An investigation of the status and practice of life orientation in South African schools in two provinces
Year: 2005
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the status and practice of Life Orientation in South African schools.Life Orientation is a quintessential new learning area, introduced as part of curriculum transformation in South Africa, and is intended to equip learners with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes for successful living and learning.Preliminary observations suggested that Life Orientation has not been optimally implemented in schools, and the low status legacy of Life Orientation's constituents added further impetus to the rationale for the study.The research was conducted in two provinces in South Africa, Limpopo a nd the Western Cape.Triangulation, with quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, was used.This included structured interviews with 134 educators at 94 schools, questionnaires administered to 1 284 Senior Phase learners, unstructured intervie ws with educators, and observations.The key research questions pursued were: What is Life Orientation?What significance is attributed to Life Orientation?Who teaches Life Orientation?How much time is allocated to Life Orientation?How is the practice of Life Orientation exemplified?What teaching methodologies do Life Orientation educators use?What are Life Orientation educators' problems and successes?Additional research questions, emanating from the research findings of the study, hinged on determining the impact of Life Orientation educators' values on their teaching and identifying rhetoric -practice interface incongruities.The findings reveal that the status and practice of Life Orientation are not yet optimal.Life Orientation, as a fledgling le arning area within a restorative educational transitional phase, still requires clear definition, interpretation and comprehension.The constituents of this learning area are fragmented as they are not yet integrated holistically within Life Orientation.L ife Orientation is not allocated the prescribed time on many school Edna Rooth May 2005.
Author: Edna Rooth
Language: English
Topic: Values and Moral Education
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1560140855