CHAPTER 5 SYNTHESIS
8. Financial Resources
5.2.4. Engagement with a science focused learning programme
5.2.4.1. Planning
a. Timetable arrangement (organisational) resource
School School A SchoolB SchoolC
Timetable arrangement
During the course of the day, every day During Life Skills sessions, every day During the course of the day, every day
Made by Educators
Educators and head of department Researcher Table 5.6. Timetable arrangement planned for the presentation of science in the learning programme.
At the initial interview with the Grade 1 educators, planning arrangements were made with the educators to determine the organisation of science in a science focused learning programme. The educators at school A decided to integrate science into the learning areas and planned three learning programmes, i.e. Language and
Communication, Literacy and Life Skills, which had science integrated. The learning programmes were presented from 8.30am to 12.15pm every day for five days. The educators at school B decided to integrate science into a learning programme that had Language and Literacy, Mathematics and Life Skills integrated. At school B the educator presented science during the Life Skills session on the timetable, for one hour every day for five days. At school C the educators had not planned on how and when they were going to present science. I told them that I would observe them every day from 9.ooam to 12. 00pm, every day for five days, for approximately three hours per day.
Trend
Educators across the well and moderately resource contexts differed in the planning of the organisation of when the science focused learning programme would be presented. The educators at the minimally resourced school had not planned on when and how the science focused learning programme would be presented.
b. educator aspects
(i) The educator feelings, ideas and action for planning the Science focused learning programme are presented in table 5.7. below:
Educator Aspects Feelings
Ideas about activities Action
Planning Time period Initial interview
Before presenting the learning
Programme Before presenting The learning Programme Aspects Difficulties Restrictions
Descriptors School A
Apprehensive-Rose Excited and blank - Foster
Apprehensive Narrow—broad Limited -wide Learners and Resourceful Bogged, apply Time
School B Excited and Apprehensive Confident Many with a Natural Science Slant
Timetable None None
School C Scared Uncertain
Different places Learners'
Capability Equipment Shortage Resources Table 5.7. Educator feelings, ideas and action for planning the Science focused learning programme
a. Feelings
Grade 1 educators, from different resourced contexts, except educator Foster experienced a common feeling during the initial interview, which was one of fear. For all educators this fear was attributed to their lack of understanding (being unsure) of what was expected of them in planning learning programme/s for the programme organiser - Me in the garden. The programme organiser presented to the educators was one that they had not planned and presented before (it was new to them). This feeling of fear could also be linked to the educators' feelings of confidence and competence to facilitate OBE Life Skills, where educators, except one, at school C were not sure of their confidence and competence to facilitate OBE Life Skills. The educators at school B were not sure/yes of their confidence and not sure of their competence o facilitate OBE Life Skills. The educators at school A's fear cannot be linked to their competence and confidence to facilitate OBE Life Skills, as they felt confident and competent.
The educators feelings just before presenting the learning programme varied across the resource contexts where educators at school A were apprehensive about how the learners would respond. The educator at school B was confident as she had prepared and she understood what she was going to present. The educators at school C were uncertain as they had not planned a learning programme for five days, they had only discussed what they were going to present on the first day.
Trend
Educators feelings of uncertainty about presenting the learning programme can be linked To their lack of understanding
b. Ideas
The educators, across the resource contexts, varied according to the ideas for activities, that they had before they presented the learning programme. These ideas could be placed into two categories: number of ideas and type of ideas. At school A educators fell into the number category where they experienced development as they had limited ideas before planning the programme, but as they planned and completed the planning of the programme their ideas had increased. Educators at school B and C fell into the type of ideas where educator Pat at school B had many ideas with a natural science slant.
Educators at school C were concerned with ideas of learner capabilities (clearly a misunderstanding of the question asked, although learner capabilities can be linked to activities) and of taking the learners to different places.
Trend
Educators' ideas for activities when planning a science focused learning programme could be placed into two categories, viz. the number and type of activities. Educators at the well resourced school fell into the number category, while educators at moderately and minimally resourced school fell into the type of activities category.
c. Action
The educators across the different resource contexts differed according to the planning action. The planning action can be categorised into two categories: organisational and human resources; and facilities and materials (teaching and learning). Educators at school A and B were concerned with organisational and human resources where they looked at.
e.g. the learners capabilities, them (the educators) being able to use what was in their environment, using the specific outcomes and time. The educators at school C were concerned with the lack of, condition and size of facilities and the lack of and shortage of teaching and learning materials that were required for planning the learning programme (note- post planning, refer to case study school C).
Trend
Educators from well and moderately resourced resourced schools, when planning the science focussed OBE learning programme considered organisational and human resources, while educators at the minimally resourced school considered facilities and teaching and learning materials.
(ii) Understanding
The educators' understanding of a science focused OBE-based learning programme was be categorised into three categories: (1) science process skills that the learners could develop; (2) knowledge that the learners could develop and (3) the facilities required for teaching science. The educators at school A exhibited all three categories. The educator at school B exhibited the first and second category, while the educators at school C exhibited the first category.
It was evident, that the educators had a clear idea of what OBE methodology entailed, where learners are active (engaged in the process), responsible for their own learning and activities are hands on. This is also linked to Science teaching and learning where learners are engaged with hands-on activities, which had an experimental nature, learners had to investigate and discover for themselves. The educators at schools A and B were also concerned with the development of knowledge. None of the educators spoke about science attitudes and values. A science focus in an OBE learning programme would
address the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes and values. I claim that the educators at school C need to develop a full understanding of what a science focus in a learning programme is.
Trend
Educators across different resource focused OBE learning programme
contexts differed in their understanding of a science
The educators' understanding of what they saw as Natural Science in the learning programme can be placed in three categories: (1) what it consisted of; i.e. had a natural science element; (2) what it was concerned with, i.e. the garden and (3) the type of activities, i.e. planting seeds. The educators at school A understood it in terms of (1), (2) and (3). The educator at school B understood it in terms of (1) and (3) and the educators at school understood it in terms of (3).
Trend
Educators across different resource contexts differed as Natural Science in the learning programme
in their understanding of what they saw
(Hi) View of learners
The Grade 1 teachers view of learners in terms of: completion of tasks within a specified time; educators understanding of the ability of learners in the class is expressed as descriptors in table 5.8. below:
School
A B C
View of Completion of tasks within a specified time
No evidence in planning
Activity planned for 10 minutes No evidence in planning
Learners
Educators understanding of the ability of learners - class Pre-conceived: read, write and Work independently
No evidence in planning Pre-conceived: what learners are capable of
Table 5.8. Educators' view of learners