Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Discussions
4.8 Theme 6: Teachers’ Role
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require to be adjusted to fit in with a given context. If teachers can be creative enough to be able to adjust the activities to fit in their different contexts that will ensure the curriculum is sustainable for a long period of time. One can argue that the curriculum fails in a given country because of the activities that are impractical in other parts of a particular country. It may happen that it is a huge part of the country whereby the activities are so impractical. It is thus the role of the teacher to ensure that they adjust the activities to fit in with their context instead of leaving them out and continuing with the same activities that no longer interest the learners.
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instructor in a driving school, he or she teaches the driving skills. Some of the learner drivers may be taught the rules of the road but as soon as the learner driver receives their license they are no longer observing the road rules because the most important thing to them was to gain the driving skills. All they (learner drivers) care for is knowing how to drive (skills) so they will reproduce it to the examiners to be able to pass their driving tests not for understanding. Physical education teachers should play the role of facilitators:
Because for some learners I do not know if they are inactive from home or they have a problem because children like to play. I must therefore, do a follow up because if I will just watch I will have a problem when it comes to marks allocation because it is not acceptable that the learner has failed the practical (Participant 3).
This suggests that the involvement of learners is motivated by their grading (marks allocation) at the end of the year. This is a societal reason for teaching, because the department (society) it is not acceptable that a learner fail physical education. The learner should pass physical education whether s/he is not good in some of the activities being done during physical education.
I control, I observe, and I look at the learners that they do not hurt each other (Participant 2).
As our playground is dusty therefore, together with the learner we must first check if the place is safe, there are no sharp objects that can hurt the learners. I must also see to it that even if they play they do not play too close to each other (Participant 1).
The above accounts from two participants indicate that the teachers do consider the safety of the learners. Safety is a very important issue in the teaching and learning environment because learning cannot take place in a threatening space. Especially in life skills subject where the emphasis is on developing the skills that learners will practice in their adulthood which includes healthy living (healthy eating, being safe at all time, respect and others).
The observation and leading by demonstrating to them first. But you find that even if I demonstrate to them I do not show them everything because I do not know some of the activities (Participants 1 and 2).
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Also the age is a factor in this case because I will tell the learners that this is what I want to do but I can’t. Then learners will laugh but there will be one learner to volunteer and do it then the other learners will take it from that learner and do it (Participant 1).
Physical education needs a facilitator because these learners are still young and on their own they cannot do the activities. According to the accounts above, the participant is aware that her role is that of a facilitator just that the age is a factor to her. She understands that a teacher should lead by example by means of demonstrating to the learners. Age is one aspect that affects the implementation of physical education in the foundation phase because the teacher should demonstrate to the learners (as the participants have accounted for above). However, their age no longer allow the teachers to do the demonstrations, especially in the foundation phase because most of the teachers in the foundation phase are old. Therefore, they are unable to demonstrate the activities to the learners.
4.8.1 Discussion theme 6: Teachers’ role
According to Khoza (2013b), facilitators (physical education teachers) should use learning outcomes to drive their subject. This suggests that physical education teachers should be facilitators and not observers, instructors or controllers. The findings indicate that the teachers are not employing the facilitators’ role when teaching physical education. This is clear because teachers have not indicated the assessment strategies used to measure the outcomes from their learners. Khoza (2013b) further opines that it becomes important for facilitators (teachers) to assess their learners after learning has taken place. However, this only happens when facilitators are conscious of the aims, objectives and learning outcomes (Khoza, 2013b). In this case it seems as if there is no awareness of teaching goals from the teachers. Teachers only teach to impress the departments’ officials and that is teaching for societal reasons.
South African Department of Education (1999), has made it clear in White Paper 1 that the teachers are responsible for ensuring that teaching and learning take place in a safe location.
Teachers have been entrusted with the classrooms and the learners as well because they are well trained to ensure successful the teaching and learning. One most important thing that should be
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kept in mind and heart by the teachers despite their experiences is the creation of barrier free physical settings (South African Department of Education, 1999). Khoza (2013b) said it is the teachers’ responsibility to know their learners before they start their teaching in order to teach their learners according to the learners’ strengths for positive teaching and learning. Teachers should ensure that their responsibilities are handled well in order to ensure successful teaching and learning.
Gross and Buchanan (2014) cautions that a quality physical education programme needs committed and knowledgeable physical education experts (teachers). Similarly, Khoza (2013b, p.
2) concurs that there “should be ongoing development of facilitators (teachers) as individual and professionals” in order to ensure that the right person is teaching the subject. This suggests that those teaching physical education should be equipped with the necessary knowledge in order for them to do the right thing. In light of this, one can argue that they are not taking up their full responsibilities because they do not know what to do. Capel (2007), asserts that if the government wants teachers to provide physical education that will help young learners today to live a healthy life, there is a need for physical education teachers who will be more than technicians. Khoza (2013b, p. 8) contend that “when teachers’ interpretation of what they are doing is positive, it does not matter how much other specialists in the field may criticise it, they will continue until they are forced by a certain force to transform in order to change their position”. One may argue that the current physical education teachers are technicians because they want to do things according to the instruction from other people. Teachers are not coming with information of their own (pedagogical or content knowledge) to ensure that they succeed in their teaching. As a result, if things do not work according to the plan they are given, they (teachers) get stuck and say physical education is impossible.
Capel (2007) emphasises that there is a prerequisite of physical education teachers who can contest and, where applicable, alter the teaching of the subject. It is the responsibility of the teacher to assess every possible situation and the teaching approaches so that if some of the activities do not work out they will find a new way of doing them. The schools and the DBE itself may appreciate if teachers can come up with new strategies that can work. Service Ontario (2015, p. 15), indicated that “teachers should reflect on the results of the learning opportunities
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they provide, and make adjustments to them as necessary to help every student achieve the curriculum expectations to the best of his or her ability”.
Capel (2007), opine that teachers should also have reasons for the plans they have, and the strategies they are going employ, to teach their subject (physical education) in order to ensure that the curriculum is applicable to the learners they are teaching. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that the vision of the curriculum is achieved. If teachers can be fully responsible by ensuring that their lessons have goals and objectives and teachers are being consistent on those goals and objectives the curriculum can be successful. One can argue that the curriculum is practical, only when teachers can play their role of ensuring that they plan and secure the availability of the resources. It is always said that teachers should improvise (the resources), doing so can ensure that the curriculum is practical. Service Ontario (2015), clarifies this by stating that the preparation and accommodation of consistent physical education classes may need some ingenuity, especially if resources are scarce and must be shared by large numbers of learners. If teachers know and take up their responsibilities the curriculum will not struggle and it can be made sustainable for a long period.
4.9 Theme 7: Location and time