CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.3 Suggestions for further research
The conclusions of this study that explored Life Sciences teachers’ experiences of IKS found in the curriculum, brought about an awareness of further research which could be conducted within this field of research. Further research could involve the exploration of teachers’
understandings of the components found within the curricular spider web as it became apparent from this study that a lack of understanding exists with regard to these components.
This type of research could be used to inform pre-service teacher education as it could illustrate shortcomings in understanding which could be the result of pre-service misunderstandings formulated during pre-service teacher education. Another opportunity exists in terms of each component of the curricular spider web being explored individually in order to ascertain a deeper understanding of teachers’ experiences with regard to each component. The issue of the concepts that were not covered extensively in the literature review such as time, location and grouping suggests that an opportunity exists for further research into these concepts.
135 5.4 Recommendations
The following recommendations are derived from the above conclusions of this study.
Recommendation 1
As a direct response to the conclusion that is concerned with the misalignment of the implemented curriculum experiences of the participants of this study with the intended curriculum as outlined by the policy document, which could be due to their lack of understanding of a number of concepts found in the curricular spider web, a recommendation is that stakeholders in education, which include educational departments and pre-service teacher education institutions, should get actively involved in addressing this issue. A way of addressing this issue is firstly by respective education departments mobilising suitably trained individuals to design interventions to re - train current teachers as this would aid in, one could say, stopping the rot in terms of the implementation of the intended curriculum. Secondly, pre – service teacher education institutions should include modules which fully engage prospective teachers in the understanding of the concepts found in the curricular spider web which will result in them having a deeper understanding of them. This will translate in the correct interpretation of the intended curriculum.
Recommendation 2
As a way of adding to the recommendation of ongoing professional development of teachers in terms of training, professional development should be added as a component to the curricular spider web proposed by Van de Akker et al. (2009), as it is of importance to the successful implementation and sustainability of a curriculum. Just as if one of the components of the current curricular spider web does not get the necessary attention to the detriment to curriculum implementation. The impacts of that can be expanded to the case of professional development. This has relevance to curriculum change in terms of the CAPS as teachers are seen as technicians to fix it without understanding it (Msibi & Mchunu, 2013).
This understanding may be acquired through professional development.
136 Recommendation 3
It is recommended that curriculum reform be kept to a minimum as in the last twenty years there has been a number of curriculum reforms which call upon teachers to reflect on the teaching and learning process. It is understandable that change is necessary in terms of an ever changing societal landscape, however, policy reformers need to be visionaries who can predict this change and make minor adjustments to the curriculum which will enable the teacher to be confident in his or her role as extreme change would bring about confusion and pressure which would ultimately influence the implementation of the intended curriculum.
This call for a minimal curriculum reform may lead to an increase in the availability of finances since a change in curriculum will invariably increase costs due to the printing of documents and training. This increased finances could be utilised for materials and resources, and accessibility.
Recommendation 4
There is a need for the policy document for Life Sciences to be explicit in its explanation of the relevant learning theory to be adopted in the teaching of IKS. The policy document which has a performance model approach to curriculum, in a way marginalises the topic of IKS as learning theories conducive to IKS, one may say, are rooted in a competence model of curriculum which calls for the use of learners’ prior knowledge and experiences. This, in some way, causes confusion amongst teachers which ultimately leads to a misalignment of the intended curriculum and the implemented curriculum.
Recommendation 5
In order to take the above recommendation even further, policy makers should evaluate the topic of IKS as a whole. In terms of curriculum reforms, it is a recommendation even though it might seem radical that IKS be made a subject on its own. In this way it would be recognised as important and not be viewed as ‘subjugated knowledge’ due to its perceived inferior status when compared to other knowledge bases. Other subjects such as Mathematics, Arts and Culture, Technology and as previously pointed out, the Sciences have elements of IKS. Topics relevant to IKS from these subjects could be put together to form a separate IKS curriculum. Having a separate IKS curriculum from the above subjects would allow teacher education institutions to design modules which will equip pre – service teachers with the necessary individualised skills pertinent to the teaching and learning experience conducive to
137
IKS. In terms of the necessary skills required, the policy document for this new subject could be a competence model of curriculum which will call for learning theories which are more conducive for the teaching and learning of IKS. The establishment of this new subject will aid in eliminating the view that IKS is just an add - on and in doing so, ensure equal status of IKS.
Recommendation 6
It is recommended that the Life Sciences curriculum developers should review the number of topics currently explored by the curriculum in each grade where a balance needs to be found between scientific knowledge and IKS as the current scientific content – laden curriculum places too much pressure on teachers which results in the implementation of the curriculum being exam – driven and results in IKS not being given attention.
Recommendation 7
Educational specialists concerned with the assessment of Life Sciences need to include IKS in the assessment strategies as the non assessment of IKS almost gives teachers a justification not to include in their assessment strategies. This would result in the elevation of the status of IKS in the classroom as more time will be allocated in the teaching and learning of it.
Recommendation 8
As education is viewed as a system comprising of various stakeholders which include the community, teachers should use non-traditional forms of materials and resources in the teaching and learning of IKS. Non-traditional forms of materials and resources could be defined as materials and resources which are not listed in the policy document of the subject.
These non-traditional forms could involve the community calling upon community members such as cultural leaders and elders to be actively involved in the teaching and learning of IKS.
This would help in some way to preserve the cultural ways of doing things which cultural leaders and elders have a vested interest in preserving.
138 5.5 Conclusion
The Life Sciences teachers’ experiences of IKS found within the curriculum, display a disparity between its implementation and that of the intended curriculum as outlined by the policy document. This disparity may be a result of their lack of understanding of the components found within the curricular spider web. This suggests an unsuccessful implementation of the curriculum which, if not addressed would result in the collapse of the curricular spider web as some concepts are not being given equal attention (Van den Akker et al., 2009). Although teachers have a positive attitude towards IKS, it does not secure the achievement of the intended curriculum. In the endeavour to achieve the goals of a curriculum that is deeply rooted in a performance approach to curriculum, certain components within the curricular spider web are being neglected. This can only serve to perpetuate the non – implementation of the curriculum. One such component which leads to the neglect of others is time. This is in terms of the limited amount of time allocated for the teaching and learning of IKS. This limited amount of time allocated influences components which include learning activities, learner grouping, assessment as well as the role of the teacher with reference to the learning theory adopted. The limited amount of time allocated for the teaching and learning of IKS is as a result of firstly, there being a great emphasis on the completion of the syllabus which is dominated by scientific knowledge whose completion is naively thought to secure performance. Secondly, in the pursuit of this performance through the limited allocated time results in the IKS are never taken seriously by both learners and teachers. There is a need to move the teaching and learning of IKS to a competence model in order to fully engage it with the components found in the curricular spider web. Doing so would, inter alia, provide sufficient time with regard to the adoption of a learning theory which enables the achievement of the intended goals of the curriculum.
139