Exploring alternative pedagogies for teaching grade 11 further education and training life sciences

Abstract

There has been a paradigm shift in the education landscape of South Africa since the introduction of the current Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS). The current curriculum emphasises the importance of employing learner-centred approaches that are linked to social constructivism theory when teaching Life Sciences. The study takes into cognisant that teaching of Life Sciences is dominated by traditional approaches that pride themselves on the transmission of knowledge and presentation of Life Sciences facts with no real-life situations with which learners can relate. The study used qualitative research methods, and participatory action research explored the enactment of teaching approaches to teach selected Life Sciences topics at a selected school in South Africa. Reference has been made to the teaching of photosynthesis and cellular respiration, which seem to be similar topics. Results included the researcher’s narrative analysis of the approaches used and learner performance on the assessments given to learners to measure the extent of knowledge acquired as well as other skills gained during the learning process. Findings revealed that learners could not comprehend the content knowledge because of a lack of prior knowledge. Furthermore, there was little understanding of when the transmission approach was employed as opposed to when different approaches were integrated into the lesson. When learners were exposed to practical investigative work, more meaning was demonstrated. Furthermore, the integration of ICTs enhanced learners’ understanding of concepts. When learners were assessed according to learning outcomes, poor performance was demonstrated. However, learners performed well when they were exposed to practical investigative activities. This study advocates for learner-involvement activities in knowledge construction. There should be the integration of ICTs when teaching Life Sciences since they play a significant role in assisting learners in understanding concepts better. Furthermore, when learners are exposed to practical work, they have opportunities to gain more conceptual knowledge and investigative skills linked to inquiry-based teaching approaches. Adherence to the CAPS document for Life Sciences is crucial because it guides how each topic should be taught.