teaching practice. Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) was used as a lens, because it is driven by human activity (teachers) and the six principles teachers should embrace in the activity system (the classroom). The prescriptive, communal and habitual perspectives (PCHP) framework personalises CHAT principles by producing curriculum concepts that underpin Agricultural Sciences (AGRIS) practice, while addressing the questions of “how” and “why”. The study presents emancipating action research of six AGRIS teachers to explore curriculum concepts they use to address the questions of “how” and “why” when teaching AGRIS in secondary schools. Reflective activities and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data. Purposive sampling was used to select the most convenient six participants. The findings indicate that teachers’ teaching is dominated by content, which addresses the “what” question; teachers were unaware of other concepts that underpin AGRIS practice. This suggests that teachers mainly impart scientific knowledge when teaching AGRIS and neglect skills and values/attitudes. Consequently, this study recommends an intervention from AGRIS curriculum developers in South Africa to infuse curriculum concepts to address the questions of “how” and “why” in CAPS. The study will contribute to scholarship by bringing an in-depth understanding of curriculum concepts pertinent to the needs of learners and society. It will further assist AGRIS curriculum developers and teachers in producing globally competent learners with the right skills and values/attitudes.