Chapter 5 Findings 5.1 Introduction
5.3 Analysis of Content
NCS Grade 12
DoE STD
A B C D
Purpose Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
7 roles of a learner
Aims and objectives Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
As per schools Assessment standards
Methods of assessment
Yes Yes Yes
Yes
No No
No No
No No 5.3.1 Orientation of syllabus inclusion in syllabus comparison
The analysis of the presented syllabi shows that the two governmental departmental developed syllabi were comprehensively developed including, in detail, the introduction to the subject and an overview of the syllabus. Both of these syllabi included a detailed account of the purpose, the aims and objectives and the assessment methods. These syllabus
documents were obviously set by experienced panels of curriculum and subject specialists.
This does not seem to be the case for the BEd degree.
It is clear that there is lack of experience in developing the syllabus by the lecturers. Firstly, only two of the lecturers have included aims and objectives and outcomes in their syllabus, yet all these lecturers indicated that it was important to know what the aim of the course is and to be guided by this aim in developing the content for the course. Secondly, there is the tendency to adopt the aims and objectives stipulated in the school syllabus, as indicated by the two lecturers who included aims and objectives in their syllabus. Not much thought and consideration has been placed in either creating new or even adapting the aims and objectives to make them specific to the course for the training of teachers. Regarding the three lecturers that did not present a complete syllabus, it indicates that they focussed on producing a
working document for themselves of what needs to be done in class. This does not present an official document to be used by other lecturers that outlines all the facets of the course
syllabus as with the two syllabi that had been developed and presented by the Education departments.
5.3.2 Selection of Content
5.3.2.1 Alignment with school syllabus
As indicated before, the aim of the BEd degree is to prepare the students to present the subject as school level. It is logical then that the content of the BEd syllabus needed to be aligned with the school syllabus. The table below indicates the ratio between the number of sections included in the school syllabus, and the number included in the BEd syllabus. The sections have been grouped, in most cases, according to the way they are presented in the schools NCS, but liberty has been taken to edit the wording and to separate and group some sections through the axial and selective coding process as for analysis purposes as advocated Merriam (1998) and Neuman (2003).
Table 5.3.2.1a presents a summary of the selected syllabi in the research. The main sections of content in the NCS syllabus have been tabled as the reference criteria, and the contents of BEd and STD syllabi have been entered to make alignment comparisons.
NCS Grade 12 DoE
STD
A B C D
Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Design.
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Scope, educational and career opportunities, human rights, gender, and inclusivity and HIV/AIDS issues related to EGD
No Yes Yes,
not Aids
No Yes
SANS code of practice as related to basic civil, electrical and mechanical drawing.
Only mechani cal
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Free-hand drawing. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Setting up a Drawing Sheet Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Use and care of Instrument Drawing. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Geometrical Constructions Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Scale drawings. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Descriptive geometry. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Civil Drawings. No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Electrical Drawing. No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sectional views Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mechanical Drawing. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dimensioning of Welding symbols and Machining and surface treatment and Tolerances
No No Yes Yes,
No welding
Yes, No welding Interpenetration and Development. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Transition pieces and containers. No Yes Yes Yes Yes Pictorial Drawing – Isometric, 1 and
2 point perspective drawings
Yes Axano-, di-&
trimetric.
Yes Axano- , di-&
trimetri c.
Yes Yes Yes
Loci – Helix, Cam, Rolling circles, Link mechanisms.
Yes Roulettes Spirals
Yes Roulett es
Yes Yes Yes
CAD No Yes Yes Yes Yes
The Design process: No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Visualisation cognitive and perceptual exercises.
Yes No No Yes No
Hrs per section & total hrs Yes Yes Yes No No
5.3.2.1a Subject content comparison
Table 5.3.2.1b illustrates how closely the participant designed syllabi are aligned to the schools NCS. The NCS stipulates twenty one different sections of content. Out of these twenty one sections, three participants have included twenty, and one participant nineteen.
NCS Grade 12
A B C D
21sections 19 20 20 20
5.3.2.1b Alignment of BEd syllabi to NCS
All the lecturers have covered the school syllabus quite comprehensively. Nearly all the twenty one sections in the NCS have been covered in the BEd syllabi. The only sections which have not been covered by all of them are, 1) The discussion of the scope, educational and career opportunities, human rights, gender, and inclusivity and HIV/AIDS issues related to EGD, 2) The dimensioning technique using welding symbols, machining and surface treatment and tolerances, and 3) visualisation cognitive and perceptual exercises. All of these are sections that have been introduced into the syllabus since the change from Technical Drawing to Engineering Graphics and Design. Reasons for not including these three sections are not stipulated.
It is clear then that lecturers, basically, resisted the challenge of redesigning or adapting the existing school syllabus but simply adopted it to be used for the BEd degree. There are examples, however slight, of the students being extended in some sections beyond the school syllabus viz. lecturer 1 including axano-, di-, and trimetric drawing in the pictorial drawing section.