Developing Teacher Capabilities and Valued Functionings in Professional Learning Communities: Focus on Environmental Content Knowledge in Natural Sciences
- Thomas, Kgomotso, Songqwaru, Zintle
- Authors: Thomas, Kgomotso , Songqwaru, Zintle
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435234 , vital:73140 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: This study explored how professional learning communities can contribute to the development of teachers’ capabilities and the achievement of their valued functionings related to teaching environmental content knowledge in the ‘Life and Living’ strand of Grade 8 Natural Sciences (NS). This is in the context of the Natural Sciences Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) which is strongly content-referenced and is committed to learning approaches that are active and critical, and to environment and sustainability content knowledge (Lotz-Sisitka 2011). The integration of environmental education in the school’s curriculum is of significance as it addresses global and local environmental issues by preparing and actively involving learners in the planning, improvement and protection of the environment for the future (Unesco 2012). The successful implementation of CAPS requires that teachers attain necessary subject content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for the integration of environment and sustainability concerns into the South African National Curriculum (Lotz-Sisitka 2011). Teachers are also required to have the requisite skills to implement pedagogical approaches that support environmental education.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Thomas, Kgomotso , Songqwaru, Zintle
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435234 , vital:73140 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: This study explored how professional learning communities can contribute to the development of teachers’ capabilities and the achievement of their valued functionings related to teaching environmental content knowledge in the ‘Life and Living’ strand of Grade 8 Natural Sciences (NS). This is in the context of the Natural Sciences Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) which is strongly content-referenced and is committed to learning approaches that are active and critical, and to environment and sustainability content knowledge (Lotz-Sisitka 2011). The integration of environmental education in the school’s curriculum is of significance as it addresses global and local environmental issues by preparing and actively involving learners in the planning, improvement and protection of the environment for the future (Unesco 2012). The successful implementation of CAPS requires that teachers attain necessary subject content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for the integration of environment and sustainability concerns into the South African National Curriculum (Lotz-Sisitka 2011). Teachers are also required to have the requisite skills to implement pedagogical approaches that support environmental education.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Engaging Education for Sustainable Development as Quality Education in the Fundisa for Change Programme
- Schudel, Ingrid J, Lotz-Sisitka, Heila, Songqwaru, Zintle, Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka
- Authors: Schudel, Ingrid J , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , Songqwaru, Zintle , Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435031 , vital:73125 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: Since the Industrial Revolution began in the late 18th century, development has provided humankind with numerous benefits, such as modern medicine, housing, transport and communication systems. However, progress and the contemporary model of development has also brought its problems, as non-renewable resources have been overextracted, and large volumes of waste created, resulting in pollution that has impacted on the health of people and the environment. Most people are now aware that human actions are changing the climate in unpredictable ways. Massive over-consumption of resources and continued environmental degradation are undermining the natural systems we depend on, impacting most severely on the poor and marginalised people in our society. Societies around the world must adapt and change their practices for a low-carbon, more sustainable future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Schudel, Ingrid J , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , Songqwaru, Zintle , Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435031 , vital:73125 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: Since the Industrial Revolution began in the late 18th century, development has provided humankind with numerous benefits, such as modern medicine, housing, transport and communication systems. However, progress and the contemporary model of development has also brought its problems, as non-renewable resources have been overextracted, and large volumes of waste created, resulting in pollution that has impacted on the health of people and the environment. Most people are now aware that human actions are changing the climate in unpredictable ways. Massive over-consumption of resources and continued environmental degradation are undermining the natural systems we depend on, impacting most severely on the poor and marginalised people in our society. Societies around the world must adapt and change their practices for a low-carbon, more sustainable future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Teacher Professional Development in Environment and Sustainability Education
- Songqwaru, Zintle, Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka
- Authors: Songqwaru, Zintle , Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435248 , vital:73142 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: No education policy, no matter how well designed, can succeed without a teacher (Sanyal 2013). Additionally, a change in policy alone is not sufficient to improve an education system (Livingstone 2012), no matter how well meaning. The quality of teachers’ professional practices determines to some extent the quality of teaching and learning in the schooling sector. Teacher quality, and not only teacher supply, is important for learning; hence, teacher professional development should be a priority in all education and development strategies (Unesco 2015a).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Songqwaru, Zintle , Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435248 , vital:73142 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: No education policy, no matter how well designed, can succeed without a teacher (Sanyal 2013). Additionally, a change in policy alone is not sufficient to improve an education system (Livingstone 2012), no matter how well meaning. The quality of teachers’ professional practices determines to some extent the quality of teaching and learning in the schooling sector. Teacher quality, and not only teacher supply, is important for learning; hence, teacher professional development should be a priority in all education and development strategies (Unesco 2015a).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Teaching and learning for change: Education and sustainability in South Africa
- Schudel, Ingrid J, Songqwaru, Zintle, Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka, Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Authors: Schudel, Ingrid J , Songqwaru, Zintle , Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434971 , vital:73120 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: Like many national curricula around the world, South Africa’s curriculum is rich in environment and sustainability content. Despite this, environmental teaching and learning can be challenging for educators. This comes at a time when Sustainable Development Goal 4 via Target 4.7 requires governments to integrate Education for Sustainable Development into national education systems. Teaching and Learning for Change is an exploration of how teachers and teacher educators engage environment and sustainability content knowledge, methods, and assessment practices – an exposition of quality education processes in support of ecological and social justice and sustainability. The chapters evolve from a ten-year research programme led out of the DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Global Change and Social Learning Systems working with national partners in the Fundisa for Change programme and the UNESCO Sustainability Starts with Teachers programme. They show the integration of education for sustainable development in teacher professional development and curricula in schools in South Africa. They reveal how university-based researchers, teachers and teacher educators have made theoretically and contextually reasoned choices about their lives and their teaching in response to calls for a more sustainable world in which education must play a role. Teaching and Learning for Change will be of interest to education policymakers in government, advisors and educators in educational and environmental departments, NGOs and other institutions. It will also be of interest to teacher educators, teachers and researchers in education more generally, and environment and sustainability education specifically.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Schudel, Ingrid J , Songqwaru, Zintle , Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434971 , vital:73120 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: Like many national curricula around the world, South Africa’s curriculum is rich in environment and sustainability content. Despite this, environmental teaching and learning can be challenging for educators. This comes at a time when Sustainable Development Goal 4 via Target 4.7 requires governments to integrate Education for Sustainable Development into national education systems. Teaching and Learning for Change is an exploration of how teachers and teacher educators engage environment and sustainability content knowledge, methods, and assessment practices – an exposition of quality education processes in support of ecological and social justice and sustainability. The chapters evolve from a ten-year research programme led out of the DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Global Change and Social Learning Systems working with national partners in the Fundisa for Change programme and the UNESCO Sustainability Starts with Teachers programme. They show the integration of education for sustainable development in teacher professional development and curricula in schools in South Africa. They reveal how university-based researchers, teachers and teacher educators have made theoretically and contextually reasoned choices about their lives and their teaching in response to calls for a more sustainable world in which education must play a role. Teaching and Learning for Change will be of interest to education policymakers in government, advisors and educators in educational and environmental departments, NGOs and other institutions. It will also be of interest to teacher educators, teachers and researchers in education more generally, and environment and sustainability education specifically.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »