2.4 REVIEW, REVISION, STREAMLINING AND STRENGTHENING OF
2.5.1 Birth of the Interim Core Syllabus and Provincialised Guideline
Curriculum change in post-apartheid South Africa began immediately after the election in 1994 through a process of syllabus revision and subject rationalisation. The purpose of this process was mainly to lay the foundations for a single national core syllabus (DoE, 2002a). In addition, this process was responsible for eradicating the school syllabuses and textbooks of sexist and racist content so that it could be ready for implementation in the following school year (Tikly & Motala, 2003). For the first time curriculum decisions were made in a participatory and representative manner. However, “this process was not nor was it intended to be, a curriculum development process” (DoE, 2002a, p.4). According to Jansen (1999) the process involved a cursory review and cleansing of the apartheid syllabuses with the explicit task of:
36
Removing any sexist and racist content,
Eliminating inaccuracies in subject content, and
Establishing a common National core curriculum (Jansen, 1999).
After the ‘cleansing’ of the old apartheid syllabuses was complete the ‘new’ curriculum (syllabuses) was referred to as the ‘Interim Core Syllabus’, which was to be used in the Grade 10, 11 and 12 classrooms from 1995.
This ‘Interim Core Syllabus’ then underwent a process of provincialising and became known as the ‘Interim Core Syllabus and Provincialised Guideline’. The provincialising of the
‘Interim Core Syllabus’ was to ensure that no Grade 12 Biology learner within a province would be disadvantaged when s/he wrote the common provincialised examinations, which began in 1996. All schools within each of the nine provinces of South Africa wrote common examinations. The examinations were set, moderated and marked independently by each province.
The exit examination at the end of Grade 12 allowed learners to attain a qualification known as the Senior Certificate. Learners were required to register for a minimum of six subjects with two compulsory languages as subjects. These six subjects could be offered either on the
‘higher grade’ (HG) or on the ‘standard grade’ (SG). Subjects like Biology on the HG offering differed from the SG offering in that the content in some topics required a greater depth of attention. In addition, the SG examination consisted of a lower percentage of higher order (application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation) questions in the examinations. The minimum pass requirement on the HG was 40% while SG pass was 331/3 %.
Of importance to this current study is the preamble or ‘general remarks’ to the Biology
‘Interim Core Syllabus’ for both HG and SG. It consisted of two sections:
(1) Aims and objectives of the syllabus which is to provide a course, which develops in pupils important attributes such as, “An understanding of fundamental biological principles based upon a study of living organisms”
(2) Approach to the syllabus which indicates that the approach to the course should as far as possible, embody the important principles such as “Pupils should make their own observations of specimens and experiments” (DoE, 2002b).
37 A study of the different curricula reveals commonalities in the requirements for teaching and learning of the post-2006 Life Sciences curriculum in the NCS and CAPS and its predecessor pre-2006 Report 550 Biology syllabus with respect to IPW. This is illustrated in Table 2.3 by highlighting the relationship among LOs, SAs and the aims, objectives and approach to teaching of Biology.
Table 2.3: Relationship between the Learning Outcomes and Specific Aims in the Life Sciences post-2006 and the Aims, Objectives and Approach to teaching of Biology pre-2006
LO (NCS1, NCS2 and Examination
Guidelines)
Aims, Objectives and Approach (Report 550
Biology syllabus)
Specific Aims (CAPS)
LO1:
Scientific inquiry and problem-solving skills The learner is able to confidently explore and investigate phenomena relevant to Life Sciences by using inquiry, problem solving, critical thinking and other skills
(DoE, 2003b)
1.3 An ability to make critical, accurate observations of biological material, and to make meaningful records of such observation.
1.4 An ability to analyse and evaluate biological information, to formulate hypotheses and to suggest procedures to test them.
1.5 An ability to communicate clearly when reporting information and expressing ideas.
2.1 Pupils should make their own observations of specimens and experiments.
2.2 Pupils should learn to handle and set up apparatus correctly.
2.3 Organisms should be observed in their natural environment.
(DoE, 2002)
SA 2:
Investigating phenomena in Life Sciences
Learners must be able to plan and carry out investigations as well as solve problems that require some practical ability.
Learners must be able to:
Follow instructions
Handle equipment and apparatus
Make observations
Record information or data
Measure
Interpret
Design/Plan investigations or experiments
(DBE, 2011b, p. 15-16)
38
LO2:
Construction and application of Life Sciences knowledge The learner is able to access, interpret and use concepts to explain natural phenomena relevant to Life Sciences.
(DoE, 2003b)
1.1 An understanding of fundamental biological principles based upon a study of living organisms 1.2 An awareness of biological relationships
2.4 Constant emphasis should be placed upon facts being understood, interpreted and applied rather than being merely memorized.
(DoE, 2002b)
SA 1:
Knowing Life Sciences
Involves knowing, understanding and making meaning of sciences, thereby enabling learners to make many connections between the ideas and concepts. Making such connections makes it possible for learners to apply their knowledge in new and
unfamiliar contexts.
Learners must be able to:
Acquire knowledge.
Understand and make
connections between ideas and concepts to make meaning of Life Sciences.
Apply knowledge on Life Sciences in new and unfamiliar contexts.
Analyse, evaluate and synthesise scientific knowledge, concepts and ideas.
(DBE, 2011b, p. 13-14) LO3:
Life Sciences, Technology, Environment and Society The learner is able to
demonstrate an understanding of the nature of science, ethics and biases in Life Sciences and the inter- relationship of Science, Technology, Indigenous knowledge, the environment and society.
(DoE, 2003b)
1.6 A respect for all living things created by God and an urgent awareness of man’s
responsibilities in the preservation of life, particularly in the South African context.
1.7 A love and appreciation for South African flora and fauna and recognition of the urgent need for nature conservation.
(DoE, 2002)
SA 3:
Appreciating and understanding the history, importance and application of Life Sciences in Society
To enable learners to understand that school science can be relevant to their lives outside of the school and that it enriches their lives.
Learners must be able to understand:
The history and relevance of some scientific discoveries.
The relationship between indigenous knowledge and Life Sciences.
The application of Life Sciences knowledge in industry in respect of career opportunities and in everyday life.
(DBE, 2011b, p. 17)
A comparison of the information in Table 2.3 indicates that six out of the ten (60 %) of the pre-2006 aims, objectives and approaches of the Biology curriculum found a home in LO1 of the post-2006 NCS Life Sciences curriculum and SA2 of CAPS Life Sciences curriculum.
LO1 and SA2 are about investigations and problem solving and its correspondence with six of
39 the aims and objectives identified in Table 2.3 indicates that practical investigations or inquiry-based teaching and learning is not entirely new in the post-2006 South African context. Aim 1.4 of the pre-2006 particularly aligns the teaching approach with inquiry-based learning.
Approach 2.4 of the pre-2006 Biology syllabus aligns with LO2 of the post-2006 Life Sciences. LO2 refers to the construction and application of Life Sciences knowledge, implying that memorisation and regurgitation of information is not promoted. Approach 2.4, while not being explicit about the construction of knowledge, is nevertheless quite explicit about the emphasis being placed on facts being understood, interpreted and applied rather than it being merely memorised. This is further evidence that the pre-2006 curriculum, especially Biology, did not advocate the memorisation and regurgitation of information, as perceived by the critics of the old system. However, the practice or the enactment of this Biology curriculum may have been different.
The aim/objective 1.6 was grouped with LO3 because it deals with ‘societal’ issues. This particular aim/objective is related to ‘anti-evolution’ because the pre-2006 curriculum was developed during the apartheid era as part of Christian National Education which did not promote open discussion in areas that are controversial. However, by placing it in LO3 in the post-2006 curriculum, there is the opportunity for debate and discussion about such issues.
For teachers who taught Biology before 2006, the expectations of the LOs are not entirely new. Also, as indicated in Table 5.3, which illustrates the biographical details of the teacher participants, the youngest participant has teaching experience of eleven years and has taught Biology for at least one year. These teachers would have studied Biology at school level and would therefore have been exposed to the aims, objectives and the approach to Biology education, either explicitly or through the teaching and learning process, provided that the aims and objectives of the pre-2006 syllabus were implemented by all teachers. Hence, one could argue that in theory the introduction of learning outcomes should not have required a radical change in pedagogy.
In the year 2000 a common National examination was introduced in the five ‘gateway’
subjects, namely, Biology, Physical Science, Mathematics, Accounting and English Second Language, in response to setting and maintaining national standards in a democratic South
40 Africa. In order to facilitate such a change and in preparation for the National Biology Examination in Grade 12, the ‘Interim Core Syllabus’ was Nationalised to clarify the depth and breadth of the content for each topic. This document also listed six categories of skills to be assessed in Biology. These categories of skills included, measurement, observation, handling apparatus and materials, recording data and data transformation, interpretation of data and experimental design (DoE, 2002b).
According to Kuhn and Dean (2004) inquiry skills have been broadly incorporated as a significant aim of science education. Hence, these skills now appear in a number of national curricula, for example, the United States NSES (NRC, 1996, 2000) as well as in the science curricula of other countries (Abd-El-Khalick, BouJaoude, Duschl, Lederman, Mamiok- Naaman, & Hofstein, 2004), as well as in South Africa (DoE, 2002a, 2003b; and DBE, 2011b). Despite this widespread inclusion of the development and practice of inquiry skills into the science curriculum, there is little consensus about the exact nature of these skills (Abd-El-Khalick et al., 2004; Duschl & Grandy, 2005; Kuhn, 2005).
However, for the purposes of this study the policies and supporting documents of the different South African curricula resulted in the identification of several core skills that are associated with inquiry. These source documents included the following: in the case of Biology, a section in the examination guideline document titled “Categories of skills to be assessed in Biology” (DoE, 2002b); in the case of the NCS it was the elaboration of LO1 in the policy and guideline documents (DoE, 2003b; KZN DoE, 2005a), from the Content Framework document (DoE, 2007) and from circular E16 of 2010 (DBE, 2010) which contained the examination guideline; for CAPS the information was sought from the policy document (DBE, 2011b, p.15-16). In addition, the research literature reviewed in Chapter Three also assisted in identifying, synthesising and grouping these skills (NRC, 1996; 2000; Marques et al., 2000). Table 2.4 is an attempt to compare these skills as it pertains to the requirements for inquiry-based teaching and learning amongst the different South African curricula.
41 Table 2.4: Comparison of the requirements of inquiry skills among the pre-2006
Biology Interim Core Syllabus and Life Sciences in NCS and in CAPS
CORE SKILLS INVOLVING
INQUIRY
DIFFERENT SOUTH AFRICAN CURRICULA Interim Core syllabus for
Biology NCS
for Life Sciences CAPS for Life Sciences Aims and objectives,
approach and categories of skills
Assessment Standards of
LO1 Sub-aims of SA2
1. Measuring *Reading scales,
measuring out quantities, systemic counting
*systematically and accurately collect data using selected instruments and/or techniques and following instructions
*Display and summarise the data collected
*Identify irregular observations and measurements
*Allow for irregular observations and measurements when displaying data
*What to measure and how to measure 2. Observation and
recording of observation
*An ability to make critical, accurate observations of biological material
*Make observations
3. Following
instructions *Plans an investigation
using instructions
*Conducts investigations in Gr 10 & 11 by following instructions
*Follow instructions
4. Planning / Designing investigations or experiments 4.1 Generating questions and identifying problems
*Identifying problems *The learner identifies
and questions phenomena *Identifying a problem
4.2 Formulating
hypothesis *To formulate hypotheses *Generates hypotheses *Hypothesising 4.3 Making predictions *Generating logical
predictions Make predictions regarding phenomena in order to solve bigger problems
4.4 Identifying
relevant variables *Suggest procedures to test them
*Identifying variables
*Recognise that only one independent factor in an experiment is variable
*Suggest appropriate control/s
* Designs tests or surveys to investigate observed phenomenon (Gr 12)
*Design / plan investigations or experiments
*Identifying variables
*suggesting ways of controlling variables
*Understanding the need for replication or verification 4.5 Conducting
investigations and handling apparatus and materials
*Pupils should learn to handle and set up apparatus correctly
*Specifying the apparatus
*Planning the sequence
*Precautions to be taken
*The learner conducts
investigations *Handle equipment and apparatus
*Selecting apparatus and equipment and/or materials 4.6 Collecting and
recording data / observations
*Make meaningful records of such observation
*Recording and
*by collecting and
manipulating data *Record information or data
*Suggesting ways of
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transformation of data recording results of
experiments 4.7 Analysing,
interpreting and evaluating data
*An ability to analyse and evaluate biological information
*Analysing information from tables/graphs/ charts/
diagrams
*Make accurate calculations
*Identify anomalous results and explain variation in results
*See elements in common to several items of data
*Recognise patterns/trends in data and make inferences from these
*The learner analyses, synthesises, evaluates data
*Translation of information from table, and graphs
*Recognise patterns and trends
4.8 Evaluating the design of the investigation
*Recognise experimental and technical problems inherent in experimental designs
*Criticising faulty experiments
*Evaluate the experimental design
4.9 Making justifiable
conclusions *Evaluate the relevance of data and draw valid conclusions
*Evaluate the relevance of data and draw valid conclusions
*Transfer and apply conclusions to new situations
*Provide conclusions that show awareness of uncertainty in data
*Make deductions based on evidence
5. Communicating
findings *An ability to communicate clearly when reporting information and expressing ideas
*communicate findings
Sources: (DoE, 2002b, 2003b; 2005b; DBE, 2011b)
The data in the table shows that the inquiry skills required for the pre-2006 Biology and post- 2006 Life Sciences curricula are common. Ten out of thirteen core skills (77 %) are common to all three curricula. In fact, the skill of ‘communicating findings’ seem to be an omission rather than a shortcoming in the CAPS policy document. This assertion is based on the observation that the CAPS policy also promotes activities that deal with the preparation and presentation of posters and reports as elaborated within the content in the column labelled
‘investigations’ (DBE, 2011b). Hence, if this is an omission, then eleven out of thirteen core skills (85 %) are common to the three curricula.
In addition, the table also reveals that the NCS complies with all the core skills identified as important for inquiry based teaching and learning. The pre-2006 Biology curriculum differs from the NCS in that it did not explicate the skill of ‘following instructions’ while CAPS
43 differ from the NCS in one skill (if we exclude ‘communicate findings’), namely the skill of
‘making predictions’. Furthermore, an examination of the table illustrates that process skills as well as aspects of IPW as an example of inquiry-based teaching and learning was also an imperative of the pre-2006 Biology curriculum as indicated by the sub-skills 4.1 to 4.9 and skill 5. Given Table 2.4, it is therefore reasonable to assert that the teacher participants in this study should have knowledge, understanding and experience of the implementation of IPW and therefore would not have had to change their practice drastically. However, this will also be dependent on their experiences and practices during the teaching of Biology.